mind your distance | playing

[Dazir]

♛

Dazir laid somewhat close to the proximity of Elsweyr's house. Laying clutched between two massive paws was a random bone she happened to picknup from around the king cheetah's humble abode. Impressive fangs chewed on the stark white bone for no reason in particular. A crippling habit developed during her many days sitting in her cell, awaiting her next inevitable match in the arena. The smoke of her faux mane continued to billow about and the child remained in her own world until she saw two other children approach with smiles on their faces.

One of them leaned in really close, examining the metal spiked collar and broken chain wrapped around her neck. "What's that?! Does it hurt? You're that new kid right?" Dazir wretched her neck back, ears flattening from being bombarded with questions that she could not answer even if ahe wanted to. "Look at her tails!" Exclaimed the other. "They look like a scorpion's, can you sting like one?!" She asked, pawing and prodding at them. "Why aren't you talking? Hey I have an idea, let's play!" What was playing? Annoyed, Dazir pulled her tails closer to her the barbs of her tail coiling in. Just as she rose to leave, one of the children tackled her side and knocked her down.

After colliding with the dirt a fearsome growl echoed from her parted maw. Grasping the other child by the shoulders her claws scored down them before using her hind legs to push them off of her. The boy laid in a sobbing heap while his friend shouted in surprise. "W..why would you do that?! He was only playing." A low hiss escaped Dazir's mouth as she took some steps back, posture defensive. Were they attempting to attack her?

"better start running" —-- Dazir / Tanglewood / misc. / [color=black]kagome

[Ares]

LET'S START A WAR!

Ares. Female. Tanglewood. Child.

Ares spent most of her time in or around Elsweyr's home. The Cheetah, dubbed pretty mother by the young kitten, was, obviously, her mother figure. Resting outside, curled up in a clump of grass, she was startled by the hiss and growls of someone nearby.

Gently, she approached the commotion, stopping when she heard sobbing and the shout of a child. Her amber eyes settled on Dazir, fear apparent as she stepped up and before the two children, no matter how young she was, no matter how small. "They... playing. No harm..!" She uttered, hoping the manticore could understand.

"Speech"

#psychosocial.

[wormwood.]

NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS — In a way, Aurum could understand the plight of Dazir, and what she was struggling with. While he didn't know the exact details of what had happened to her, it was obvious that her childhood before this hadn't been a very positive one. Despite this, he still didn't want her harming anyone else within Tanglewood. The kids had been stupid to just launch themselves at a stranger, but considering she was another kid, and they were just trying to play... it was understandable, at the very least. The lion tried to keep this all in mind as he made his way over, long tail twitching from side to side as he spoke up, "Dazir. Relax, they're not trying to hurt you, just like Ares said." He let one wing hover somewhat protectively over the other child, not wanting her to get dragged into this whole mess. Her heart was in the right place, but she was much more vulnerable than he was, and he didn't doubt that Dazir would see fit to lash out some more.

Holding out one large paw in Dazir's direction, Aurum let his tone lower into a more soothing one, "They were just trying to play fight. It doesn't involve any actual teeth, or claws, or stinging. It's just for fun." They really needed to put her through some kind of crash course on what it would be like to actually live within Tanglewood. He understood that Elsweyr was more used to the tribal nature of her own home, but Tanglewood did have rules. They didn't approve of hurting groupmates, and Dazir needed to be taught that. Taught in a kind way, obviously, but definitely not just taught nothing at all. She needed to know that the entire world wasn't out to get her, which would not only be good for the rest of them, but would be good for her as well. Allow her the opportunity to relax, for what was seemingly the first time in her life. — OF THE MAN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED A KING.

[rhosmari]

AND IT'S HALF PAST THREE
[align=center]AND I GOT ANGEL WINGS

BUT A DEVIL'S GRIN

AND ONLY ONE CAN WIN

elsweyr — tanglewood — three years

Another child had harmed another. She had heard the cries coming from the center of town. The blame being thrown and her eyes slide that way, tied and rough her body threatened to fall. Even as she rose she could feel the heaviness of sleep trying to tug her back down again. Sleep had long since evaded her and slowly she moved to see what the yelling was. What the issue was that had befallen the group. For once the tribal woman did not hold a caring look upon her visage, smoke trailing from her nostrils as she looked across the scene. Green eyes closed for a moment before they opened back up once again. Dazir had harmed some other child it appeared and while they were nagging her the child was bleeding. "She thinks that someone should get help for the one hurt." Her tone was almost careless and dry.

Then her eyes swung toward the her child. Dazir. Her life must have been hard and she understood that. She needed time to settle. Perhaps isolation and the woman beckoned the scorpion tailed creature to her. Her eyes flicked to Ares as well and she allowed a tired smile to pull at her lips for her help. Both hers and his but now she needed time with Dazir. Time. "She did well to defend herself. But the child is no enemy, no threat. Playing is a way of fun here. Not to hurt. Elsweyr will teach you, Dazir. And she will show her who the enemy is."

[Dazir]

♛

The length of her tail thrashed about in clear irritation, the stinger equipped on the end leaking copious amounts of venom. Her ears pressed further against her skull as another child made her way onto the scene, fussing at her uttering nearly the same words the other kid did. Playing. Whatever playing was she did not see it in a positive light. The boy had tackled her to the ground and now her shoulder hurt. In her opinion he deserved the retaliation she gifted him with. But for Ares to come out and tell her "no harm" when Dazir felt harmed herself cause the manticore to bristle with hostility.

A defiant growl rippled within her throat and bubbled up from her maw as she swatted at the open air, claws extended. A warning for Ares and the two original children to stay clear from her, although she made no movement towards them. Dazir pushed herself against the base of the tree behind her, snapping her narrowed gaze in the direction of Aurum while he called her name. There was that word again, play. Whatever this playing was she did not like it, it reminded her too much of the arena and it was certainly anything but fun. Shaking her head back and forth vigorously she took another step back.

Oh how she wished to be able to communicate her thoughts to them, her opinion and history. However at the moment she was beginning to feel cornered and so she look to and fro for a suitable escape route. After spotting one she began to head in that direction but halted once Elsweyr stepped in the way. There was no way out now. Had this been the arena it would have meant certain death, yet the cheetah beckoned her closer. Based on the tension circulating the group alone, instinct told her to flee. However no one seemed as if the would attack her. Hesitantly and with visible reluctance she approached Elsweyr with an apprehensive eye.

Quietly she listened to the woman's chastising, rigid shoulders slumping as a small sense of understanding began to trickle into her mind. Fun. Kindness. Playing. These were words that were not part of what she knew. Prior to her arrival an form of physical touch was a negative thing. But now they were trying to make her believe that there could be some good in it. A low huff fell from her jaws a sign that she understood now matter how she felt about it.

"better start running" —-- Dazir / Tanglewood / misc. / [color=black]kagome

[Ares]

LET'S START A WAR!

Ares. Female. Tanglewood. Child.

Amber eyes widened in fear as the manticore snarled and swatted, the child ducking even further behind Aurum and lowering herself into a ball. She was terrified of this beast.. no, this animal, who was probably also frightened and felt threatened. Ares fought back tears as Elsweyr approached, and even though the cheetah was a mother figure, the small kitten did not recluse toward her, did not come crawling over. Fear sat her down and stared at her through invisible eyes and the child could not move under it's gaze.

For a few minutes the child sat there, aware of the two children, even if one of them was bleeding, coming to sit by the kitten. Tiny claws dug into soils, churning them, imagining her golden blanket, her solitary comfort. With a gentle touch from the uninjured child, she jolted and looked at him, only to relax slightly.

"Speech"

#psychosocial.