September ends up with an armful. (There's adventures from across the multiverse, ones written by aliens or about aliens or from times well after or before their own - September really really really wants to read alien fiction, that sounds so cool - )

Rescue picks up on her excitement and chooses a couple of books for herself, too.

"Do you like to read aloud?"

"I haven't really before? Guess I could try."

"Only if you want to. But I like it."

"Yeah! I'm definitely willing to give it a shot."

"Okay. Thanks." She puts her books and a few of September's in her backpack, and they can head back to the movie theater with their haul.

And September can read alien adventure stories out loud!

Rescue enjoys it...

...but gradually tenses up...

...and withdraws, shaking, before the first chapter is over.

She stops.

"Are you okay?"

She makes an ambivalent sort of gesture and brings her knees to her chest.

"Can I - do anything?"

"Nh."

She closes her book.

"Would talking help?"

She curls up tighter and whimpers.

She curls up on herself and stops talking or making noise.

That doesn't make things worse, at least.

After a few minutes she slowly moves to get her phone out. She's not fast, typing, but eventually it says "not your fault".

She nods, miserably (it feels like she could've done better).

"Not your fault," she repeats, and goes back to typing.

"Where I was was really bad."

"Sometimes things remind me."

"Not your fault."

"Is there - stuff I can do to help?"

"I don't know."

"Don't try to make me talk."

She nods.

"I was actually offering to talk to you. In case it helped - I don't know. Distract you?"

"Oh." Type type - "I don't know, but maybe."

"I can try? If it happens again."