OoC: Aww... pandas are cute... :>
Words: 300+
As her eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, still kneeling on the floor, she saw him stirring. His fur was a beautiful shade of orangey-red, like a deep sunset; offset by the ghostly-pale white of his mane and his one ear. He was a handsome youth, some months younger than she was. What held her transfixed, though, was the bare pain in his brilliant jade eyes, a look she was uncomfortably familiar with. Her own haunted blue eyes had held that same look for many moons, recuperating alone in the cabin in the middle of nowhere. Had there been alcohol, she surely would have been in the same state as this poor stranger, trying desperately to drown whatever terrible sorrow had befallen him.
Coli rose slowly, offering him a small smile. Despite his depression, the young man was trying hard to be hospitable. Someone had taught him well. "Thank you," she murmured softly, settling gracefully onto a rickety stool left at the bar. It held her weight admirably, but still creaked in protest whenever she moved. Self-consciously, Coli brushed her silky bangs from her delicate muzzle, patted dust from her fur. She looked rather unkempt, she knew, after wandering around this place for such a time. Not that it should matter.
"My name's Colibri Haki," she added as a polite afterthought. Names shouldn't matter - they'd both forget, most likely - but if he was being well-mannered, she too should be proper. Not that she was any sort of "lady". "I... think I would like a little something to drink, if you d-don't mind, sir..." Old habits were hard to break. It was always safer to assume that strangers were of a higher rank than oneself, rather than risk the inverse. At least on neutral grounds, though, it was no big deal whether someone was above or below you in status. Not like in the pack, ugh, of which she would need to return soon. Fate must truly hate her, to make her best friend and her worst enemy the two leaders of her pack...
[/html]