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[nitro_is_ace]

Ace knows, intellectually, that no matter how long she sits out here by the lake, the same troubles will be facing her once she gets back in the TARDIS. But it's nice to think she can sit out here, and the universe can just go sort itself for a while. She's found a nice flat rock to stretch out on, and Magic is playing her new favorite game - 'Roll In The Leaves So Later Mom Will Have To Brush Me'. Of course, it's likely to be her least favorite game once she realizes it's more likely to lead to a bath than to a brushing, but for now the brown crunchy leaves are fun.

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[treading_dawn]

Time passes, and eventually a carefully velveted paw helps Magic right herself after a particularly vigorous tumble.

"Careful, little one. Legs are oftentimes a complicated affair."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Animals are often less easily fooled than humans. Thus, instead of being alarmed by this giant of a Lion, Magic barks happily, flopping over again to show her tan belly.

Ace, roused from her contemplation of the lake (or other matters entirely) looks lazily over at the sound of the barks. She startles, seeing a giant lion looming over her poor puppy.

Then she's on her feet, furious, coming to her pup's rescue.
"Oi! Find sommat y'own size t'pick on!" Cosidering that the way Magic is growing, she'll easily outweigh Ace, this is rather laughable coming from her.

[treading_dawn]

Aslan's great head swings around to look at Ace, golden eyes bright with what might be laughter.

Perhaps there is a hint of sorrow there, too.

"Does she seem frightened to you, child? I had thought you old enough to see what is truly there."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Ace really doesn't like it when the enemy (or the percieved enemy, anyway) sees fit to talk back. The odd 'EXTERMINATE' or 'DELETE' or 'ARRRRGH' she can put up with, but it's the ones that talk back that really annoy her.
"She's a puppy, she doesn't know what to be afraid of yet." Magic hadn't reacted to Blodwen's malice, and that's proof enough for Ace.

Magic, on the other hand, is still trying to work out why she isn't getting any belly rubs here. It's a hard life for a pup.

[treading_dawn]

Aslan studies her carefully, tail lashing at his flank.

The sorrow in his eyes increases, though they grow no less bright.

"She knows far better than you, in some ways. It is the province of the young."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Ace favors him with a blank look of disbelief.

"What, just have faith an' good thoughts? With that an' a bit of pixie dust I'll fly off t'Neverneverland." She retorts drily. "Hell, with the right sort of pixie dust, I won't even need the good thoughts."

[treading_dawn]

"Courage and will are useful, in addition to the others. But without something like the first it is all too easy to give in to despair."

It is unfortunate Aslan's paws are not made for comfortably scratching puppy-bellies.

He does, however, make a lovely wrestling partner.

But another time, perhaps.

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? Faith in what, then? Death an' taxes? C'mon, even I know those aren't the constants they're made out t'be." She snorts, not at all appeased.

Magic, however, still hasn't taken her chance for freedom. In fact, she's still looking for those bellyrubs. She figures if she gives him a long enough chance, he'll come around.

[treading_dawn]

"In yourself, to begin with. Others will come later."

Aslan will not risk harming Magic with Lion-paws. He will, however, dangle the tip of his tail in her face.

If she wants to play.

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"Oh, how very pat." Ace snorts. "Magic, c'mere, y'daft dog."

Magic does no such thing.

Magic pounces after the bit of golden fur that was waved in her face. Someone's got to have good priorities around here, after all.

[treading_dawn]

"Only in the phrasing. Living it, as with so much else, is often far harder."

He twitches his tail out of the dog's reach, though it returns after a moment to dangle tantalizingly close.

His eyes, however, remain solemn, and fixed on Ace.

"But you know that already, Time Lord."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Magic skids on the slick piles of leaves, tail wagging furiously as she bounds joyfully after this new toy.

"Yeah." She mutters, but it's bitter. "I've learned a lot of things through that. First an' foremost bein' I cannot trust m'self. S'too dangerous, gets folk killed."

[treading_dawn]

Aslan's voice rumbles deep in his chest, just this side of a growl.

