Resizing plot

[margolotta]

There is a pale, dark-haired little girl keeping to the shadows. When she opens her mouth a little, you can see tiny white fangs offset against the dark red lips.

Who is not scared of the vampire child?

Comments

[iprotectyou]

"Eventually, he'll get what's behind the juice boxes, if I bother to put up with him," Baze says, frowning slightly.

"But I'm not sure if I want to, like I said."

[margolotta]

"Is he worth it?" she asks.

[iprotectyou]

Baze considers this, his brow creased. He draws a breath through his nose and releases it through his mouth, as he'd been taught years ago by the temple masters.

"I don't know."

[margolotta]

"What does that depend on?"

[iprotectyou]

"Whether or not he can take responsibility for making mistakes," Baze says, frowning again, as if the corners of his mouth are tugged down by tiny hooks.

"He's given no indication that he can."

[margolotta]

"That, however, doesn't determine his worth," Margolotta says.

[iprotectyou]

"Who's side are you on?" Baze teases, though it's kind of a serious question.

[margolotta]

"Nobody's," Margolotta says. "But I do think, even in this shape, that every person has worth because they are a person. Yes, even orcs, so Wilford Warfstache? Probably as much as the next -- being."

[iprotectyou]

Well, damn. Baze purses his lips.

"He may have worth as a person, but that doesn't mean he's easy to get along with. He is unduly frustrating."

[margolotta]

"But he can improve, with enough patience," she says.

[iprotectyou]

"I'd like to think so," Baze says, frowning at the floor.

"But I suspect that would require a lot of patience, and I don't know if I have that in me."

[margolotta]

She smiles.

"That is why argue that every person is worth the effort," she says.

[iprotectyou]

Baze definitely doesn't smile.

"Then you can feel free to put the effort in."

[margolotta]

"Shall we make it a challenge?" she suggests.

She reformed the vampires of Überwald, and made the Unseen University accept an orc among its staff. She can probably deal with one Wilford Warfstache.

[iprotectyou]

"To see who reforms him first?" Baze says, wrinkling his nose.

"If you think he has worth as a person, why are you treating his life as some sort of game?"

[margolotta]

"Because treating life as a game," Margolotta says, "makes winning at it more fun."

[iprotectyou]

"Even other people's lives?" Baze says, flabbergasted.

"No, thanks. I don't want to play with other people for my own entertainment."

Baze isn't sure he's articulating his disgust correctly, but it shows up on his tiny face. He's never been very good at hiding his emotions, and he's even worse in the child shape.

[margolotta]

"No, of course not," she says. "My own."

[iprotectyou]

"But you wanted to make a game out of Wilford's life," Baze points out, confused as all hell.

[margolotta]

"I tried to challenge you into having patience with him," Margolotta says. "But you didn't bite."

Usually, people do.

[iprotectyou]

"You tried to challenge me to see who could reform him faster," Baze says, shaking his head.

"I can have patience with people without toying with them."

[margolotta]

"Not faster," she says. "With the more lasting impression, if anything."

[iprotectyou]

"Still. You challenged me to play with him, and with you," Baze says, folding his scrawny arms.

"Next thing I know, you'll be challenging him to reform me. I don't appreciate this."

[margolotta]

"Why should I?" she says. "You are doing just fine."

[iprotectyou]

"My point is, you'd toy with me if you felt the need," Baze says, scowling--which looks strange on his teeny face.

"Other people are not your playthings."