2013-01-13 01:23![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
aintwortha
aintworthaWell, that was interesting.
The most interesting thing really, was that when he came back, no time had passed at all. That was odd, but had some serious opportunities to be useful, though it wouldn't help him escape Achilles murdering him.
He survives by never being alone.
It's the easiest thing to do. He's careful to make sure that one of the other kids of the family are well within sight. Preferably arms reach.
The other thing he does, is to avoid, at all costs, being seen alone with Poke. That is not an image he wants in anyone else's mind. Him and Poke together. The two Achilles has identified as not so much a part of the family, by refusing to share their bread, going off into some corner. No. That sort of idea cannot begin to spread, even if it's completely untrue. Therefore, minimal contact is the way to go if he wants to be as unobtrusive as possible, and keep feeding from this feast being presented.
Except, there is still one thing bugging him. One thing that seems to need something doing about it. The other bullies are not 'getting used to things', despite what Achilles may say. They simply aren't. He can see the hate in their eyes every time the family walked to the front of the line. Something needs doing. And, Achilles, content and certain the war is over, isn't going to do it.
So, one morning, he makes a decision. This needs something doing about it. He's not quite sure what he's going to do, but something needs to be done. If it just provokes the bullies and they kill him, so be it, it was only a matter of time before Achilles kills him anyway.
Time to stop thinking, and just act.
That morning, he deliberately picks a place right at the very back of the group, putting him right under the nose of what otherwise would have been the front bully. And he waits. He waits patiently with that hate-filled stare glaring at the back of his head. He just watches the policeman on the door, who was watching as the line grew, keeping him safe for now. Then the door opened, and as they all filed in, looking at the lady who had opened the door, Bean had a brainwave, an intuitive leap he couldn't explain.
Time to stop thinking, and just act.
So, right in front of the lady on the door, and Achilles, who was chatting with her, beaming at his family, Bean opened his mouth, for maybe the third time in front of Achilles since the day he'd said to kill him. He turned to the bully behind him, and with his loudest voice, asked,
"Where's your children? How come you don't bring your children to the kitchen?"
Stupid people are so easy to manipulate. The lady looked delighted at the idea, and the bully, being stupid as stupid as she was (possibly more), went along with it.
"They let people with little children come inside first!" he piped up.
Once again, the lady was delighted, and made it a rule of the line. Job done, as far as Bean was concerned. He went inside and got his soup and bread.
They had a daily ritual, after breakfast at the kitchen, Achilles had implemented it, partially because it made sense to stash their bread and leave, rather than stay and risk the bullies, partly because Achilles hadn't actually had any himself that first time, choosing to stay at the door, chatting to the lady, making friends again.
The ritual is a pretty simple one. Achilles takes a part of each bit of bread the group gathers from the kitchens. Except, Bean and Poke were excluded. Bean was under no illusions. They were the one's who'd threatened Achilles with death. They were the only ones under a death sentence. Even if Poke didn't seem to know it.
Bean saw the exclusion for what it was immediately, and stopped offering his bread. Why risk reminding people of the exclusion?
Today, though, he had to know what Achilles thought of him, given how bold and intrusive he'd been at the door. That meant risking it. So, he made a point of offering his bread with the others. It was a risk, but it was probably a risk worth taking. Otherwise, so what, he'd possibly lost it, but even so, his plan had brought him a few weeks and a lot of strength. So he made the point.
Achilles looked back at him coldly, "If they all bring little kids, they'll run out of soup faster."
Here was the crunch point. Bean hadn't been sure quite why he'd said exactly what he'd said, but it had done it's work.
"If they all become papas, they won't be trying to kill us," he replied. He hadn't even known that's what he'd been going for. But he knew, somehow, some deep instinct said that that was what would come.
It was an answer Achilles liked as well, given the way his eyes came to light as Bean said it and the fact that he accepted the offering. It didn't ensure his life was safe, but maybe he'd last a bit longer, as Achilles was no longer excluding him.
And as they kept eating well, Bean's muscles grew, and filled out, like the rest of them. The food was good and strengthening everyone else on the street could see it, the other ex-bullies would have no problems gathering 'families' of their own.
