Cerulean Cape start to see with your blue mind
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#1
@Nunataq - keeping things vaguey-vague for now - tags just for reference <3

things were finally coming together.. as much as things on the road could, anyway. indra had spent the morning hunting with @Marten and was waiting for @Laurel to return from her own hunt, when she caught an elusive scent on the breeze that troubled her.

it sparked a memory of lost hollow, of home -- but between the wash of brine and the scent of melting snow, she lost it soon as she had sensed it. kind of like a cloud, it drifted out of her reach -- and troubled, indra stood there on the snowy bank inhaling deeply, wondering just what it was on the wind that had came and went so quickly.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#2
Nunataq's life could be compared to the Big Bang Theory (the actual theory and not series, though they are hilarious at some points) - her world had started with an explosion of colours and senses the moment her eyes had opened, and just the same way the universe continues to expand, so had her world. From the confines to the Bearclaw valley, to the surrounding areas, to Lost Creek Hollow and Easthollow, taking her further, until pushing boundaries further became the second nature of her. She had learned that the world did not end at the borders, nor did it stop at anywhere else. There was always more and with the every cup she drank, her thirst for knowledge and adventure grew stronger.

Until today came, where she found herself standing at the coast and staring off in the horizon, watching the moving water and trying to decide, whether pushing the boundaries even more was possible. Until she sensed that she was not alone here and seconds later her gaze was fixed upon a wolfish form in the distance.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#3
there it was again, that scent indra simply could not abide to see ignored. her brow darkened with a frown, and she cast her gaze about the grey landscape, until she saw the form of a wolf in the distance.

miles and miles and leagues could not dampen a mother’s immediate recognition of their child. indra’s heart seized with uncertainty. what was nunataq doing here?

unsure and full of nagging doubt it simply could not be, Indra gently padded her way towards the sable-furred girl, her expression one of confusion and deep loss.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#4
It had been almost two months now, since Indra had packed her bags and left with Laurel and with Marten in tow, and during this time Nunataq's belief that she was a very self-sufficient person, who did not need anyone, had solidified. She went on her own hunts most of the time and she explored the world alone. Sometimes Merrick would be invited, but it seemed that her brother was made of the same material as she was - he too did not seem to need anyone.

And after Nunataq had been done pining for Indra and waiting for her return (it had not been as painful this time as it had been with Lucas - the girl now knew that waiting was pointless), she had closed and forgotten the chapter, where her caretaker had played a very important role for many months. With this in mind and the fact that she never expected anyone, who had left, to return in her life, imagine her surprise, when she recognized Indra, who had approached her.

Nunataq measured her with a gaze, made a hesitant step towards her, but stopped, as if the intrinsic need to greet her foster-mother as enthusiastically as she had done during childhood was a mere echo in the almost-adult's mind. Instead she scrutinized Indra's expression, her own face wearing a mask of mild interest and recognition.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#5
much in the same manner nunataq was measuring indra, indra was examining nunataq — looking for any sign of anger, resentment, reluctance. while the girl’s features remained wary, indra did not detect hostility — thus emboldened, the redleaf hastened her step and if allowed would have done the wolf equivalent of a hug of a loved one after being on the road for a long and arduous amount of time.

but she was a wolf - so instead she rushed her adoptive daughter’s figure, greeting her with overwhelming joy in the form of licks or kisses (if allowed) and then stepped back as if to ask just what brought her here, and to really confirm it was indeed nunataq before her and not a cruel trick of her overwrought mind.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#6
If Indra had not decided to break the status quo, both of them would have stood there and stared at each other for a very long time. Nunataq was not sure, what she was searching for in the adult before her. Many things combined, really: an old habit, an attempt to place the russet she-wolf somewhere now that she had re-appeared in her daughter's life as a bright comet against the dark sky, a question, what should she do about her and lot of uncertainty, because of it.

She met her former caretaker's enthusiastic greetings a little awkwardly and stiffly. Still she did not particularly like her personal space being invaded - this applied to all strangers, unless they were sparring or playing a game. Family was an exception, but it was a long time Indra had been part of it, now only Merrick having the privileges that others did not. However, Nunataq did not tell Indra an outright "back-off", rather infused a bit more cordiality in her own very business-like attitude, by wagging her tail and sniffing the other's muzzle, crown and scruff, when it was possible.

When it felt like it was time to finish the greeting ritual, she stepped aside, yawned, stretched and shook her coat, as if the whole ordeal had been a bit too stressful for her and she was glad that it was over.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#7
indra had noticed the stiff way in which she was at first embraced, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm in which she inspected nunataq. once her initial joy to see her estranged daughter wore off, she stepped away -- somewhat troubled by what forces had compelled nunataq to be so far from the hollow.

and if she was here, was merrick alongside her?

there were no fresh traces on nunataq's scent, but she also did not smell entirely of wilderness alone. knowing better than to verbally inquire (for such pursuit would end only in both their frustration), indra grasped for some meaning of this encounter while nunataq yawned and stretched, seemingly eager to put their physical reunion behind her.

tilting her muzzle to the side, indra's expression was one of inquiry - where was nunataq headed, was she looking for them? part of her hoped this to be the case, and another wiser part of her knew that her daughter like as not was too proud to search for those that had left her behind.

perhaps she was smarter than indra ever would be, for such roads lead to nothing but sorrow.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#8
Where Indra wished to find out, what had brought Nunataq so far away from the hollow, her daughter - on the other hand - had the same inquisitive look about her. But the inquiry was of different manner - what should I do with you now? People in her experience had to be either of practical use or were not worth her attention. And it was very tempting for her to leave her former caretaker be. She had been useful for time being, but now the child had grown up and was independent of her - she did not need her for nutrition, for mentoring, for emotional support, nothing really. Except for the some faint sentiment of the past good times, she was not tethered to Indra at all.

