Walk | Talk | Think
Anais giggled like a child as the young green-marked pup described her secret to her, amused and thoroughly curious as she let herself begin to enjoy the quality time she was getting with her niece. Already she knew she would be making return trips, little visits to check in on them and their mother - who she also needed to get to know better - and make herself a part of their lives. Nako had opened that door for her, and Marina had been kind enough to leave it that way even when she very well could have shut it and forbidden any contact. Anais truly intended to take full advantage of it for as long as she could, and was excited now to think that the others might welcome her among them so wholly and so readily.
In her eagerness to get to girl, however, she let her own judgment slip and was reminded of the parameters set into place by the child's guardians as she mimicked the sort of response she was likely to get if they knew she was here and not at the den. Anais's smile faltered though it did not fade, and the chuckle she made was not quite as sincerely amused as she suspected Zephyra would have wanted it to be. Though the child was out of harm's way now, her aunt understood hor important it was for children to follow those rules set down, even if danger did not always follow when they were broken. She had encountered dangers of her own, and played the role of guardian in the raising of her not-so-baby brother Espirit after he was born. As much as Zephyra could justify keeping secrets and hiding things from her parents, Anais knew the parent side of things too well to fully commit.
There was no denying that the girl's attempt at big, red, puppy eyes tugged at her heartstrings, at least a little, but Ani was not so easily swayed. She straightened herself to her full height and sighed as she looked down at the child while she weighed her options. Telling Marina or Nako - even Spencer - would get Zeph in trouble, and she hated the mere idea of being the cause of that. But neither could she completely ruin her fun. "How about," she said, "we go back to the den and I'll keep your secret, but only if you promise me you won't do it again?" It was probably asking a lot, she realized, especially of a fearless pup, but she wanted to give Zephyra the opportunity of turning things around, a second chance in a way. And maybe it would still keep her in the girl's good favor too.
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