Chapter Text
And, much to Thomas' relief, the Toon's little short cut proved to be exceedingly efficient. He'd not even had to cut through any residential areas either! So there had been nothing to impede the COO in his light jog through the town's darkened streets. And in the end, after having passed underneath an archway emblazoned with music notes and engravings of various instruments, there she stood beneath the light of an ornate vintage lamp-post, a large wicker bag full to bursting with balls of yarn held in both her hands as she seemed to scan the street up and down for any signs of life.
Upon making eye contact with Thomas as he approached, Belle Dama, otherwise known among her co-workers by her designated title of 'The Mouthpiece', gave a relieved smile and waved 'ah! There you are Thomas dear! It looks as though that Toon's advice held true after all!' She chuckled softly, the Boardbot smiling as he came to a slow stop as he closed the gap, the pair now stood beneath the street light's pleasant glow like two actors under a stage light, about to put on an elaborate performance.
'...How have you been doing, dear? It's been quite a while since we last spoke face to face! Sending emails and making phone-calls just isn't quite the same,' the manager spoke, her brow furrowed softly in an expression of both comfort and concern as a hand reached across to pat the COO softly on the shoulder while he caught his breath.
Thomas felt a glow of warmth light up at his core as he gave his friend a fond smile, she never failed to make him feel completely at ease 'Oh, I...I've been alright, I think,' Thomas began, taking a brief moment to look around the immediate area and making a point to scan the windows of the surrounding buildings specifically to make sure they weren't being watched at all.
'I've...honestly been spending the majority of my time at home, when I'm not working of course...just recently Robert has had me doing mandatory daily activities to try and get me back into the swing of things,'
The Mouth Piece's eyes widened with genuine interest as her friend spoke on his recent escapades, cocking her head with curiosity as she turned and motioned down the path behind her, where not far away sat the location of the knitting club, a building that during the day functioned as a lounge and jazz hall, though every now and again if you could afford the booking fee the odd theatrical performance or game-show may be entertained. It was a location that had actually been suggested by Mr.Dave Brubot himself, a gesture of good will for Mrs.Dama seeing as they got along so well.
'Oooh dearie I'd love to hear all about it! Let's get along to the club room and get settled in for the evening and you can give me all the details!' Belle returned, Thomas moving to follow along after her and out from under the street light, the music hall in the distance illuminated with blinking yellow and red bulbs framing large white signs advertising events that were currently taking place therein. It appeared as though a new swing band would be performing over the next month or so, and over the weekend there was to be the airing of a small murder mystery play starring new upcoming talents. Thomas half wondered to himself if it was worth finding out the ticket prices to attend the performance, however...he doubted he'd have the time to be able to attend.
Looking to Belle as they walked up the front steps of the music hall, the COO stepped forward and pushed the glass door wide, holding it open for the Mouth Piece to step through as he motioned with a polite smile 'after you, Belle,' he spoke up, and the manager gave a soft chuckle and shook her head as she stepped past and into the foyer, becoming illuminated by the impressive looking chandelier that dangled over the scene from the ceiling above. She was going to say how she'd not had a door held open for her so politely since her dear husband passed, and how such politeness was rare these days, but in the end she chose to keep that to herself. After the incident Thomas had gone through? The last thing he needed to hear about was Suits cut down in their prime.
'Oh - - Is that a new cardigan, Belle? It looks very fetching! In fact...correct me if I'm wrong, but is it...?'
'It's the one I was working on during our last club meeting!' Belle laughed, cutting the Boardbot off as he stepped through the door to join her 'I was wondering when you'd notice! I think it's one of my best yet,' she exclaimed, a hint of pride in her voice as the COO took a moment to properly give the completed knitting project a once-over, and admiring the elaborate stitching and patterns Belle had painstakingly hand crafted over the span of multiple days and weeks. It was a dusty shade of greyish purple, and on the breast pocket area there was what looked to be a pattern in the form of a vintage telephone's rotary dial, all 10 numbers outlined with care in black yarn. There also notably looked to be a sort of frame of leaves around the edge of the dial...Thomas wondered to himself a moment if perhaps the leaf patterns were a reference to him in some way, a symbol of their close friendship...he kept it to himself however, he didn't want to presume anything or put words in Belle's mouth.