During that brief exchange she found no answer, therefore she stretched again and moved past Indra to inspect some morsels that were washed ashore.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#9
communication had never been a redleaf strength— and so, indra grasped for how to speak to her estranged daughter, much the same way nunataq might grasp to understand the quirks of the spoken tongue.

already the girl had moved past, and disheartened, indra followed her for a while before she finally sat down on the snow and stared pointedly at her daughter, as if a mother patiently waiting for her child to finish assembling her toys so that they may go, or someone expectantly waiting for their company to finish their task and finally come back to them.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#10
Nunataq was particularly good at enduring pointed stares in her direction - she felt Indra's intense gaze at her, but some fleeting glances in her direction aside, in no way did she let it show that it bothered her. Quite the contrary - inspecting the coastline and the myriad of trash that the waves had brought to the shore was quite interesting and captivating. And there she remained, digging through seaweeds, wet sand and shells, unearthing pieces of driftwood, coal, blackened bones and very unusual objects. Such as... what we would recognize as a plastic bottle. Nunataq had no idea, what it was, but this was a good reason to paw at it tentatively and then grab it, making a crunching sound happen. It surprised the girl so much that she let it fall out of her jaws. She looked down at it, feeling perplexed, then shot a glance at Indra. It was her chance to be useful and figure this out.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#11
indra grasped for ways to communicate, frustrated more by her own shortcomings than her daughter's. as nunataq shrugged off her presence and moved down the coastline, for a while indra followed.

she was some distance away when the crackle-crunch of the object in nunataq's jaws sounded, followed by the immediate clatter of it being released. she did not recognize the object one whit, but the way its surface seemed strangely opaque drew her in. she moved towards it, nosing it gingerly and finding no trace of anything but brine for scent.

she shrugged, recalling to mind the strange apparition that had cowled reigi's neck. useless, foreign, and she wanted nothing to do with it.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#12
Without realizing it Indra had become useful! Nunataq noticed some restraint and suspicion in the way her mother had dealt with the object, which was all the more reason for her to do exactly the opposite. Meaning - where she did not want to have anything to do with it, the girl thrummed her forepaws against it the moment the other wolf withdrew. Series of crickles, crackles and crunches and more, then she attacked it with her teeth, repeating the symphony of noises, sending the music everywhere, when she shook her head and eventually she tossed it in the air and let it land, if not directly on Indra (which is up to Lauren) than in the vicinity of her. Nuna still had no idea, what the object was, but it was funny.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#13
her nose twitched suspiciously as she watched nunataq go from slightly wary to overtly interested. a series of cacophonic cracks, wrinkles, and pops sounded next -- all of which had indra's hair on end, for no prey had ever sounded like that.

she braced herself as the object whirled suddenly towards her. she was surprised to see how lightly it went through the air, as if by laboring to be flung towards her. it landed where indra had been, but she was there no longer. ever so neatly, the redleaf woman had pulled herself sideways to avoid collision.

her suspicion was slowly dissolving and an ever-so-slight grin hung loosely on her lips as she waited for the next step in nunataq's game.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#14
Nunataq had an irritatingly smug smile upon her, when Indra evaded the collision with the bottle at the last moment. There is something very pleasant about feeling slightly superior than the other person and the mute girl had no inhibations to show it as well. In a lightening quick movement she pounced at the bottle with both paws, grabbed and shook it, as if it was a prey she was attempting to kill. Then she remained standing still, the bottle still grasped tightly in her jaws, but her gaze was fixed on Indra, as if she was asking: "Are you sure you do not want it?"
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#15
indra was positive she did not want it, a fact communicated by the hard cut of her stare -- but the smugness in nunataq's expression could not be missed. compelled then to show her unruly daughter what a real game was, the redleaf issued a playful growl and bowed close to the sand.

for a moment it looked as if she would stay there -- but then she lunged ahead, jaws reaching for whatever the strange contraption was.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#16
Nunataq was not born yesterday (in fact, her birthday is a week from now) and she had lived with Indra long enough to know her mother's tricks and plays very well. A significant feature of the game "Look, what I have got! You definitely want it too! Too bad you cannot have it!" was expecting the other person to snap at some point and lunge. Therefore, holding her head high and the bottle out of Indra's reach (though not much effect of it, because they were roughly the same height), she danced several steps backwards, avoiding the first attack. Within a safe distance she measured her mom with a glance, then let the bottle drop from her jaws on the ground accidentaly on purpose. And then moved away from it, watching Indra carefully.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#17
indra's ploy was easily read -- as to be expected, for nunataq was a wolf well-versed to indra's whims. she sailed past her target, dodged with a tactile ease that made a rare smile bloom across the redleaf's features.

