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Description
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  Quasimodo did his best to ignore the two women and their questions, but he knew that he could not. They were asking about him, about Jim, and about the strange mute redhead, who was even now brushing her hair with his dinner fork. Quasi watched, momentarily distracted, as Jim quietly clucked his tongue and yanked the fork out of the girl's hand, leaving her with a look of the utmost confusion on her face.

  "How long have you three been up here?" Esmeralda repeated softly.

  "I've lived here all of my life." Quasimodo sighed, his eyes still on Jim and Ariel. She was now putting bowls on her head and wearing them like hats. After repeatedly removing several bowls from her head, Jim seemed to have given up and was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his head leaning heavily on his left hand. He was regarding Ariel with a look of severe disdain and boredom, but Quasi could see the corners of his mouth tugging upward--the beginnings of a rare smile.

  "And what about the others?" Pocahontas asked. "IS this their home as well?"

  "Uh, no. well--yes. Sort of." Quasimodo ran his fingers through his hair. "It's complicated."

  He took a deep breath.

  "See, Jim's house got burned down by some officers, and his mom...she didn't make it out."

  Esmeralda's hand leapt to her mouth.

  "Why did they burn it down?" she asked in horror. Quasimodo refused to meet her gaze.

  "She was harboring gypsies." he muttered.

  "They killed her for that?!" Pocahontas asked incredulously, her fists tightening at her sides.

  "It happens more often than you'd think." Esmeralda spat.

  "Master took him in, though." Quasi said quickly, trying to lighten the mood.

  "So what happened to her family, then?" Pocahontas asked, pointing at Ariel, who was now sprawled in front of a gargoyle and kicking at it with her feet.

  "We don't know." Quasimodo said quietly. "Jim ran away one night and found her stranded on the beach. He's been hiding her ever since. If Master found out we were taking care of her, he would--he would--I'd actually hate to think what he would do."

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Description
******
  Quasimodo did his best to ignore the two women and their questions, but he knew that he could not. They were asking about him, about Jim, and about the strange mute redhead, who was even now brushing her hair with his dinner fork. Quasi watched, momentarily distracted, as Jim quietly clucked his tongue and yanked the fork out of the girl's hand, leaving her with a look of the utmost confusion on her face.

  "How long have you three been up here?" Esmeralda repeated softly.

  "I've lived here all of my life." Quasimodo sighed, his eyes still on Jim and Ariel. She was now putting bowls on her head and wearing them like hats. After repeatedly removing several bowls from her head, Jim seemed to have given up and was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his head leaning heavily on his left hand. He was regarding Ariel with a look of severe disdain and boredom, but Quasi could see the corners of his mouth tugging upward--the beginnings of a rare smile.

  "And what about the others?" Pocahontas asked. "IS this their home as well?"

  "Uh, no. well--yes. Sort of." Quasimodo ran his fingers through his hair. "It's complicated."

  He took a deep breath.

  "See, Jim's house got burned down by some officers, and his mom...she didn't make it out."

  Esmeralda's hand leapt to her mouth.

  "Why did they burn it down?" she asked in horror. Quasimodo refused to meet her gaze.

  "She was harboring gypsies." he muttered.

  "They killed her for that?!" Pocahontas asked incredulously, her fists tightening at her sides.

  "It happens more often than you'd think." Esmeralda spat.

  "Master took him in, though." Quasi said quickly, trying to lighten the mood.

  "So what happened to her family, then?" Pocahontas asked, pointing at Ariel, who was now sprawled in front of a gargoyle and kicking at it with her feet.

  "We don't know." Quasimodo said quietly. "Jim ran away one night and found her stranded on the beach. He's been hiding her ever since. If Master found out we were taking care of her, he would--he would--I'd actually hate to think what he would do."

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