Wheeling Gull Isle look how long we've been around each other

Breeding season was an overwhelming event. She did not want to couple with anyone when her own time came, and so decided to seclude herself as an extra precaution. There were a few trees scattered particularly close to the border's eastern fringe. Ying knew that this might not have been the most ideal place for a den — if any of her lovers came looking, she would be the first to know — but wanted to keep an eye on her post, even when out of work. She rose as the sun fell and made her way to the spot, keen on finishing this project before completion became necessary.

ruo dreaded the season, seeing that females push themselves onto the males, and the other gender persuing lustfully at the girls. she thought in disgust as the world was tinted with pink and red, and the heat consuming all- and eventually herself. she couldn't help but dread it.

though it seemed her cousin had her own thoughts on the season, but the siren did not know her cousins thoughts on the season. she looked at the pitiful den when ruo came across ying, and asked her, "what are you doing." she hoped it wasn't a lovers nest.

There wasn't much to show for her effort. She'd only made it a few inches below the surface before the questioning began. Ying paused her digging and turned a curious eye to her cousin, wondering why it hadn't been obvious. Digging a den, she said, so...I can sleep. It seemed like a solid lie, with the dig site being so close to the border. These were her normal stomping grounds, anyway. What are you doing?

ruo raised a brow of disbelief, but said no more, "finding spot for star gazing." while her cousin was making a den for.. reasons, she had her own reason for wandering about. perhaps there was a better place within. a higher ground, in particular. it wasn't within the waves, but she would have to do without to find the spot. the siren had to compromise.

There were too many stars. An unquantifiable part of the world that Ying didn't understand and didn't care to learn more about. She shrugged her shoulders — I'll come. — figuring that an excuse to spend time with her cousin was worth the temporary boredom. It's not like she had anything important to do, anyway. Brushing past Ruo's shoulder, she tossed the woman a curious smile. How's your day been?

"you don't stargaze." the siren pointed out the obvious, as she found it weird that ying would follow along toward her whims, especially something she knew did not interest the other. it'd be another story, if said-cousin knew a better place then her pride rock. there wasn't too many reachable places that could see the above so clearly..

"nothing," which was true.. except the pirate she met, but ruo preferred to keep it a secret until spring came, "what have you been doing."

You're right. Ying continued walking onward, assuming her cousin would follow. Which spot did you have in mind? She didn't know of many places suitable for stargazing, but she hadn't been looking either. 

It seemed that neither she-wolf had been busy. Ying often did patrols or hunted to fill a cache, but aside from those momentary tasks, she rarely did much else. Fishing, she lied. "Fishing" was more believable than nothing, in her mind.

ruo raised an eye; almost saying 'then why the fuck are you tagging along.' however, she didn't say anything and kept quiet on the matter. her cousin was following a whim just she was as well, "high." 

"anything good." some fish tasted good, some did not.

She stepped back and motioned for her companion to lead. Ying didn't know where they were going, but had a feeling that Ruo would know. Why? The sky was visible from anywhere, unless the viewer was beneath a canopy. Why did they have to be somewhere high?

I have a secret cache, she admitted. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she prepared to share its location. Shellfish, mostly. I keep it by the border. Ying wasn't good at catching shellfish, so it was difficult to part from those that she did manage to collect. If Ruo was interested, though, she wouldn't have been opposed to sharing.

"higher, clearer, see all." ruo didn't know where she was going; anywhere high seemed to be unknown. she stayed by the back of the isle, where the forest stood right behind her pride rock. she was there majority of the time. there was the front, but she didn't touch it too much, such as the caves, a bit of the tide pools, and not much else. she wondered.. wasn't there a really large hill- which they could literally see. the siren locked her eyes upon it.

then turned to ying, "no longer a secret." now she knew. maybe not where, but she knew, and that was enough for ruo to find it. not that she needed to, but if the case ever came she grew hungry.

Technically, it was no longer a secret. Ying wasn't worried about the others finding out because Ruo rarely spoke to anyone. If someone did come to steal her shellfish, she was well-equipped to defend her treasure trove. She shrugged and said, If you tell anyone, I'll kill you. 

