“But-” Jamie said, and I had to suppress a smile at hearing his tone.  The tone and the wide eyed look he gave her through his thick glasses was wounded, concerned, and bewildered.  “Ma’am.  We’re orphans.  We don’t have a home.”

It wasn’t quite how I would have timed or phrased it, but it wasn’t quite an option for me.  I felt like if I tried to go the pitiful orphan route, someone like this woman would look me over, see the scruffy hair, see the eyes, the thin mouth, and think, ‘yes, that’s an orphan.’

But Jamie was another thing altogether.  His long hair was tied back in a sailor’s ponytail, he wore glasses, and his clothes didn’t quite fit him.  He was just a step away from being an ordinary child, so fixable, and the effect came across well.  Perfect for when we wanted to put people on the defensive.

I’d worked with him on that one, with Helen’s help.

I did my best not to smile as I watched the woman flounder.

Wildbow, Twig, 2.04