Perfect.

She is perfect.

At least that's what the snakes tell her, whispering promises of the divine into waiting ears as they coiler tighter, tighter around a fragile throat. She is wandering, but she doesn't know where she's going, cinnamon capped paws leading her nowhere but deeper into the jungle, deeper into the unknown. Cleo is not afraid though. Fear is relative, and she's a goddess among men. What should frighten her about the dark? The inevitable? She's not like other children, she's darker, twisted, hardly a child at all. It's strange. She knows she's tiny, fragile, easily broken, but she doesn't feel that way.

She doesn't like to think about the things that make her weak either. One ear is deaf and the other... well it seems as if its hearing is going as well. She has to strain to hear the precious words that drip from her reptiles' mouth, too full of herself to insist that they repeat themselves. It's frustrating. So frustrating. She's supposed to be perfect, a half demon with an affinity for herself. Why can she not hear a thing? Maybe that's why she's secluded. Withdrawn. Untrusting. She sees herself as flawed (even though there's nothing wrong with being deaf and a part of her knows that). She wishes things were different.

But this is life.

A faint sound to her right causes her to turn quickly, glowing sanguine colored eyes narrowing. [color=#445544]"It's not nice to sneak up on a half deaf little girl," Cleo calls out faintly, a tail lashing behind her. Her companion for the day - a black mamba with a deadly bite - grows tighter around her petite frame, emitting a low hiss in the direction of the noise. It seems unbothered other than that though, attention easily fixating on the tiny bird that landed so closely to them. Cleo decides to write the noise off as nothing, her snake's apathy towards the situation successful in encouraging her own.

So she continues, a broken tune tumbling easily from tiny lips- lips that now sport a twisted grin. She idly wonders how deep she can go until someone stops her. Maybe no one will and she'll be free to live a wild life amidst the snakes that she cares so deeply for.

That would be nice.

So nice.

(hi i'm trying a new style for cleo bc she's my kid and i want to........ expand with her? so yes here she is,,, i'm sorry in advance she's a Problem™)

Cleo most certainly heard Vandal's ruckus loud and clear this time, ears immediately pinning against her head as she stole an innocent look up. She didn't expect to come face to face with the creature that she saw, sanguine eyes widening when she realized that the canine was far from normal. But then again, so is she. Her oddities aren't so much physical though, more so stemming from her withdrawn persona and reluctance to get close to anybody but snakes. She loved her family, but was not the type to be outward about it, preferring to keep her secret ties to each and every one of the Roux's and Cipher's a secret. Instead, she easily sported creatures like Eshe - her favorite of her companions.

The aforementioned snake appeared relatively unbothered by the disturbance, a forked tongue appearing only momentarily as it scented the air. Large ears would perk, an obvious attempt made by Cleo to hear some part of Vandal's words. Another Roux? So they were family? She supposed that that was interesting, but she didn't exactly know who this was, regardless. She had never seen her before (she would definitely remember someone as fascinating looking as Vandal, she was sure of it) but knew that they weren't siblings. Too old. Too different. Maybe an aunt then? Or a cousin? [color=#445544]"I'm Cleo Roux-Cipher," She responded finally, [color=#445544]"And this is Eshe." She paused momentarily, glowing eyes narrowing, [color=#445544]"How are we related?" She wasn't saying that she was suspicious... but she was suspicious.

Before she could interrogate Vandal any farther, Caesar arrived and immediately piqued her attention. The half-deaf bengal would study her grandfather carefully, a scrutinizing gaze softening slightly when she remembered their familial ties. [color=#445544]"Not a pet," She responded softly, a bit appalled that he'd even think to suggest that. [color=#445544]"A friend. A companion. A weapon." But not a pet. Eshe would never be regarded as a pet.  [color=#445544]"Her name means 'life'.... but oh, how she can kill you."