where the lights won't find you

Lark offered her some words of encouragement, noting how she should focus on her strengths. Sparrow grimaced slightly. What was she even good at? After a second, she threw on a grin, "I'm trying to be realistic, not get killed. It would be cool to be a fearless warrior, huh?" Sparrow briefly fantasized how a confrontation with Lillianna would go if she were a warrior. She liked the outcome, but decided not to indulge herself too much.

Lark was dead on about time passing without realizing it.

"I don't even really feel like an adult. It's funny, I imagined I'd have a family by now, and old friends with their own families, but neither happened. I- uh- don't really have any friends, I don't think, not to mention old friends. Now I'm almost an old lady. I could have almost grandchildren, realistically. Isn't that crazy?"

Sparrow laughed a little to herself, though her heart clenched in her chest. For a moment she wondered if she'd ever have a family, or if she'd die alone.

Next topic.

Lark mentioned being late to the meeting.

Wait, not that topic.

Sparrow tried not to let herself react, and as a result became stiff. Not here. Not now. She didn't want to talk about this right now. She wanted to enjoy her brother's company. She didn't want to fight. She would, one day, she knew she'd have to probably, but not now. How could she avoid it?

Humor, yes, humor!

Sparrow chuckled. It was forced.

"Dad's face was a little scary. It didn't make it better when-" Sparrow paused at her name. She didn't want to say it. The girl swallowed, opened her maw to speak, but nothing came out. She closed it and tried again. She laughed again, nervously this time.

"Needless to say, with that announcement, I think the whole pack got a pretty clear idea of what you two were doing."

Her words started with a smile, but ended flatly. She could feel her face and ears heat up though she wasn't sure if it was out of embarrassment or anger. She felt like she should warn her brother to be careful, but she was treading on thin ice already.

Sparrow plopped her fluffy tail on the ground several times, "I couldn't look up at any of the other pack mates to catch their expressions, though."

She didn't mention that it was because she was trying to stare into her father's soul, silently commanding him to do something- anything- or that she was forcing herself to stay planted to the ground in fear or confronting the woman herself right then and there.

Sparrow looked into the distance, a plastic smile plastered to her face as she tried to shrink away from her feelings and just try to be a normal sibling to a wolf who had a totally normal and not manipulative (and possibly murderous) girlfriend. Wait. Were they together like that or was it casual? Sparrow felt herself suck in a breath as minty eyes widened.

She wasn't sure which possibility was worse.

She didn't want to talk about this anymore.

Change the subject.

Think of anything.

Her mind was blank.