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20th Saun 717
“Molly.”
“Miss O’Connor-”
“No.”
“Finn told me your name was Fiona-”
“Try again.”
“Ma'am?”
“Do I look ancient to you?”
“N-no, O-officer O’Connor-”
“Yup, done with this guessing game nonsense. It's Zipper. Just Zipper. I’ve been told that this whole ‘talking’ thing is new to you, but try to keep up, no?”
“Okay.”
“Okay what.”
“Okay, Zipper.”
“Fast learner. How old are you, Molly?”
“Thirteen.”
“Lucky bitch. You won’t be here long - they kick those your age out by arc’s end. Do you know why you’re sitting on these poorly maintained set of steps leading up to a very poorly maintained excuse of an orphanage being questioned by a Blackjack?”
“I have no clue.”
“I'm going to pretend your answer was "Of course, my best friend Finn.' That’s right, it's about Finn. My dearly departed brother.”
“He’s not dead.”
“How would you know that?”
“You already took my letter.”
“Your obscenely detailed letter detailing the adventures of that little idiot in his ill-advised romp through a place called… Uthaldria. A fabled land where giants wage their war against unimaginable winged beasts called Albions forged from flesh and shards, where these same giants worship their god Thetros in a temple that reached the skies, or so his letter to you would have you believe. Did you know the letter he gave me had only two lines to it? Dear sister, ‘I am in the Temple of Thetros in Uthaldria. I'm well and safe, you do not need to worry about me.’ Two lines. That’s all I got.”
“I’m starting to see why.”
“What’s that?”
“I d-don’t know. He was missing for weeks and then I got the letter.”
“Do you know what I think, Molly?”
“No.”
“I think this is an elaborate ruse by an attention-seeking little fucknut possessed of the low cunning needed to execute and perpetuate this farce for an extended period of time, but not the wisdom to say ‘hey no, this is quite stupid’. I think my brother has not left this city and is simply on another one of his extended jaunts through the Underground, misusing MY tunnels in and out of the orphana- has he shown you the tunnels yet?”
“No.”
“Liar. But I’m digressing. You know what else I think? I think that you’re either a fellow dupe or a loyal accomplice. I think you know where he is. I think this huge letter he 'mailed' to you is an extended taunt towards me."
"Or maybe he just doesn't like you all that much."
"I'm his sister. Like's got nothing to do with it."
"I haven't seen you till today, 'sister'."
"Careful, Molly, wouldn't want to use up that newfound tongue all at once."
"I want him back. I don't know where he is or where he's gone, but he's been gone for all of a season and it only took you now to start noticing! He told me you were mean, inattentive, and a horrible sister, and I thought that there was no way you could be as bad as he said! But hey, maybe he's not as much of a liar as you think he is. I am worried sick and all you do is come up here half a season later and accuse me of some con, you miserable hag! So go on! Hit me!"
"..."
"He said you always hit him! You mean, miserable, old-"
"May I sit?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't stutter. May I sit?"
"I don't-"
"May I lay my immaculate bum on this dirt-tainted step, Lady Molly?"
"S-sure? It's a free city."
"Thank you."
...
"Zipper, you've been sitting quiet for a few bits. C-can I go?"
"Tell me about Finn."
"What about Finn?"
"Anything, everything. I don't care. Just keep talking. Just, uh, just go through an trial in his life."
"A-are you okay?"
"No. Give me a trial."
“I think what Finn does or does not do in any given day of his life is none of your concern or business.”
“You sure you were a mute?”
“Very sure, not that you were there with your brother to see it.”
“Cute. Real cute about the guilt here.”
“And nothing cute about you-”
“Is this a pent-up sass thing? Arcs of non-response all making up for lost time by boiling all into the world?”
“Again: none of your business-”
“My brother may be gone. He could be a corpse in some stray mutant’s den. He could be lying crippled in the debris from the storm. He could be lying face-down in a ditch of dirt.”
“Y-you’re horrible!”
“No. Just an optimist. A pessimist would have placed him on a slave caravan to Athart.”
“No, you’re horrible. You’ve given up on- Ow!”
“You’re adorable, Molly, but there are lines. You can call me a bitch, you can say I’m a horrible sister, you can make all the mention of my absentism. But don’t you ever dare fuckin’ insinuate that I’ve given up because i said some mean, wah-wah words about a little shitstain, you soundless little pre-ovulating, hipless beanpole fuckstick. Are we clear? Are we crystal absolutely fuckin' clear on this?”
"Let go of me!"
"I believe you made an earlier request for me to, your words, hit you. Sorry for the delayed delivery."
“...”
“I can’t hear you. Say aye aye, captain.”
“Yes-”
“Aye. Aye. Captain.”
“You don’t get to - Stop! Stop! Bloody stop, you bitch! Aye Aye!”
“Captain.”
“Captain! Bloody Captain!”
“This bloody Captain still wants her story. Will you please oblige her?”
