Wheeling Gull Isle almost like a clear blue breeze

400 for you @Ying

Huā placed quietly through the island's forests, alone and careful. The world was just beginning to show the first signs of spring- snow melted into messy patches, in turn watering the seeds of fresh green sprouts and blooming flowers. With spring came life, and she was just as distinctly aware of it within herself. More and more frequently Huā felt movement in there, shifting and thriving little things. More than one, certainly- how many, she did not know. 

It would be time soon to begin considering a location to give birth. And so this was why she walked, looking for some sort of niche or enclave that seemed sheltered enough.

congratulations!

You're getting fat, she laughed, 你看起来不错. The guardian had been following dutifully after her sister, keeping an eye out for passing packmates. Ying breathed her stress through a heavy sigh and walked forward to brush shoulders.

Stopping just ahead of her sister, she asked: 你在做什么? There weren't many ways to keep oneself occupied on the island, so Ying hoped that her sister might have something interesting planned.

Huā laughed at that, somehow both flattered and ashamed. 哎呀，我想我的老身体。 She chuckles in playful response. She hoped that once the kids made their way out, she could lose the extra weight quickly. She was sure that at that point she'd be dying to get out and move her legs anyway; perhaps it would not be so hard. 

Her sister comes up beside her, inquiring about her activity. 寻找窝。孩子的， She explains, with an awkward pointed glance back to her own rounding sides.

She looked her sister over and smiled, commenting: 你看起来挺好的. The extra weight served to fill curves which had once been barren, giving the young Empress a matronly appearance. While it might not have appealed to most, Ying thought that it was an impressive change.

你可以有我的, she offered, 内陆太远. Ying thought that she preferred the idea of nesting near the border, so that she might be able to maintain her duties during the helping period. Come on, she said, and began to walk toward the den.

Huā could not see what Ying saw in her, but this time around she would accept the compliment anyway. 谢谢你。 She hummed sweetly. 

Then Ying offers her her own den, and her eyes widen. 哇，你已经找到了吗？ She praises. Even Huā had not been so on top of things- Ying's own pregnancy hadn't even begun to show yet and she'd already chosen a den. It made Huā wonder if perhaps she was already being a bad mom- but she shook the worries away, opting to follow Ying through the woods with a spring in her step despite the heaviness of her stomach.

slight pp

Ying shook her head. 若发现对我来说, she explained. The den's entrance quickly came into view; she flagged her tail, motioning for Huā to follow her inside.

The den was shallow, but there was enough space for one wolf to lay down. Being smaller than her sister, Ying settled inside of its hallway and drew a deep breath. 感觉怎么样? she asked, motioning toward Huā's growing belly.

When Ying explained Ruò had found it, that tied up the last of her doubts about whether she was doing things right. That seemed fair, anyway- Ying was an especially busy and hardworking woman, and Huā doubted she would quit her efforts even a moment earlier than necessary. The girl would surely be patrolling and guarding till her last breath; it was the type of character she seemed to be. 

Huāzhen followed her sister into the shallow place. Safe, sheltered- small enough to keep out any nosy company. The place seemed just right for giving birth, and Huā figured she would not be keen on extra guests on that strenuous day, so she appreciated the size. The mermaid glances to her stomach once more, 我感到婴儿在踢。 我确定有多个。 She laughs, as if to explain the wildness of them. Certainly there were two- perhaps even three. She looks back to her sister, thoughtful, before asking in return, 你有感觉吗? There was no way to ensure Ying's pregnancy completely, but some little part of Huā hoped Fengmian's swimmers were strong enough. She didn't want to go into motherhood alone.

Suddenly overcome with shame, she looked away from her ssiter's gaze. Surely, she should have felt something by now...right? Something must have been wrong. Ying wondered if she was preparing for a pregnancy that didn't even exist, or if she'd been correct and since lost the babies.

Nothing had "passed", which gave her another glimmer of hope. Turning back to Hua, Ying sighed and answered: 没有. Her sister held more knowledge about these things. Being further along in her pregnancy, Ying wondered if Hua might have some insight into what was happening.

