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Brian and Buck Ruffler were far from friendly with each other. Every time they would see each other, every time they would even think about each other, their metaphorical blood would boil. Unsavory memories would bubble up to the surface and steam out of their vents.
Since the beginning, they were not fond of each other, constantly making jabs at one another even before the ‘incident.’
The two were instructed not to mingle with each other, not to be let near one another unless they wanted to face the consequences. Surprisingly enough, it was Buck who wanted this separation, you would think the sane, put together, uptight Suit would want nothing to do with this washed up, crazed gambler, however, it was Buck who called for a restraining order.
To any other Cog this would seem surprising, wouldn’t Brian be the one who’d want Buck out of his life? Wasn’t there reports of Buck acting violent toward the brainiac? The sellbot had every reason to cut off the lucky duck.
But nobody knew the full story, nobody except the two involved.
It was complicated, and frankly, Brian didn’t feel like explaining the nitty gritty of the situation to the higher ups, especially when it would cripple him in the end. He narrowly avoided suspension with just the cliff notes; if they had known his true intentions behind that tune-up, it would be curtains for him.
Brian’s thoughts were snapped away as he heard the sound of a bell ring through his brain, causing him to jump slightly in his seat.
He looked up from his desk, catching the view of a familiar bell headed individual in front of him.
“Zonin’ out on the job, love? That’s not very in character of you.”
Benjamin chuckled, idly tapping Brian’s desk with his finger.
“I wasn’t ‘zoning out’, I was merely deep in thought.”
The Prethinker leans over his table a bit, seeing a glimpse of something behind the Bellringer’s back.
“And would you like to explain that? What’s your business here?”
He points toward whatever the Bellringer was hiding. Benjamin sighed in response, shrugging as he revealed an envelope in his hand.
“Hmph, ‘spose there’s no point in keepin’ this a surprise anymore.”
He shows off the envelope to the Prethinker, it was completely blank other than the words “To Brian” written horrifically in red ink. It was essentially chicken scratch.
“What is that? ”, Brian’s eyes lidded in disgust, completely revolted by the atrocious penmanship displayed in just two words.
“It ain’t pretty, I know.” The Bellringer held in a small laugh, looking back over to the other Suit.
“A little birdie told me to give this to you. I don’t know what’s innit, I decided not to be nosy this time.”
The Prethinker gave him an incredulous look, raising an eyebrow. “Well that’s a first for you.”
“Oh, believe me, I’m just as curious as to what’s in this as you, mate.”
“But I know you’ll tell me all about it later, so I’ll be patient.” He winks at him, making Brian roll his eyes.
“Sure, sure. ” He takes the envelope off him, looking down at it, something felt slightly uneasy about it.
He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched as he tilted his head back up he realized why. His eyes met with Ben’s as the bell just stared at him like a weirdo.
“Don’t you have other business to attend to? This letter was meant for me and me only, so shoo!”
Ben sighed, as he straightened his posture, slowly stepping away from Brian’s desk.
“Whatever you say, love.”
He turned to face the exit of the school house basement.
“And stop calling me that. ” The Prethinker stared at the other by the door, seeing Ben still for a moment.
“...Whatever you say, Brian. ”
And with that, the Bellringer was out the door.
…
…
He didn’t know how much time had passed, he had been pacing around the room for ages, he couldn’t stop thinking about that letter.
“Stay in that little basement of yours, pal. An old friend is going to visit you soon.”
Left unsigned, written in more legible writing at least.
He couldn’t get his mind off one part… an old friend? There wasn’t anyone the Prethinker could think of that he would consider an ‘old friend’, let alone a normal friend, maybe Benjamin could be considered one- but that wasn’t the point! If the bell had wanted to see him, he could just do what he had done before.
Maybe this was just an attempt at an ambush, trying to lure him into a false sense of security, too bad for them he didn’t HAVE friends! Ignore what he had said about Ben before actually, having no friends would be optimal, that would mean there would be less chance of emotional manipulation! Not like Brian would be susceptible to that in the first place but…
He tried to think of people who would refer to him as a friend, to be honest he couldn’t think of much. People could refer to each other as friends even if they weren’t. But he couldn’t think of anyone he was acquainted with who would refer to him that way.
Mac Opsys? No… It wouldn’t…
Quack.
…
What.
BANG!
Brian jumped, almost tripping over his own leg as he gained his footing.
