Wheeling Gull Isle and then the days got worse and worse

@Astaroth

 

while nüwu crept from the den out into the world, her mother followed secretly, many yards behind but ever-watchful. the little thinker could not place why the fur along her spine rose, why that eighth sense flared up in the discomfort of being exposed, of being watched. but she continued down to the moors between the forest and the shore, thinking herself alone, and finding some soft grass. there she laid herself down, and allowed herself to be a puppy without the eyes of others upon her, rolling in the green on her back and wiggling her dark paws in the air.

as much as he loved the freedom that came with adulthood, a part of astaroth would always wish to return to his childhood. life was easier then - it was less stressful, more fun, and felt like you had all the time in the world to do whatever you wanted. oh how he missed it.

so when he caught sight of the young adventurer off having a blast on her own, rather than interrupt, he simply plopped himself nearby and watched her enjoy the joys of childhood. he was sure hua was not far off and so felt no need to usher the girl back home, instead choosing to keep silent until she went on her way or realized she wasn't alone.

eighth sense flare-up times two. while her mother remained hidden at a distance, astaroth made no effort to hide himself- so when she whirled her head around to see what caused the fur to prick on her spine, she found the man. vaguely she recalled him from her first trip outside, but still her eyes widened and her play stopped at the sight of him. um, she breathed uncomfortably as she pulled herself up, settled on her haunches, gaze never leaving his own.

ah - he'd been discovered. he hadn't meant to interrupt her play but had done so anyways, and was now being faced with the option to either move along or stay put. he chose neither. instead he picked himself up and began a slow approach towards the girl, tail swaying happily behind him as he stopped a few feet away.

which one was she again? he supposed her name didn't really matter right now anyways, and so he simply gave a blinks in her direction before his mouth parted to offer her a warm greeting. "hello", he let out with a smile, interested to find out if she was at the age of being able to hold a conversation.

he came closer, and the girl who had been so bold during the first trip from the den now seemed to shrivel into herself, not backing away but clearly not inviting. who was this and what did he want with her? the smile and uttered word managed to soothe her nerves slightly, and her posture, while still tense, became more comfortable then. he...oh, she imitated under her breath, more to herself than him. the word was unfamiliar, but intriguing, and she gazed up to him with wide blues as if hungry for more babbles.

he saw her mouth part, but any words that may have left her lips fell on deaf ears. he took a small step forward, nose wiggling freely in the air as a gust of wind from the ocean drifted by them.

"ummm, are you luli?", he asked, taking a wild guess as to which one of the girls this might be. haoming had stuck in his mind simply due to her temperamental nature and this obviously wasn't the little boy, which left only luli and... "nüwu?"

luli?

she shook her head, a motion that bypassed the boundaries of spoken language. the next spoken name caused her tail to begin wagging, and an awkward smile grew on her face. nüwu. she affirmed, voice a little louder this time to where he might hear her.

this man knew her name, when she did not know his... but it was not such a strange thing, she decided. mother had been the same way, calling nüwu by her name, and it had taken time to learn the name of hers in return: mama. nüwu blinked up at him, expectant that his own title might come next. still trying, 你是谁? she mumbled.