pollysheedy:
It was easy, almost natural, in some ways, for Polly to slip out of notice. They’d been doing so for almost as long as they could remember, and it was one of their few gifts in the world. People looked over them, looked through them, didn’t see what was right in front of them, and Polly could use that. They had learned to work it in their favour, but it hadn’t always been so. At one time, it had been almost a curse. There were things about them that people didn’t see, the good bits that lay behind the outer shell. People didn’t want to notice Polly, didn’t want to be remind of that which they would rather ignore.
But then, there was Maude.
The detective was everything Polly had always feared, authority and legality and everything of the like on her side. If they had never met her, Polly had no doubt that they would be afraid. They had been, at one point, but Maude had surprised them. Polly knew that Maude saw them, and not as the poor little waif from Whitechapel. Whilst most ignored that which was good about them, Maude turned a blind eye to that which was bad, and for that, Polly would never not be grateful.
“Questions like ‘how’s your evening?’” they shot back, smile lighting up their face and chuckle escaping their lips. “S’all right, actually. There’s hot foot, the drinks okay, and I managed to make a bob when the barmaid needed a rest.” They looked proud of the fact, honest work being one of the more evasive things in their life. “What about you? I imagine you won’t be getting much rest tonight.”
Maude chuckles with them, feeling her shoulders starting to relax a little. It was always a little bright around Polly, jokes were easier and laughing was not a distant thing. How Polly did that, Maude couldn’t know and she suspected they didn’t even knew their ability of making the world seem a bit better, nonetheless, Maude was grateful. They were a reminder of the existence of good things that had to be protected, it was so easy to fall into dark holes and become cold and distant, law and oaths becoming nothing more than mere words written on a paper.
❝ Work can be stressful sometimes” she answers evasively, not wanting to admit her tiredness. ❝ I’m glad you helped that barmaid, I was afraid of her collapsing. ❞ she admits, wincing while thinking of the deep shadows under that barmaid’s eyes. It was also good that Polly had earned a bit of money while helping ❝ After waiting for the morning to come, I’ll have to go back to the police station and then hopefully I’ll have a few hours to rest.” she explains already dreading the reports, she once enjoyed writing them, however lately they were distracting things. They were more fun when she had actually interesting things to report. ❝ Polly, I have to ask, have you seen or heard anything strange lately? Stranger than usual? ❞ Maude asks, her playfulness suddenly substituted by seriousness.