He looked over at the basement door, seeing it completely demolished as he saw a familiar Suit emerge from the rubble.
“Well, well, well, if it ithn’t the boathtful brainiac himthelf!”
No… no, no no.
The Duck Shuffler stood up and dusted himself off, quacking out a crazed laugh as he stared down at the Prethinker’s gobsmacked expression.
“Hm? What’th the matter? Duck got your tongue?”
Brian blinked, trying to formulate words before getting cut off.
“Did I come late- wait! I didn’t even put a time on the letter! Thilly me! HAHAHAHAHA!!!”
His manic laughter ringed across the room, a shrill sound like that was exactly what drove Brian mad. This guy was the last person he wanted to see- he thought they had agreed to not see each other again, why would Buck actively seek him out?
“You… What are YOU doing here?”
Buck frowned, his slot eyes spun and landed on a bust.
“That’th not how you greet an old friend, pal! Where are your mannerth?”
The Prethinker scowled, his fists clenching as he looked up at the gambler.
“I am not- and was never- your friend.”
The Duck Shuffler fought back an amused grin as he pretended to be sad, his slot eyes spinning into 3 tear drops.
“Boo hoo-! You’re tho mean to me all the time! What did I ever do to you…?”
Brian tsked, looking absolutely offended. He straightened his posture, walking right up to Buck, their faces almost touching.
“You got in the way of my experiments, you’ve been a nuisance to me since we’ve met, and just now you broke into my basement!”
He points to the door the gambler had completely decimated earlier, slightly confused on how he was able to take down a door like that.
Buck glances behind himself, letting out a crazed giggle.
“Hehehehe! Your bathement? Pal, thith ith Toon territory, you’re jutht loitering in here!”
The Prethinker’s eye twitches as he accusingly pokes the other in the chest, his brain on the verge of blowing up.
“How dare you accuse me of doing something as lowly as loitering? I’ll have you know this place is my domain now. I’ve pilfered it from those Toons and altered it to my liking. It belongs to ME.”
The other looks down at him with an amused grin, finding humor in the sellbot’s outburst. He snickers to himself like an idiot, only fueling the fire even more.
“-And you never answered my question. What are you DOING here?”
“I jutht wanted to thee an old friend again, try to rekindle that flame! Ith that tho wrong?”
That wasn’t the answer Brian wanted to hear. Only making him more confused, what is he even talking about?
“There was never a flame to begin with, only piles of coal and ash. I don’t know what your intentions are, but I want none of it.”
The lever on the side of Buck’s head droops as he frowns once again.
“Ohh, come on… you won’t even take me for a thpin?”
The gambler lightly flicks his lever, trying to entice the other. It’s not working.
“Why would I indulge in such life destroying tomfoolery? I have much more efficient things to do which do not involve gambling my life away!”
“It’th not bad when you know when to thtop!”
“You never know when to stop.”
Brian scowled at the other as he watched the Duck Shuffler tilting his head back and letting out a canopy of deranged laughs.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
He could only imagine what crazed thoughts were housed in that bird brain’s head.
“You’re insane. ”
That word hung in the air as the gambler’s laughter slowed to a stop, leaving him staring wordlessly at the Prethinker with an almost blank expression.
Insane, insane, insane.
“...”
“Stop staring at me like that.”
He gets a little giggle from the other in response, seeing Buck’s grin return to his face.
“Thtop thith, thtop that. You alwayth want thingth to thtop. When are you going to thtart thomething, pal?”
Brian raises a brow, not understanding what the other is trying to say to him.
“I don’t always want things to stop- what are you talking about? I can start things!”
“Then prove it, thtart by taking a thpin!”
The gambler’s lever bobs up and down, just waiting to be pulled. The sellbot rolls his eyes and sighs, if he had teeth they would be clenching in annoyance.
“ Fine . I’ll humor you. But only so you get off my case.”
“HAHAHAHA! That’th fine by me!” There it is again, that insane cackle, it drilled right into Brian’s head. He wishes he could just shut that duck’s bill forever.
The brainiac reaches a hand out, hovering just inches away from the lever. He hesitates, there was a 40% chance he would be affected negatively by this pull if he remembers correctly, that’s almost half odds. He had observed the duck in battle countless times while he wasn’t looking, studying him, writing down the odds of each of his attacks occurring.
Bars, ducks, beans, busts… this Suit was strange, which only made him all the more interesting to study.
But those days of study were put to a stop, put to a stop a long while ago.
