Cosette woke in the small den she had carved out for herself that looked more like a shallow depression in the earth at the base of a tree than it did a den. It offered very little shelter, but she was okay with that now that the weather had gotten so much warmer. It wasn’t the kind of heat she would expect this time of year, but compared to the last two seasons, she was thrilled. Thinking about winter made her smile, though. That was when it was just her and Indigo, before he found those other girls. They had found a den together but she had felt awkward when he brought another in, and now she was sure it was more than just the two of them in there. Maybe if she had taken the time to get to know the other girls it wouldn’t have been so uncomfortable for her, but she had a feeling her anxieties ran a little deeper than that. She couldn’t even bring herself to tell Indigo the full truth about how she felt enough to ask him to help her meet them. Approaching them felt scary, and since none of them had approached her, she figured they weren’t interred. She chose to ignore the fact that they might think the same thing about her failure to seek them out.

Her mother would be expecting her to come and visit later, but she would put the unpleasant task off for as long as she could. She would try to go later in the day to talk with her and receive more lessons her mother insisted on giving her, but if she went late enough she would be able to use the excuse that she might worry someone if she was out too long after dark. It was unlikely her absence would truly be noticed, but her mother didn’t need to know that. In the meantime, she would start her day off with a walk, staying clear of the borders as much as possible in case Adhira was lingering nearby to wait for her.

"Speech" || Thoughts

Avantika was walking around the Hallows' lands, as she did every day. She could explore outward now if she wanted to. Part of her did want to see what was outside of the borders. Had she ever been outside since arriving? Besides the Ashen festival and corresponding tournament, she thought not. Huh. She cast a long gaze toward the horizon, wondering what sort of world was out there. But that might have to wait for another day, she decided, spotting a grayish girl about her age walking. Her tail was composed of vibrant purple shades, like the sky after sunset. She was small and slender, evident even from a distance. It would take getting closer to notice the more minute details of her appearance, and Avantika found herself stepping forward, even before she consciously decided to. Kaata, who'd been flying in circles high above, touched down about ten feet from the young woman and watched over her shoulder as Avantika approached. Avantika had about her usual nervousness when meeting someone new: bothersome but not catastrophic. Once she was close, she'd greet with a friendly "Hello." and a smile. "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

It wasn’t long before a figure approached her. The larger woman did not possess the vibrant coloring of one of Indigo’s girls, but she was of the Hallows. Cosette had seen her in passing as she had with many other wolves of the pack, but like just about everyone else, Cosette had not really met her before. Something about the way she approached made her seem almost as anxious as the purple girl usually felt lately. Encounters with strangers had been much easier for her when she was on her own. If things went poorly she could always walk away and pretend it never happened, she would never have to see that person again if she didn’t want to. When meeting packmates, it felt like there was much more pressure to make a good impression.

Cosette returned the girl's smile, her tail waving slightly at her hips. She felt anxious but was also happy for the opportunity to meet someone new, and even happier that it wasn’t an adult with a stern expression. "Hello." She replied, her voice warm but unsure. Conversation came much easier with Indigo, but she figured her mother’s presence was also not doing any favors for her confidence. She didn’t want the encounter to end here, but she couldn’t think of what else to say.

"Speech" || Thoughts

The young woman was even prettier up close. Smaller, too. And definitely pretty. Delicate. Not a fighter's build. It was, of course, possible that she was a fighter regardless, but Avantika doubted it. There was more purple on her than was visible from afar, too. Avantika hadn't noticed the vibrant gradient on her chest or the rosy bubbles of color near her paws or her eyes, a soft yet bright seafoam that simultaneously drew her in and kept her looking away as if she'd get stuck in them if she looked too close. Her stomach swirled with butterflies, but she didn't want to leave. "Huh." A single teasing word from Kaata reminded Avantika that her thoughts were not solely her own. "Shush." She did not need her bird's judgment right now. Her tail was wagging slightly, and she replied in a warm tone. That was good? Right? Avantika didn't know why she was drawn to this woman--probably just simple physical attraction at this point--but she did know that she wanted to keep talking to her. She didn't know what to talk about, though, which was irritating. Small talk was excruciatingly dull, but it was probably all she could do since they didn't know each other yet. Gathering up her courage, Avantika spoke, "I don't think we've met yet, right? Have you been in the Hallows long?" Simple. A little get-to-know-you question with no real serious tint, just to break the ice. It would be fine. Hopefully. "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

She worried that her poor conversation skills would kill the conversation before it could begin, that the other girl would just nod and go about her day. Cosette wouldn’t have blamed her if that was what she did, she likely would have done the same if the roles were reversed. The girl couldn’t seem to hold her gaze, but when they did look at each other, something in her gaze made Cosette’s cheeks feel warm and flushed. The silence seemed to stretch on. While in reality it was likely only a few moments, it felt much, much longer. She wanted to say more, but nothing came to mind before she was spared.

