milliways_bar | (no subject)

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[After a peaceful day]

The door opens upon a girl with a basket in her arms, and those who are looking may note the slight widening of her eyes, the briefest flash of panic. It is quickly hidden though as she erases even the faintest hint of a smile from her lips, and steps into Bar.

The basket holds a puppy, perhaps no more than a week oldor a little more. Bar herself is a good place to head to when there are no instructions, so Tool recieves a coloring book and crayons...

And since the puppy is asleep, she has no reason to do aught else.

The picture she starts is perfect. Excellent shading, an artistic masterpiece...

And she doesn't finish it. Her fingers freeze, the crayon cracks, unforgiveable that. She does not want perfection, not in something so simple as this...

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No, she is far from a child, a fact Bar should have been told before giving such to her.

She cannot think of her own pleasures when an ault is speaking.

An adult Male.

A Master.

"What would the Lord wish drawn?" she asked, flat and empty as any doll.

From the basket in the booth beside her, there is a small, worried chirrup. Foolish is a rather sensitive puppy, and young though she still is...she knows whenthere is something bad.

Archie opens and closes his mouth for a moment, trying to decide whether it would be better to ask for something, or insist that she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to. After all, he had said that she should if it pleases her. The little noise is a welcome distraction. He tilts his head a little.

"What was that, miss?"

It is momentary, that brief flash of relief that crosses her face as she sets aside the crayons and book.

Followed by equally momentary fear at the thought of showing such a helpless creature to a Master...

But she draws the basket carefully onto the table top to display a puppy with eyes not even open yet, greyand black spots along a baby-round body. "It is Foolish"

He watches the emotions cross her face with something like wonder that she is showing any at all. He watches her care as she handles the basket and its contents.

"It is a good name, I think."

He smiles a little and reaches out to let the pup sniff his fingers.

Archie? Is not Tool. So the fingers do not get nibbled lovingly, though they are bumped against once or twice as the little pup searches blindly for what she wants.

"I am to care for her until she may be wise enough to know her foolishness" she stated calmly, letting her hand dip into the basket.

He can rub the little thing behind her ears though, and he does.

"What does she do that makes her so foolish, miss?"
He looks at her curiously, he honestly wants to know her opinion on the matter.

She squeeks. Eventually, she'll bark...

"She refuses to nurse as is proper in young mammals. Chasing instead, I, who cannot bear milk. It is a foolish thing"

"Perhaps. Perhaps she simply likes you. There are, after all, other ways of getting nourishment."

He continues to rub the pup's ears gently.

"Perhaps she just wants a friend, which would make her very wise indeed."

Martha had said much the same.

"She is to young to know of other ways. In most cases, a young pup that refuses to nurse, dies" she stated firmly.

"And a far healthier bond would lie in he littermates"

"But she will not die, will she? You are taking good care of her. You won't let anything bad happen to her, will you?"

She has no power to protect the pup. Bad things happen all the time to the weak and the defenseless.

And Master was alwys at his most cruel when asking such gentle seeming questions.

She wants to snag the basket and run far, far from him...but cannot make herself move...

Her eyes go wide with remembered fear though. "Master if I have angered, she cannot take damage enough to appease you..."

He stares at her blankly for a moment.

"Oh God."

His face goes pale, and he remembers something different, but similar enough to know.

"I will never hurt you or your puppy lass. You have my word on that."

An adult's word means nothing.

Promises made to her mean less.

"Master is kind"

"Lass..."

He winces at her manner. It hurts how afraid she is, how very accepting of the fear she has become.

"When I was young, there was one that... did things to me. I would not have any such thing happen to you or anyone else in this place. It is my duty to keep people safe. That includes you."

"I understand" she doesn't. She has no concept of being protected.

She stood, dipping a bow as Foolish whimpered louder "If it pleases..."

She'd like to leave.

"You do not need to ask my permission miss."

He watches her, cursing himself for making it worse.

"Ever."

He thinks he might need a drink.

She flees. It is the best term, leaving that half fininshed picture and taking her precious puppy with her through the door.

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