this is for the lions

Hazel had something called a healthy distrust of authority, or at least, that was what her dad said. It seemed that this distrust was apparently warranted, as he was the one that had masterminded her being left on her own. Still, she wouldn't find that out until much later. The blue stranger's smile was disarming, and he was down closer to her level... interesting. Her expression was contemplative, watching the man carefully. Hazel straightened up, trying to make herself look at least a bit more confident on her paws.

Just a nice guy. Was someone allowed to say that about themselves? Were they nice if they were telling you that outright? The girl wasn't sure if she could trust that yet, but she gave a tentative wag of her tail. "I'm Hazel," the child's voice was careful, unsure if she should be giving her name away. Distrust was clear in the words, unsure what exactly to think of the strange man. It was the only thing she had at this point, and maybe she should be keeping it for herself. Though borderline feral, the girl could still get by. Introducing herself was a part of being socially acceptable.

"Why're you here, mister Rafus?" The girl would swear she'd been listening when he gave his name... but being able to say it was another question entirely. Her head cocked to the side, openly curious. What a strange looking man, from the bright blue markings to the kinked tail. Hazel wasn't sure she'd ever seen anything that looked like him before.
"Speech"