She was a bit embarrassed by the way she would have to answer the question. Aside from Indigo, Cosette had not had many interactions with any of her packmates. There was a small part of her that had hoped she wouldn’t have to get to know them, too, if he started his band soon enough. The thought of having to put herself out there and to get to know so many other wolves gave her a kind of anxiety she never knew she could have. Getting close to others opened her to new chances to find herself heartbroken. Even caring for Indigo, who was nothing but kind and supportive, seemed to hurt more often than not. Her constant feelings of being insufficient were suffocating, and the more comfortable others made her, the louder those insecurities got when she found herself alone. "No, I don’t believe we have. I’ve been here since winter, and to be honest I haven’t really met anyone." Of course she had met Resin when she first joined, and had had a very brief interaction with some other earthen colored man but she couldn’t remember if she’d even gotten his name. "I’m Cosette."

"Speech" || Thoughts

Avantika nodded as the woman said she had been here since winter but hadn't really met anyone. She could have very easily been like that, too, if she hadn't had her adopted siblings to make friends with and gain confidence from. Rudy's warm enthusiasm and chipper friendliness could thaw any divide. And Resin, of course, love and protectiveness incarnate, who'd fit in perfectly as the mother that her birth mother had never been. Her heart ached. She fixed her gaze on the beautiful stranger's paws and tried not to think about anything other than the simple reality at hand. She was a young woman, pretty much an adult, talking to a woman her age who she found very pretty, who hadn't run away in annoyance yet and seemed nervous as well. "I was adopted as a pup," she replied. "Last fall." She could explain why she'd had to be adopted, but she wouldn't. Not unless she was asked. Cosette. It was a lovely name. It fit her. "Avantika." "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

The girl spoke of being adopted in the fall and Cosette nodded. She didn’t know the circumstances of the other girl's arrival to the Hallows, but she had sort of been adopted in a way as well. If it weren’t for Indigo bringing her here and convincing his grandmother to let her stay while he took care of her, she’d have died out there on her own. "Indigo brought me here." Her lips curved into a soft smile as she remembered the day she met him. Things had changed a lot since then, and she wondered if she’d ever feel as close to him as she once had. It had been so short lived before he started bringing others in and she pushed herself to the outskirts. She shook the thoughts off through, returning her focus to the girl before her. "It’s nice to meet you, Avantika."

"Speech" || Thoughts

Cosette didn't ask for details on Avantika's origins. She was glad. The girl was pretty and seemed nice enough, but she was still a stranger. They were having a peaceful conversation so far, luckily, and she didn't want to ruin it with a sad story. Maybe if they because friends, she could tell her the entire tale, but not yet. It would just be weird and too serious for right now. Cosette spoke on how she had joined the Hallows, apparently being brought there by Indigo, and smiling softly as she said so. Avantika wasn't particular friends with Indigo, although she knew of him. He was in the Hallows, so of course she did. "It's nice to meet you too." That little smile of Cosette danced in her vision like a song stuck in your head. Avantika didn't know her at all, but she wanted to. She couldn't do that if this conversation ended and they never met up again. So she shoved down her hesitation. "Maybe we could hang out more sometime. What do you like to do?" "Speech"

Cosette wasn’t sure how exactly to answer the other girl's question. What did she like to do? Most of her early life before the Hallows had been spent just struggling to survive, and more recently she spent most of her time dealing with her mother, which was far from being an enjoyable activity for her. "I’m planning to train to become a healer. I don’t really know if that qualifies as a hobby though. To be honest, I haven’t had much time to figure out what I enjoy yet..." It was a weak response, and she felt a bit embarrassed about not having more to offer.

"What do you like to do? Maybe I’ll find that I enjoy it too." She had spent a lot of time quietly mourning the distance between herself and Indigo since his group grew, and she knew that she needed to make more of an effort with the rest of the purple wolves, but maybe making friends outside of the group would be a good place to start. Avantika didn’t remind her of her siblings or her home in any way, and it was easier to forget about the things that used to hold her back.

"Speech" || Thoughts

Cosette said that she was training to be a healer, but she didn't know what else she liked to do yet. Maybe it wasn't the kind of response Avantika had been looking for, but it was intriguing. The girl had said that she'd just arrived that winter, right? Where had she been before? Then she asked what Avantika liked to do, and suddenly she was hit with a wave of nerves. She tried to answer as well as possible. She'd thrown herself so much into her work lately that she'd forgotten what she did when she had actual free time. She patrolled and she trained; that's what she did. But that didn't feel good enough. "I guess I like sparring. I'm a knight." Her chest puffed out a little as she said her role in the pack. She was proud of that. "But learning new things is always fun." Maybe she could learn something from Cosette... not like that. "Speech"