This is the first time in ages that Brian was so up close to the gambler.
He finally bit the bullet and pulled the lever, hearing that trademark slot machine jingle play as the slots kept spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning-
Seven-
Cherries-
Bar-
“No good at ALL! It’th a butht! HAHAHAHA!”
Brian blinked. A bust? That’s it? Just a bust? No, he couldn’t be satisfied with that.
“Give me a re-roll, I cannot be satisfied with just a mere bust. ”
“Go ahead, pal! Thpin to win!!!”
The gambler grinned wildly at Brian as he reached out and pulled the lever once again, hearing the jingle once again, watching Buck’s eyes spin once again.
Ducks-
Ducks-
Cherries-
“No dithe! No dithe! Thorry, pal!”
The Prethinker groaned. Twice in a row? Are you serious? He remembers Toons having better odds than this. At this point he wouldn’t mind getting bars or ducks if it meant he got something out of this.
“Again.”
“Right on!”
He spun, again. He watched that deranged duck’s eyes spin and spin and spin again. He felt sweat drip down his braincase, or well, it was more like condensation.
Seven
…
Seven
…
Bar
“Aww!!! What a thhame! What a thhame! You were tho clothe!”
Buck laughed, laughed, laughed and laughed again. His laughter drove him insane, it drove both of them insane. He couldn’t take the sound of his laughter, he wanted him to stop.
Brian’s metaphorical blood boiled, he could feel his temperature rising as he grew frustrated, frustrated by losing, frustrated by being mocked, frustrated by the fact that he wants to keep spinning.
“Again-”
“Thpoken like a true gambler! HAHAHA!”
…
‘Spoken like a true gambler.’
Oh cog, he was falling right into his trap!
Brian sputtered, shaking his head. No, no, no! This is wrong!
“I- I am not going to become a low-life gambler! I’m not falling for your schemes, Ruffler! I’m not going to spin again.”
The Prethinker crosses his arms and turns his head up with a ‘hmph.’
“Aww… but I wath feeling a jackpot comin’ in, I jutht know it! Oh well…”
The Duck Shuffler scratches the back of his head, looking over at the other, his head still turned up.
“Without the thlotth, what are we gonna play now?”
The brainiac raises a brow, slowly turning to face the gambler once again.
“If we’re going to play something, it should be something intellectual, like chess.”
The duck taps his chin, pondering for a moment before comically holding up his finger as if a lightbulb appeared over his head.
“I could do chethh!”
If Brian could, he would grin, finally he has something he could one-up Buck at. He finally has something that involves strategy .
“Hmph, I’ll get us started then.”
Brian turns around and opens the closet near the chalkboard, rummaging around trying to find his chess set.
“Jutht tho you know, I don’t know much about chethh at ALL. HAHA.”
The Prethinker perks up as he finds his set and brings it to his desk, setting up the board.
“Of course you wouldn’t know anything about chess, it’s based purely on smarts (something you lack) and not filthy luck.”
The sound of a chair being dragged across the floor could be heard as Buck brought it toward the desk, settling in front of the board.
“Hmph, just so the game isn’t too boring, I’ll go easy on you, and answer any questions you may ask me.”
“Wowie! You’re tho nithe, Brian!” The gambler clenches his hands together, pretending to swoon. Brian rolls his eyes as he’s finishing up placing down all the pieces on the board.
“I am doing this purely so the experience is more enjoyable for me. I haven’t been thinking of you at all.”
He taps the table with his finger, grabbing Buck’s attention.
“You’re on the white side, so you go first.”
“I thee! I thee!”
Buck giddily picks up the pawn to the right of his king, moving it up two spaces. He looks excited, too excited… What was he planning?
The Prethinker squinted, already seeing that Buck had left his king vulnerable. Haha, rook- ie mistake, hehehehe!
Brian chuckled to himself, moving the pawn near his bishop forward a space, trying to make an opening for it. He could end this game so easily… so easily….
The gambler tapped his chin, trying to think of another move. He picks up the knight on his right, dangling it from his fingertips.
“How doeth the horthey move again?”
The brainiac looks up, watching Buck play with the horse piece in his hands.
“It moves in Ls, something you’ll be given by the end of the game. -and well, additionally, it can jump over other pieces.”
Buck blinks.
“Wow, thmooth.”
“But I get it, I think! Hehehehe!”
