The redwoman speaks, so she thinks, and her head is swiftly turned in her direction. Yes,
a chirp, a birdlike twist of her head. I'm Maleah, the new medic. Chacal inducted me last week, or so,
A few shuffles forward on stilted limbs, blinking pale gold eyes. You must be Mireille? The co-leader. Chacal told me a little about you.
She had not entirely expected such a vibrant cinnamon to come from a sister of Chacal. She supposed she knew not what their parents had looked like — or if they shared the same biological mother. There are little freckles that dance across her face, a power to her strut; a studious emerald gaze, and Maleah feels almost as if Mireille is boring holes in her.
She steps forth, a turn of a newly softened body away from the woman of ash, and she finds herself meeting her stride. I hear you just had your first litter? Congratulations.
A list of names. Thibault, Chantale, Sobeille, and Tousaint. Cultural, she presumed, based on the heavy accent and the way they flow from Mireille's lips like four birds taking flight. Maleah responds with a swift nod, a cheek-filled grin. I'd love to meet them,
a subtle offer to babysit, should she need it.
She's asked how well she's settling in. A loaded question, one she has to think about. It's beautiful here. I'm excited to call it home, now. Everyone's been very welcoming,
one feathered ear twitches. but it is a little intimidating. You guys are so close-knit. I'm still kinda learning my place.
a breathy laugh with that.
do u wanna fade this in another round and have an updated one? <3
but there was nothing maleah could do, and mireille felt it keenly, the isolation in that moment. at least between them, if briefly. she did not wish for the other to carry her pain, or to know how the bite of it felt against oneself.
"you listenin' be enough," she said, and with feeling. "my sister be a bard, a singer, an' a hunter. i sometimes track de waterways an' de tidepools. my mot'ers were guardians. you can choose anyt'in' you like, maleah. de world be open to you."
the sunniness of the other's eyes was suddenly hard to bear, as this talk of sobo twisted her heart. "i should get back to dem," she said, a bit apologetically, but colored in a soft mien that asked for more time with maleah.