Not really an introduction

[sophie_darling]

Here is a little girl of 7, toying with an old doll on the stairs of the Mansion.  She's talking to herself, or to her toys, who knows? Today is her birthday, but she hasn't fussed about it.

Her auntie (is she her mummy ?  she forgets sometimes), is away more and more on mysterious errands, and her best friend is old, now, as are the boys she used

Comments

[thenotsofair]

Cleeg has been running all day.

Not literally running, but fleeing various locales because he does not want to talk and he does not want to see people who are going to make the dull ache in his belly worse. And there are a lot of them.

However, he has to come in eventually, head and shoulders down, more weary than he's been in a while and trying not to let his head go in circles.

[sophie_darling]

Sophie nods, silent a moment. "I miss her. We used to play a lot together."

[thenotsofair]

He nods, a bit. "I could try to play with you. I might not be as good at it, but..."

[sophie_darling]

.... "but you're a grown up.."

That's silly. Grown ups don't play.

[thenotsofair]

A shrug. "And?"

[sophie_darling]

....

"You know how to play?"

[thenotsofair]

"I was your age, once."

A very long time ago not going to think that.

[sophie_darling]

..... Never thought of it that way.

"Alright. What can you play?"

[thenotsofair]

"I can play anything. You mght have to teach me some games, but..."

[sophie_darling]

She smiles, and breaks in unexpected laughter. "Oh, Uncle Tyelko, I love you!"

[thenotsofair]

He smiles, just a little, a touch of color emerging in his face. "I love you too, Herince."

[sophie_darling]

"Herince? It's pretty, what is it?"

[thenotsofair]

"Little lady. In my language."

[sophie_darling]

"Ooooh." She blushes a lot. "What language is that?"

[thenotsofair]

His smile is slightly wistful. "Quenya."

[sophie_darling]

"Oh? Where --- is that not somewhere in Africa? But you're all white, and ---? I didn't know you had been raised in the colonies --- "