Blackbeak Bluff i spoke to god

✹☾❂

 

Eleuthera called the willows of her childhood home, but she found herself often pulled towards the ocean. She had never thought of herself as a sea wolf, but there was something about how it was… ever-changing. It was the end of the earth, but it wasn’t an ending — no, it felt like something greater than everything she had ever come to know dry land to be. Eleuthera found that she could sit upon the ocean’s edge for hours, staring out at the horizon, and she would never tire of it. 

So this particular evening, when the day grew late and the sun sat heavy in the sky, Eleuthera yipped excitedly — to herself, of course — and scurried off towards the coast. It was no small distance, but her strong, toned body covered the miles from here to there quite effortlessly. The woman, running upon the air, knew she was getting close when she felt the texture of the earth change beneath her paws — from solid, to more permeable and sandy, from stone that was made of rock to stone that was made of sand. 

Then the roar of the ocean greeted her fine, feathered ears, which rose eagerly to meet it — only to swivel back and press firmly into the edges of her crown in a silent, steely-eyed sense of determination. She knew this was not the beach, but she had not desired an afternoon and evening at the beach. No, the woman was much more drawn to the chaos and uninhabited power of the bluffs, which were beaten endlessly, futilely, by forces stronger than she had ever known. Earthforms that had not been gently shaped by time, but created through cracked and calving into the ocean. Perhaps this was a great manifestation of the gods’ might; the many gods that her mothers had prayed to? Perhaps now she might finally understand — 

Eleuthera burst onto the scene and scurried close to the harsh, sheer edge of the peak, drawing in the heavy brine of the air and holding it close within her.

I left it aw, but seeking @hua, if/when you have the time!

Beautiful. 

That was Huā's first thought when she spotted the stranger down just a ways, playing games with death considering her closeness to the drop. A gentle little thing (not unlike Huā herself,) bearing lavender eyes that became clearer as the empress comfortably closed the distance between them. And the setting sun, which framed her, making her glow with her own ethereal light- yeah, Huā definitely wasn't straight. 

Greetings, She called out amiably as she halted some yards off, tail wagging slowly. How pleasant it would be, she thought, to meet a kind and intelligent stranger, after the headache that was the saints.

✹☾❂

 

Eleuthera was flirting with death, and she knew it. A fall from the cliffs would surely kill any wolf unlucky enough to make such a mistake. However, Eleuthera was a woman of the world and her paws knew well all types of terrain — even oceans and cliffsides such as these. If she were to fall to her death, as was the chance she took on many of her adventures, then at least she would have died doing what she loved. Then she would be reunited with Séamus once more, and honestly, that’s all she really wanted.

So maybe she was hoping that she might slip and plunge to her fate. Perhaps she was placing herself in situations to might tempt the grim reaper. To bring her back home; to a place where the vicissitudes of the world could no longer touch her. She felt happy in this moment, and if happiness was the last emotion she felt in this earthly body, then Eleuthera would count herself amongst the fortunate ones. 

Instead of her untimely end, fate had other ideas in store for her. Specifically, a wolfess of sandy browns and dark extremities, who padded towards her with confidence and kind greetings. Ever open to lovely company, Eleuthera turned to face her as the energy from her sprint continued to thrum through her veins. “Hail!” Eleuthera responded, calling out loudly so that she might be heard over the roar of the ocean far below. Acknowledging they they both wished to speak, the lilac woman padded far closer.

The woman was beautiful, but in a way that was for different than she. Her colors were striking and unforgettable, as well as the sweet scent that wafted from the stranger’s thick plumage to her nose. She was a pack wolf, her scent belied, and Eleuthera sought to clearly place introductions. “I am Eleuthera of Seelie Court, she said openly, welcomingly, and left a pause of blank space for the masked woman to offer her own cordialities.

so sorry for the wait AND for not matching length dgzfzxzc T_T

 

Hail! came the response. 

Well. Huā definitely dddn't know what that meant. She canted her head slight, dark ears flicking forward expectantly- until the woman came closer, surprising Huā. Her cheeks grew warm but she suppressed the attraction, especially once the girl introduced herself as one of the fae. Was that pack just full of beautiful women? Aoibh, Lumiya, and now this Eleuthera. 

Whatever, Huā. Think about anything else. A second attempt at clearing her mind, she smiled softly as she introduced herself too- I am Huā... Huángdì, empress of Yuèlóng. A short pause, and then she thought to share- I am not sure if she tell you, but Lumiya and me are friend. My pack, and yours, are ally. And with that her tail wagged, for to Huāzhēn it meant they, as individuals, ought to be allies too.

✹☾❂

 

As a traveler, Eleuthera could appreciate a good accent. In fact, for most of her life. she and Séamus had been the accented ones, traveling from realm to foreign realm and plunging themselves into various, exotic cultures where they, alone, were the strangers. Immediately, Eleuthera was struck with a sense of fine appreciation for this woman — for an accent denoted a traveller, and judging by the distinct way she spoke, Eleuthera knew she must be far from home. What a brave, kindred soul! 

“An Empress?" the lilac sprite affirmed with a wry rhetorical question and, without pause, demonstrated the hospitality that an Empress truly deserved, even in neutral territory. She dipped her head and chest down, casting her gaze towards the earth and stilling her tail to a low, slow twitch — but Eleuthera didn’t want to overdo it, she after a moment she pushed herself up and moved onto the next obvious thing.

Eleuthera allowed her tongue to loll out the side of her mouth with the pleasant conversation. “There’s no shortage of strong women around the wilds, these days," she mused out loud, hoping that this Huā would take it as the compliment it was meant to be. Her thoughts flitted to Lumiya and Ibis and Reiko and now this Huā, as beautiful and gracious as they were mighty. Perhaps she too, one day, would rank amongst the great women of this realm.

There was another aspect of this conversation that pleased the little ashen shewolf. She had been quite curious about the new group that claimed the offshore island, but not curious enough to approach the island without due cause. Meeting the Empress was certainly scratching an itch that, until now, had been unreachable. “I did take notice of your claim! The last time I was here, another pack held the Islands. A band of sea dogs called Undersea." She had only met the group a few times, when she was far younger, but she knew that Elysium had considered then close friends.

girl u good♥

boooo, I suck!! we can keep this short and have something better in the future?

The moment Eleuthera heard Huā was an empress, she dipped herself into a humble posture, positively surprising the siren as her own seaglass gaze widened. Huā knew her rank, but she was not sure she would ever get used to such polite treatment beyond her own borders. In a moment the display was over, and the empress was able to relax again, feeling it was much more comfortable for them to really meet in a more casual way. 

There's no shortage of strong women around the wilds these days- a statement Huā could not deny. Back home a man ruled 海龙泻湖，and a man ruled each of the neighboring empires. Here it was Reiko, Wraen, Lumiya, Ira, Hydra... surely the list went on beyond her frame of knowledge. The empress nodded agreeably as she thought of her allies, until she realized after a moment that it was meant as compliment to her- and she quit her nodding, feeling a tad ashamed of looking as if she wished to boast. You are too kind, She cooed with a little grin. I am sure you are one of them. Huā offered in return. 

The mention of Undersea caused Huā's ears to perk, and she smiled slightly, nodding for real this time. I have heard of them! I had a packmate called Treas- Thresher, and she tell me she is born in this 'Undersea'. She even knew the island better than me, and showed me secret places.