Breaking into an impressed grin, Thomas bobbed his head as he moved to undo the buttons of his coat one by one now that they were out of the cold 'It's wonderful Belle! You've truly outdone yourself! I can only hope that scarf I was working on last time can come out just as good!' He remarked, as the manager swatted a hand from side to side with a smile.
'Oooh of course it will dear! You're a fine knitter! Why, just remember that darling sweater you made for junior some years back! That project came together splendidly!'
Thomas blinked at that a moment, and his smile wavered only a fraction as he thought back on that project...he'd been really rather pleased with that sweater, putting together the plan for the plant design had been no small feat! And he could remember having to go back and fix multiple mistakes with Belle's help again and again before it finally came out perfect.
It's why, when he'd finally presented the sweater to Junior as a gift, it had...stung, a little, when his nephew had expressed disinterest in the gift. It was too small for himself to wear of course, and he had no children of his own, so...having not wanted his hard work to go to waste he'd had the sweater's design mass produced as a request to Allan in his fabric production factories, and then...gave them out one April Toons, as a free gift to the critters.
He'd never told Belle about any of that. He was sure she must of seen multiple Toons running around town wearing the copies of his now patented design, but she had no idea that he'd put the pattern out to the public because his original gift had been rejected, he knew that if he had of said anything, she'd of likely wound up upset on his behalf. Bell was after all a Suit from an older generation, so despite how kindly and good natured she was, Thomas knew she also believed that youngsters should respect their elders.
Wanting to look for a way to politely change the subject, Thomas soon realised that it appeared as though it was just the two of them tonight! Looking around the foyer and craning his neck to look down the long hallway that lead to the music hall's cocktail lounge, the COO listened intently for any sounds of activity beside the two of them worth speaking of, only to find himself coming up short. He couldn't even make out the faint sound of a janitor mopping the floor or polishing a table.
'Is it just us tonight?' He asked at last, moving to stand beside Belle as the pair began climbing the grand staircase that lead to the various break rooms, costume storage areas and dressing rooms above, the manager needing to hold onto the stair rail for the sake of her poor balance in her older age as Thomas offered to carry her bag for her, which was an offer she happily accepted.
'That it is I'm afraid. The others all really did want to be here tonight to catch up with you after all this time, but they all had one thing or other come up,' The manager admitted, as she shook her head slowly.
'Oh dear! I do hope no one ran afoul of any bad news?'
'Ooh no dear, no nothing like that luckily, let me think...' Belle muttered, the COO making a point to walk up each step at a time slowly so as to not rush on ahead and leave his older friend behind as he listened intently.
'Tawny is having some upgrades taken care of with his doctor...he tried to reschedule but the medical department is currently swamped...'
'Barry is working late tonight with the rest of the litigation team on a very important case for Ms.Morsecode, though he said he's not allowed to discuss the particulars...'
'And as for Judy...she mentioned something about some important paperwork she needed to deal with soon-as, so as far as I am aware she's had to take work home with her,'
Bobbing his head slowly as Belle reeled off every knitting club member who was unable to attend, the COO reached the top of the staircase as he turned to look down the hallway to his left in the direction of the break room where their club activities were held and sighed softly 'aah it's really quite understandable Belle, It'll be the height of summer soon, which means things are going to get extra busy. So it's quite good really that Tawny and the others are preparing in advance...we can fill them in on the details at next week's meeting!' He returned, wanting to keep Belle's spirits up in that they'd all be present for the next upcoming club day as she reached the landing and stood beside him with a hopeful smile.
Thomas was all too aware of how much Belle looked forward to not only the club meetings, but everyone being able to attend them as well! Unlike himself, Belle was a sociable soul who loved a good chat, but ever since her children flew the nest and her grandchildren began prospering careers of their own, it became rare that she enjoyed regular intervals of pleasant company...there were times Thomas wished he could do more to impede the Lawbot's loneliness. Belle never openly admitted it, but the COO knew how hard those moments could hit his old friend.
