Autumn had arrived, bathing what seemed like her entire world in a more golden shade of light. Maybe she was exaggerating. Maybe it was too pretty a thought-- whatever. Not that it mattered. Nirvana realized that it was time. Time for her. This was the season that she turned two, and was expect to be an adult. To do adult things. To be... more, more than she had been yet. What a weird fucking thought. All of it was weird. Like being here, being among the living and waking and walking was an ill-fitting shirt. Too tight at the neck, baggy in the middle, fraying at one edge. Was this what it was like to be an adult?

Maybe coming of age stories were bullshit.

Maybe she'd learn more in time. Whatever. She'd found a quiet place to sit and look out over the Polar Sound, having invited a bit more of the coming northern chill into her system. A deep breath in, another out. Right, try and get as much of the cold into her lungs as possible. It was invigorating. She had to like it, after all. Nirvana would study the land, and she'd do what she could for now. The girl peered carefully out over the water to the east as the afternoon sun began to fade behind her. A sunset. How cliché.

"Nirvana"

Merrick didn't rely on anyone for anything. At least, he didn't used to. He'd always been rather self sufficient. Now that there was a pack present and he didn't have to, why in the hell should he work so hard for himself now? That didn't mean that he denied all of his instincts and it didn't mean that he was lazy. It simply meant that he had wolves to take advantage of when he felt the need or desire.

Having felt the urge to kill something, Merrick had gone off to hunt. He moved towards the Sound, knowing that few wolves would bother with the place. By the time he was finished, the giant brute had brought down a caribou and had filled his belly with rich, warm meat. He hadn't bothered dragging the rest back. Let the scavengers have a meal and let him save his neck muscles from the awkward pulling that he would have to do. Satisfied and full, he would be in a much better mood when he made his way back home. Hell, he might even be nice to Keelin.

In a somewhat decent mood, Merrick still scowled when he saw a wolf sitting there. His amaranthine brow furrowed, only smoothing a bit when he noted that the wolf shared his blood. Never one to beat around the bush, he took one look at the girls pensive expression and growled, "You look like someone pissed on your dinner." That was the closest he'd ever get to asking her what was on her mind.

"Merrick Mendacium"

She's rather settled in her spot, looking out over the world. It seems to spread before her, welcoming, inviting. All the world was for her, for her to take. For her to reach out and grab. Forbidden fruit? Maybe. Maybe that's what makes things even better, Nirvana has decided. It's like every last moment of her existence, from bouncing back from that mysterious illness until now, was forbidden. Forbidden, stolen, spirited away. She's been spirited away from it all. She'd stolen it all. If she'd stolen from fate itself, then maybe she deserved to be lonely. Maybe that was just how it... how it worked.

Nirvana isn't alone for long. The appearance of her uncle... she lifts her head to peer at him. "Do you ever feel like you cheated fate?" Well, he'd as good as asked her, so the girl would share what was on her mind. Still, she has to crane her neck to look up at the man, so she doesn't hold his gaze for long. Instead, she settles back to looking out over the Sound itself. If he wanted to stay, he would-- there was never any stopping Merrick, after all.

"I feel like I survived when I wasn't supposed to, so I cheated death. I cheated fate. If I cheated fate, then my soulmate isn't here, he's dead like I'm meant to be." The words come quickly, clipped, in a flood. The emotion that comes with them is something strange. Nirvana is finally able to give voice to the things that have been keeping her up at night, and Merrick is probably being given more of an earful than he originally asked for or planned on getting. "I cheated fate, I won, and I'm not going to give that up." She straightened up, neck arched, taking a moment to be proud of herself. "Doesn't mean that it doesn't suck sometimes." Right. That was what happened to be on Nirvana's mind.

"Nirvana"