Wheeling Gull Isle my heart is saying that it's time again

the island was close but required crossing the land bridge, a barely visible pathway from the mainland. the three sisters began their journey across and while ying enjoyed each step, she wondered if the others would say the same. once close enough, she took a whiff of the air to see if she could detect any notable scents.

i think it's empty, she called back to @hua and @Mei, shouting over the waves, let's race! yuèguāng giggled as she sped off, kicking up bouts of sand in attempt to win an advantage.

Eager as she was, Huā's effort had been spent in their playfight. Though she tries to chase after Ying, her full effort isn't there. Still- being in the water was her strength. The waves weren't hurdles to overcome, they were boosts.

She dodges her head this way and that, tries to avoid the dust that the huntress would kick at her. In a full gallop, she tails Ying closely, tongue lolling out of her mouth like a dog with its head out the window.

The shore just got closer and closer, and now she could pick out details, and now she could see the leaves of the trees- they were almost there! And the secret beach was quiet, empty of scents. Just as Ying had said, the place was all theirs.

Posting to move this along. Mei is (ofc) still welcome.
Also, slight PP.

The guardian stopped outside of the entrance. She barked for both sisters to do the same, nudging their cheeks as they came to stand at her side. Her nose was lifted in a futile attempt to pick out any lingering scents, but she was left with nothing more than the sting of sea salt. 

Come on, she said, a wary smile on her face, Let's just stay together for now, okay? It would be difficult to be sure that they were truly alone; moving carefully and quietly would be best.

as she said, sparx, feel free to jump in whenever ^v^

When Ying came to a stop, so did she. Huā returned her sister's loving touch, offering one to Mei as well. Leathery blue-black nostrils flaring, she was confident they were alone. Maybe a little too eager, but it wouldn't be Huā if she had been cautious and practical. 

She was prepared to bound off down the beach, but Ying told them to stay together. She nods, though her paws itched to explore. She hoped Ying would not dawdle or offer a hunt, of all things. Seaglass eyes skimmed the land, slowly picking out the details. A forest towards the center- a hill, risen into the sky. A smear of purple in the distance over there, a little stream over here.

Not so much could be seen from far away, but now that they had arrived, the place seemed to be wonderfully detailed, like it was crafted by some god with an excellent taste in landscape paintings. 很漂亮... She breathes, barely a whisper.

The guardian listened for stray noises — yips, barks — but found nothing worth consideration. She began to walk further onto the island and motioned for the sisters to do the same. Ying noticed that the scent of brine was particularly strong to the east so she was careful to keep north, not wanting to accidentally make a wrong turn.

The trees dotting the forest were tall and lined with pine needles. She wondered how the island might look in the spring, once the snow in the innermost territory had finished melting. It's not what I expected, she joked back to Hua, tail beating excitedly. But...yeah, it's pretty.

sorry for deadness. ♥

这将是一个宜居的地方；安静，僻静并被大海包围。就像一个梦, she mused aloud, gaze sweeping across the isle. it was one of the few times something new & mysterious was welcomed by the reclusive priestess, for this island was everything she could want from a place to call home & more.

im in school cant think chinese rn just know shes speaking mandarin ok... LOL

Ying surveys the land as well, though she seemed perhaps a little less amazed than Huā, considering her comment. The mermaid laughs in ringing tones like music at her words. Afterward, Mei brings up a valid point, and voices her thoughts exactly. Agreed. Since the island connects to the land when the tide is low... we could access it often. And even if the tide rises, we could swim... She muses thoughtfully, all the while imagining their life there: Huā sunbathing on the beach, Mei swimming in the water, Ying hunting in the woods...

The sisters spoke behind Ying, though she paid them little mind. She was listening to everything that they said and being careful to store it in her mind, but for now, her focus was on unbiased exploration. She made a turn and began to ascend a small hill, wondering what might be hiding at its peak. 

---

Come see the view! she called to Hua and Mei. One could see the entire reach of the ocean from where the huntress stood, proudly overlooking the world around them.

after 87 long yrs, mei has reached 50 posts!!

she nodded following huā's outward musings. what an interesting phenomenon this island was. it felt like they were destined to come here, though cāng hadn't divulged as much to her. ying brought her out of her own head when she called to them. ears perked, she trotted up behind her, stopping beside the platinum-clad sister. the crisp sea breeze tousled her fur, carrying the ocean's salty scent with it.

mei found no use in exclaiming her awe. she contentedly took in the view of the sea, the isle, & the coast all in one grandiose sweep. & just like that, she was sold;

they were home.

I said it before lol but CONGRATS!!!!!

She followed Ying up the slope. As they climbed it felt small- their journey to the peak was not a long one- but standing at the top, it felt like majesty. The land was entirely visible below her, and she craned her neck this way and that, taking notes mentally of its layout. The thick forest here, tide pools there- the smudge of purple appeared to be flowers, though she could not tell what type they were from this distance. And as her eyes looked up to the horizon, she could distantly see the land, and the shore in all its glory. It seemed all so small from up here. 

Laughter bubbles up within her, she feels like emperor of the world. 这很漂亮! 我要在这里常常住. She says with obvious joy, and once the words pass her lips she realized what she has suggested. Turns gaze back to the sisters, wondering if they would make anything of it or brush it off as casual.

The sisters seemed to have reached an unspoken consensus. Ying turned her head to the side, looking back at Hua with one half-lidded eye. Mei stood on the other side in contemplative silence, though it was clear that they'd all been thinking the same thing.

Was this was Ying wanted? She didn't think that it mattered. This was what the sisters wanted and for now, her purpose was to make them happy. She would prepare the island in secrecy — forming caches, patrolling the border — to give as a gift once spring arrived.

She was content to avoid offering opinions until then. You wanna go explore some more? she asked, looking back at either twin, I'm sure there's lots to see.

huā said she wanted to live here forever. 我也是, mei agreed, pleased in her typical reserved fashion. when ying asked if they wanted to keep exploring, she nodded. they'd only just begun, after all, & she was excited to see what else this isle had to offer. she descended the hill with her nose down & took in the menagerie of new scents. 这里有很多奇怪的生物, she observed, desiring to discover them.

There was a silent recognition between them, as Ying glanced back at Huā. She could not tell if Ying felt the same about living here forever- as she did not voice her thoughts, as Mei did- but she could only assume. The three would never separate, right? 

Ying suggests they continue exploring, and so Huā follows them down the slope. Mei makes a comment on the scents of wildlife, and Huā nods. 新饭. is all she chuckles in response. Beyond the creatures, what other new things lied in wait? Her mind wandered.

I'll catch something! Ying called to her sisters. If there was something to be tracked, there was something to be caught; the trio would not go hungry. She ran ahead of the pair, now confident that they were truly alone. 

The distant flutter of wings caught the huntress's attention. She prowled onward, ears perked as she listened for bird calls.