“Miss O’Connor-”
“No.”
“Finn told me your name was Fiona-”
“Try again.”
“Ma'am?”
“Do I look ancient to you?”
“N-no, O-officer O’Connor-”
“Yup, done with this guessing game nonsense. It's Zipper. Just Zipper. I’ve been told that this whole ‘talking’ thing is new to you, but try to keep up, no?”
“Okay.”
“Okay what.”
“Okay, Zipper.”
“Fast learner. How old are you, Molly?”
“Thirteen.”
“Lucky bitch. You won’t be here long - they kick those your age out by arc’s end. Do you know why you’re sitting on these poorly maintained set of steps leading up to a very poorly maintained excuse of an orphanage being questioned by a Blackjack?”
“I have no clue.”
“I'm going to pretend your answer was "Of course, my best friend Finn.' That’s right, it's about Finn. My dearly departed brother.”
“He’s not dead.”
“How would you know that?”
“You already took my letter.”
“Your obscenely detailed letter detailing the adventures of that little idiot in his ill-advised romp through a place called… Uthaldria. A fabled land where giants wage their war against unimaginable winged beasts called Albions forged from flesh and shards, where these same giants worship their god Thetros in a temple that reached the skies, or so his letter to you would have you believe. Did you know the letter he gave me had only two lines to it? Dear sister, ‘I am in the Temple of Thetros in Uthaldria. I'm well and safe, you do not need to worry about me.’ Two lines. That’s all I got.”
“I’m starting to see why.”
“What’s that?”
“I d-don’t know. He was missing for weeks and then I got the letter.”
“Do you know what I think, Molly?”
“No.”
“I think this is an elaborate ruse by an attention-seeking little fucknut possessed of the low cunning needed to execute and perpetuate this farce for an extended period of time, but not the wisdom to say ‘hey no, this is quite stupid’. I think my brother has not left this city and is simply on another one of his extended jaunts through the Underground, misusing MY tunnels in and out of the orphana- has he shown you the tunnels yet?”
“No.”
“Liar. But I’m digressing. You know what else I think? I think that you’re either a fellow dupe or a loyal accomplice. I think you know where he is. I think this huge letter he 'mailed' to you is an extended taunt towards me."
"Or maybe he just doesn't like you all that much."
"I'm his sister. Like's got nothing to do with it."
"I haven't seen you till today, 'sister'."
"Careful, Molly, wouldn't want to use up that newfound tongue all at once."
"I want him back. I don't know where he is or where he's gone, but he's been gone for all of a season and it only took you now to start noticing! He told me you were mean, inattentive, and a horrible sister, and I thought that there was no way you could be as bad as he said! But hey, maybe he's not as much of a liar as you think he is. I am worried sick and all you do is come up here half a season later and accuse me of some con, you miserable hag! So go on! Hit me!"
"..."
"He said you always hit him! You mean, miserable, old-"
"May I sit?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't stutter. May I sit?"
"I don't-"
"May I lay my immaculate bum on this dirt-tainted step, Lady Molly?"
"S-sure? It's a free city."
"Thank you."
...
"Zipper, you've been sitting quiet for a few bits. C-can I go?"
"Tell me about Finn."
"What about Finn?"
"Anything, everything. I don't care. Just keep talking. Just, uh, just go through an trial in his life."
"A-are you okay?"
"No. Give me a trial."
“I think what Finn does or does not do in any given day of his life is none of your concern or business.”
“You sure you were a mute?”
“Very sure, not that you were there with your brother to see it.”
“Cute. Real cute about the guilt here.”
“And nothing cute about you-”
“Is this a pent-up sass thing? Arcs of non-response all making up for lost time by boiling all into the world?”
“Again: none of your business-”
“My brother may be gone. He could be a corpse in some stray mutant’s den. He could be lying crippled in the debris from the storm. He could be lying face-down in a ditch of dirt.”
“Y-you’re horrible!”
“No. Just an optimist. A pessimist would have placed him on a slave caravan to Athart.”
“No, you’re horrible. You’ve given up on- Ow!”
“You’re adorable, Molly, but there are lines. You can call me a bitch, you can say I’m a horrible sister, you can make all the mention of my absentism. But don’t you ever dare fuckin’ insinuate that I’ve given up because i said some mean, wah-wah words about a little shitstain, you soundless little pre-ovulating, hipless beanpole fuckstick. Are we clear? Are we crystal absolutely fuckin' clear on this?”
"Let go of me!"
"I believe you made an earlier request for me to, your words, hit you. Sorry for the delayed delivery."
“...”
“I can’t hear you. Say aye aye, captain.”
“Yes-”
“Aye. Aye. Captain.”
“You don’t get to - Stop! Stop! Bloody stop, you bitch! Aye Aye!”
“Captain.”
“Captain! Bloody Captain!”
“This bloody Captain still wants her story. Will you please oblige her?”
Boxcode credit: Yolande
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