(no subject)

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

The knock on Colin's door is loud and ominous.

- that doesn't matter much, however, as Mary marches in immediately after knocking and folds her hands neatly over her lap.

"Good morning, Colin."

Comments

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I am sure," Mary says, a little primly, "that Martha associates with fictional characters there as well.

Besides," she adds, loftily, "it is not up to Martha the people with whom I choose to associate. I may associate with whomever I choose. If it were up to them I should not be associating with you."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I did not say it was," he replies crankily, "only asked if she knows."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I know a good many people," Mary says, with the faintest hint of pride.

Mary's never been able to say that before, after all.

"Martha does notknow everybody that I know."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"Are most of them very boring?"

Colin vaguely suspects the majority of people are.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Many of them are very interesting," Mary retorts, primly; then, a little warily: "Did you think the people you have met were boring?"

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"No," he says, considering.

"I liked Susannah. She has very pretty skin."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary frowns, a little; not in disapproval, but in thought.

"I do not know Susannah," she decides, finally. "What is it that makes her skin so pretty?"

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"It looks like chocolate."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"- oh, you only mean she is a native," Mary says, a trifle dismissively.

She had thought it might be something interesting, like velvet or plaid skin.

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"Is that it?" He is a little surprised.

"She is still very pretty. Prettier than you." He thought natives would be, well. Not like people. "She did not sound like a native." He has asked.

Perhaps he did not understand the answer.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Well, I am plain," Mary reminds him, matter-of-factly. "So it is not hard.

And not all natives sound alike - there are many of them that speak different dialects."

With some smugness: "I know how to say things in several."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"That is not," loftily, "what I meant."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Then what did you mean?" Mary demands, looking a trifle cross.

Mary thinks people should say what they mean.

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I asked if she was a native."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"And what did she say?"

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"That everyone is a native to somewhere."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary considers this.

"That is true," she says, finally, "but it is also not answering the question.

- besides, it is not always true. I am not native to India nor England; I am not native to anywhere."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"No. It is not."

He considers as well.

"Perhaps you can become native."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I do not think you can become a native of anything," Mary says, and shrugs, a little.

"Native means you have to be born so - as you are born a girl or a boy."

[outta-a-chair.livejournal.com]

"I have become well. A little. I thought that was something you had to be born to." He is not certain.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Lots of people become well and ill and all different things," Mary protests. "I was not so very well 'till I came here - and your mother was well, and then became ill - and both my parents were well, until they caught the cholera, and then they were not."