After ascending the hillside, Ying found herself a seat and waited for Ruo to do the same. She didn't want to ask how to do it, but she really had no clue how "stargazing" worked.

just girly things, "sure." she said in a monotone voice but held skeptism with an eye roll. she doubt her cousin would harm her dearly, if anything just attempt to drown her, but ruo had confidence to escape. the girl may have power, but the siren was as sleek as an otter.

"you don't know their stories." the girl shrugged at the bored-looking ying, feeling as the other did not know of their tales. it was another fascination, while as beautiful as they were, they could chart the lands.. and held their own words. blues kept a gaze toward the sky, as the night was to arrive.

Can you tell me? Her eyes were trained on the twinkling lights, trying to track the stars as they glinted in and out of view. Ying's ears were smoothed back against her skull in submission to...to something, to whatever it was that'd caused her such awe. She was not one for the spiritual, but thought that there was something worth noting about sights such as this.

"ursa major," they were always the center of the world, "and ursa minor; the bears." within the sky, you it was hard to tell their figure. only lines connected to dots, but the ancestors before formed them together, to become a legend, a story, a constellation. she wished to share what she too, had been taught.

perhaps it would be the most, she would talk, "the hunters spotted bear.. tiny bear follows." however, she did not know who the hunters were, for they were wolf, or cougar, or even the unknown, it was up to the listener.. "three wish to kill, but she must protect. they miss," ruo looked at ying, "and kill baby bear. etched into the heavens, out of pity."

she looked back up as the stars were here, "the three, chase mama bear to the stars. where she too, searches endlessly for her child in the dark sky. forever hunted, and forever longing."

and so the siren shared one tale of the ursa's.

She struggled to see the shapes which her cousin so confidently described. There were stars, and between the stars were faint lines, but what more could there have been? She could see no hunters, nor could she see any stars. Ying's brow furrowed tightly with discontent as she realized that regardless of her efforts to understand, the stars would always remain a mystery.

Frustrated with her inability, Ying huffed and looked down at the ground. Why can't I see them? she asked, I don't get it. She wondered if Ruo's guidance would help.

"you remember bear shape." ying was a hunter, and a warrior. she knew her cousin had seen the beasts at some point in her life, and thought it might be easier to explain likewise. the bear was a large and round beast, but hunched, and a smaller head. though with the one's in the sky, there was a slight difference that still made ruo question, "the ursa's, have a wolf tail."

unlike the bears upon earth, the two had longer furred tails to draw out their constellation. just like the story was shared from her ancestors, they too were an ancestor. however they were an ancestor to others, the bears. they were the first, but also the last. continue to watch the rest down below as they continue an endless chase. the baby is the beginning, and the mama is the end.

You remember bear shape.

The huntress was careful to avoid other, non-canid predators. She did not often see bears, but had vague memories of her few encounters. They were large and bulky creatures with thick manes of coarse fur. Ying tried to find these features in the stars but found herself unable.

Ruo explained that they had longer tails, like a wolf. She searched the sky for a line of stars and found one, bent at its end like a broken branch. Ying gasped and leapt up, squinting her eyes in hopes of uncovering more. Is it...I see, like, a mouse? The collection of lines formed a small figure, barely discernible against its slightly dimmer peers.

"it is that. but that is the bear." ruo nodded, midly surprised that her cousin was even nearly close to where it was. though supposed if one did not know the star alignment correctly, they could see it was a mouse. it made the siren question actually.. but the story said otherwise.

"enjoy beautiful sky." however it wasn't only about understanding, but simply feeling the beauty. how she could look endlessly at not only the waves, but the twinkling light in the sky. ever changing, but moving back within a mapped world. some would fall down, and she would find them eventually.

Fade? Ying's feelings are hurt.

She was correct, but Ruo didn't seem to be interesting in telling anymore stories. Her words sounded like a nicely phrased command — Shut up and look, Ying. — which her cousin was prepared to follow. Nodding to hide her hurt, Ying turned toward the sky and continued watching in silence.