However, rather than respond to the Boardbot in a melancholy fashion, instead Belle surprised Thomas by giving him a little wink and a knowing smile before pointing to the bag he'd been carrying for her and replying 'ooh well, all the same dear! One thing we can look forward to tonight is that while the others are away we can enjoy the cookies I baked for us between ourselves!' She chuckled.
Thomas' mouth twitched briefly, the corners of his mouth curling before he let out an awkward but genuine peel of reserved laughter, that had gone and caught him quite off guard!
'Oh - - Belle! You made a whole batch of cookies just for us two? We'll have to be careful the others don't find out or they'll be quite jealous!'
The manager joined him in sharing an equally polite tinny titter in response, smiling fondly 'well, of course I did dear! Tonight is a special occasion! Welcoming you back to the club after all this time away...It really is a cause for celebration! And I know how much you like my baking,'
It made the Boardbot feel all warm inside as his laughter calmed in his chest and he gave a light sigh, he really had been looking forward to all this...and it had only really just occurred to him in those moments that even if the gathering tonight was small, he missed being able to share quiet banter like this, it was like a home away from home.
'Well! Let's not dilly-dally any further, Time to get this show on the road, as old Dave would say!' Belle chuckled, already approaching the door of the break room that would act as their domicile for the evening as she rummaged around in her cardigan pocket for the key that the Major Player had entrusted to her on the day she'd asked about borrowing a room for the club.
They'd made a deal at the time, jokingly, that Belle could use the room for as long as she wanted, but only on the condition that she use her 'groovy knitting gravitas' as Dave had put it, to knit him a sweater vest. Belle had taken Dave up on that offer by then proceeding to make Mr.Brubot two hand crafted creations a year, one on his build day, and one on Cogsmas. And in return? The Major Player always made a point to show proof that he wore her gifts on the regular as a show of immense appreciation. Going so far as to wear his most recent gift all winter long.
Unlocking the door and easing it open, the Mouth Piece moved to switch on the light before then turning to Thomas and motioning for him to head inside with a wave of her hand 'In you go now dear! Let's see about setting up the table and unboxing those cookies, then we can get talking properly!'
Bobbing his head in thanks and stepping through into the little break room-turned-club house, the COO was delighted to see that despite how long he'd been away from the routine meet-ups of the club, nothing about the room had changed in a major way. The walls were painted a vibrant sunset orange so as to evoke a feeling of warmth or cosiness, and in the far corner there was a simple kitchen-nook of sorts with several cabinets, a smaller counter-top and sink, and even a fridge and microwave for if anyone using the room brought along food or they wanted to make a coffee.
There were several chairs and simple coffee tables in the room too, enough that all the members of the club had somewhere comfortable to sit while they worked, although notably everyone had agreed from day one that the one arm-chair was to be used for Tawny exclusively, seeing as he'd often end up not even finishing his knitting projects before falling asleep and remaining that way almost until the club session ended. Given he was a street manager like Belle herself, who spent almost his entire work day on his feet, nobody had the heart to interrupt his rest.
Approaching the two chairs where Belle and himself almost always sat, off in the far corner of the room, Thomas placed Belle's bag down on one of the seat cushions as he sorted through the items inside, removing various bundles of rolled up wool in an assortment of colours before reaching the very bottom, where not only the tupper-ware box of cookies sat, which the COO went on to remove with care and place upon the circular coffee table between the two chairs, but also HIS knitting project. The one he'd not finished at around the time of his accident, but had requested Belle to look after in his stead for when he'd finally return to the club.
It was a half finished scarf. And like many of his previous projects, it was themed around plants. Specifically, he was going for a 'blue and white' floral theme this time around. The main body of the scarf was a muted green entwined with darker emerald hues, so as to mimic plant stems weaving through a carpet of moss. Then for decoration, which was the trickier part, the COO planned to inlay the mossy green with white daisies and blue cornflowers before topping it all off with precious little crocheted bluebell pom-pom buds at the ends of the scarf's edges...it was an elaborate design, and it wouldn't be easy, in fact Belle said she'd help him with the pom-poms, but it had been such a vivid idea when he first thought of it that he just couldn't let it go.