She frowns at her sister's answer. But recalling her own experiences, she tries to remove the worry from her face. 几周后我什么都没感觉。 我吐了一次，但是直到以后都没有肿胀。 She offers. If Ying was still in that first stage, it would be no surprise if she had not felt much. Huā still had little idea whether her own vomiting was caused by the pregnancy or not- for all she knew, it would only appear after three weeks, no symptoms prior. 

She felt awkward to be so invasive, but decided to ask, 你什么时候做爱的? It was a necessary question- she prayed that it was not too long, for perhaps nothing was wrong with her sister's womb at all.

我没什么感觉, she breathed, 也许出了点问题. Thinking about the current topic caused visible stress. Ying's brow became tightly knit, her paws kneading helplessly at the soil. She hadn't shared any of her anxieties with her sister, and even now, felt that some things would have been better kept secret.

Surprised, she paused and looked at Huā. 我们见面的同一天, Ying replied. Immediately after the altercation, she broke off from the group and found Fengmian. It had been that same day upon which she was assumed to have conceived, but she couldn't remember how long it had been since.

Seeing her sister upset only caused more anxiety to brew in Huā. At this moment she needed to be the stable, reassuring sister- which was difficult, considering her tendency towards paranoia. Still she had to try her best- she nudges Ying with her muzzle gently, hoping to provide what little comfort she could. All the while nervous negative thoughts wormed their way into her mind. Don't worry so much. Maybe it's just not time yet- wait a week more and see how you feel then? She advises, tone soft. 

Ying tells her that it was on the day of the altercation- which she found slightly amusing, considering there had been three suitors waiting for her and none chosen. Her sister was quite the catch then, pulling so many men- and rightfully so. Protective, the mermaid thought nuvujak only deserved the best. Which she secretly believed was Astaroth, who had been amusing and good-hearted when she'd met him- but she would keep such things to herself. She could not recall the amount of days either, she was no historian, and so she would err on the side of positivity, asserting that It has not been so long. Perhaps the little ones are still forming.

The guardian regained her composure and cleared the emotion from her throat. There were only two options — pregnant, or not pregnant — and neither would excuse her from her duties. Therefore, Ying decided to pause her public worry and save her concerns for later.

Instead, she turned her attention to Huā, asking: Do they have names? Atausiq wasn't nearby, but she was curious— 您的伴侣对此感觉如何?

Ying seemed to throw a cover over her worries- it didn't mean they were gone, the siren knew that much. Just shelved for now. But she was willing to move on as well, and she couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought of naming children. I always wanted a boy called Little Blue...(Xiaoqing) and lately I think a daughter called Dewy Jasmine (Luli)... but I don't know. Maybe I'll just know when I see them... She contemplated, almost as if to herself. 

The second question was perhaps even more interesting. What would he think? Would he want to name them in english? She would not mind, but she still felt that they ought to be connected to their origins- and the root of that was a chinese name. Could a wolf have two names? I don't know... I need to ask him. I hadn't even thought about it. Silly me. Part of her wanted to ask Ying her planned names as well, but at the same time she had no desire to stir up more pain in her heart.

你比我更有创造力 — a quiet laugh — 那些名字很漂亮. Although she hadn't thought much about names, she had developed an idea of those which she might choose.

Atausiq was assumed to have taken the role of father. As such, it was surprising for Ying to hear that he hadn't been included. She hid her revealing expression with a head nod, instead choosing to seem understanding.

wrap?

谢谢你， She laughed almost shyly. She was not sure whether the names she chose were beautiful or not, but hearing affirmation from Ying put her at ease. Perhaps she would test them on Atausiq soon too- he couldn't understand the language, but she could at least give him the English and see what he thought. If Ying had nothing more to say, Huā would quietly communicate her tiredness with a yawn. She was ready to lay down and familiarize herself with the den- and though she would not ask Ying to leave, she hoped that she would be able to nap in silence soon.