Perfection

“I’m not eating that.”

“I will agree.. The food in here just isn’t five star.”

“For the love of god, I’m bad at recognizing pills.”

“Can I have a look? I have an eye for them.”

Seeing that familiar face,  Rufus’ smile only obviously grew on her lips, filed teeth bared in pure delight of the others presence. It was nice out.. she was doing an okay job a reading.. although when she said that, she meant take time to sound out the words first, stutter through the book. God knows how long she had been sitting there. But alast, she was doing an okay job. Looking up at him, Rufus rested her book on her belly, hand fixing her collar, dagtag clicking against the metal hood it was clipped onto, patient number scribed onto the back. When Vik got closer, Rufus looked up, giving him her full attention, watching him with a smile when he confessed to also liking reading. “Oh..” She soon muttered when she said he didn’t think so.. that he was his own hero. “I thought everybody needed a hero.. somebody else.. I was wrong then..” She guessed. Although hearing Vik’s order, Rufus grinned. “Oh.. okay.” She stated, flicking through the pages, finger running under the words before she took a deep breath. “She saw them, but did.. did not believe they were there. You s-see, she saw them so o-often in their beds in her dr-dreams..” She paused, eyes flickered over the words as she took her time, trying to form words in her head before she said them allowed. She wanted to show Vik that she was indeed smart. “..that she thought th.. is was just the dream hang.. hanging around her s-still.” Rufus read, eyes coming to trace the picture of Mrs Darling, asleep in a rocking chair in her children’s room. “You see..” She began. “Michael and.. W-Wendy and John.. they were all in Neverland.. for a long time.. and they missed their mother.. and she missed them..” She paused. “And they couldn’t go home.. not until Peter took them with Tink..” Rufus felt a pang of hurt in her heart. It reminded her so much of her own mother. Like she was helpless Wendy, stuck in this place.. Like Neverland.. much less amazing though.. and Vik..who was this person who could help her.. make her better and like Peter, she could help bring her home. With a final look at the book, Rufus shrugged. “You don’t think he’ll come get me?”

“Rufus, not everyone needs saving.” Vik said defiantly, no one for the idea that everyone needed someone. He was the only company and support he needed. Of course other people added to his ego and they allowed him to live in his narcissist dream, but without them his thoughts were the same. Without outside influence Vik believed himself to be the pinnacle of everything that had ever been, people were just slow to take notice. Everything was always everyone else’s fault. She listened to Rufus stumbling through the little passage, disappointed in herself that she’d gone and given the little thing far too much literary credit. She could read but it was a slow challenge for her and Vik liked that. A follower could never be too smart, because then they’ll only find a way to lead themselves. She sat herself down on the grass beside Rufus, to listen to the girl explain the backstory to the piece she’d chosen. It was clear that Rufus was in some pain when speaking about what the book brought up. She still wasn’t completely clear on the girl’s backstory, and how she ended up in the state she was but he’d figure it out eventually. That or he’d get Rufus to tell him every last detail about it all, whichever came first. “No..” Vik said simply with a shake of his head, leaning himself back and resting on his hands. “He’s a character, Rufus, nothing more than words in a picture book. You need real people to save you; a single person even if they’re special enough. And in your case you’re incredibly lucky. I found you before you even knew to find me.” The smile was so minute that it didn’t even change his features, rather it just softened them for the girl beside him. Rufus would take a lot of work, but as with any investment time and effort would make for a worthwhile end product. 

Residing the in the lush grass outside, It was somewhat chilly.. but she was used to the cold.. even as goosebumps literally her skin. Rufus lay still yet hands in the air holding a book above her head, studying the words carefully. She was trying to read as best as she could. Although at one point, a genuine laugh left her lips as she rolled onto her stomach, book on the grass. “Oh Peter run.. Hook’s going to get you!” She rooted on for her new favourite story book hero. Every once in a while, she’d smile, laugh and actually seem human.. and not the messed up little monster people knew her as. Hearing thee tiniest noise, her head shot up. “Hello.” She greeted the other. “I’m reading.. do you like reading?” She asked, rolling back onto her back like a pup, moving around to get comfortable. “You think Peter would come here? And take us all away from here?”

So she could read. That wasn’t something that Vik had expected but she supposed it was an added benefit. He was quite impressed by the little dog like creature knowing how to string as sentence together let alone being literate. Vik couldn’t help but watch her curiously as she rolled around with her book in hand. Naturally Rufus gravitated towards fiction, towards books that Vik didn’t really care for. Vik preferred to expand her horizons when reading and learn more about the world she found herself existing in rather than escaping to otherworldly places; she did that enough in her own version of reality. “Rufus.” He said with a nod of his head, his own attempt at a greeting as her eyes stayed solely focused on the girl. “I do like reading, yes.” Vik said as she got closer, standing over Rufus with a small smile on his lips as to not come across too menacing. “Do I think that? No. I prefer being my own hero.” She as she looked out across the gardens, before looking back down to Rufus. “.. Perhaps my mind can be changed. Read me your favorite part.”

Listening to the other, Rufus’ chin rested easily in the heels of her palm, fingertips drumming against her jawlines. “Wow..” She muttered after listening to the other. Vik was indeed an amazing person. She was smart; god, she knew absolutely everything. She was sweet; she had given Rufus all of that food to herself when they met, she had promised to help her.. and she was brave like no other that Rufus ever had the pleasure to meet.  Hearing the others comment about her thinking she was smart, Rufus smirked proudly, chest puffed out slightly, the same way she had seen Vik do a few times. “Thank you Vik – but.. you’re much smarter..” She insisted. “I mean.. you can count to a hundred, right? You’ve gotta be real smart to do that.” Rufus said more so to herself, a somewhat reminder that her smarts were not at such a level yet. When the other explained the spray to her, Rufus watched it. “Hurt me? How?” She asked. “It does.. I like it alot.” She smiled. Although when they other sat on his bad, Rufus watched him momentarily as he reached for his journal, Rufus’ ear perked. “I.. my visit?” She asked before remembering that she had something to tell her before catching Vik as she had previously. “I ah.. I can’t remember.. do.. are you busy? Do you want me to leave?

Rufus was everything a narcissist would want from a follower. She blindly believed everything that Vik said and she didn’t know that much to begin with so everything was malleable. It was dangerous, but the idea of it all made Vik smirk internally with the power she had and the hold she’d have over Rufus. “Count to a hundred? I can count to a thousand, a million if I wanted to.” His eyes moved to look at her again, their electric blue colour softened some as if Vik had the ability to care somewhere in her. She didn’t, but the sentient tended to make her more likable to other people. “Well it’s not meant to be consumed. Consume it and it’ll hurt you, Rufus.” Vik reasoned out pretty simplistically to help Rufus to understand. He was feeling rather calm and that was wonderful news for Rufus, meaning that she wouldn’t just be banished out of her room at any given moment. The idea that Rufus had forgot her reason behind coming to find her left Vik feeling very accomplished, apparently her body was enough to cause short term memory loss. “I am busy.. But you can stay. Make yourself comfortable, Rufus.”