'It's going to be so lovely once it's finished Tom! You've really gone above and beyond this time,' Belle spoke up from over by the kitchen nook, her tone chipper as she was in the middle of brewing some coffee for Thomas and herself.
'Aah well it's all part of the fun after all! Figuring out new complex patterns to see how easily they can be reproduced,' He returned with a smile, placing the yarn balls back in the bag and placing it down on the ground between their chairs before remembering he still had yet to remove his coat as he stepped over to the coat wrack beside the door and went to hang it up, realising then about the bookmark he'd found on the street after his interaction with that mysterious Toon that had given him those directions.
Rooting a hand around in his coat pocket as he hung it up on the wrack, Thomas looked over the fabric bookmark with its elaborate embroidery a second time before turning around just in time to see Belle place down their steaming mugs of coffee on the little table before moving to sit down and get settled into her chair for the evening.
'Actually - - Belle, I wonder if you could help me in regards to this?' Thomas asked, the Boardbot walking over to the manager and joining her in settling into the chair neighbouring her as he handed across the bookmark 'I have reason to believe that they belonged to the Toon that gave me a short cut to get here, but they'd left the scene before I could ask,' He went on to explain, watching as the Mouth Piece turned the bookmark over in her hands and ran a finger over the hand stitched name, her expression thoughtful.
'I was wondering if you might recognise the name? Enough to know where the Toon might have gone. They mentioned off-hand that they were a Librarian,'
Cocking her head softly from one side to the other, a light seemed to spark in Belle's eyes as she gave a soft chuckle and nodded 'You know...I think I may just have an idea as to who they are, yes...though I know them more through what others have told me, rather than having actually met them,' She admitted, her words catching the COO's attention right away as his gaze remained glued upon her, his hands resting entwined together in his lap.
'Oh - -really? Do they have some sort of reputation?' He asked, wondering with a silent dread if other Suits knew of this Toon due to some kind of infamy, and he'd unknowingly interacted with some dreaded high-profile resistance ranger or the like.
'If you mean a reputation for being bizarrely well meaning then yes,' Belle returned, looking to Thomas as she placed the bookmark down on the table beside the box of cookies, seemingly so she'd not forget about it later.
'Remember when I mentioned on the phone earlier that some Toons are known for being quite polite and well behaved? They are an example of that. They originate from Ye Olde Toontown, so I might be able to ask Mr.Virgil or Ms.Grail to return this to them...maybe,'
Thomas nodded his head slowly as he mused over Belle's explanation, raising a brow after a moment as he then proceeded to pick up where he'd left off on his scarf, deciding to knit as they talked as he watched the Lawbot similarly look through the various wool colours she had on hand and prepared her knitting needles.
'I must ask - - what about that Toon has earned them such a positive reputation?...aside from apparently giving Suits directions,'
Belle took a pause a moment to sip at her coffee through the receiver that acted as her lips before answering, she'd seemingly picked a ball of yellow wool to start her latest project with, though she seemed to have a blue and purple yarn ball also sat to one side in preparation, her new project must be a complex one this time round.
'From what I've heard according to other Suits, that Toon engages in chats with our employees semi frequently, and at one point offered their library as a place to go should it start raining,' she returned casually, Thomas cocking his head with a confused frown tracing over his features as he continued to knit away regardless, already entering the 'knitting flow state'.
'They let employees into their workplace openly? that's...odd. I can't imagine that makes them very popular with their neighbours or their clients...aren't our employees ever nervous about an offer like that?' he questioned, thinking on how an invitation into a Toon's home or workplace had to be an ideal opportunity to be ambushed or sprung upon, walking willingly into a trap, really! Were their employees getting naive? Letting their guards down? Thomas couldn't imagine himself taking up an offer like that at all.
