thank god it's fatal
Spencer came to the Abbey at seven, washed in from the street during a week of heavy rain. Clearly he'd been alone for a long time. He stood close to the ten others. They in turn made him their human shield. He seemed not to mind. His face was unremarkable; his stare didn't rove; he didn't make much of an impression.
He was very simply tall. He very simply waited.
The other ten waited behind him. He seemed, in his careless moments, to take pride in that. When the teachers noticed, they took the others away. Kept Spencer moving between the wings, unable to settle. They taught him he ought only to obey teachers, because children would hide behind him but not care about him.
They said they'd find him someone who cared. Spencer, in his preoccupied moments, had shown them belonging was important to him. They figured it was loyalty best carefully directed.
Eventually they found Tala, who made an immediate impression, to teachers, that he'd use Spencer. But also gave the impression, when he took Spencer, and told the teachers they ought not move him again, because he was on Tala's team now, that he cared.
Win-win, really.
a/n: The earliest fear human beings have is one of abandonment. The title is from the song "heretics" by Andrew Bird, which reminds me of Spencer and Tala for mysterious reasons.