Wapun Meadow I need my friend

there wasn't much use hiding the relief indra felt when arlette turned and greeted her without pause; there was such an innocence in those red eyes -- eyes that indra was suddenly aware of as familiar. xan's eyes; but somehow, different.

she sighed and her ears fell flat as she thought of how best to break the news to arlette. it warmed the cold halls of her heart to see nunataq had a friend -- a friend that referred to her as a best friend -- that was, of course, the highest order of endorsement between young girls.

"nuna is gone, sweetie." she murmured softly, contrition in her voice; surely arlette would be disappointed to hear such news. "i'm her --" what was she, exactly? indra paused, cycling through several descriptors in her mind. the best descriptor was the one that required the least bit of explanation -- and, in the face of a child, did not present more questions than it answered.

her friend? no - indra was more than that. her caretaker? that sounded so clinical; too clinical. her aunt? that wasn't quite right either, was it? "her mother." indra finally settled, feeling a bit of guilt settle in her stomach as she thought of the girl's true mother, and how that might have made her feel. indra sighed; she had adopted nunataq and marten, and they were her children - biological relations be fucking damned. she loved them with the same fierce devotion she had for merrick.

that was all that mattered, right?

"we moved away." she gave a pained smile, unwilling to explain the convoluted details. "but maybe you come come visit nunataq someday, or we could come visit you?"