'Oooh I wouldn't know that I'm afraid, you'd probably have to ask Holly on the matter, she walks through the area all day after all, so she likely knows far more about the arrangement than me, although...' Belle paused momentarily, unpicking a mistake in the beginnings of her line of wool before then continuing 'I did once over hear a rumour about a Toon in that district helping a low-leveller get out of a bad rain storm after their joints rusted in place. They took them indoors by a fire and helped dry their jacket...the Toon who did that and the one who helped you might well of been the same individual,'
The COO went quiet at that, and he pondered over the matter as he worked away at his scarf...Toons were so hard to pin down at times, it was part of why Thomas felt so torn and conflicted about being upset with the critters that visited him after the April Toons incident. One minute they seemed so benign and good natured, standing by patiently and seeming to listen with genuine interest when they were being talked to...and then in the next breath they would take great delight in dropping anvils on your head, or slipping you over with banana peels, or even worse vaporizing you down to iron filings with a ray gun all whilst laughing away...and you could never quite tell which mood they were in either! Smiling while they were polite, and smiling when they were causing chaos...Thomas wished he could tell the difference.
Thomas screwed up his face and sighed softly, pausing in his work as he went to pick up his coffee mug to take a long sip 'Sometimes I wish the Toons would pick an angle to work from, I'll be honest...' he admitted, enjoying the warm coffee as it filtered down into the tank in his stomach 'It would be nice to be able to tell whether they can be fully trusted or not, not all this second-guessing all the time...'
Looking over to Thomas thoughtfully, Belle gave a worried expression as her receiver mouth drooped into a frown. Thomas had never been the type to be overly energetic or full of vigor, always instead being a Suit of creature comforts who preferred to go at his own leisurely pace...yet ever since the incident, Thomas seemed so much more tired than before, especially when she'd only been able to communicate with him over the phone and thus only had his voice to go by, but right now? With them both sat directly beside one another? Despite how seemingly enthusiastic he was for tonight's club session, just sat looking at him now, he looked just...
Exhausted. Not in the physical sense, but there was something about the look in his eyes that conveyed that he'd been wearing himself ragged catastrophising over the Toons since that day...
But Belle knew that now was not the time for hard truths. As much as she wanted to say something like 'all people are complicated, whether they be Toons, Humans or even other Suits, so there's no use in worrying' well...she had a strong suspicion that saying that now would only make Thomas feel worse. She'd need to talk with the others about it, maybe they'd have some ideas that may help, or another angle that Belle wasn't quite seeing.
For now? A change of topic was in order.
'Oh! Thomas dear, don't be shy about having some cookies, there's more than enough there for us both!' she spoke up at last, motioning to the box between them both before adding 'now - - you mentioned earlier dear about picking up a new pass-time what with Mr.Cyger having you do those daily rest-time plans, do tell me all about it! I'm all ears!' she exclaimed, genuinely curious and quite pleased to hear that Thomas had apparently picked up some other new hobby of sorts.
Looking to the Mouth Piece as though snapping back to reality from his ponderings over Toons, Thomas gave a soft chuckle and shook his head before reaching over to pick a cookie out of the selection and took a bite, knowing full well that Belle absolutely wouldn't let him head home from the meeting without him having sampled some of her baking. Not that Thomas had to be convinced of course! Belle's cookies were known to be the absolute best, and not just because of their taste, but due to their ability to heal a Suit when they were hurt or feeling their worst as well!
In fact, having taken that first bite, Thomas found himself feeling leagues better already...a crispy outer edge with a warm, soft centre...and with a generous amount of resin chips layered all throughout, and was that a drizzle of caster oil in there too? Belle's recipes never failed to bring about so much comfort after a busy work day.
'Aah Belle you've done it again! These are fantastic as ever,' Thomas spoke up, his mood elevated dramatically as he gave a genuine smile which in turn only made the Lawbot beam with both pride that she'd out done herself in the kitchen yet again, but also that she'd helped the COO feel so much better than how he was before.
'But - - yes, the new pass time! It's rather an odd circumstance really, and...' Thomas paused a moment, a serious sort of look crossing his features as he cleared his throat softly 'I...would ask if you could perhaps...not let anyone else know about it, if that'd be at all possible? I...feel I can tell you about it, but I worry about anyone else knowing the particulars...' The Boardbot admitted, watching as Belle's eyebrows raised and a look of genuine fascination washed over her face as she seemed to sit closer to him in her seat, like there were others there who could be listening in.
'Goodness me Thomas! Is this new hobby really that secretive? I'll admit, I'm honoured you feel so confident in telling me something like this, but - - I do hope it's nothing dangerous!'
