Noctisardor Bypass Paradise Empty

Concern was expected, perhaps even a strong drive to ensure a bundle of children were not left to die. Yet, the expected was not the response she had received. At first, yes, the situation had appeared to be swaying in that direction, a sham of an offering having been presented to her. The second it was there, however, the pallid woman had ripped it away from her. Her response was undesirable, entirely so because it lowered the likelihood of Sen getting herself a decent meal. After all, it wasn't as if she actually had children hidden away close by, starving and wasting away—no, there was not a single soul out there that had been evicted from her womb. Rather than viewing her lack of evidence as a hindrance, it was deemed as quite the opportunity. No actual children meant she could spin her tale even further in any which way she desired, as there was no one there to trap her in her web of lies.

In other words, it was time to up her game.

When the stranger turned to leave, the ophidian woman was quick to intercept her, stance defiant; it was almost as if she believed her own lie. "Don't you think I'd do that if I could?" Her voice had increased, slightly, in pitch, signifying the offense she had allegedly taken. "There's no one who can or will take them in... I'm all they have left." With her tale came several years of experience, and many years of knowledge passed down to her. It was the legacy of her family, for the Gorgon woman have been manipulating their ways through life for generations. "Our pack came under attack, few escaped with their lives and those who did... they scattered. I haven't been able to find a single one of them, and the packs here won't take in sickly children. They only want the strong, they'll either let them die or k-kill them in cold blood." Halfway through, her voice cracked and she paused to take a breath, averting her gaze to "hide" the sheen in her gaze. "If you help me this once—just this once—I promise I will find someone more capable to look after them... someone who can give them the life that I can't..." By the end, she was sniffling, her voice and head low, portraying someone who'd long since been defeated, beaten and battered.