morality

[duke_of_illusions]

As Barma promised, he returns the next morning, ready to help poor Jack acclimatize to the mansion. He knocks on the door gently, reluctant to wake him if he's sleeping.

"Jack?"

Comments

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"Jack."

Barma's voice takes on a stern note.

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

Jack stares at the older man, shivering a little at his tone of voice. Maybe he shouldn'tve told Barma that...

"I'll be neat, I promise!"

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"Do you understand that hurting people is wrong?"

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

"They hurt me first."

He doesn't see the problem either way.

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"And you didn't like that, yes? So it would be wrong to do to anyone else. You know that they would feel the way you do."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

"But...that would be why I would do it!"

He defends, rolling over and propping himself up on his elbows. "If they make me feel bad, then I make them feel bad too."

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"No, Jack. There are far more rewarding things than petty revenge."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

"Is that what it's called?"

Blinks up, curiously, wiggling his fingers.

"What does that mean?"

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"It means you should focus on getting better and growing yourself, rather than hurting others."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

"...why would I do that?"

An honest question. "It sounds boring."

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"Because it's right, Jack."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

"Why is it right? Is there a book somewhere saying it is...?"

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"No. It's an unspoken social contract."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

Jack stares at him for a full minute, and his face falls. He doesn't understand any of it, and he's taking it as being reprimanded for one of the rules that older people always liked to impose on him.

"...'kay, sir."

Not that he's going to follow Barma anyway.

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"Do you understand, Jack? Mindless obedience means nothing, I want you to know what I mean."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head. "Um, I don't. But I'll be good!"

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"All right. Let's try again."

They'll get this.

"Would you say you liked me, when you first met me?"

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

"Uh-huh."

He sits up properly for this, hair all over the place.

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"Would you have liked me if I had done that to your hands, rather than helping heal them?"

Barma smiles, and moves forward.

"Sit up, I'll braid."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

The thought makes him flinch, and he scrambles back on the bed, away from Rufus. He did wake up with his hands already that way, and the man was there, and --

He shakes his head, terrified.

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"I would never, ever, do a thing like that to you."

Barma swears to him.

"On my life."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

He's not past the point of never trusting anyone ever yet, and the promise instantly reassures him.

"...I'm sorry, I was just..." He looks down at his hands. "...sorry."

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"No. It was a silly thing to bring up."

He lowers his head.

"I owe you an apology."

[surfacage.livejournal.com]

He's the first person ever to say that, to him, and Jack smiles a little as he crawls back over to the other side of the bed.

"If it's Sir Rufus, it's okay! Because you're really smart. So you must've asked it because it was...important."

[info-barma.livejournal.com]

"Think about the question, though. You're more likely to want to be friends with people who don't hurt you."