Dawnlark Plains back when all her quiet words were thunder

just when her breath had calmed and the faded edges of the dream slipped back into the pyres of the back of her mind, there appeared Loir. the woman's gaze took in the blood and teared up immediately, words gushing from her suddenly. she blinked, unsure how to take the apology and offer of emotional assistance; Loir looked more shaken up than she felt. she knew she ought to offer some comfort, as Pema would have done. "my emotional state is fine. don't-" ouch, failing already. "don't be sorry."

and then came aditya; a sharp prick of panic she could make no sense of as her dreams faded entirely. he spoke and ears swept back to touch her crown immediately (with a sharp burn of pain from the one that existed as little more than a stub, now). hurt and anger spiked suddenly just below the surface, carefully hidden save for the sharp movement of her auds.  "like sh-" informal, wrong, in front of the girl who already was crying. "alright. ears don't grow back, though." she'd discovered the injury some moment after the heat of the battle, something familiar vanished. tight frown marred her features, his choice of words still a twisting dagger somewhere alongside all the other hurts.