[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180617/4e18d4d2a5b79d9f3ac43e60eed4258a.png[/img]

[i]Location: City Streets[/i]
[@Rodiak][@King Tai][@Scarifar][/center]


[color=#F88017]“He is my familiar, not the rectum fox. His name is Chupacabra, but I call him Chu.”[/color] The creature in question made a bit of a gurgling sound, before standing and clambering onto Esperanza’s head. He licked his teeth, watching Teka as he eyed up his master and eyed him right back. He said nothing- only making that same, girlish peal of laughter. Giggling, as if Teka had delivered the best joke that Chu had ever heard in its entire lifetime, however long or short that might be. He made no move to take the little toy fox back. 

Esperanza herself made no effort to hide both surprise and confusion at the strange man circling her, examining her as if she were some sort of livestock. [color=#F88017]“What are you doing?”[/color] She made an effort to turn and watch him, turning to follow him- and likely making Teka’s examinations far more difficult in the process. Something that might have been missed from afar, and something more evident upon closer examination, was that the woman was absolutely littered in scars- animal bites and burns and claw marks. Most numerous, however, were the cuts. Deep, jagged lines that ran across her arms and hands, as if they had been slashed open over and over throughout the years with professional precision. 

She blinked a little at Teka’s praise, tilting her head a little. [color=#F88017]“A nice shaped...oh! Thank you. That is very strange of you to be saying, but it is also nice of you.”[/color] Her smile fell into a deep frown as the man continued to ramble on, a crease furrowing between her brows. 

More notable than the change of her expression, however, was the change of temperature. Bit by bit, the area grew colder, as if being sucked entirely dry of its warmth. Esperanza’s breath misted in front of her. There was a sort of building pressure, a sort of feeling of many eyes watching.

And then the hissing began.

Gaunt faces appeared behind Esp’s shoulders, faint hands clutching possessively at her arms. 

There were many. A veritable legion, an army, of all ages and genders and states of injury.

Their mouths stretched wide, wide open, growing impossibly wide, but before they could do anything else Esp raised a hand, and they collectively fell still. [color=#F88017]“I am sorry about my family,”[/color] she said, cheerfully. [color=#F88017]“But they think you were being very rude, and they wanted to be making sure you would not be hurting me.”[/color] With a flick of her wrist, the faces faded like morning dew, but the hands remained. 

[color=#F88017]“I belong to myself, but it was nice of you to give the compliments.”[/color] Her eyes returned to the birds. [color=#F88017]“What type of birds are they? They are very cute.”[/color] She nodded firmly, although her attention was quickly swept from the little ones to a new arrival.

A floating, purple-ish arrival.

[color=#F88017]“Hello! You are very pretty, miss! What are you?”[/color] She immediately rushed over, amazed. [color=#F88017]“I have never seen anyone like you. It is very cool that you are floating. What is your name?”[/color] 

The hands still lingered on her arms as she rushed forward. A spirit, the ghost of a little girl about six or seven, peeked out from behind her. Where the girl’s eyes should be, there were only empty voids, and her jaw dangled loosely- connected only to her head by a few strands of flesh. She waved shyly from behind Esperanza, tongue lolling a little.