68; dictated/action

[gottaknockhard]

( Frodo )

[Generally speaking, Spike has an excellent ability to put off things that he finds uncomfortable, largely by pretending not to notice them at all. It just so happens that the subjects he's most uncomfortable with are popping up so often lately that he's struggled to keep his record down. (Especially with his new found handicap.) And unfortunately, when the distractions of unexpected nights out at strip clubs and failed car races are over, he's back to the same issues he had a week ago.

Telling a queen about her own downfall isn't something he ever expected to be his responsibility. He can pretend that he only agreed out of spite, but what he knows is a lot more disturbing that he's ready to admit. It's days after he roped Frodo into helping with the research, on that same queen's orders, that he thinks it's about time they got back together.]

Hey. Are you around?

[The tone makes it obvious why he's calling, and that he's not thrilled about it. Hopefully Frodo had an easier time translating history books than he did.]

---

[He's about to close the journal and stand up to make his way to the library, of all places, when he nearly trips over a small dog that gets in the way of his foot. When he catches himself on a table, he glares down.

Ein...]

I thought I told you not to do that. [To which Ein tilts his head and stares innocently. It gets worse when Spike actually looks at the bag he brought home to find the contents spilled across the floor while he wasn't paying attention. (How hard was he concentrating, anyway?)] You know, if you're that hungry, you really need to learn how to use a can opener. [More staring.] What? ... [Ein nudges the journal that's still open on the table, picking up his one-sided conversation.

Smart ass dog.

Like he even cares if anyone hears him talking to himself. Then the dog's stomach rumbles audibly, and Spike sighs.] Yeah, yeah. I'll get it before I leave.

Comments

Spike forever

[bronwe]

[ Frodo has the tendency to spend days stretching into weeks at these kinds of tasks. The scholarly kind, research and translation, usually driven by curiosity though this time the work goes more slowly, as if rushing might wound the memory and the woman herself. And he summarized many of the things more kindly than they were written, as much as he could.

But that was far from the most difficult part of the errand. ]

Yes.

[3nterprising]

[Faye's not surprised by his conversation with silence. In fact, she has an inkling of who (or what) Spike is talking to.]

I'm surprised you haven't eaten the thing by now.

[mal_addict]

...Talking to yourself, now?

closed;

[bronwe]

[ The walk from the library feels shorter than it should, and it was hard to resist the temptation of slipping back into his room and delaying this to tomorrow or the day after.

A few pieces of paper rolled up in his left hand, he stops by her door and waits to draw a breath before knocking. He wonders if this is how it felt for Bilbo to wander into a dragon's lair to exchange riddles. Only this time the dragon has no indestructible armor and he means to protect it rather than harm it, which seems even more difficult. ]

Your Majesty? It is I, Frodo.