The Duck Shuffler moves his knight in an L facing the left, looking up at the Prethinker.
“Your turn, hehe.” The gambler’s tongue dangles out of his mouth as he holds his head up with his arms.
Brian accesses the situation, it may have been pure coincidence but Buck moves his knight in a way so if Brian continued his current strategy; his bishop would end up eaten. Hmph, he had to play carefully, he couldn’t always assume ignorance. Buck was smarter than he let on… a little bit, he was still pretty foolish, if his gambling addiction had anything to say about that.
“Interesting…”
He moves another pawn, trying to make a path for his other pieces.
For a while the two had just been moving their pawns, blocking paths and occasionally taking other pieces. All the while Brian’s gaze was fixed on that ‘horsey.’
As the Prethinker was about to make his next move he felt something small be thrown between his eyes, causing him to flinch and shake his head in confusion.
“Wh-? What?”
He looked down at his lap to see a plastic green duck reminiscent of those ‘Low Ballers’ from that bizarre game show he had watched a while back.
“Oopthie! The little guy got exthited, don’t mind em’!”
The gambler giggled as the other responded with an unimpressed look, placing the little duck on the table to watch.
“Hmph, distracting me will get you nowhere, Buck. I’m already 10 steps ahead of you.”
“Really now? You wanna bet on that, bucko?”
“I know better than to take a bet from the likes of you.”
“Why? You think you’ll lothe? ”
The Duck Shuffler gives him a mischievous grin, purposely trying to get on his nerves.
“Tsk, of course not! I simply do not want to waste my energy on you.”
“Thure, thure , pal.”
Brian looks back down at the board, raising a brow as something feels off about it, it feels as if something changed but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He lightly shaked his head, he was probably just disoriented by the sudden ducky thrown at him.
He picks up his king and proceeds to castle with his rook, leaving his king piece nice and snug in the corner of the board, protected by a pawn and a knight.
“Wowie! What a neat move you did there!”
The gambler’s grin was unnerving, something felt wrong. So wrong. He was up to something but he couldn’t tell what.
Brian didn’t respond, only anticipating Buck’s next move.
“Geeth, givin’ me the thilent treatment now?”
He frowned, tilting his head.
“I’m just locked in. I’m focused on the game.”
His gaze meets Buck's, noticing that his eyes had turned into triple cherries.
Huh-
A sudden downpour of jelly beans had fallen onto Brian’s noggin, bouncing off his braincase.
“W-what is the meaning of this?!”
He looks up and scowls at the Duck Shuffler as the other simply smiles at him.
“Thorry! I athhidentally pulled my lever and landed on beanth! HAHAHAHA!”
He moves one of his pawns forward, a complete misplay as he left his knight open to be taken by the other’s pawn. If Brian takes this horsey with his bishop he could finally go through with his plan and get a checkmate.
Brian groans, he can’t take any of this idiocy anymore, plus he had to clean up those jelly beans afterward. He can’t quit now, he needs to win.
He directs his attention back on the board.
…
Where was his pawn?
His eyes darted around the board as he searched for where his pawn had gone. It was right next to Buck’s knight! On the path of taking it and getting Brian closer to winning! Where did it go?
He looked up at Buck who seemed to be suppressing a giggle. Oh, he’s so going down.
“Buck, mind telling me where my pawn had gone?”
“Oh? Whuddya mean? What pawn?”
Brian blinked, unimpressed.
“The black pawn that used to be standing next to your knight right here, which is now gone.” Brian pointed to said knight.
The Duck Shuffler’s slot eyes had shifted to question marks as he tilted his head in confusion. “Dunno what you’re on about. I thaw nothin’ there!”
The Prethinker let out an annoyed sigh, dropping his head in his hands briefly. This was ridiculous, there was no way it would suddenly just disappear- something had to be up. He had to reevaluate his strategy, that won’t be so hard, he just has to-
Crunch
…
What.
Brian looked up, catching sight of Buck with a black bishop piece in his mouth, the latter looking at him as if he were a dog being caught eating homework.
…
A noise akin to a tea kettle wailing could be heard coming from the Prethinker as steam started to pool out of his joints.
“Have you… been EATING chess pieces while I wasn’t LOOKING?!”
His entire head flared up in red, the brain in his casing starting to pulse angrily. His hands shaking, ready to wring someone’s neck.
