Heron Lake Plateau The still, cold world.

The spark of amusement in Towhee's eyes died down considerably when the kid told her off for yelling. Remarks about her speech impediments didn't typically bother her, though it was Kiwi's last four words that rubbed her the wrong way: "What do you want?"

"Respect would be nice," the mercenary observed with an arched brow, giving Kiwi a bit of a look. Her flame-colored eyes then suddenly squinted and Towhee said, "Hang on a sec..." She paused, her squint intensifying. "If you have two mothers, how do you—how does that even work?" It was a rude question, but no more pointed than Kiwi's.