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Frustrated, Rudo sat on the floor of his room with crayons splayed about messily.
He'd been sitting there like that for the entire afternoon, staring at the innocuous, albeit a bit dirty and crumpled, cards that laid in front of him.
He wanted to give the cleaners a little "Thank you" card for taking him in and putting up with him. Rudo knew he wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, recalling how prickly he had been when he first met the cleaners. And Regto had always urged Rudo to be more open about his feelings so … giving a card seemed like the least daunting way to do that.
The idea came to him when he shadowed one of Riyo's patrol, finding a set of cards buried beneath some trash. He had taken one glance at it before sneakily shoving it into his pockets, pausing to make sure Riyo wasn't watching him.
The problem started when he actually opened up the set of cards and found that they were all for family themed events, like Father's Day, Mother's Day, and other variations.
He already finished one for Riyo, using the more innocent Thanksgiving card, leaving the Mother's Day and Father's Day cards as the only remaining options. The other cards in the set were beyond repair despite Rudo's attempts to tape them together, and honestly, it had left Rudo feeling very upset. Those cards would've likely made someone very happy up in the Sphere, but instead of being used, they were discarded like trash. Just like he was.
Stupid Spherites…
With Riyo's card finished, that left Gris and Enjin. He briefly debated giving one to Zanka and splitting Riyo's card down the middle, but he still wasn't forgiven for The Plunger Incident and he didn't necessarily think it would be fair to Riyo to get half a measly card. So, on to his dilemma.
Who should get the Mother's Day card and who should get the Father's Day card? Did it even matter? Rudo let out a frustrated groan, trying to decide.
Gris was steady, dependable, and trustworthy in a way that reminded him of Regto. It made something fuzzy and small spark deep inside his chest when Gris would smile at him comfortingly and pat him on the head.
It was embarrasing, but… Rudo liked how Gris treated him like he was just a child instead of a monster.
While Gris brought steadiness, Enjin brought drive. Enjin's lack of doubt in Rudo gave him the hope that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't inherently rotten on the inside, despite the scars on his hands that marked him the Son of a Murderer. That part of Enjin also reminded him of Regto…
Nervously. Rudo reached for one of the cards, settling on an answer. He wasn't sure if it was the right choice, per say, but at the very least he could give these cards the usage they deserved.
Rudo took a deep inhale as he walked towards the lounge area, spotting Riyo, Gris, and Enjin sitting together at a table. Strangely, it seemed like no one else was in there tonight.
Gathering his courage, Rudo stormed into the room, afraid that if he faltered for even a moment, he wouldn't be able to follow through. His hands felt clammier in their gloves than usual as he clutched the cards in a firm grip.
He paused in front of the table, glaring warily at the three curious gazes peering at him before suddenly shoving the cards onto the table.
"Hah?" Enjin blinked as he fished out a card with his name written clumsily across the front. "This for me?"
Rudo rocked on the heels of his feet, wrenching his hands behind him nervously as he nodded, staring at the floor. "Just. I just found these around. So.. thought I would give them away.. To not waste them," Rudo stuttered out, progressively getting quieter and redder in the face as he saw Gris and Riyo pull their own cards up to look at.
"Aw, thanks, Rudo!" Riyo grinned brightly. "I was wonderin' what you were gonna do with these."
"You-" Rudo blanched, flinching back as if the embarrasment physically stung him, "You saw?"
Riyo rested her chin in her palm, closing her eyes in a delighted smile as she nodded, "Course, I did. Needed to keep an eye out for you in case there were any Trash Beasts."
Before Rudo could respond, Gris reached up to ruffle his hair, "Thank you, Rudo. This is very sweet of you."
Great. Now, Rudo could feel his face flushing for an entirely different reason. He quietly mumbled out a "No big deal", hoping he didn't look as embarrassed as he felt.
"Hey, why do I get the chick card?" came the complaint, Enjin's voice close to whining as he noticed the Father's Day card in Gris's hand, "Why didn't you give me that one?"
"Cause Enjin, don't ya know? You're the honorary 'Mom' of the cleaners, always picking up strays," Riyo teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes as Rudo nodded along absentmindedly, just happy to have someone defend him.
"If you don't like it, we can swap?" Gris goaded, holding out a hand for Enjin's card only for it to be swatted away.
Enjin popped the card safely into an inner side pocket of his jacket. "I never said anything about swapping," came Enjin's firm reply as he held Rudo's gaze. "Thanks, kid."
Rudo felt that terribly familiar fuzzy sensation building in his chest. The one that made him feel… hopeful. He nodded. Twice.