For a good few moments, he'd thought she was taught some other language with the way she repeated that word, Pell.
Then he finally connected it as he watched her, after she lay prone on her side to demonstrate the last image of her mother. He nodded understanding, his face expressionless though he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't been the one to do it, but he very well could've been to another little babe. He would've done it for a reason, most likely though. Even a selfish one. So he didn't feel the pang of guilt for long.
This Pell must've taken her in briefly, he figured, since she searched around for her. It. Him. It. Searched for Pell rather than her Momma.
She seemed terribly distracted, and he watched her silently as new things stole her attention away, as she returned to him and was distracted once again. She was pretty cute, though. And it was mildly entertaining to watch her mind work, see it in her eyes as she looked at different things and connected them, made sense of them in a way she would understand them. She hadn't run from him, and that was a good sign. Though he wasn't the type to take in a kid. Not ever. He'd only ever had Atrani. And that was so long ago.
What the hell was he even thinking.
Yet, for some ungodly reason, here he was considering it. She'd have to be a tough babe. His life was dangerous, always dangerous. But if he left her with Heartfire to watch over her, she'd be fine. Heartfire was a crazy ass bitch when she needed to be.
But he wouldn't be adopting her with Heartfire.
They weren't together like that.
"Alright, look," he interrupted her, needing to clear this up right away while it was on his mind. "This thing-- No, look. You don't have a momma, and I gotta place you can stay, okay? Sort of. Or you'll go wherever I go, or something. Anyway. I know someone that will help keep you safe and take care of you when I gotta be away. And I have to be away a lot." He said it heavily so she would be certain she wouldn't be trotting along with him on those ventures. No babies allowed on duty, she'd just get killed or something.
"But. This isn't a mommy and daddy thing, alright? This is a me and you thing. And she's just gonna watch you when I can't be there. You got that?" Probably not, but he said it anyway. She seemed too little to understand everything he said. He nodded her over closer with a jerk of his chin. He was gonna be the damn death of this poor innocent baby girl. That was just how his life went.
"C'mere, little love. Briella," he corrected himself. Then he hesitated on giving his name back, as he always did. A name could be tracked back to him, could be dangerous. Could set off entire manhunts for the terrible deeds he did and would continue to do. But he wasn't about to tell her to call him daddy or anything crazy like that. So, whatever. Danger was his life, he'd roll with it if it happened. Or rather, when. It was bound to happen at some point.
"Dovev," he gave back quietly, touching his muzzle to her shoulder, up through her little mane. "What do you think? You hungry? You wanna come with me and find you some milk or somethin?"
Heartfire wasn't exactly lactating so he'd have to find some other momma for her to nurse from.
He didn't even consider asking Heartfire if she was cool with it, with him bringing back a little child. Didn't matter. This was his little babe, now. Heartfire could take it or get over it.
Yeah, maybe he'd lost his damn mind on this one. Oh, well.
we're slaves to any semblance of touch
Lord, we should quit but we love it too much
