Adrenaline kicked her in the gut. Zhi was suddenly at mercy to it, the reality of Lalataru's seriousness clawing at her -- and the knowledge that she was about to willingly commit herself to a closed room she hadn't the chance to scope.
She might die inside.
The nervous grin that threatened to spread across the breadth of her face was only just kept at bay; she kept her eyes downcast and let her lips tremble with the effort of keeping her face straight. The pain that resulted from the strain helped. Her movements were ginger, economical: they evinced pain though she strove to keep it to a minimum. Distrusting gutterborn wouldn't show any more weakness then they had to.
Joz would be hurting in other ways from the need to darken Lalataru's door.
"I didn't have -- I didn't have nowhere else t'turn," she started, tongue tripping over her nervousness, and Joz's, and the need to ensure he pity her in the right ways. "Ain't meant t'trespass, Master Lolotaru, but -- nnf!"
She clipped her shin on the edge of the door on her way in. She hadn't meant to -- damned fool, she -- but the pain blossoming over tender bruises was useful to her. She hobbled further inside, biting her tongue against cursewords she wasn't sure Lolotaru could appreciate. At the least, her eyes were watering again. She let the liquid tremble over her lower eyelids, hoping he'd see.
She might die inside.
The nervous grin that threatened to spread across the breadth of her face was only just kept at bay; she kept her eyes downcast and let her lips tremble with the effort of keeping her face straight. The pain that resulted from the strain helped. Her movements were ginger, economical: they evinced pain though she strove to keep it to a minimum. Distrusting gutterborn wouldn't show any more weakness then they had to.
Joz would be hurting in other ways from the need to darken Lalataru's door.
"I didn't have -- I didn't have nowhere else t'turn," she started, tongue tripping over her nervousness, and Joz's, and the need to ensure he pity her in the right ways. "Ain't meant t'trespass, Master Lolotaru, but -- nnf!"
She clipped her shin on the edge of the door on her way in. She hadn't meant to -- damned fool, she -- but the pain blossoming over tender bruises was useful to her. She hobbled further inside, biting her tongue against cursewords she wasn't sure Lolotaru could appreciate. At the least, her eyes were watering again. She let the liquid tremble over her lower eyelids, hoping he'd see.
