The word is [i]steady.[/i]

Hold the bowl with both paws. [i]Always[/i] both paws. No shaking, no matter how long it’s been since you had a proper sleep. If you must shake, let your toes and tail do it for you. When you nod and smile to your friend, you think about it first, then you do it. Slow and deliberate. No risky moves. None.

Jackdaw took a long smell of her portion. There were flavors there, sure, but...well, of course there were flavors. There’s always at least one, what did she think there would be? But she never had the nose for picking out the particulars of food. To her, everything blended together into a mouth-watering, rumbly-inducing [i]scrumptious.[/i]

And the first taste was hers.

“Thank you, very much. I really appreciate it.” She gave him a weak smile and regretted it immediately. She ‘really appreciated’ it? No! That’s what you say when somebody loans you a pencil, not, not, [i]this.[/i] “Um, I mean it, it’s...truly, it means so much-” Oh, sure. Be vague about it. Nothing said gratitude like tired platitudes, right? “Everything’s very hard down here, and, this makes it a little easier…” But you didn’t see anyone else complaining about it, did you? “I’m, very glad, of all the groups travelling here, this is, the, um...” Off-topic! Hurry! Get it out! You’re ruining the moment! “It’s...I...”

She tucked her head low, letting her cloak fall over her stupid face. Slow and deliberate, of course.