'jamison' stopped juggling. all the little painted sacks plopped to the floor, while he held the little bauble aloft in his paw. "caught yer eye, did it?"
he tossed it mako's way, carelessly. mako almost dropped it in surprise. it was a bubble of glass, a rosebud suspended inside. it was like a marble in mako's hands. it was so light, he nearly dropped it, turning it over. the rosebud stayed in place, while a swirl of orange shimmer rolled like flakes in a snowglobe.
"don't worry if ya drop it," the beast said. "it can't break. i tried." he laughed, then laughed harder, his mouth was uncomfortably wide. the loose skin and fur around his stomach jiggled slightly. his claws and his peg tapped against the stone until he calmed down. mako, self conscious, looked back down at the bauble, as the beast sighed away his laughter.
as if the silence were a cue, mako heard a crack.
he turned the bauble over. hidden under one of his fingers, he found a chip in the glass.
he looked up. the beast was staring, startled. human fear read plain on his mongrel face, and faster than a beast with one paw and one peg had any right, he was across the room.
his gnarled paw left scratches across mako's hand as he pried the bauble back. "what did you do?" he hissed. his rat nose was red with fury. his ears stood, his fur bristled, and his teeth flashed. mako saw his tail swish behind him, and wondered what it meant. in another instant, the beast was back across the room.
mako cradled his hand. "i didn't--"
"how?!" he snarled. "tell me how! do it again!"
mako watched his whole body curl around the fragile little bubble. he stroked it with his paw, watching, turning it over and over. then he turned to mako with another growl. mako curled his lip and snarled right back.
"i didn't do anything," he repeated.
"get out," jamison hissed.
mako stepped towards the door, refusing to turn his back. they stared at each other, crocodile eyes to human. he watched the beast curl tight, like a spring. mako stepped through the doorway, and kept watching. through the crack of the door, he saw the best turn from him. the glass in his paws turned over and over, glowing orange and gold and bright. mako watched it churn until it rivaled the sun in his paws.
and then the beast turned, seeing him there, and threw it at the door like a bolt of fire.
mako ducked behind, but all he heard was a clunk. no shatter. the beast started swearing, raving, and mako decided it was best to just leave.
