eachdraidh | video, open to both courts (action if you are at the barrel)

[ Alice has been at the Barrel for a few weeks now. No one's asked her to cook and clean, but it's been a bit of an engraved habit brought over from her time in London. It's only through getting children's clothing and interacting with the nearby town that it's been plaguing the back of her mind. Unlike the last time she's popped on the lockets back in December, Alice looks healthier, but she is still pretty thin.

As usual. And as usual, her white rabbit is sitting there beside her, munching away at a bowl of food. She's not good at public speaking. ]

Hello.

These may be strange times to open a dialogue about this subject while both of our courts prepare for another skirmish. There are plenty of natives here of various ages who have been hit the most by war, especially children. I used to be the maidservant of an orphanage back in Whitechapel London.

[ Her face only flashes with a hint of pain when she mentions it. ]

Houndsditch Home for Wayward Youth—if you heard of it. And the children there came from similar backgrounds, that they were all traumatized and lost family either by sickness, death, or murder. These children are often overlooked, sometimes they are swept up by those with ill intentions and treated even worse. But they are still children and they still have pieces of their innocence left.

I may not have the resources nor the... capacity right now to replicate that orphanage, but I still want to help the youngest natives here have the smallest comforts like food or clothing. I've only had a handful of opportunities in Redgate and the Station to make good on my word and clearly I need the additional hands.

In addition to natives being sent away from the path of war, I hope that there can be a way to provide resources for them or find them the appropriate care somewhere down the line. I know that it is silly to think of such a thing when all the adults in this world are preparing for battle, but they are so young and they deserve so much more while they are being guided to safety.

But if I were to oversee these things, I reserve the right to be very picky. The children I cared for weren't even spared from the cruelty of adults, even the proprietor of that orphanage.

Surely my friends will be thrilled if I focused my attention on children rather than them. I know they must tire of my nagging.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

When these upcoming battles conclude, I am willing to petition the High-King and High-Queen for coin to fund such a venture.

Really? Would they even humor that?

[Alice is going to big sister people that aren't her? YES!]

That sounds like a great thing to do, Alice.

[Lumina has turned on all of the charm.]

[ Listening, Rin looks at it another way. She can't get attached to anyone here, but maybe it would be all right to help the life of a single child or two--once she has the resources to do so. Coming into a lot of gold in her future could allow her to... share it. ]

Thank for you reminding me of this. It's so... easy to overlook the things you don't pay attention to.

[ UNLIKELY. ]

Did you need something, Lumina?

I do not see why they would not. They are rulers with people to care for. Their methods may not be what we expect and are used to, but they still rule. And with the unfortunately newly orphaned after these battles, I believe they have a responsibility to see they are cared for by those willing to do so.

What? No. [She looks slightly insulted.] I was just saying it's a good idea for you to help out kids like this.

[ Alice is a little surprised to see Rin responding to her. Guess who is still plenty awkward talking? After some visible hesitation. ]

With an upcoming battle, I cannot fault you for that.

[ She can be polite! ]

[ She doesn't even have to say it. ]

I see. And have you been staying out of trouble?

Unfortunately, yes, new orphans, as much as it dreads me to think of such a thing. But there are more around Drabwurld, Saber, I want to try and help them all.

[ Alice has no idea the seed she's planted in Rin's mind. A pity, but she's not going to be doing it because her companion decided to go on some save the children campaign. ]

No, it's beyond this battle. It's something I've tried to ignore for eleven years.

You're not that much younger than me. [ Or at lest she's assuming she's around her age. ]

You're young, you're being much too hard on yourself.

[ Says the girl who has spent most of her time projecting her feelings of guilt over the children she left behind on her friends. ]

I understand that, Alice. But one step at a time. You cannot help them all at once. You need to start small and build to something bigger.

I know. I consider it to be repayment for the children I left behind, and, ironically, to live up to my father, in some way.

[ She gets a little sheepish, considering her father's namesake and what she wanted to be when she was young. A teacher, like her father. But the fire and her madness got in the way. ]

[Give her a second. She...can't think of anything awful she did in the last few hours, at least, so...]

Sure?

You're not that much younger than me. [ Rin repeats. ]

You're young, and looking to start an orphanage. It's a lot of work to help those children through the loss of their family... but...

[ She clucks her tongue in annoyance not at Alice, but at herself. Saying what she wants to say has always been a difficult chore for her and now's no different. ]

I'm just saying I understand what they're going through. I doubt I'll be able to help much, but I'll contribute where I can.

You don't sound very certain. Are you still in Caer Scima?

[ As if Alice will ever stop being an older sister to her. ]

A noble endeavor.

Nope, I'm at the station.

[At the moment.]

You don't have to worry, I'm just watching television.

[ Alice actually takes in a breath. She's many feelings about this and Rin unintentionally has her think of Bumby. ]

Where I come from, it is not that uncommon for unwed women like me to take up the role of a nanny or a maid. It was my job once, and I overlooked many children.

[ She could have done more. ]

Even something simple will make their day; in London, they had barely anything and I know that they would appreciate little things.

[ That's a stigma she's going to have to carry with her for a long time. At least it taught her to not speak so boldly of being a Master to anyone she may have started to trust, so there's that. ]

Your past is a foundation, but it doesn't define you. If you wish to pursue something else here, you can.

There's no harm in embracing a bit of familiarity. It'll do good to settle down somewhere out of harm's way and to care. I think that's just how you are. You care too much.

I've been tasked with starting schools for children in Glaschu. But I don't think it ought to stop there. Orphans, as you said, are often forgotten, the most overlooked, the most vulnerable. They need schooling perhaps more than anyone else.

[ Won't get flustered- too late. ]

Well, papa was dean of the Oxford University. When I was little, I wanted to be a school teacher to children, but those plans.. they never came to be. But if I had my way, I would make sure they were cared for and had a proper education.

But it's more than that, it's the right thing to do.

Oh. Then Mr. Maglor may be there, too.

Maybe? There's a ton of people around. I can go look for him if you want?

[She is being helpful so you don't have to worry, dang it.]

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