“...Mayyybe…”
The Duck Shuffler let out a giggle, a giggle that slowly transitioned into a manic laugh, that horrible sound, it filled his head once again. It drove him mad, absolutely crazy-
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-”
“SHUT UP!”
Brian stamped his foot, standing up from the table as his voice rang out and echoed across the room.
Buck’s laughter quickly ceased, staring at Brian as his words hung in the air.
“Just- shut up. I can’t stand you anymore!”
“I don’t understand- I don’t understand you at all. Your actions, your mannerisms, your ideologies- they’re all absolute nonsense!”
“Why do you do the things you do? What is your ‘why?’ Why do you insist on taking risks when statistically you have next to null chances of succeeding?”
Buck sat up from his chair and raised his hand, about to answer before immediately being shut down.
“ That was a rhetorical question! I know any answer you give me will be just as useless to me as the last.”
“The way you act without thinking, the way you’re so keen on throwing away everything just to chase some high, it infuriates me, it infuriates me so much.”
“This is exactly why I wanted to FIX you!”
…
“What…?”
The Duck Shuffler stood there motionless, processing the words the other had blurted out. The Prethinker meets his gaze, his pupils shaking in fury.
“I said what I said. I would see you on your street patrol, the way you fight is so fascinating, you house so much potential.”
Brian looked to the side, walking away from his desk to get some space. He had his back turned to Buck as he continued to monologue.
“But your mindset was weak, inefficient. Your hijinks, your self sabotage kept tripping you up. I wanted to fix it.”
“However, my attempts to improve you only drove you more mad.”
“I tried, I tried to fix you again, I’ve been seeking you out to fix my ‘mistake.’”
“If it weren’t for you slapping that restraining order on me, you could’ve ended up so much better! Think about it!”
The Prethinker turned around, reeling back slightly as he saw that Buck had gotten closer than before, looking at him with a neutral expression. Oh, he didn’t like how Buck looked when he wasn’t smiling. His crazed expression was the usual, when his smile was absent that meant something was really off.
“P-personal space!”
The Duck Shuffler stepped closer, not saying a single word in response. Brian stepped back, getting slowly backed into a corner.
He started to remember, remembering when he had completed Buck’s maintenance.
The gambler had sat up from his makeshift operating table, his slots kept spinning and spinning and spinning, never settling on one thing.
He started to amble toward the brainiac, much like how he was doing now.
The air felt cold, like frost was starting to form between his joints.
As Brian continued to step backward, he kept thinking, he couldn’t stop thinking. He was on edge, readying himself for any sudden movement, any sudden attack.
He remembers, remembers it so clearly. Every dent, scratch and bite in his chassis.
His back pressed against the wall as Buck slowly approached him, outstretching his hand toward him.
He was absolutely insane, a crazed and feral animal.
He hadn’t seen anything like it, he’s never seen a cog act in such a violent fashion.
In a strange way, he almost wanted to see it again. Buck was so interesting, oh so fascinating…
At the same time though, he didn’t know if he could afford another trip to urgent repairs, and admittedly, he didn’t like the thought of being hurt.
“...I-I’m not afraid of you.”
Brian stuttered, seeing as Buck’s hand just hovered inches away from his face.
“WOW! I’m glad!”
The Duck Shuffler’s mood completely shifted as his iconic smile graced his bill once again.
…What?
The Prethinker just stares at him, his eyes wide as he processes Buck’s sudden tone shift.
“What? You think I wath gonna hurt you? You may have made me inthane in the membrane but I’m not that inthane!”
Before Brian could retort, Buck speaks again.
“Well… maybe I am but I don’t feel like doin’ that to youse.”
He gives him a smug smile as the other’s expression softened. He couldn’t let his guard down but something about what was happening felt different… different from last time.
“Do you not seek revenge? Is that not why you came here?”
Buck tilted his head, his slots spinning into question marks once again.
“I told you why I came here, didn't I? I wanted to thee an old friend.”
He giggles to himself, “-and maybe getta kick out of makin’ him angry.”
Brian obnoxiously clears his throat. “That was very not appreciated.”
“Hehehe! Oh well, you win thome and lothe thome.”
Buck just shrugs as the brainiac scoffs and crosses his arms.
“Well, it appears to me you fully intended on making me lose.”
The Duck Shuffler holds in a chuckle before letting out a crazed cackle.
“HAHA! Lady Luck jutht wathn’t thmiling at you today, really.”
The Prethinker scowls at him.
“I don’t think EATING my chess pieces has anything to do with luck.”
