(Untitled)

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary Lennox is clutching a book, today, as she enters the bar; she makes her way over to the counter, climbs up onto a seat, and sits down to flip through it, a faint scowl of a frown on her face

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[creator_raven]

"The plants have offended you?"

Raven leans over her shoulder to better see the page she's looking at.

"They are often coarse in their speech, I think. It is the weather."

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary watches him, very seriously.

"I see, I think," she says, slowly. "A little."

Suddenly: "Birds should not be caught by that sort of thing. It is wrong, wronger than when people are caught - people are caught by things all the time."

[creator_raven]

Raven smiles, and if it is not as bright as usual, it is very close.

He ruffles Mary's hair, carefully.

"I am glad to hear you think so as well, perhaps. Though it is not just birds."

[mmquitecontrary]

"No," Mary agrees; and smiles back, a very little. "It is all wild things really - wild things should not be caught.

They can be befriended - but they ought not to be caught."

[creator_raven]

"I knew there were many reasons to like you."

He half-laughs.

"I think this one is my favorite, perhaps."

[mmquitecontrary]

"It is not a reason to like me," Mary says; her smile is quick, and shy.

"It is a reason to like Dickon - Dickon, and Ben Weatherstaff and the robin. They taught me that. I did not know anything about it, before."

[creator_raven]

Raven laughs lightly.

"It is enough, I think, to know it now. Did knowledge gained not count, perhaps, I would have no friends at all."

[mmquitecontrary]

"You are very old, though," Mary says, matter-of-factly. "So the knowledge you have gained has been gained for a long time. Mine is only very new still."

[creator_raven]

"Some of mine is new, I think. I am glad it is so, perhaps."

He grins.

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary regards him, consideringly.

"What is it that you have just learned?" she asks, curiously.

Mary had sort of assumed that ancient and wise bird-men knew everything they needed to know already.

[creator_raven]

"I have learned that you are very clever, and you do not have a high opinion of yourself, and you keep very good company. They are all good things to know, perhaps."

He smiles, just a little.

[mmquitecontrary]

"- you are teasing me," Mary says, slightly accusatorily; but she smiles back, a little, as she says it.

[creator_raven]

He nods gravely.

"It is a thing."

[mmquitecontrary]

"That," Mary says, with severity that may or may not be mock - Mary is good at a deadpan - "does not say very much."

[creator_raven]

"That," Raven says in turn, "is rather the point."

[mmquitecontrary]

"To be vexing?" Mary offers, and makes a face at him.