"You...are?"
Charley felt dumb to even think about it, this grown-up lady was an orphan, too. Obviously, adults could lose their parents but that didn't mean the same as a kid-orphan. The way Benevolence said it, the urchin could tell the woman had lived it, in ever way Charley feared herself. And still, somehow, Benevolence was sitting in front of her, a woman grown and a successful one at that, even if she was a fellow orphan.
No, no, just an orphan herself, Charley's parents were out there and just waiting for her letter to reach them!
"I grasp it fine, I en't stupid." Charley kept stock-still when the woman touched her hand, squeezing it. She still had one free, though, and used it to stick a bite of cake in her mouth, chewing with purpose. What that was, she didn't right know yet. Maybe it was just smart to keep her mouth shut, some people liked her better that way sometimes. All she had to do was chew and sip her tea, make nice with the grown-up orphan lady, and Benevolence would let her sleep there with food and tea sometimes. The urchin didn't even mind the thought of working for it, that felt right anyway. Just chew and sip, and smile, probably. People liked her better when she smiled sometimes.
It was a simple enough that even she could manage that.
Eating cake made her mouth dry, and sipping tea made her hungry, but for a minute or two she could handle that. Charley just nodded a bit when Benevolence said something profound, or at least the urchin thought it was profound. The words rattled something in her head, even if she couldn't quite make out what that was. Just that the lady wanted to do things step-by-step, even though Charley was sure the woman's steps would be bigger than hers.
"Okay," she said at last. It was easy enough to agree to that much. It wasn't like Charley really had to stay, she did have other places to go sometimes. She wasn't an orphan yet.
Besides, she was pretty sure this lady needed Charley more than she needed her. That could come in handy someday.
For now, the urchin just kept sipping tea. And chewing cake. And, when she thought about it, she actually smiled.
Charley felt dumb to even think about it, this grown-up lady was an orphan, too. Obviously, adults could lose their parents but that didn't mean the same as a kid-orphan. The way Benevolence said it, the urchin could tell the woman had lived it, in ever way Charley feared herself. And still, somehow, Benevolence was sitting in front of her, a woman grown and a successful one at that, even if she was a fellow orphan.
No, no, just an orphan herself, Charley's parents were out there and just waiting for her letter to reach them!
"I grasp it fine, I en't stupid." Charley kept stock-still when the woman touched her hand, squeezing it. She still had one free, though, and used it to stick a bite of cake in her mouth, chewing with purpose. What that was, she didn't right know yet. Maybe it was just smart to keep her mouth shut, some people liked her better that way sometimes. All she had to do was chew and sip her tea, make nice with the grown-up orphan lady, and Benevolence would let her sleep there with food and tea sometimes. The urchin didn't even mind the thought of working for it, that felt right anyway. Just chew and sip, and smile, probably. People liked her better when she smiled sometimes.
It was a simple enough that even she could manage that.
Eating cake made her mouth dry, and sipping tea made her hungry, but for a minute or two she could handle that. Charley just nodded a bit when Benevolence said something profound, or at least the urchin thought it was profound. The words rattled something in her head, even if she couldn't quite make out what that was. Just that the lady wanted to do things step-by-step, even though Charley was sure the woman's steps would be bigger than hers.
"Okay," she said at last. It was easy enough to agree to that much. It wasn't like Charley really had to stay, she did have other places to go sometimes. She wasn't an orphan yet.
Besides, she was pretty sure this lady needed Charley more than she needed her. That could come in handy someday.
For now, the urchin just kept sipping tea. And chewing cake. And, when she thought about it, she actually smiled.
![[Image: bZbZdaH.png]](https://i.imgur.com/bZbZdaH.png)