Totoka River forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart

02/16 - Hoping for some fishing.

Was Orochi the only other mercenary within their ranks? He was a three-legged, hot-headed stranger, likely indifferent to the wellbeing of her family. Ying was wary of leaving him as temporary guardian, but knew that she would have to get used to it. Once the pack was made official, her priority would shift to feeding the pack, leaving him as their primary protector.

She walked toward Rusalka, buckling down beside the river with sunrise. Her stomach grumbled loudly, demanding that she stop for a meal. The water ran too fast to freeze; it was unideal, but Ying would have to face live waters for breakfast. She looked over either shoulder before creeping onward to the river's edge.

lets fish

ruo was fascinated all that was water, but most importantly the sea. tho for once the siren departed from those salty waters, and entered a freshier area. it was always needed to survive, but still preferred the other, despite undrinkable. while wandering the coast and needed a drink, a thought came to be. where did it end up?

so she followed the river, finding nothing else to do, and there she saw, her dear cousin ying. a nod to the other, a silent greeting.

Silently, she looked between her cousin and the water. Ruò had a way of turning up when least expected, but Ying didn't mind. It meant that she now had a fishing partner, whether or not that had been the girl's intention. 

She continued to wander closer to the water until the steady current was pooling at her ankles. It was cold, and unless living inland had forced the pair to adapt to freezing temperatures, they would have to move quickly. Ying did not wait for her cousin to join before snapping at her first catch.

+one fish

she understood her cousins intent, despite the silence. she was best within that quiet sound, and followed ying forward. paws touched the water but remained unfazed, it was cold, but there was always something far more cold then this. her cousin striked, and thankful for the first movement for the fish were quick to flee in opposite directions. the siren was lucky.

ruo was quick to act as the fish swam near, and was quick to snap at the waters. her head felt cold and frozen, a freezy headache as she snatched up the aquatic prey before biting hard on it. she gave it a finishing blow before placing it on the edge of the river, keeping it away from the river as she gained one fish. did her cousin gain something?

The fish scattered. She pulled back with a helpless gasp and watched as Ruo dispatched her first. Ying stomped her paw, sending the school that had regathered into a second frenzy. What the fuck! her voice was soft to begin, but slowly escalated to a frustrated exclamation. 

Ying had never had such bad luck, so what had changed? Since her expulsion from Rusalka, it seemed that every hunt was destined to fail. Without looking, she dove into the water once more, surprisingly coming away with a substantial catch.

she blinked at her cousins outburst, but paid no mind as she quickly went back to catch another after a failed hunt of the first batch. and once more, ruo took advantage of her cousins wild springing in the water to catch the fleeing fish.

one more to the batch, as instead she whipped the fish up with a sleek paw, and grabbed with her maw. it struggled of course, as she grabbed it with an awkward angle, but simply threw it on the land to get a better grip. 

after doing so, one more final bite. and then ruo looked at ying, more?

Fuck you, Ying laughed. A part of her meant the insult, though she knew better than to let that be known. Once their hunt had ended, all malice would be forgotten.

She drew in a deep breath and prepared for another dive. She was more patient this time, waiting for the perfect moment before ducking in and grabbing another fish. It struggled between her jaws so she moved to the shore where one could more easily dispatch their prey. 

Ying waited for Ruo to either join her or continue the hunt, grooming her paws in an attempt to warm herself.

her cousin was displeased, but knew it was no more of a moodswing, as per' all the jiangs were like. though the other was quick to re-enter the fight to gain a perhaps another fish, after the first failed one. ying gained two, and ruo...

it seemed it would stay as two. her cousin was far more patient and gave a less scare to the fish. they did not run by, to where she could easily snatch them up and felt a sigh escape. now the siren had to lunge to get them. when she did? nothing but water. she was not the otter the lion said she was.

came up to the land, but satisfied with the two she had caught.

Seeing her cousin arise unsuccessful in her final attempt did ease some of Ying's ire. She settled onto her side and pulled the two fish close, beginning to gnaw the head from the largest of the pair. Why are you so far from the island? she asked, Another shooting star? The question was asked with hidden humor, though she was quite serious in her inquiry. Ying didn't understand the fascination with the sky, but thought that it might be worth learning more about.

ruo shook her head, this time it was not a star. that was most likely the only other reason she would truly wander inland, to find the shooting star. instead at some point she had found ying, and the other the lion led to an unsuccessful hunt for it. it was getting disheartening, but there has been a few times in her childhood that been the same. one day...

"河," she started, "它通向哪里."

She shrugged her shoulders and frowned. I'm not sure, Ying admitted, Probably back to the coast. Her teeth were still tight around the circumfrence of the fish's head, but she looked toward home with a pensive side-eye. 

Had she ever seen this river, back at Rusalka? Ying didn't think so, but it was possible that it seperated somewhere within the plateau. Do you wanna find out? she asked, curious as to how Ruo might respond.

ruo took the smaller of her fish, feeling of a smaller appetite, and then passing her other fish to ying. she wasn't too hungry. though perhaps she should eat more, as the siren nodded to ying's suggestion. that was what she was doing anyway, originally was travelling to see where the end may be, but instead stumbled upon a cousin with fish.

We'll start a cache, she decided. The shores had already been declared an unofficial claim, so why not the river as well? Come spring, the pack would do good to have a variety of hunting grounds. Ying stopped picking at her fish and began to dig at the base of a tree. The ground was frozen, so the ditch was too shallow; Ying kicked up extra snow and rotten leaves in an effort to hide it as best as possible. She added a small scent marker on the opposite side of the trunk, should anyone become interested.

Ying nodded for Ruo to follow and began to walk the length of the river. What have you been up to? she asked, taking care to keep her eyes on the current.

the siren nodded and brought the fish forward as her cousin built it. she did not know the thoughts of claiming even more then what was needed, but she would think it was foolish. they had enough land at the isolated isle, what more could family ask for? then again as a recluse, the isle was the supreme and ideal land for herself.

ruo thought it wouldn't hurt to reveal, "我遇到了一个男人，他看起来像一只狮子." that was probably it, besides meeting family.

There must have been some sort of misunderstanding. The wolves of their family bore children of neutral shades, rarely varying from the standard brown. Who was it that Ruo had met, then, who was not of their own blood? Ying turned a curious eye to her cousin and raised a brow, allowing a small smile to creep onto her maw.

You met a man? she teased, An attractive man? Ying did not want to intrude beyond what was allowed for fear of Ruo closing up. She turned her attention back to the water and continued to watch in silent contemplation.

she knew of her cousins lure and tease, ruo momentarily thought to bring up the strange man she saw when trying to locate her cousins within the unknown pack.. there was a sly eye within the sirens blues, but refrained. it'll be a card for later, "狮子是..." she never thought of it. there was a silent contemplation to he was, for the siren he was simply different. 

"也许。他是红色的."it was an interesting color, unlike their own.

He sounds cute. She shrugged her shoulders and continued, Did you sleep with him? Ying didn't realize how brash the question was until after asking it, but by then, it was too late to retract her words.

and she is done with ying for today,  "我离开." ruo wished for no more time with her cousin and made her way back to the isle.

An obnoxious laugh rolled from Ying's throat as she turned to bid her cousin farewell. I'll know when you do! she called after Ruo, giggling as she continued toward Rusalka.