[ They're not from the same place but, oddly enough, the sentiment stands and Claret understands. It's dog eat dog (or family swallow family) where she's from — the tenet more literal for some than it is for others. (It may bring her no joy to be a Duke, but thank god she was never born a Saint.) ] I don't do pets. [ Titian would torture it. ] Home's not the best place for little fluffy peeps or things with feathers.

[ Still, she's not bitter about it. ]

Kind of messy, don't you think? [ Safety first, but elegance second. Otherwise it's as good as burning paper money, or at least that's what the stories tell her. (Barter is the currency of her world. And when barter fails, there's flesh.) ] You're small. I bet your quick.