omega blues

Rags often had difficulty with scenting things due to her nerve damage, and so didn't realize Torin was nearby until she heard him. She flicked a flaccid ear in his direction and turned to receive him in a way that she hoped said "submissive" without rolling on to her back again. The spotted female didn't speak until he addressed her, keeping her body language as neutral as possible - the parts that were within her control, anyway.

"Thank you," she said awkwardly. It felt strange to thank him for anything at all, but she had to note that since accidentally stumbling into Lirim territory, her belly had never once been empty. Although she had been sneered at, there were plenty of safe places to den down for the night and she had been mostly left alone. Taking a deep breath, Rags thanked him more emphatically: "I am grateful for Lirim's hospitable. Since my, er, arrival - as it were - I have not gone hungry and have been safe within your borders." The sentence even surprised her a little bit as it left her mouth, but she was good at hiding it. If anything, her flaccid ears and tail made it easier to mask her own emotions. No ears to prick in alarm, no tail to flag out her discomfort.

"As you can see, I'm no physical specimen. My talents often aren't readily apparent to others, and I would like to think that those who feel my physical defects detract from my... usefulness.. are sorely mistaken," Rags said carefully, shuffling her large but rather useless, clumsy paws. "I'm a fine thinker and navigator. I have much to teach, especially little ones. I think the wonder of a child at the new world before them is something to be treasured and tended to, like a garden." She had heard news of Torin's litter and was excited to welcome another generation, but had respectfully kept her distance from him and his mate since arriving. Knowing that pups were on the way made her more understanding of his ask-questions-later sort of greeting.

"But tell me more about Lirim," she offered, finally meeting his gaze directly. "I'd like to know where you might see me fitting into the bigger picture, if I am permitted to stay."

wc 384
cumulative wc 858/1500