she spun round, nub of a tail raised -- just in time to see the bottle crinkle as it hit the ground. one second passed, where she glanced to nunataq as if to confirm her suspicions -- and then with a mighty surge, she lunged for the toy knowing it likely would be pulled away from her at the very last moment.

all the same, she enjoyed it; her tongue lolled to the side as she romped, having not been this relaxed in much too long.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#18
It did not happen often, but Nunataq could make mistakes in games she knew inside out. Therefore luckily for Indra, she managed to grab the bottle at the same time, when her daughter grasped it on the other end. Neither was likely to give up, so they stood side by side, heads next to each other, in an expectant silence. Something had to happen. But in order to do so - movement was required. And movement meant losing the upper hand (which they both had at this particular moment) on the treasured toy.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#19
indra did not value the toy nearly as much; somehow it brought joy to her stifled heart to see nunataq as close to happy as she was currently. without any trace of reluctance, indra released the toy. a shadow seemed to briefly cross her features as she regarded her adopted daughter, no longer a puppy anymore.. and no longer an individual that needed her anymore.

when did she grow so tall?

indra gave a small smile, pain lingering on her lips. she'd be happy in this moment to play with nunataq for the time being, but when they departed a new rawness would fill in her already cracked heart.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#20
Indra gave up and Nunataq, feeling happy about the easy win in the game, zoomed around her caretaker at full speed, letting the enjoyment about the victory fill up and go over the brim. Though almost an adult now, there was a lot of childish characteristics about her that she would retain all through her life. The simplicity about her actions and motivation being one of them.

When the first wave had passed, she closed in on her caretaker again, keeping the bottle firmly in her jaws and chewing it just enough to make that odd noise happen. Her eyes were alight with joy and her tail was wagging. Whatever had driven both apart in the past was forgiven and forgotten now. With this in mind, perhaps, Indra would be interested in a round two? She seemed to ask, shaking the bottle and letting it fall on the ground few times purposely on accident.
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#21
nunataq seemed overjoyed by the easy win; perhaps that was a small lesson for indra to learn, to take pleasure in the little things and not let the bad things weigh you down. sweet nunataq may have forgiven indra for leaving her behind, but indra would never forgive herself: just like your mother, the redleaf woman recited, feeling stung by the venomous thought.

but she was not like her mother; indra's eyes lifted, a hardness encircling that mahogany depth. she may have left, but she would come back -- she would always come back, an errant but elliptical orbit where her sun and center was her family.

so yeah, she would play. a small smile bloomed across her tired features as nunataq swung around, entreating a round two from her joyless caretaker. indra lurched forward, snapping at the empty air besides nunataq's cheek, ready to give chase wherever nunataq went.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
Jalapeño
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#22
There are things in life that you regret saying or doing long after they have stopped to matter to people involved. In your head you wish to go back and change things, or even meet them today and apologize. You hate the very idea that you could be the bad guy in their story and not knowing, whether it is so or not, keeps the fire in the figurative hearth of guilty conscience going.

In a way Nunataq was an alien on this planet just the same way as she was a definition of a "different normal". Life happened to her, she accepted it and did not seek deeper meanings in other people actions aside from the very obvious ones. She did not hold grudge at Indra for leaving and would have been very surprised to know the thoughts that tormented her caretaker's mind daily. Had she even been able to go as far as voice her opinion - she would say that this was a waste of valuable time.

Which playing fetch and making annoying sounds with the bottle was definitely not. Being as simple as she was, Nunataq had understood one fundamental thing about life - there was no such thing as one big, overwhelming, eternal happiness that people should strive for. The little moments were the ones that counted. Those small, thin, yet visible brush strokes that captured everything and showed one's life in all it's glory like an impressionist's painting.

She met Indra with a grin and cheerful laughter in her movements and actions. She teased her, she let her win at times, she cheated and broke the unwritten rules of the game frequently. She continued to play, because she had seen a flicker of youth, innocence and lightness in her worn and tired friend's eyes. Indra's soul being a caged bird in darkness and her - a ray of sunlight, warmth and freedom. She had caught a sense of familiarity and oneness, which was rare, and did not wish to lose it.

For selfish reasons or maybe in her own particular way Indra was the only person Nunataq truly loved.

I think that we can fade it here?
i will pry his bony fingers free
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#23
<33333

playing with nunataq then sparked a fleeting high indra had not realized she had been missing. nor had she realized, she had grown old before her time -- not until nunataq's gleeful game had indra caught onto the fact that she was holding onto things that perhaps, were weighing her down.

the longer she played, the more those old ghosts that haunted her fled; the anchors and burdens and mishaps disappeared, released into the wilds like smoke on the wind.

it was therapeutic, in a way, for nunataq was the light to indra's darkness, the dawn to her eternal twilight -- come what may, the girl would always shine a thin beam of illumination in indra's world, which grew ever darker day by day.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.