Lion Head Mesa Black and orange stray cat sittin' on a fence

The look in the child's eyes made her uncomfortable. It wasn't like Stryx ran around collecting children or anything, and she was never destined for true motherhood, so she had no idea what was normal and what wasn't during a child's development. That look chilled her, though. The command that fell from the Connie's lips eased some of the feeling away though, and Stryx huffed.

Then drink, I'm not stopping you. Look, there's— she motioned towards the oasis with her nose as she spoke but then froze, her gaze landing on a wedge of sandstone that looked sentient to some degree. No, it was the eyes. The cat wasn't far from them and she should have noticed it before. A line of fluid dribbled off of its chin as it stared back.

Stryx bristled faintly. Her short coat accentuated her thin body and no amount of posturing or puffing could compensate for that. Drink, but be quick about it. Stryx commented over Connie's head, and nudged them towards the water, all the while staring at the cat.