[Whatever deceit the boy is capable of, it doesn't seem to be malice. It never was. Even Jade had picked up on that, even when she had started to question the nature of Silvergrove the first time -- had asked about the headaches, the barred gate, the unending sunset. The fact that she was promised she could be "free to leave tomorrow" when tomorrow would never come after hours turned into days, then into weeks.
[And yet despite its unsettling existence, the Silvergrove as it appears now is like a gentle dream, free from the scathing remarks and the hateful looks that would otherwise see the child as nothing more than an evil monster.
[For a brief moment, when Alice mentions carrying him, the boy's eyes light up and his fingers tighten around hers. He had told Jade how his daddy would do something similar for him, even before he... changed, so there's a hint of disappointment when Alice backtracks and starts to lead him on their feet instead.
["It's okay if you don't want to. I wouldn't want to make things harder for you to get there or anything. I mean, it's not that far of a walk, anyway."
[When all else fails - use guilt trip. Once again, the intent seems to be less malicious and more childish manipulation to get something he wants.]
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[And yet despite its unsettling existence, the Silvergrove as it appears now is like a gentle dream, free from the scathing remarks and the hateful looks that would otherwise see the child as nothing more than an evil monster.
[For a brief moment, when Alice mentions carrying him, the boy's eyes light up and his fingers tighten around hers. He had told Jade how his daddy would do something similar for him, even before he... changed, so there's a hint of disappointment when Alice backtracks and starts to lead him on their feet instead.
["It's okay if you don't want to. I wouldn't want to make things harder for you to get there or anything. I mean, it's not that far of a walk, anyway."
[When all else fails - use guilt trip. Once again, the intent seems to be less malicious and more childish manipulation to get something he wants.]