for @huā. afternoon.
tyche's time in yuelong so far had been... tolerable. she disliked the way the males were permitted to roam about. the sisters, so far, were more palatable. they were robust and canny, likable enough even if they were still miles away from discovering their true power. plucking a sea snail from the sand, tyche held it in her mouth, feeling the strange sensation as it sat on her tongue.
she arrived at hua's den with the offering, and tyche placed the snail, shell and all, outside the opening. hoo-ah? it tyche. bring gift.
haha cute thread name! thanks for starting<3
The voice of one of the new recruits caught her attention as she bathed the quiet Nüwu with laps of her tongue. She paused, allowing her daughter to settle, and pulled herself up to the surface. There sat... a sea snail, beside the silver siren. Huā was impressed in some ways- many members spoke of their familiarity with the sea, but few were so bold as to bring her its delicacies. She wondered whether others would dare to put the thing in their mouth- and momentarily Oleander came to her mind with amusement, thinking of how the boy had been wary even of clams.
Thank you, Tyche,
She hummed with obvious satisfaction, taking the creature delicately in her jaws and placing it in the interior of the den, alongside a few other gifts which she had not gotten to eating yet. She reemerged, eyeing the girl with inquisitive seaglass.
How Yuèlóng? You follow my word, meet other people?
the way hua took the snail from here made tyche realize that her new matriarch actually knew what she was taking. unlike inland wolves, who may have scoffed at such a thing, hua seemed to know what it was and its powers. this impressed the siren.
meet some, yes.
not all of them were desirable to her, but she had done what the matriarch had asked of her. tyche let silence come between them for a moment before continuing. strange here. different from nereides.
it was to be expected, but it did not make things less jarring.
Huā would've let the conversation continue on what would be an admittedly dull route, of inquiring about who she met and the like- but the comment of different from the nereides caught her attention. Her ears perked, a little smirk slipped onto her face as her eyes lit. So you are who I believed you might be,
She rumbled warmly. Letting her gaze drift to the side in thought, she began to share her little story.
Upon mainland, many moon ago I meet woman called Ostia. She tell me of the calling- of the physical, Amazon. The spiritual, nymph, who worship sea and moon.
She paused, letting seaglass gaze shift back to Tyche. I feel there more I do not know. So, how Yuèlóng different from home? Why strange?
And it was genuine curiosity that fueled her as she tilted her head with interest like a child.
hua's expression changed from mild interest to alert and curious at the mention of her culture, and although tyche was not at all surprised, for her sisters roamed far and wide, she was delighted. it meant that her customs were not wholly unknown. it made sense, considering where hua had chosen to make her home (or had she been born here?). tyche listened as the traditions of her childhood were read back to her, pleased that hua knew more than expected.
there is third aspect. balance of amazon and nymph. this is siren,
tyche added, hoping to grow hua's interest. in driftwood, tyche had been deemed a siren. it was why she had been sent out into the world for her people. to spread their knowledge and grow.
there was the question of how yuelong differed, and tyche collected the words to explain. nereides not let males above females. not worthy. no connection to goddess.
she knew from her studies and brief interactions with packless wolves that this was a controversial custom, but she fully believed it was the only right path.
Siren,
She mimicked quietly to herself, gaze downcast before it moved up to Tyche again. Like, mm, women that sing? In ocean-
She considered, thinking back to an old conversation with Wraen, about the myths of them. The lovely women who sang till they drew their victims to the depths of the ocean floor. Huā longed to meet one. Tyche was admittedly a beautiful girl, but Huā had not heard her music... Or, is, um, different from that?
When Tyche claimed men were not worthy, Huā was stunned. A culture very different from her own. Back home it was this way; the men worked, the women tended the family, subservient to their husbands. The best of men would take several wives, or perhaps a wife and a couple concubines. There was never a woman who had many husbands, nor a woman who directed her man's actions.
And then came the period after Huā's own slavery- when she detested men. It was still a part of her when she had come to these Wilds. Men were terrible beasts who were motivated by greed and hunger- but soon she met the women of Rusalka, and learned there were barbaric women too. And meeting Mal and Aiolos had brought back her respect for men, and her hate had faded into a kindness...
S-so... men is below women? But... but there so many good men. At one time I think all men bad, but I meet some, find they are good, in heart, soul. Wh.. why not worthy?