the scent of roasting meat drew the tom's attention from where he snoozed in a patch of sunlight, gray flank falling and rising in a disturbed pattern, the peaceful sleep that he should've had, shattered by the dark form of a creature in his dreams. whiskers trembling as he lifted his head, the scent awakening him alongside the soft jingle of metal links, ears swiveling around as the domestic tom searched for the source of the sound and scent. ears focused on the new face he didn't recognize, sleep-blurred eyes soon following until he blinked the sleep away. laying there as he rolled onto his side with an exhale of pain, the mute would watch her with fuzzy curiosity tickling at his mind until he managed to convince himself he didn't know the scent that the female wore.

struggling to get to his paws, in part due to sleep and majorly to the wreckage of his back, pain sparking sharply through his frame. wincing as he finally got up, slowly limping down the stairs of his home, approaching the smoking manticore, his ears swiveling and tail slowly flicking side to side. he kept his head lowered to show that he wasn't a threat, though this encounter could only remind him of the recent incident with ares. shaking his head to clear those thoughts, he shuddered faintly, coming to a stop near her. hopefully, the other was intelligent and could well, read. 'hello. who you? i aesior.', it hurt to write proper sentences, his tendons protesting against the unnatural position for his paw. warm yellow blossoms of daffodil would emerge from the moss and grass that grew upon his shoulders, their full heads facing dazir, a motion of questioning in them. he used flower language and written language to get his words across, searching for someone who knew the sign language that he required most times that few understood. most of it relied on natural body language, but some of it didn't.

// daffodils - questioning-curious //

[div style="margin-top: 4px; margin-left: 9px; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 36px; text-transform: lowercase; text-align: left; line-height: 22px;"]DREAM OF YOU
ALMOST EVERY NIGHT!

chuckling softly at her own response to him, the mute would offer dazir a warm smile. she didn't have the intent of harm, it didn't show in the child's eyes or in her body language, not in the way it did with those who wanted to do harm to another. Dazir. what a pretty name. curling his tail in a lighthearted manner, he raised his paw to his throat, touching the three ugly scars that crossed his neck. said wounds really should have killed him, but he wasn't anything if not stubborn. blinking, he would slowly attempt to reach out to her mind with one word and the image of himself, "Aesior." before withdrawing. if nothing happened, there was little to be lost. ears swiveling as he caught Seven's scent and her voice, he offered a cheeky grin, knowing his groupmate couldn't see but still grinning regardless. swept over by a cough, he would turn his head in the direction of his home, nodding in her direction. perhaps she'd see the movement of his outline. tarragon was the next to sprout from the tom's coat of greens, watching Dazir as she walked off with her prey.

the way the youth moved about the camp signaled to him that she had some knowledge of the layout. eyes glittering with some interest, he licked his lips, committing her name to memory. perhaps past records could uncover more of the manticore, or he could find some old soul that knew her. shaking his head faintly, he looked back to his home, aggrieved by the notion of listening to Seven's sage advice, but knowing he should. inhaling, he looked after Dazir again, whiskers twitching as the gray tom debated chasing after her and greeting her, mute as he was. blinking, exhaling and getting to his paws, he flicked his tail at Seven, almost as if asking her opinion on the matter. he wanted to welcome her properly, but he knew that was a far shot of a thing for him to do in the condition he was in.