Post by Milo Witte on Jun 30, 2012 14:15:24 GMT -8
As soon as Seren lurched away and began screaming, Milo froze, his arms falling only slightly in his shock and surprise. What did she think? That he was going to hit her? He'd thought this gesture was clear... A hug. Two arms outstretched rather than only one raised always meant a hug, didn't it? He felt oddly disappointed and...and...something else, something he couldn't put a word to, but it was there in the pit of his stomach, making him want to upchuck his late dinner. Disgust, maybe? Perhaps, but it ran deeper than that. Yet through it all, he wanted more than ever to give her that hug and to make her feel safe. Still, he knew better than to continue to approach her.
Christof's voice and motion to hit down his arms the rest of the way jarred Milo back to the present or rather the...well, to awareness? Was that the way to say it? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that the haze had lifted, and all that was left was disgust--not at Seren, of course, but to all who had hurt her from Jasper Faber to whomever else had owned her. His fists clenched at his sides before he realized how threatening he could come across just for that if the slave girl was used to mistreatment. He uncurled his fists and forced a more neutral look where his concern rather than his disgust took the forefront of his expression.
"What did they do to you?"
"I just wanted to give you a hug."
The boy's sentence was out at the same time as his, and Milo glanced at him. He wasn't so sure Christof really wanted to know the truth. They had done plenty to her, he was sure. He just couldn't be sure of the extent, but at the very least they'd beat her, taught her to fear those who weren't like her and perhaps even other slaves as he was sure some abuse had to go on between them, too, if there were any who bullied others in their position to feel better. And it could have gone so much further than just physical abuse. It definitely had gone into emotional abuse, but it could have also been sexual in nature. The boy didn't need to hear this, at least not from him. "We'll talk about this later, you and I, Christof, unless you feel comfortable discussing this, Seren."