you do something unproductive to being a proper young woman - you know, like hiding shoes around the house or eating food with your fingers or sticking asparagus in your ears - you get a shilling taken out of your stash. So, Elizabeth, what do you say? Brilliant game, right?"
The other occupants of the room were quiet for an awkwardly long time. Bit gnawed on her bread with a disgruntled and rather irritated look, whereas James was about to crack up and had put on a disbelieving air. Finally, he took it upon himself to enlighten a confused James as to why they were all so quiet.
"Seriously?"
"Huh?"
"Tom, seriously?"
Tom shrugged. "I think it's a good idea."
James just raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Tom shrugged, more defensively this time.
"Okay, first of all, it’s bribery. And bribery is morally questionable. I don’t know quite what you think, Tom my friend, but I’m usually the one initiating and carrying through with the morally ambiguous actions."
Tom opened his mouth, as if to respond to the horrible accusation that he was actually resorting to something as base and vile as common, cheap bribery, but the mouth snapped shut, irritated, when James beat him to speaking. "Secondly - oh, hang on a moment."
With a confused Tom looking on James turned half way to Bit. "Psst. How old are you, exactly?"
Bit shrugged. "I dunno."
"Oh."
He turned back to Tom. "As I was saying. Secondly, Elizabeth is at least fifteen years old - at the very least - and there does happen to come a point in a person's life where the whole 'lets play a game' line just stops working, especially when the person's as stubborn and bull headed and irritating as Elizabeth. She's grown out of it, Tom, obviously. Don't be dull."
Tom crossed his arms, much in the manner of someone who hadn’t exactly grown out of games. James merely shook his head and turned back to Bit, who was wearing her 'I don't approve of depriving me of necessary sustenance' face.
"I know. Don't worry, he'll come around eventually," James said, consolingly. He then grabbed another piece of bread and walked out of the room, patting Bit on the head and Tom on the shoulder as he went.
Bit shrugged at Tom. "Hey, I jus' want m'food." Tom nodded and distractedly shook his head.
"He's out to get me, Elizabeth, just you wait. One day I'll go insane, and James'll be there,
The other occupants of the room were quiet for an awkwardly long time. Bit gnawed on her bread with a disgruntled and rather irritated look, whereas James was about to crack up and had put on a disbelieving air. Finally, he took it upon himself to enlighten a confused James as to why they were all so quiet.
"Seriously?"
"Huh?"
"Tom, seriously?"
Tom shrugged. "I think it's a good idea."
James just raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Tom shrugged, more defensively this time.
"Okay, first of all, it’s bribery. And bribery is morally questionable. I don’t know quite what you think, Tom my friend, but I’m usually the one initiating and carrying through with the morally ambiguous actions."
Tom opened his mouth, as if to respond to the horrible accusation that he was actually resorting to something as base and vile as common, cheap bribery, but the mouth snapped shut, irritated, when James beat him to speaking. "Secondly - oh, hang on a moment."
With a confused Tom looking on James turned half way to Bit. "Psst. How old are you, exactly?"
Bit shrugged. "I dunno."
"Oh."
He turned back to Tom. "As I was saying. Secondly, Elizabeth is at least fifteen years old - at the very least - and there does happen to come a point in a person's life where the whole 'lets play a game' line just stops working, especially when the person's as stubborn and bull headed and irritating as Elizabeth. She's grown out of it, Tom, obviously. Don't be dull."
Tom crossed his arms, much in the manner of someone who hadn’t exactly grown out of games. James merely shook his head and turned back to Bit, who was wearing her 'I don't approve of depriving me of necessary sustenance' face.
"I know. Don't worry, he'll come around eventually," James said, consolingly. He then grabbed another piece of bread and walked out of the room, patting Bit on the head and Tom on the shoulder as he went.
Bit shrugged at Tom. "Hey, I jus' want m'food." Tom nodded and distractedly shook his head.
"He's out to get me, Elizabeth, just you wait. One day I'll go insane, and James'll be there,
