“So do you have any? Brothers or sisters, I mean.”
“One sister. Older than me. Had, not have.”
“Oh no!” Photo moans. “What happened to her? Did she just leave your family or did she…? Oh! And if she did, was it at least a really heroic sort of, uh, going?”
Twist shakes her head.
“Caught tuberculosis. Long way to die. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Photo makes a soft noise, frowns.
“I’m sorry.”
“Was a long time ago.” Twist holds her hand out, wiggles her fingers, squints, brings them in again. “I was your age, or younger.”
“How old are you now?” Photo asks, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed as she tries to figure.
“Call it twice you, or more,” Twist replies, sniks her switchblade shut.
“Mmkay, so you’re probably not older than Mama, that’s good to know.” Photo rolls onto her back, pats her stomach with her hands, tips her head back so she can look at Twist upside down. “What were your parents like?”
“They’ve been gone a long time too.” Twist puts her switchblade into her pocket, then pulls it out again a moment later to pass it back and forth in her hands.
“So you lived all alone?” Photo asks, smooths her dress down over her thighs.
“I had a dog,” Twist explains. “Big herding dog.”
“That’s still basically alone.” Photo argues, rolls back onto her stomach so she can sit up. She crosses her legs, spreads her dress over her lap.
“You’ve never had a dog,” Twist replies, smiles down at her hands as she turns them this way and that, checks her picking job.
“Well, no, but I’ve seen the village dogs around. They’re not very friendly. I don’t know why you would want to live with one.”
“Special bred, not a pariah,” Twist corrects. “Special bred are different.”
“Oh.” Photo taps her chin, considers for a moment. “Can you tell me about our dog?”
Say They Fear Her (f!courier/siri) (dubcon, referenced noncon) (26b/?)
“So do you have any? Brothers or sisters, I mean.”
“One sister. Older than me. Had, not have.”
“Oh no!” Photo moans. “What happened to her? Did she just leave your family or did she…? Oh! And if she did, was it at least a really heroic sort of, uh, going?”
Twist shakes her head.
“Caught tuberculosis. Long way to die. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Photo makes a soft noise, frowns.
“I’m sorry.”
“Was a long time ago.” Twist holds her hand out, wiggles her fingers, squints, brings them in again. “I was your age, or younger.”
“How old are you now?” Photo asks, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed as she tries to figure.
“Call it twice you, or more,” Twist replies, sniks her switchblade shut.
“Mmkay, so you’re probably not older than Mama, that’s good to know.” Photo rolls onto her back, pats her stomach with her hands, tips her head back so she can look at Twist upside down. “What were your parents like?”
“They’ve been gone a long time too.” Twist puts her switchblade into her pocket, then pulls it out again a moment later to pass it back and forth in her hands.
“So you lived all alone?” Photo asks, smooths her dress down over her thighs.
“I had a dog,” Twist explains. “Big herding dog.”
“That’s still basically alone.” Photo argues, rolls back onto her stomach so she can sit up. She crosses her legs, spreads her dress over her lap.
“You’ve never had a dog,” Twist replies, smiles down at her hands as she turns them this way and that, checks her picking job.
“Well, no, but I’ve seen the village dogs around. They’re not very friendly. I don’t know why you would want to live with one.”
“Special bred, not a pariah,” Twist corrects. “Special bred are different.”
“Oh.” Photo taps her chin, considers for a moment. “Can you tell me about our dog?”
Twist snorts, but she smiles.
“Sure. Get comfy.”