Shimmering Sands it's the siren's song; she sings for us, sister

“Au contraire, mon joli fou” Indie trilled with her sibilant tongue, trotting behind the young siren. Indie’s strong, thick legs carried her quickly to Kalika’s side and Indie bumped her shoulder gently. “You attract more flies with honey than vinegar,” Indie suggested unsympathetically, with a strong sense of blasé intertwined with her words. In this girl wanted to play that angsty game, Indie would easily beat her at it. Indie could out-angst anyone. But she wouldn't, because Indie thought herself sweet and becoming and negativity did not suit her.

Suddenly, Indie felt a great sense of potential in this child. Such emotion could be, should be harnessed! Imagine the great things Kalika would be capable of, if she could only recognize opportunity when she saw it! Instead of spurning all others [which is all Indie had ever seen of this scrappy child], she would learn to art of rhetorical and shapeshifting and mirage — much in the way her own tutor had taught her these skills [but much without the romantic and passionate overtones]. Indie could see it now! Here was her chance.

“I could teach you. I could teach you a great many things.”