Post by Lucrecia Luna on Apr 17, 2014 7:51:11 GMT -5
❀ ❁ Nishida Shiro ❁ ❀
The raven watched in a muted horror as Cara herded the others to him. Of all the orphans to turn against them, surely Victor would be the one. And the pretty girl called Cindy, he had seen her playing with the other orphans and heard of her kindness. How could they convince those two to leave? Or to keep their mouths shut if they decided to refuse?
To stall for time to explain, he turned to a guard at Desraia's approach and requested a cloth, some bandages and herbs to use on her hands. In his polite tone he explained the girl's worth to Moons, which got the guard moving. He studies her hands as she sat down behind him, turning them gently over in his long, slender hands and making sure not to touch any blood or damaged tissue. "Relax, Desraia. We'll get these cleaned up," he assured her, and then turned to the others. "You're not well here. We need to get out." This was barely above a whisper, just audible enough for the girl to hear him.
Shiro eyed them all individually as Cara explained their roles. His years in the brothel had trained him to hide his displeasure at any time. A mask of calm indifference hid his feelings of disgust toward Victor as he looked at the other boy. "Your choices are interesting. I see potential in all of them, but you're forgetting Cara, that not all can be trusted. Many other orphans would eagerly take an opportunity to be more comfortable, if only for a day."
He rose to his feet, unsure if she had caught his meaning in the words, and turned to Victor. He didn't fear the bully. Shiro was tall and slender, and to most, appeared more breakable than he truly was. His "job" required endurance, and working so much had given him a bit of muscle, though not much. He could withstand anything Victor threw at him, but not out of physical strength. Rather, it was that Victor could never do anything worse to him than what he had faced at the brothel. Violation trumped injury. Staring him straight in the eye, Shiro kept his words calm and devoid of emotion. "How many beatings do you get a day? A week? Are you tired of them? I think we're all tired of the way we're treated, but nothing can be done about it unless we do something. Do you want out? To be free to do what you want to do? Or would you like to stay here like a trapped rat until they decide to send you away?"
Without missing a beat, he turned his downward toward Cindy and smiled warmly at her. "You love to help others, right? I've heard of what you do. It's admirable. But what if you could help all of the suffering children at once? If we informed the outside world of the cruelty we face? Would you be willing to assist with that goal? As long as we do nothing, we will all continue to suffer and be shipped off to unknown fates."
Zane received his attention last, though he meant no insult by it. Shiro knelt down so the child wouldn't have to look up at him. His tone was softer toward the boy, and he made sure to leave a space between them to make him feel more comfortable. "Zane, do you remember life outside the orphanage? I do. I'd like to experience it again. How would you like to be able to play and eat whenever you want without getting punished for it?" Again, his eyes went to everyone. "This is something two cannot do alone. Please consider my words."