The Table's Tale
A Heroes of Olympus fanfic by Aisling Yinyr Ngaio
Pairing: Buford x Argo II Engine
Buford likes it in his new home. Buford likes Argo II. Buford likes it much better than Bunker 9, even though he's slept there for one hundred and fifty years.
Best of all, Buford likes Argine.
Buford feels attracted to Argine because Master Leo kept pieces of Argine in Buford before it went into Argine. So Buford feels like he understands Argine better than anything else, even Master Leo, who gives him lovely Lemon Pledge with extra-moisturizing formula polish every day (unless Master Leo forgets and uses Windex, like the silly human he is. Buford does not like Windex, no he does not. Windex feels rough like sandpaper and smells horrible. And it makes him itch terribly if Master Leo uses a lot by accident).
Buford likes to talk to Argine when nothing else is around. Argine gets hot and cranky when she's active and in use, but Buford doesn't mind. Buford doesn't think Master Leo knows that tables are supposed to be hanging around the mess hall most of the time being ... well, a table. But Buford is a special helper table that knows what he likes, and since Master Leo did not actually forbid him to do anything, he stays in the engine room, keeping Argine company.
The only one Buford doesn't like much is Festus. Buford doesn't hate him because Master Leo loves Festus too, so Festus isn't all that bad. Festus is sometimes even useful to Buford, especially when Buford sat around with him during the days of Bunker 9 while Master Leo was still busy building Argo II. Festus has seen things far far outside Bunker 9 before Buford, and Buford was curious, and Festus couldn't move anywhere at that time, so Buford liked Festus then. Festus was a squeaky storyteller.
Festus just has a nasty, nasty habit of checking out Argine now that they are all in Argo II. And Buford does not like that. Buford does not like Festus doing that even though it was Master Leo who told Festus to do it along with the rest of Argo II, or that it was because poor Argine may have been damaged along with the oars, the hull and maybe even the mast due to something-or-another smashing into Argo II.
In Buford's furious opinion though, Festus is just taking advantage of the whole situation. Buford likes Argine. He does not like Festus any more.
When Master Leo taps out a mission in Morse code to Buford, Buford barely refrains from rattling his drawers in annoyance while heading over to the laundry room to tie up the pants bag onto his leg, as well as putting extra detergent and some bottled water into one of his drawers, before heading up top deck. There are unfamiliar people surrounding Master Leo and Miss Annabeth and Master Jason and Miss Piper now, but Master Leo didn't sound the distress call, so Buford isn't worried. However, Buford can't resist spewing out a warning to Festus to NOT TOUCH ARGINE before spreading out his top and flying away.
Buford will come back soon. And Buford will have stories of his own to tell Argine now. Festus sucks.
- Finis -