"Do you know the future, then, child? Or the might-have-been?"

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"Oh do come off it." Ace growls back, defiant despite the fact part of her brain, the part that's still very much like that of early Man, is attempting to run and hide from the Angry Predator Creature.
"Those that refuse t'learn from the past are doomed t'repeat it, yeah? I'm a wolf of Fenric, not part of any species known in this universe, an' I've this nasty little bit of m'self that wouldn't mind havin' m'best mates f'tea. That's enough."

[treading_dawn]

"You are human, too, child. That sentiment is as much from Eve's blood in you as from the wolf and the cat."

He lifts one velvted paw to push gently at Magic.

"All living things are dangerous."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Ace crosses her arms, looking terribly dour.

Or perhaps sulky. She's being lectured to by a big cat. The day just can't possibly recover after that.

"An' this is supposed t'make me feel better?" She snarks, not caring that she's taking the path of least resistance here with her snide potshots.

[treading_dawn]

"You are the only one that can do that, catling."

His tail twitches at his flanks, and he shoves at Magic again.

The puppy seems to enjoy being tumbled over, really.

"In the long run."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

The puppy does indeed enjoy being tumbled over. Not many people will wrestle with her, now.

Something about how she can knock them over without really trying, evidently.

Ace twitches uncomfortably at the 'catling'. It's not something she cares to dwell on, even if she's mostly come to terms with it.

"Gee, would have never thought of that." She notes, dripping sarcasm. "Thanks, Obvious Cat!"

[treading_dawn]

"You have yet to do anything about it."

Aslan might almost sound amused, if he were someone else.

"So perhaps you were in need of a reminder."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"Or perhaps I've decided I'm canon fodder anyway, so there isn't much point in preparin' for a long life, now is there?" Ace retorts grimly, not likng this smug git of a lion. What right does he have to be all superior anyway?

[treading_dawn]

Aslan blinks once, great head lowering to bring his eyes level with Ace.

They are wide and golden, solemn and sad and wise.

"Again I say, unless you have foresight, or can know what might be, you are overhasty to speak so."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"Well, innit lucky," Ace growls, now thoroughly put out, "That I'm in one of those categories? There's only one Time Lord what survives the next war, an' I'm not him. He was pretty bloody sure 'bout that."

[treading_dawn]

"There are few alive who are infallible, child."

There is no reproach in his voice.

"And few enough dead, either."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"He wouldn't lie to me." She snaps back, hotly, defending her oldest friend.

But he has.

He has, and he broke her heart and her faith when he did so.

She's just going to ignore that, like she has for so very long.

[treading_dawn]

"Knowing when to trust, and how far, is not something to be taken lightly."

Aslan is still so grave, tail lashing at his flanks.

"And it has little enough to do with love."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"Y'can't love what y'can't trust. It doesn't work." She snarls, edging over from irritation into fury.

It's probably best that she's disarmed at the moment.

Magic, catching on that mum's not to pleased for some reason, decides to lay low between drifts of leaves and wait for it to blow over.

[treading_dawn]

"Then what is left to you is to reconcile the two, or not."

He just keeps looking at her.

That's all.

"Some things are worth the cost, and the striving."

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

"What do you know?" She rages, pained. She could have fought it out. Could have saved it, despite it being so terribly strained and torn.

Could still be married.

"Y'just some daft talkin' lion." It's not much of a snub, since she knows better. No daft animal would know she's a Time Lord. She'll just ignore that too.

For now.

[treading_dawn]

"If it comforts you to believe that, I have little quarrel with it."

He bends low and close, the sweet scent of lilacs rising from his mane.

"But take care how much you lie to yourself, before you do some real harm."

Then he turns, golden and glowing in the light, and pads softly toward the forest.

And then he's gone.

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Ace...

Doesn't have an answer to that.

This may explain why she does not give chase, why she plops down onto a nearby rock instead and watches the breeze kick up tiny waves on the lake for the next few hours.

Ace doesn't know if she can stop lying to herself on certain topics. There's only so much truth she can stand to bear.