“Touthhé…”
Buck gives the other a little playful punch on the shoulder, grinning wildly. The other rubs his shoulder, it didn’t hurt but it just felt… weird.
“But all that yammering you did earlier, wath all of that true?”
“Of course it was, I wouldn’t have said any of that if I didn’t mean it.”
Buck laughs, his hand on his chest from reeling back.
“Geeth, and you’re thayin’ I’m the one methhed up in the head!”
The Prethinker raises a brow, leaning in closer to the gambler.
“What do you mean by that?”
“For a big brain guy, you’re pretty clothed minded, y’know?”
“I’d thay we’re both pretty crathy in the head! Jutht in different wayth.”
Brian blinks, completely bewildered by what Buck had said.
“ You are comparing yourself to me?”
Buck nods, a stupid smile present on his face.
“I think it’s easy to say who the more mentally well one is here.”
He scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“Fair, fair. The thtuff you thaid earlier, though. My mannerithimth, my ideologieth bein’ nonthenthe… who’th to thay yourth aren’t methhed up too?”
“I mean, wantin’ to fix me, uthing company fundth to buy out gagth, hiding out in thith little bathement of yourth? That’th crathy talk!”
“You’re inthane, jutht like me, pal! HAHAHAHAHA!”
His cackle pierced through his head, he couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to say- well he could, but coming out of Buck of all people? Him? Trying to give him a revelation? Ludicrous.
“I’ll never understand you, I could never understand you.” Brian speaks under his breath, his eyes fixed on the gambler.
“I am not like you. I am sane.”
Buck grins, “Well if you were able to drive me nutth, who thayth you haven’t done the thame to yourthelf?”
The other wordlessly huffs in response, seeming at a loss for words.
“Enough of thith calculating and number crunching or whatever- why don’t you try taking a chanthe for onthe?”
The gambler takes hold of the Prethinker’s hand for a moment, causing the latter to flinch as he slips something fuzzy into his hand.
“What is…”
Brian looks down at his hand as the other smiles down at him.
“It’th a lucky rabbit’th foot! I notithed your luck hathn’t been quite thharp, if thothe triple buthtth and anything to thay about it, tho I thought you were in need of a good luck charm!”
Sure enough, it was a rabbit’s foot. The chain clinked against Brian’s hand as he inspected the item.
“Hmph, I do not believe in superstition, Ruffler. You should know better than to assume that.”
Buck pouted, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“Aww, what’th the harm in a little charm? If you don’t wanna freebie than I’m happy to-”
“I said nothing about not wanting it, you know?”
Brian held the charm to his chest, as if protecting it from Buck’s grasp.
“Tho you turned a new leaf, huh?”
“I’m not turning anything- people pay a lot for superstitious items like this. To clarify: I am not moved by your gift.”
The Duck Shuffler holds in a chuckle as he grins at the other. “If that’th what you thay, pal.”
“I think it’th about time to part wayth, I’ve got important buthinethh to get back to!” Buck starts pacing in place before making his way to the still broken down door.
The Prethinker rolls his eyes.
“The things you do with Brubot could hardly be considered important business.”
Buck gasps, looking at Brian dramatically with an offended gaze.
“Well he’th important to me, bucko!”
“Who knowth, maybe you’ll find important buthinethh for yourthelf.” He smirks, as he turns around again.
“What do you mean by-”
The gambler rushes out the door before he could elaborate, leaving Brian in a messy basement with a rabbit’s foot.
He blinks, trying to catch himself up on what had happened in these past few moments.
He stares down at his hand again, looking down at that ‘good luck’ charm. Ridiculous. Items like these affected virtually nothing. They’re just a waste of space. Little playthings meant for people who couldn’t make things happen themselves, needing to place their hopes in a small insignificant trinket.
He chuckled to himself, although, if he found the right superstitious nobody they’d probably pay a good amount of cash for something like this.
The Prethinker pocketed the item, the charm feeling nice and snug in his pant pocket. In a weird way it felt like it belonged there. But- that didn’t matter, it was going to be gone soon anyways.
The more days that passed, the longer that good luck charm had stayed there in his pocket. Everywhere Brian had gone he brought a remnant of Buck there too. It wasn’t like he forgot to sell it- he simply… couldn’t find the time to get rid of it. Yes, that’s right.
It appeared that charm had found a home in Brian, and it seemed that he had just let it stay there.
