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]

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."

[margolotta]

"Sorry," she says. "Yes, you are right. It is a mistake we vampires make far too often."

[iprotectyou]

Baze is pleased that she conceded. He didn't know how many times he was going to be able to repeat himself.

"Why? Because you live a long time?"

[margolotta]

"Yes," she says. "We think in centuries. Also, we used to feed on people's -- blood."

The hesitation before that word is only minute.

[iprotectyou]

"Oh, right," Baze says, nodding soberly, which looks strange in the child shape.

"Well, that's a difficult habit to unlearn, though you don't need me to tell you that."

[margolotta]

"And not just me," she says. "All of us."

[iprotectyou]

"Well, good luck reforming everyone," Baze says, stretching his arms above his head.

"I should go find Chirrut. He's been too quiet lately, which means he's probably in trouble. May the Force of others be with you, Lady Margolotta!"

[margolotta]

"Thank you," she says. "Good luck with Chirrut, then."

Keeping or getting him out of trouble is probably a lot of work.