[He worries, belatedly, that he might...offend Sirius. That, he doesn't want to do; Sirius is the coolest kid he's ever met, and already his best friend, he thinks. Miles has never had any problem standing up to bullies, but when you stand up to bullies, they do get furious with you; that's fine, but the thought of having his friend mad at him - ]
My dad just always told me that every life is important. Even that of a spider. And that...being mean just for the sake of being mean is deleterious to one's character.
[He peers back at the spider, dubious of everything that he's saying. Sirius would never consider himself a bully, but he would do rather a lot for entertainment. And it really is only a spider. There's thousands of them.
But he also quite likes Miles. He's not certain that he understands the point that he's making, but...]
[It's as good an answer as any--and it's not like Sirius knows any better. He nods, vaguely, looking over the spider again. It's massive, but it's drawn itself into a corner as tightly as it can, as if it's aware of what he's suggested.]
But if it came after us, your dad would be all right with us defending ourselves, right.
[All right, that's just ridiculous. But Sirius no longer feels the need to kill or even threaten the spider. After all, he said it himself: it's only a spider.]
[Because it sounds as if it might be from a book, and Sirius greets it with his nose wrinkled, uncertain as he is about everything Big and Important that's quoted out of books at him.
Whatever. Spiders, all of it, whatever, and he sighs, hugely, so it blows his fringe away from his forehead.]
We're not going to kill it, you don't have to quote things at me.
[He gives a self-conscious, nervous little smile; he can smile now that he has that assurance. Sirius isn't going to be mad at him for his...fun-killing.]
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carisma_sensei
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Date: 2013-11-25 09:21 pm (UTC)Well, there's a great lot of spiderwebs, for a start, and - oh, disgusting!
[He points up at the lurking figure of a spider easily as big as his hand.]
Look at that, that's got to be the biggest spider I've ever seen.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-25 11:00 pm (UTC)[Sirius' nose wrinkles appreciatively, but he's grinning as well. Of course he is. And he raises his wand, bloodthirsty--]
Let's kill it.
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Date: 2013-11-26 12:36 am (UTC)[Miles doesn't even hesitate before reaching out to push his arm down. And the look he gives Sirius is decidedly chastising.]
It's not hurting anyone. That would just be cruel.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-26 09:57 am (UTC)[He twists away from Miles, laughing--though he feels a little stupid now, as if he's said the wrong thing.]
It's just a spider. It doesn't matter.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-26 01:44 pm (UTC)[He worries, belatedly, that he might...offend Sirius. That, he doesn't want to do; Sirius is the coolest kid he's ever met, and already his best friend, he thinks. Miles has never had any problem standing up to bullies, but when you stand up to bullies, they do get furious with you; that's fine, but the thought of having his friend mad at him - ]
My dad just always told me that every life is important. Even that of a spider. And that...being mean just for the sake of being mean is deleterious to one's character.
[He stumbles a little over deleterious.]
no subject
Date: 2013-11-26 03:43 pm (UTC)But he also quite likes Miles. He's not certain that he understands the point that he's making, but...]
What's del-e-terious mean?
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Date: 2013-11-26 11:59 pm (UTC)[He's not completely, 100% sure, but he has a pretty good idea. So he takes a stab - ]
Harmful?
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Date: 2013-11-27 09:07 am (UTC)But if it came after us, your dad would be all right with us defending ourselves, right.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-27 12:08 pm (UTC)[He thinks that over with a little frown. What would Dad say?]
I think he'd sooner that we...do so nonlethally, in that case.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-27 02:36 pm (UTC)[All right, that's just ridiculous. But Sirius no longer feels the need to kill or even threaten the spider. After all, he said it himself: it's only a spider.]
You can't be serious.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-27 05:46 pm (UTC)[There's a decided solemnity when he nods. The more he thinks about this, the more he's certain of it.]
Our character can be measured in how we treat the smallest, weakest creatures. Spiders included.
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Date: 2013-11-27 07:32 pm (UTC)[Because it sounds as if it might be from a book, and Sirius greets it with his nose wrinkled, uncertain as he is about everything Big and Important that's quoted out of books at him.
Whatever. Spiders, all of it, whatever, and he sighs, hugely, so it blows his fringe away from his forehead.]
We're not going to kill it, you don't have to quote things at me.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-28 08:53 pm (UTC)I'm not quoting! That's just me talking.