07-01-2018, 12:15 PM
————- If Clementine made had any notion of Riddler's otherwise indifference to children, she had said nothing to the strange man that she called an 'Uncle'. Of course, she knew he wasn't actually her uncle, but after the leave of Pierce, her only living relative, it was her way of managing the gap that he had left behind, the place in her heart that had been torn wide and left and left to bleed under the care of a man she only barely knew. Riddler had not failed her in that regard. Though he might not have been the most accomadating to children and their antics, his calm voice made her forcibly take a deep breath in and nod. That's right. He had to be. Her father owed her this. Her father owed her.
But still nothing prepared her to see him again face to face. She saw him in the distance, his coat; and yet another spike of anxiety flushed through her chest, making her shrink closer to Riddler as her cheek curled against his leg, as if he were a sheild against no more than a man who had sought to leave to find them a better place. But no such understanding truly anchored itself into Clementine's mind. Her father had left her. Tears threatened her eyes for no more particular reason that she could muster than anyone else likely would. For a moment her lips parted, her breath shaking as if she might turn to Riddler and insist they be here no longer the longer she watched that man come closer to them, his paws lightly trekking against the snow.
It was him. It was him and nothing she did could deny that. They had found him.
But he had never tried to do the same.
Her own little name falling from his lips as he stopped in front of them made a noise choke in her throat as the tears welled in her eyes, nearly trembling from head to toe. What did she say? What did she do? Had she been truly clinging to Riddler the man might now have suffered for how tense she was. Her gaze travelled from him, to the little flowers popping up at his feet. Her sheild behind Riddler, however, was soon compromised as the man gently pushed her out from behind him, though she was still all the most reluctant, her paws digging into the snow as if she could try and prevent herself from being moved, to stop the paw on her shoulder that presented her to her father. The tears in her eyes were now falling freely down her face as her breath shook with every draw of air into her lungs, struggling to keep herself composed. The other woman, though kindly as she was to introduce herself and ask their business, was ignored as she stared up at her father.
He was crying.
It struck something into her heart to see it, the odd glimmer of tears in his eyes, usually so bright and cheerful whenever they spent time together. His soft apology put a knot in her chest, for despite her anger, it was all she ever wanted to hear. She hadn't been abandoned. He still loved her. He still cared. One by one her little shaking paws carried her forward, slow and uncertain, until she was nearly nose to nose with him. Her lips parted slightly, her breathing still shaky for a few moments as she tried to find the words to speak. "Hi, daddy..." she finally mustered, giving him a tearful smile before she took another step forward to bury her face against the soft fur of his chest, the slight sobs still hitching her shoulders as she still sat oh-so tensely in front of him, as if she dared not to truly hug him and find that the second she touched him he would disappear into thin air once more.
"We're... We're going to stay now," she whispered softly, her ears flickering a little at Riddler's words to the other woman. "You're... You're not allowed to leave me again."
//Yikes, same here, been busy xD
But still nothing prepared her to see him again face to face. She saw him in the distance, his coat; and yet another spike of anxiety flushed through her chest, making her shrink closer to Riddler as her cheek curled against his leg, as if he were a sheild against no more than a man who had sought to leave to find them a better place. But no such understanding truly anchored itself into Clementine's mind. Her father had left her. Tears threatened her eyes for no more particular reason that she could muster than anyone else likely would. For a moment her lips parted, her breath shaking as if she might turn to Riddler and insist they be here no longer the longer she watched that man come closer to them, his paws lightly trekking against the snow.
It was him. It was him and nothing she did could deny that. They had found him.
But he had never tried to do the same.
Her own little name falling from his lips as he stopped in front of them made a noise choke in her throat as the tears welled in her eyes, nearly trembling from head to toe. What did she say? What did she do? Had she been truly clinging to Riddler the man might now have suffered for how tense she was. Her gaze travelled from him, to the little flowers popping up at his feet. Her sheild behind Riddler, however, was soon compromised as the man gently pushed her out from behind him, though she was still all the most reluctant, her paws digging into the snow as if she could try and prevent herself from being moved, to stop the paw on her shoulder that presented her to her father. The tears in her eyes were now falling freely down her face as her breath shook with every draw of air into her lungs, struggling to keep herself composed. The other woman, though kindly as she was to introduce herself and ask their business, was ignored as she stared up at her father.
He was crying.
It struck something into her heart to see it, the odd glimmer of tears in his eyes, usually so bright and cheerful whenever they spent time together. His soft apology put a knot in her chest, for despite her anger, it was all she ever wanted to hear. She hadn't been abandoned. He still loved her. He still cared. One by one her little shaking paws carried her forward, slow and uncertain, until she was nearly nose to nose with him. Her lips parted slightly, her breathing still shaky for a few moments as she tried to find the words to speak. "Hi, daddy..." she finally mustered, giving him a tearful smile before she took another step forward to bury her face against the soft fur of his chest, the slight sobs still hitching her shoulders as she still sat oh-so tensely in front of him, as if she dared not to truly hug him and find that the second she touched him he would disappear into thin air once more.
"We're... We're going to stay now," she whispered softly, her ears flickering a little at Riddler's words to the other woman. "You're... You're not allowed to leave me again."
//Yikes, same here, been busy xD
[color=#B0CC8C][b]