everybody's got a secret // arrival-joiner

[teef]

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LAEGLIN NIAZAI LINGRÉ

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[div style="background-color:#BG COLOR;width:90%; overflow: stretch;text-align: justify; font-size: 8pt;"] coughing multiple times, his hackles raised and he gagged, spitting out mouthfuls of muddy sand, tears of pain in his eyes. he felt strong teeth catch his scruff after big paws dug him out of the sand, his lungs heaving to empty themselves. sniffling, he caught the scent of clover, the lion's scent sending a wave of calmness through the hybrid kit, his body hanging limp in his jaws, his ears twitching as his body was wracked by coughs.

clearing his lungs finally, he sucked in breaths, startled by the sudden softness around him as his body was swung up onto the lion's back. knowing to keep his claws sheathed, the kit curled his paws into the lion's mane, raspily beginning to purr. oddly enough, he felt far safer up here, even though his game of hide and seek had been cut short in the most horrible fashion out there. ugh, he didn't think he'd escape memories of this for a while. "c-clover … why did the ground try to eat me?" he squeaked, paws curling into his mane to help him adjust his tiny body between the male's shoulders and into his curly mane. slowly drawing his body forward to curl up in his mane, nose buried into the fluff.

he didn't know this strange scent, but he knew it sorta matched the scent on clover's pelt, although clover's smell wasn't at all on the same level of stinky. burying his nose deeper, he made a soft whining sound, "ewie. what's that bad smell?" he was young, he didn't understand scent borders, or that his own scent although thoroughly mixed with the scent of fresh water and milk, now diluted by sand, was just as strange and jarring to others who didn't know it or didn't grow up around the scent. clover's scent to the youth was sweeter, more plant-like, more earthy. maybe because his nose was clogged. nestling into his fur, he rubbed his cheek against him, purring softly. he was safe, and he was up high.

maybe he'd see his mama. he didn't know where they were going, but their game had been fun until the ground had tried to swallow him up. kneading with sheathed claws, he purred louder, a bit of a draconic rumble present in his tiny sounds, his ears twitching as he closed his eyes, 'i'm okay .. long as I got you, i'll be okay." he mumbled softly, unaware of the weight that his words might carry for him later in life, "hey clover … can I be your friend?" he whispered, as if afraid the world might hear him and strip him away as it had his other friends.

[W]isker