Cerulean Cape indeed and without doubt

@Astaroth

the water pooled around her ankles, brushing sand into the crevices between weighted toes. there was a southward breeze blowing gently along the shore, its fingers running through the fur along her throat. ying inhaled, then exhaled, and opened her eyes.

everything believed to be true had been proven false. where was she? beyond the physical realm, where did ying exist? there were changes coming, but the beings declaring the details of their inception spoke a language which she did not understand. 

ying pushed herself back onto her hindquarters. plumes of sand rose beneath the water as it spread up her chest.

no matter where he went, or how far he traveled, the ocean always called him back. like playing tug-of-war with the sea, he'd get a good pull in and expand his exploring range only to be jerked right back to where he started. he couldn't complain, for the ocean had been nothing but beneficial for him. and so when his feet started to wander back towards the coastline, he didn't object.

his sights had been set on the crashing waves in the distance when the familiar form of ying materialized in his vision. like a bolt of electricity shocking him awake, a newfound energy sent him bounding her way with a smile spread wide across his maw. "ying!", he greeted once close enough, aiming to brush his side against her own should she let him.

ying!— she was slow to react, noticing astaroth only after he'd arrived beside her. ying greeted her companion with a half-hearted smile and low chuff, unable to properly communicate how happy she was to see him. what had he been up to?

her paw found its was to her belly, discreet beneath the water. and when the tide retreated, so did her palm to the earth. hey, ying replied. she turned toward him, moving to brush her forehead against his shoulder.

he'd been around the pale siren enough to notice when the air about her was not normal. he would have asked her what was bothering her if he'd not been so distracted by the subtle, yet noticeable bump that had begun to grow along her side.

"hey", he let out in return, quietly leaning into her embrace that silenced the questions that had been rolling around inside his head. "sorry if i interrupted your alone time", he let out with an apologetic glance in her direction.

no, she laughed. ying released a long sigh and continued: i need company. there were too many immoral, questionable thoughts rolling through her mind for anyone to trust her alone. for a moment, before astaroth had arrived, she'd contemplated walking into the sea, dying a dishonorable death.
 

did she have any honor left? too much bad stuff. ying looked toward the seagulls' perch and smiled. you have good stuff? she asked, then turning back to astaroth with a curious grin.

although he wouldn't say it aloud, he was glad she was in the mood for some company. whenever he was with her, it felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest and he could breathe again. it was a comforting feeling being beside her, one he couldn't quite place into words just yet.

he let out a sigh as his mind drifted away to thoughts of his past few days. should he tell her of his encounter with the pretty girl? did it matter if he did or not? "nothing good or bad really, it's just been a boring few days", he decided to go with. curious, he turned to lean some of his weight against her own. "want to talk about the bad stuff?", he wondered aloud. it was understandable if she didn't, but if she did, he was here to listen.

boring sounded better than overwhelming. she would have liked to spend boring time with astaroth, but figured that they would have another chance. i'm tired of this life, ying replied, maybe, it's time for a new one. leaving everything behind, if only for a while, was sounding quite appealing. 

you want a new one, too? ying's head was tilted curiously to the side, her ears patiently awaiting his response. we can make it up. no rules, but some if you want.

her words went rolling through his mind like boulders, but when the rock-slide ended and the dust settled, he nodded his end in agreement with her suggestion. hitting the reset button of life was a luxury they didn't have, but who's to say they couldn't try.

"what did you have in mind?", he wonders, curious if she had already thought up a life different than this one. would she be a pirate, a thief, an explorer? and what about him? what would he be if he could change the gears and start over again?

good question. she hadn't really thought about the details before making the proposal. let's be... — a moment's though — monks. astaroth without his things didn't seem quite right, but the thought was still funny. 

no, let's be explorers. this idea seemed more feasible, all things considered. imagining astaroth standing atop distant heights, looking down upon the rest of the world, it felt more realistic. ying would be somewhere behind him, probably more interested in catching the foreign prey.

monks!? he certainly didn't expect that, and did well to show his surprise. he was about to suggest otherwise when she tossed the second and far more appealing option into the air. "explorers it is", he agreed quickly, tail giving a few agreeable sways as he glanced out to the ocean.

"and where shall our first adventure be to?", he asked curious if she had a location in mind. if not he would of course, as always, suggest the volcano, but he was interested to know if she had thought of another territory worth exploring.

beyond the coast and the wilderness, ying knew nothing about the teekon's range. she thought about all of the mysteries that might be hiding, all of the discoveries waiting to be made. she spent a moment daydreaming about their options, before answering: anywhere.

astaroth would have to take the lead because she was presently too indecisive to make any major decisions. she didn't mind following behind him, either. where you wanna go? ying stood quickly onto all four legs, pacing her trot back to shore.

anywhere huh? "want to reschedule our trip to the volcano for right now?", he asked with a tilt of his head. last he remembered, they'd planned their trip for the summer. however with ying pregnant, he was sure her time was going to be devoted towards raising her young rather than going on trips with him.

"i know it's out east somewhere", he revealed with a motion of his muzzle in the direction tzila had told him of. where it was specifically or how long it'd take to get there was all a mystery to him, so long as ying didn't mind his company for a few more days, he was ready to go anytime she was up for the journey.

astaroth's suggestion made sense. they'd been planning this trip for long enough, and there weren't going to be any other opportunities. summer would be spent caring for her young; autumn would be spent hunting for winter's meals. with no other options, ying preferred to travel before she became too heavily pregnant.

she decided against informing her sister. by the time anyone noticed, ying planned to be back at home. she looked over her shoulder and chirped for astaroth to hurry up, teasing: don't be slow! adventurers move fast.

she agreed and a smile fell easily to his features. he had to wonder what would come after this. he had traveled to the teekons with the purpose of seeing the volcano for himself, and now here he was on his way to conquer his dream. he thought loosely back to their previous conversation and their discussion of the future.

however her words pulled him from his thoughts before he could think too heavily of what would come. that's right, he still had a mountain to conquer with his best friend before he had to think of the future, so let's focus on that. "don't be mad when i have you eating my dust", he teased as he chased after her, attention set on the mountain range that rest in the distance.

astaroth's phrase didn't make any sense — eating his dust? — but she assumed that it was a challenge. ying started at a trot, hesitant to run, and enjoyed the freedom spent with her companion.