This drabble is, unusually for me, about Mulch. I don't normally write about Mulch - he's just not a character I'm interested in in that way. As it's so unrepresentative of my usual output, I probably wouldn't be posting it except for the fact that I really like this drabble. Why? Because it actually makes me like Mulch. So I hope you'll appreciate this move beyond my normal circle of Artemis, Holly, Juliet...
Disclaimer: Still don't own them.
Title: Failings
Rating: G
Words: 100
Prompt: Lapse (af100)
Synopsis: Mulch wasn't born a thief. Which circumstances pushed him to become
one?
Mulch used to hate theft, to hate hearing the other boys talk about their loot. He preferred being with his father, who said he was good at mining, he'd go far, he was special.
Then Mother died. Father closed up. Mulch let him drink, and joined the boys at the shopping centre. They praised his nimble fingers.
Later Father began smiling again. Mulch left the boys.
But one night, Father hit the bottle and then hit Mulch. After escaping, Mulch stomped down to the centre, returning with somebody's watch.
Mulch doesn't remember this. He believes he's a thief at heart.