Giving a wry smile in return, Thomas cocked his head to one side softly as he started back into his knitting once more, puzzling on how best to explain himself 'hmmm...well, I wouldn't say it's dangerous as such, though perhaps a little...risky?'
Rather than ask him what he meant by that, Belle's brow furrowed, no less concerned for him than she was before as she motioned with a wave of her hand for him to continue, beginning back into her own knitting slowly and rebuilding momentum as she went.
'I...found an abandoned garden, out in the terrace during my first break. I'm...fixing it up, so to speak. The plants that have survived are rare varieties,' he admitted, Belled taking in his words and letting them simmer momentarily.
'An abandoned garden, dear? Why, wherever could you of found something like that? We Suits don't tend to keep gardens, unless...' pausing briefly as the revelation caught up to her, Belle looked to Thomas as her eyes squinted, wondering if she was making the correct assumption '...did you find a Toon estate, Thomas?'
Feeling the Lawbot's eyes fixated on him, the COO sighed a touch as he finally looked to her and bobbed his head in a singular nod 'I did. Or at least, based on observation I am fairly certain Toons used to live there once, though they're long gone by this point,'
'Goodness me...' Belle began, her serious tone morphing into one of concern 'you really need to be careful with what you're doing Thomas, not just in case the Toons should come back at any point but what if Robert - - '
'I know. I...know, it's a troublesome business...' Thomas admitted, shaking his head slowly as he watched Belle move to take a sip of coffee as her expression seemed to read that she was thinking really quite deeply about the entire thing 'Originally I had no intention of returning more than once... I'd found the place by accident after all, but...then I found Selene there, and I didn't want to leave without doing something to help,'
At the mention of an unknown name, Belle seemed to perk up right away as she rose a brow at the COO, her naturally gossipy nature on full display as she tried to parse whether she recognised that name in particular.
'Selene? and who would that be, dear?'
Picking up on her intrigue, Thomas smiled and gave a soft laugh as he picked up another cookie to chew on as they talked 'They're a plant I found in the garden, they...didn't have a name to start with, so I took it upon myself to give them a designation...they're a Moon flower, from outside,'
Belle paused. She had been aware for quite some time now how the COO seemed to have a unique way with plants that nobody else could replicate, and it was something that she'd always found fascinating about her friend. No other Suit she'd ever met could do what Thomas could, it's what made him so interesting! Even Belle herself couldn't understand the plants like he could, no matter how many times she'd tried.
She'd even once gone to Spruce about it! Since he worked so closely with trees, she'd wondered if maybe he had that unusual spark that Thomas did, and that maybe he could explain how it's done...Spruce had outright denied being able to hear the trees. He could name every species on-sight, and he could determine a tree's health based on the state of its bark or its leaves...but he couldn't talk to them, and he'd made a point to say that he wouldn't even if he could.
'...are they a good natured plant? Your Moon flower friend, I mean,'
'Oh - -why yes! Yes, they're really quite pleasant. Very polite, with a subdued nature...'
Belle smiled at that. Even if she didn't completely understand Thomas' talents, she still thought they were wonderful, and rather than question if he was truly able to talk to the flora around town, she infinitely preferred to encourage him in it, as she knew how much it meant to Thomas to have skills of his own that weren't just useful to his younger brother.
'...would you like to meet them?'
Having picked up her coffee cup to take another sip, Belle stopped before the cup could touch her lips and looked to Thomas with surprise.
'Hm? meet them, dear? When...would there be time?' she asked, after all they both had really quite busy schedules, so finding a time that worked for them both would be no easy thing.
'Well, I was doing a bit of thinking, and given we both have set breaks now...we could always meet up for coffee together, and then I can take you to see the garden? There's a nice little place just next door that has excellent service...my treat,' the Boardbot explained, watching as the Mouth Piece seemed to seriously consider the idea, taking a long, contemplative sip of her coffee as she did so.
'...oh, fiddlesticks! Why not? It's not everyday a Suit gets to keep secrets, and I'm always open to a new venue to spend time with friends...when shall we meet, dearie?'
'Tomorrow will do. meet me at lunch time at the terrace's entrance,'