11-09-2018, 03:38 PM
[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px;"]The child would blink a few times, frightened by the intensity of Lirim's gaze. She could detect an obvious protectiveness from them towards the tiger but was ensnared in the icy grips of fear nonetheless, working paws causing her to stumble backwards instinctively. She might have remained upright had she not tripped over her useless leg, a small squeak tumbling from cinnamon lips as she hit the ground. It didn't help that the underlying edge to their words terrified her as well, their demeanor reminding her of Eshe. She had once been protected just as strongly by the snake and look at her now. Hollow. Broken. Hurt. Cleo tried to ignore the nausea she suddenly felt as memories - dark and horrifying - rose to greet her.
Tiny claws would hook into the ground and she'd haul herself back up, swallowing down the sting of past experiences in favor of perking her ears. If she could distract herself with their business, then perhaps the pain would subside. Lirim probably hadn't meant to frighten her but the look in those large, once empty eyes of hers conveyed that they had done a rather good job. "He can stay..." She whispered in a soft voice, fighting to keep the tremble out of it. The seal mink bengal had experienced far worse to break so easily in front of a set of strangers (and a clanmate, she supposed, but Peppino was an unfamiliar face to her) but she would admit, the temptation was there. "I... Um..." She stammered, growing softer by the second. She had forgotten how to handle joiners and really, was just embarrassing herself at this point. What had happened to the quick-witted child she had once been? Where had her confidence, her prowess, gone? Swallowing, she'd glance helplessly at the Sage, hoping that he would know what to do better than she would.
Tiny claws would hook into the ground and she'd haul herself back up, swallowing down the sting of past experiences in favor of perking her ears. If she could distract herself with their business, then perhaps the pain would subside. Lirim probably hadn't meant to frighten her but the look in those large, once empty eyes of hers conveyed that they had done a rather good job. "He can stay..." She whispered in a soft voice, fighting to keep the tremble out of it. The seal mink bengal had experienced far worse to break so easily in front of a set of strangers (and a clanmate, she supposed, but Peppino was an unfamiliar face to her) but she would admit, the temptation was there. "I... Um..." She stammered, growing softer by the second. She had forgotten how to handle joiners and really, was just embarrassing herself at this point. What had happened to the quick-witted child she had once been? Where had her confidence, her prowess, gone? Swallowing, she'd glance helplessly at the Sage, hoping that he would know what to do better than she would.