vita e la luce

It wasn't until her chastising of Starling did she realize another thing about what happened: Starling, when confronting Zell, had not stuttered. Once. She was so used to it, it was so normal... she didn't even think of it, usually. She had wondered about it at first, but never approached the topic; it just didn't seem right to bring it up. Now, though.. it was... it was almost gone, wasn't it? It was... odd. But, she could not stop the grin that formed on her face at the thought, nor the twinkling in her eyes. It must have had something to do with his reservations, the stuttering, perhaps nervousness around people? He was certainly losing that. She was okay with it, too.

Her eyes would snap to the brown boy, and she'd laugh softly as he pressed against her paws. She'd return the pressure, grinning at him joyfully, tail thumping in the grass and dirt behind her. The laughter would fade as his eyes found hers, but his words would make her laugh again, oh so lightly. "Thank me? Silly..." she'd trail off, but her smile would remain. It'd remain even as his eyes met hers, but when his expression sobered, hers would fall just a little. Her ears would move forward instictively; she knew he was about to speak, and she was not wrong. She'd nod to his words. "I know, and I won't," she murmured. "But my scars are my mistakes, and those I cannot forget. If I forget those, then I might make them again, or someone I care about will make them." Her voice was steady as she spoke, eyes completely focused on him. "If someone insults me... I'll just remind them we all make mistakes. Because we do." Another smile, a small one, determined, sincere.

She'd smile as he pushed the flower closer, and she'd scoot forward herself so it was not far from her chest. It'd not remain there for long as she stood, grasping it carefully in her jaws - she'd place it in the entrance of her den then step back out; she'd then step out and go next to Starling; she slid down beside him, far enough away it wasn't snuggling but close enough their fur touched, if barely. Since the cuddling done with Shaye, she had craved nothing more than cuddling, and it just appealed to her in a way it hadn't before. Shaye, Starling. she wished she could cuddle with both of them. Blinking, she shook herself mentally off of those thoughts. Cuddling had nothing to do with what she wanted to say. Absolutely nothing at all. But... cuddling, so it automatically popped in her mind.

She touched Starling's ear with her nose. "Don't let it affect you, either. And don't think you were mean there, you weren't," she'd murmur, before drawing her head backk. She kinda wanted to mention the lack of stuttering; she kinda didn't. What if he took it the wrong way? She took a deep breath, before just getting on with it; she oh so hoped she wouldn't mess up. "You didn't stutter, when you spoke to the red guy," she whispered, voice barely audible and for his ears only. Her ears flicked back as she spoke; she did feel odd saying so, when it had never been mentioned before.



"Speech" "Language"