Wheeling Gull Isle there's nothing left for me to stay
1,006 Posts
Ooc — summer
Ecologist
Master Ambassador
Offline
#1
All Welcome 
Soon she and @Atausiq had arrived, after making their way across the land bridge. It was midday when she reached the coast and threw back her head to summon @Ying , praying her sister would be as excited about the bethrothal as she was. While they waited, Huā would turn to Atausiq, very hesitantly preening some of his fur if allowed- making sure he looked as clean and perfect as she believed he was.
nothing in life is to be feared,
it is only to be understood.
857 Posts
Ooc — nami
Offline
#2
trying out some new dialogue

The guardian paused her patrol and turned to answer her sister's summons. She called her response while walking toward the border's mouth, immediately noticing Huā and the stranger.

这是谁? she asked. He looked young but capable, and carried the scent of the Neverwinter wolves. She looked at him to explained — I am Ying. It's nice to meet you. — and settled into a seat.
[ hover for translations ]
sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
i survived
the laws of gravity
180 Posts
Ooc — delaney
Offline
#3
they cross the sandbar, atausiq follows hua ...feeling like he leaves the boy upon the beach of the sea lion shores. stepping onto the beach of her isle, he feels like a young man in a suit still a little bit too big for him ...but knowing that he will grow into it, the expectations lain out on the table for him. he has no choice but to. he is a man of his word, of his father's word. yuélóng was his and he was theirs. a small part of him feels guilty for abandoning neverwinter forest as he had but also, not too guilty. he is assured they would survive without him and believes he will not be missed gravelly.

the feel of hua preening some of his fur comes as a surprise — he's not used to that kind of touch — but he does not draw away. fussing over his fur and it's sometimes unkempt state was her right now ...and he couldn't pretend that he didn't want to strut beneath the singular attention.

a pale woman approaches then at hua's summons, speaking to his siren bride in a language that atausiq does not understand. she introduces herself as ying, and because hua has filled him in prior, the mystery of her is quickly solved. atausiq, he replies and as the other empress' gaze settles upon him he adds, the groom.
━─┄ these jaws of brevity
i will not let them sink
their teeth into my soul

1,006 Posts
Ooc — summer
Ecologist
Master Ambassador
Offline
#4
这是我的男孩。 She answers her sister with a coy grin, even though he was already introducing himself in the common language. She quits preening and turns to look at her sister, eyes occasionally darting back to the younger boy. I meet his father, who is leader of pack far east of here. Then I meet Atausiq at Neverwinter. Soon I meet them both together, and we work out marriage for me, and he is very nice and willing boy. Very ready to learn, She chirps joyfully, turning to give him a loving lap on the cheek. 你觉得什么? She asks her sister with a hopeful yet nervous smile.
nothing in life is to be feared,
it is only to be understood.
857 Posts
Ooc — nami
Offline
#5
Atausiq, uhm, she said, Nakullarpuk. Her lessons with Aningan hadn't been comprehensive, and because of how much time had passed since then, Ying's knowledge of the northern language was slowly fading. Still, she recognized the strange patterning of the boy's name and asked, Do you know this speak? Âhatok. Ying smiled and laughed, assuming that he would recognize her interest.

The guardian flicked her tail and began to walk, inviting the pair to join. Confident that he could not understand, Ying said to her sister, 他很年轻. She turned a careful eye to the boy and continued, 他虽然可爱. She recognized his name as one of those mentioned by Mal, and wondered if his need for training remained.

My friend, he says that you need lessons on fighting? Nuvujak tilted her head and looked him over, deciding that he was the ideal candidate. If interested, she would handle his training until, if ever, she became unable. We have fighters here. You want this life, the jūnshí can help you.
[ hover for translations ]
sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
i survived
the laws of gravity
180 Posts
Ooc — delaney
Offline
#6
they exchange more words in their native tongue and atausiq wonders if he should invest time in learning it ...or if by suggesting that he do might take away the privacy the sisters are otherwise enjoying. Naumani. he assures ying — is to-be sister-in-law — as she speaks to him in the northern tongue of his mother's people. he is rusty, far from as fluent as he could be but he knows enough to scrape by. there hadn't been much use in learning it in easthollow aside from his own enjoyment.

he gives a small wag of his tail at the affectionate kiss hua gives his cheek, gaze volleying between the sisters before it draws once more to ying. did they? it is only now that atausiq feels the smart of embarrassment, that 'her friend' said he needed training ...and as far as he aware the only one he told had been mal. personal betrayal or not, it remains true. yes, he admits, salmon pink tongue drawing across his jowls. i will dedicate myself to learning how to fight. so i might protect my wife — a glimpse is secreted to hua then. — the children and the pack. as is my duty.
━─┄ these jaws of brevity
i will not let them sink
their teeth into my soul

1,006 Posts
Ooc — summer
Ecologist
Master Ambassador
Offline
#7
Ying's sudden foreign words surprised her, and for a moment she was shook until she recalled her meetings with Aningan. It made her quite happy when Atausiq replied back in the language. And for a minute she thought perhaps she should learn too, so as not to be left out. 

Soon Nuvujak was speaking to her in their language again, and she giggles. 很可爱。我觉得我会很喜欢他。 She tells her, half-confident that it was true. Sure, he might not stir the butterflies in the way Nuka or Andromaque had, but he was kind and boyish and that was charming in its own way. 

