They Sent Me A Photo

Tawny is sitting near the forest staring at a small Polaroid picture in one of her hands. Her free hand is twisted in her scarf, and the bottom half of her face is hidden among its folds. She doesn't even look up when you come closer, which is strange; she's usually a bit more observant than this. You put a hand on her shoulder to call her attention and only then does she jump to attention. Her horns are glowing, a sure sign that you are too close or, more likely, that she is distressed. You catch a glimpse of the photo, two people in a place you don't recognize. But the thing that really catches your attention is a smudged bloodstain in the bottom corner.

"Are you alright?" You ask her, obviously worried. Tawny lowers her eyes to the photo, shrugs, then looks back up to you.

"My parents," she says quietly, holding up the picture for you to see, "The picture was taken when my mom was pregnant with me, but the blood here is newer. I just got this today from a messenger. He wouldn't tell me his name."

You carefully take the picture and examine it closely. You can see that Tawny looks very similar to her mother, but her horns and ears obviously came from her father. Her mother--Karen, you assume from the names scrawled below--is obviously human, but you wonder about the swirls that are embedded in her cheeks and fingertips. They look almost like the engraved pattern on Tawny's horns, now that you think about it.

"They look like a very lovely couple," you say encouragingly, though you can see desperation creeping into Tawny's glowing eyes. And is that a tear at the edge of her cheek? You hand her back the picture and she clings to it quickly. You're almost afraid she's going to rip it with how tight she's holding it.

"I haven't heard from them in a year or two...we kind of parted on a bad note and now this..there wasn't any letter with it. Just on the back, 'We miss you, love Mom and Dad.' But I d-don't know why the b-blood, and why this p-picture spec-c-cifically."

Her hands are trembling and you want desperately to comfort the poor thing, but no words come to mind. You quietly sit next to her and hope that your presence will help her.

"I'm sure they're just fine," you whisper, staring at the picture with her. Her head sinks lower into the folds of the scarf until just her eyes are showing. You hear a soft sob.

(( Wow okay, look at this depressing thing. This is designed to spark questions about her past and/or her parents, since you crazies made a leading TIE of my poll asking what to focus on next. I don't even know how you guys managed that.

Anyway. Maybe this'll get some new questions moving? I'm really not giving up on the old ones I promise, I just need to be moving things along with her character.

Not really meant to be RPed with, I have too many that I can't keep up with as it is. Sorry ;u; ))

Stain: [link]
Tawny, Mito, Karen (c) Me
DO NOT USE, STEAL, OR EDIT WITHOUT PERMISSIONS.