(no subject)

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary Lennox is sitting in a booth, her legs tucked beneath her to give her extra height, poring dutifully over a list.

The first item is 'stakes'; the most recently added can be seen to read 'gloves'. It's somewhat of a long list.

Comments

[last-human.livejournal.com]

It's very early in the afternoon, and Dave is still bleary eyed. So you'll have to forgive him when he sits in the booth, along with curry and milkshake, before he notices it's occupied.

"Oh, hey, there."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary eyes the suddenly-appearing stranger, with more than a little wariness.

Well. First things first.

"You must not," she orders, pulling the paper back towards her defensively, "get any food on my list."

[last-human.livejournal.com]

"'Ey," Dave says suddenly, very defensively. He does not deal well with children. "What kinda slob d'you think I am?"

Unfortunately, the curry stains on his London Jets T-shirt are actually quite fresh.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"The sort of slob who has stains on his shirt and sits down at other people's tables without asking," Mary says, rather primly.

"I do not know if there is another kind."

[last-human.livejournal.com]

Dave looks down at his shirt defensively. "I didn't seeya there," he points out. "You're very small and should y'even be in a pub alone?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary looks rather indignant.

"I am not so very small," she protests. "I have grown lots since I first came here - I am not half so skinny as I was. And I come here by myself all of the time in any case."

[last-human.livejournal.com]

"Y'still small enough t'miss this early in the day," Dave points out.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"It is already well past noon," Mary retorts, "and that is not early at all."

With a rather superior look: "Besides, it should not matter how late or early in the day it is as to how easy to see I am. I do stay the same size."

[last-human.livejournal.com]

"See!" Dave protests. "I mean, who's together enough by now? People with nothing to do in the evening but sleep, that's who."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

". . . sleeping is what one is supposed to do in the evening," Mary says, patiently.

"That is why it is dark."

[last-human.livejournal.com]

"The smeg it is!" says Dave, who prefers to sleep to hide from the cruel dawn. "'Ow come that's when all the best telly programmes are on, then? And when the pubs are busiest?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary is now giving him a look of 'adults are, indubitably, absolutely insane.'

"I do not know," she informs him, "about telly programmes - but pubs are busiest because they are full of people who are drunk. And everybody knows that people who are drunk are not sensible."

[faithful-slayer.livejournal.com]

The next time Mary goes to Bar, she will find a cardboard shoebox stuffed full of soda bottles, all of them full of holy water and labelled as such.

She will also find a pretty gold cross necklace, just the right size for a girl Mary's age, with a note which reads, 'Vampires tend to go for the throat. This might come in handy. Good Luck. - Faith'.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary receives the items and looks thoughtful for a second, before carefully fastening the necklace around her throat.

Then she pulls out her pencil and two pieces of paper.

On the first, she writes,

Miss Faith,

Thank you for the holy water and the cross. They shall come in very useful I think. Also for the advice about vampires.

Sincerely, Mary Lennox.

After sending the note on its way, she turns to the second piece of paper - her list - to which she adds the following note at the bottom:

Be sure to have everybody wear a high-neck collar.

[3rdtimelucky.livejournal.com]

Having acquired coffee, Goldy makes a beeline for the booth when she spots Mary. She scrutinizes the list from over the little girl's shoulder, nodding at certain inclusions and eyerolling at others.

"Don't forget night-vision goggles, and... um... claymores," she says, going through her own mental checklist and comparing it to Mary's.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary tilts her head, a line of confusion appearing in her brow.

"What are claymores?"

[3rdtimelucky.livejournal.com]

"Antipersonnel mines," she informs distractedly. "Not to be confused with the two-handed Scottish sword of medieval times."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

. . . .

"We shall not," Mary reminds Goldy, patiently, "have time to dig mines."

[3rdtimelucky.livejournal.com]

Goldy chuckles, not even entertaining the notion that Mary is talking about coal mines. "That is the beauty of M18's. You don't have to dig at all. Just place them Front Towards Enemy, set a trip wire, and you're golden."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"We are not going for gold," Mary reminds her, still patient, "but to take care of the pisachas."

Sternly: "If you wish to dig for gold and treasure you must do it on your own time."

[3rdtimelucky.livejournal.com]

There's a moment of nose-wrinkled bewilderment at that nonsense. After a short time spent staring, she writes it off as silly child-logic and moves on.

"Oh these will take care of your pisachas alright," she says, refocusing on the paper in front of the child. She adds mines to the inventory she's going to have ask someone else to get. Maybe Hank, or Mary Anne.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"How?" Mary asks, reasonably.

"You cannot buy demons off with gold. It is not as if they could use it for anything."

[3rdtimelucky.livejournal.com]

Goldy takes a step back and squints at Mary in mild disbelief. "You know, maybe we'll just forgo them. You're making my head hurt."

She takes a much needed seat.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I just do not think it is practical," Mary says, kindly.

"I know there is supposed to be a good deal of gold in the African mines - like King Solomon's mines - but I do not even know if there is any in India."

[3rdtimelucky.livejournal.com]

The huh face stays put for a few seconds. Then, ever so slowly, like sunrise in northern Alaska, realization starts to dawn. She's not slow. It's just such an out there twist of logic as far as she sees it. And this is the real reason why Goldy should NEVER have children.

Nervous laughter precedes her explanation. "Antipersonnel mines! Not mineral mines. They are a defensive countermeasure. Like an explosive booby trap, activated when someone—an enemy—unintentionally steps on the trigger wire."