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[called_lioness]

Lucy feels quiet.

She didn't know she could feel quiet, but she is, as she sits under a tree and picks at her skirt, pull threads and lint away.

She's made her choice, whether she told Caspian she'd wait or not, but in the meantime--

She's alive.

And she still doesn't know what she thinks about that.

Comments

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Why are you picking a hole in your skirt?"

Mary's voice is friendly but dubious, as she rounds the tree and pauses to squint at Lucy.

She's quite fond of Lucy, but the older girl does seem to do quite a variety of peculiar things.

[called_lioness]

"Because it's here?" she tries, and looks up and smiles.

"Hullo, Mary."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Patiently: "Yes, but if there are holes in your clothes the wind will come in and make you cold in the winter. Also people will see your underthings."

[called_lioness]

"I'd rather not let most people see that," Lucy admits, and deliberately sets her hands at her sides.

"Though I feel they're nice enough underthings. How are you, Mary?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I lost my Tennyson," Mary says, looking doleful, and settles herself onto the grass.

"I was not quite finished it yet either - only I skipped ahead to the end to see if it was right."

[called_lioness]

"Was it?" Lucy asks softly, and leans forward, smiling at Mary.

Oh, it is good, to smile. And to laugh. And to cry.

And anything.

Alive.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary nods, solemnly.

"It was sad - but sad is what was true. Colin's book ended with a wedding, and that is not right."

[called_lioness]

"Weddings are good endings," she comments, softly, and very careful not to be wistful.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"For some stories," Mary says, looking wise.

"Like fairy tales; they often end with weddings. This story does not end with a wedding, though. If it does it is only half the story."

[called_lioness]

"But it's an important half," she says, just as softly, and reaches out to smoothe part of Mary's hair that's sticking up, before resting her chin on her knees.

"It's all important, after all."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"It is important," Mary allows.

"But the end is more important - for this story, anyways."

She glances up at Lucy, seriously. "Because it is a true story - so the end is important for things that are still happening."

[called_lioness]

"It's not really an ending, then, is it?" she asks, smiling, and it's only a little sad.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary considers this, frowning a little.

"It is an ending for a long time, anyways," she offers, finally.

"It did not start up again for another long time. So it is better than stopping in the middle of things that happened then and pretending that is all that matters - even if it is not the ending for always."

[called_lioness]

"I'm not sure I believe in endings any more," she says thoughtfully. "It does start up again, after all."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Things have to have endings," Mary says, reasonably.

"Otherwise no one would ever be able to stop telling a story and nothing would ever get done."

[called_lioness]

"Perhaps you're right," Lucy allows, and isn't sure she thinks that's so, right now, but smiles widely anyway. "And how are you, Mary, beyond your story?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Another moment of thought.

"My garden is growing," she offers, finally; which really covers most of it.


It takes another minute before she remembers to ask, primly, "And how are you?"

But at least she does remember. Improvement!

[called_lioness]

"I'm very glad to hear that."

Lucy pauses, and watches Mary thoughtfully.

"...Do you know Adam Young, Mary?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"The Antichrist?"

Mary starts to make a horrendous face, and then stops mid-contortion, in some confusion, as she remembers that Adam did in fact help to save them not so very long ago.

Either way, it seems clear that the answer is 'yes'.

[called_lioness]

She snorts, a little.

"Well. Yes. He's a good friend of mine," and it's only a little reproving.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"He stole my clothing," says Mary, equally reproving.

Then, grudgingly: "But he also helped when the Dark was there. So he is not all bad."

[called_lioness]

"--He what?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

With great and offended dignity: "He stole my clothing with magic.

And he would not give it back for ages either."

[called_lioness]

Lucy is trying not to laugh, truly.

"Why?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I do not know," Mary says, primly.

"I do not understand the sort of person who goes around stealing other people's clothes."

Mary is Above That.