when I walk in a room, I can still make the whole place shimmer
Charlie lets Knell wander ahead with the sort of delighted indulgence that, in another mother, might have looked like negligence, but in Charlie wears brighter and warmer than that, all glittering eyes and a tail that curls lazily behind her as if ready to catch, trip, or applaud depending on what the moment calls for. There’s no gasp when Knell’s palm splits against the root, no panicked little flutter of hands or mother-hen clucking, because blood is blood and pain is information and Charlie has always found that the world explains itself so much better when it’s allowed to have teeth. Besides, her clever little miracle is already looking at everything as if the forest is a puzzle box with all its locks begging to be sweet-talked open, and gods if that doesn’t make something in Charlie’s chest go molten and syrupy.
When Knell returns to her side, small hand gripping back into hers with that too-new strength and too-young awkwardness, Charlie takes it without complaint, her fingers closing easily around her daughter’s while she picks through the brambles with practiced little steps that seem far too graceful for someone who looks like she should be tripping over her own theatrics at any given moment. "We’ve got to hunt for it, baby girl," she says brightly, squeezing Knell’s hand as her tail flicks once behind her, pleased as a ribbon in a breeze.
Lifting her free hand, Charlie presses one finger to her lips as if they’re about to commit a delicious crime, before her eyes skim over the brambles with theatrical seriousness. "To do that, we rely on our senses and look for clues. Right now, when you aren’t shifted, your biggest advantage is that you’re tall enough to see over things and clever enough to move them around, like this." She pauses beside a snag of thorny branches, her grin sharpening as she reaches out and carefully lifts one aside to reveal a pale little clump of rabbit hair caught where something had squeezed through too quickly. "See that? That means at least a few blink hares have come through here."
With a pleased hum, Charlie lets the branch ease back without snapping it into place, because teaching is all about drama but maiming your own audience is generally bad form unless everyone has agreed on it first. "Now, our noses aren’t very good like this, but our eyes aren't too bad." Her smile curves wider as she glances down at Knell, all mischief and pride, her thumb brushing once across the back of her daughter’s hand. "So what should we do?"
When Knell returns to her side, small hand gripping back into hers with that too-new strength and too-young awkwardness, Charlie takes it without complaint, her fingers closing easily around her daughter’s while she picks through the brambles with practiced little steps that seem far too graceful for someone who looks like she should be tripping over her own theatrics at any given moment. "We’ve got to hunt for it, baby girl," she says brightly, squeezing Knell’s hand as her tail flicks once behind her, pleased as a ribbon in a breeze.
Lifting her free hand, Charlie presses one finger to her lips as if they’re about to commit a delicious crime, before her eyes skim over the brambles with theatrical seriousness. "To do that, we rely on our senses and look for clues. Right now, when you aren’t shifted, your biggest advantage is that you’re tall enough to see over things and clever enough to move them around, like this." She pauses beside a snag of thorny branches, her grin sharpening as she reaches out and carefully lifts one aside to reveal a pale little clump of rabbit hair caught where something had squeezed through too quickly. "See that? That means at least a few blink hares have come through here."
With a pleased hum, Charlie lets the branch ease back without snapping it into place, because teaching is all about drama but maiming your own audience is generally bad form unless everyone has agreed on it first. "Now, our noses aren’t very good like this, but our eyes aren't too bad." Her smile curves wider as she glances down at Knell, all mischief and pride, her thumb brushing once across the back of her daughter’s hand. "So what should we do?"
.
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