Now Ying is telling him about their army, which Huā had once been so fearful and paranoid of- now knowing all its members were locals, she supported it wholeheartedly. And the boy's response is perfect, about protecting her, the children, and Yuèlóng as a whole. Her tail thumps in satisfaction on the ground, and she pays Ying a little murmur, 那,对,他知道孩子。我说他。
nothing in life is to be feared,
it is only to be understood.
857 Posts
Ooc — nami
Offline
#8
His commitment was admirable, but there was something that Atausiq needed to understand. 我姐姐的守护者. She pronounced each word carefully, pronouncing the syllables with almost painful precision. Ying looked at him and tilted her head, preparing to explain.

This means, 'my sister's keeper.' You protect your family, but if you are wrong, my job is settling things. Regardless of marriage, the protection of Huā and Mei would always be Ying's responsibility. She assumed that her sister knew this, and so did not look for her approval.

Instead, she laughed at the Empress's musings and continued with the previous topic. I will teach you, Ying said, nodding her head, because you are my brother. 长者的意思是铁则. She looked and her sister and shrugged, adding, Not all our words are this hard.
[ hover for translations ]
sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
i survived
the laws of gravity
180 Posts
Ooc — delaney
Offline
#9
atausiq is quiet as hua speaks to her sister once more in their shared tongue, content to listen to the rise and fall of syllables even though he does not know what is passed between them. it is only when ying speaks to him, drawing the words in her native tongue carefully, slowly — no doubt for his benefit! — offering him the translate shortly thereafter. atausiq offers a sage nod of understanding as she lets it be known to him that she is her sister's keeper. ying need not worry about him; for it might've been rebellion and revolution that has spurred his runaway from easthollow in the first place he will not — cannot! — break the ironclad contract his father had struck; a deal he, himself agreed to.

he was in this, for better or worse.

ying then informs him she will teach him how to fight, adding because he was her brother. thank you. regardless of her reasons, he is grateful. grateful of her willingness to mentor him, and her acceptance of him. of him and hua. foreign to their culture he isn't sure how much of a choice any of them really have, given hua's status ...but nevertheless, it makes it easier for everyone involved. i'm sure that given time i'll learn them. though presently, he was more worried about being able to protect them than he was learning their language — that would come with time, atausiq does not doubt.
━─┄ these jaws of brevity
i will not let them sink
their teeth into my soul

1,006 Posts
Ooc — summer
Ecologist
Master Ambassador
Offline
#10
As usual, her sister told a bold stand, proclaiming herself as Huā's ultimate protector- including if Atausiq fucked up. Huā already felt slightly protective of her new prize, and she leaned against his side, touching him as if she were glued. She couldn't imagine that the oh-so-obedient teen could do anything wrong yet, but she trusted her sister's judgement. 

When Ying speaks of their words, Huā laughs, realizing how vexing it might be for Atausiq, whose ears were unaccustomed to the mandarin language. Atausiq is quiet, but ready to learn in every thing that was new to him. Huā smiles, glancing up at him, I can teach you some word, Atausiq. And you also, teach me new word in common... we learn from eachother. She suggests softly, before glancing back to Ying.
nothing in life is to be feared,
it is only to be understood.
857 Posts
Ooc — nami
Offline
#11
From Ying's perspective, the conversation had reached its end. She was pleased to have met her sister's suitor (one task checked off of the list), but figured that having already given approval, her presence was optional. 

Maybe we will hunt later, Ying told the boy, There is a sea lion, very hurt. We can get him, if you think you might be strong enough. She did not wait for a response, instead nodding her goodbye and making way for her den.
[ hover for translations ]
sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
i survived
the laws of gravity
180 Posts
Ooc — delaney
Offline
#12
a soft shudder slithers down his spine as he feels hua press her side against his own; the touch of her shoulder against his, the physical awareness of her rounding sides in a way he hadn't been before. it wasn't unpleasant. to ying's suggestion, atausiq nods. i am strong enough. she needn't worry about that; he would help her take down the injured sea lion ( he isn't eve sure he knows what a sea lion is ) she spoke of. it might be a new quarry that atausiq has not come across before ...but he assumes that hunting it will be the same as hunting anything else.

his new sister-in-law departs then, leaving him alone with his siren bride. i will teach you. he assures her, glad that she is willing to teach him her native tongue. it's almost unfair, he teases. your common is quite good already. he draws in a breath of the still strange salty brine, glimpsing around. it is a beautiful isle ...but it feels strange to be surrounded by so much undrinkable water. perhaps his siren bride would make a coastal wolf out of him yet.

give me a tour? he inquires with a small nudge to hua's cheek if she allows it.
━─┄ these jaws of brevity
i will not let them sink
their teeth into my soul

1,006 Posts
Ooc — summer
Ecologist
Master Ambassador
Offline
#13
fading!

Ying invites Atausiq to a hunt before exiting, which causes Huā to smile pleasantly. Feeling like Atausiq was welcomed here had her rather satisfied, both with Ying and herself. She could only hope the rest of her people would treat the boy kindly- some, such as Ruò or Orochi, made her doubt such a thing could happen- but still she had hope. 

She giggles at his comment about her common- Not that good, She protests. She watches as he gazes around before requesting a tour- with which she is happy to oblige. Of course. Follow me.