The most interesting thing really, was that when he came back, no time had passed at all. That was odd, but had some serious opportunities to be useful, though it wouldn't help him escape Achilles murdering him.
He survives by never being alone.
It's the easiest thing to do. He's careful to make sure that one of the other kids of the family are well within sight. Preferably arms reach.
The other thing he does, is to avoid, at all costs, being seen alone with Poke. That is not an image he wants in anyone else's mind. Him and Poke together. The two Achilles has identified as not so much a part of the family, by refusing to share their bread, going off into some corner. No. That sort of idea cannot begin to spread, even if it's completely untrue. Therefore, minimal contact is the way to go if he wants to be as unobtrusive as possible, and keep feeding from this feast being presented.
Except, there is still one thing bugging him. One thing that seems to need something doing about it. The other bullies are not 'getting used to things', despite what Achilles may say. They simply aren't. He can see the hate in their eyes every time the family walked to the front of the line. Something needs doing. And, Achilles, content and certain the war is over, isn't going to do it.
So, one morning, he makes a decision. This needs something doing about it. He's not quite sure what he's going to do, but something needs to be done. If it just provokes the bullies and they kill him, so be it, it was only a matter of time before Achilles kills him anyway.
Time to stop thinking, and just act.
That morning, he deliberately picks a place right at the very back of the group, putting him right under the nose of what otherwise would have been the front bully. And he waits. He waits patiently with that hate-filled stare glaring at the back of his head. He just watches the policeman on the door, who was watching as the line grew, keeping him safe for now. Then the door opened, and as they all filed in, looking at the lady who had opened the door, Bean had a brainwave, an intuitive leap he couldn't explain.
Time to stop thinking, and just act.
So, right in front of the lady on the door, and Achilles, who was chatting with her, beaming at his family, Bean opened his mouth, for maybe the third time in front of Achilles since the day he'd said to kill him. He turned to the bully behind him, and with his loudest voice, asked,
"Where's your children? How come you don't bring your children to the kitchen?"
Stupid people are so easy to manipulate. The lady looked delighted at the idea, and the bully, being stupid as stupid as she was (possibly more), went along with it.
"They let people with little children come inside first!" he piped up.
Once again, the lady was delighted, and made it a rule of the line. Job done, as far as Bean was concerned. He went inside and got his soup and bread.
They had a daily ritual, after breakfast at the kitchen, Achilles had implemented it, partially because it made sense to stash their bread and leave, rather than stay and risk the bullies, partly because Achilles hadn't actually had any himself that first time, choosing to stay at the door, chatting to the lady, making friends again.
The ritual is a pretty simple one. Achilles takes a part of each bit of bread the group gathers from the kitchens. Except, Bean and Poke were excluded. Bean was under no illusions. They were the one's who'd threatened Achilles with death. They were the only ones under a death sentence. Even if Poke didn't seem to know it.
Bean saw the exclusion for what it was immediately, and stopped offering his bread. Why risk reminding people of the exclusion?
Today, though, he had to know what Achilles thought of him, given how bold and intrusive he'd been at the door. That meant risking it. So, he made a point of offering his bread with the others. It was a risk, but it was probably a risk worth taking. Otherwise, so what, he'd possibly lost it, but even so, his plan had brought him a few weeks and a lot of strength. So he made the point.
Achilles looked back at him coldly, "If they all bring little kids, they'll run out of soup faster."
Here was the crunch point. Bean hadn't been sure quite why he'd said exactly what he'd said, but it had done it's work.
"If they all become papas, they won't be trying to kill us," he replied. He hadn't even known that's what he'd been going for. But he knew, somehow, some deep instinct said that that was what would come.
It was an answer Achilles liked as well, given the way his eyes came to light as Bean said it and the fact that he accepted the offering. It didn't ensure his life was safe, but maybe he'd last a bit longer, as Achilles was no longer excluding him.
And as they kept eating well, Bean's muscles grew, and filled out, like the rest of them. The food was good and strengthening everyone else on the street could see it, the other ex-bullies would have no problems gathering 'families' of their own.
