Wheeling Gull Isle the moment i wake up, before i put on my makeup

02/19 - Edited.

C'mon, Hua! The huntress heaved heavy breaths as she sprinted out of her sisters' reach. The twins were not far behind; her lead would have been easily stolen, if either wished to do so. She was unsure of where this game of tag might lead them, but content to find out once they got there.

The island's northern beach remained a mystery. She was lucky to have found the well-hidden entrance, and once she did, Ying dashed inside. Her paws carried her a few yards in, just deep enough to find a suitable hiding place.

mei was more focused on taking in the new sights & smells of the isle's northern end than their game of tag, though she trailed behind her sisters at a steady lope. wordlessly, she slipped into the cave after ying. a narrow, dark path carved down into the earth, beckoning her curious mind to investigate. presuming ying had done the same, she descended into the cool, night-like air. what she found at the end took her breath away: a pristine pool illuminated by the crescent moon through a window in the cave's ceiling. this place was undoubtedly sacred, & she felt close to both rìzhào & cāng in that moment.

she thought ying would be down here but didn't see her. 映! 花! 来看看这个, she called, their game forgotten. her eyes were glued on the moon's reflection, where the gods' domains crossed.

She followed shortly behind Ying, laughing as her tongue lolled from her mouth and her fur flew in the breeze. Huā scampered inside the cave, looking left and right. Where was Ying? She could smell the girl hiding nearby. And Huā begin to prowl in the direction of her hiding spot- until something caught her attention. This cave was not like the Quiet- it continued onward. The darkness became a black curtain which she could not see beyond. 

She knew Ying would follow- and Mei had already gone on ahead. Some part of Huā was nervous to continue. The other part seemed attached to an invisible string which tuaged her feet forward. Charcoal paws continued, and Ying's scent faded behind her. The ground became cool beneath her feet, transitioning from a hardened sand into stone. It was pitch black- and suddenly her heart was pounding in her chest. Of course she wasn't afraid of the dark! It was just... a tad spooky. The temperature around her dropped, and the path seemed to wind this way and that.

But suddenly she felt her vision returning- was there light nearby? Increasing her pace, she turns a corner, and practically stumbles down a rocky staircase, into a cavern- massive and glowing. It was otherworldly. The walls of the cave were illuminated in a dim blue, and Mei stood there waiting beside a shining pool. It smelled of seawater. Searching for the source of light, she turns her head upwards, to find the tiny crack in the ceiling. How long did that hole continue upward? How far underground were they? And yet the moonlight met the place all the same. For now she was stunned into silence, only coming to stand beside Mei while her jaw dropped at the sight of the place.

Guys! she called, Guys? Mei's beckoning had gone ignored, figuring that it was a tactic to pull her from hiding. Ying stepped warily into the open and looked around, but neither twin was within sight. She trotted into the dark and tumbled down the staircase, landing clumsily beside the pond that had called to the others.

Her eyes were alight with awe. Wow, she sighed, looking up at the crescent moon, That's so cool. Ying made sure to keep her voice low, should either sister be in a state of spiritual contemplation. She walked to the edge of the water and began to paw at the few fish beneath.

she heard both sisters clumsily stumble into the cave, though she only acknowledged this with the swiveling of her pointed ears. slowly, she approached the water's edge & sat down, closing her eyes. the gods' presence was nigh palpable, powerful yet soothing. opening her eyes, mei looked to her siblings & murmured, 我觉得这里很接近神灵。这将成为祈祷和仪式的理想场所。

Ying arrived soon after, breaking the glass that had kept her entranced with glossy eyes. She whips her head to see the moonlight sister, landing clumsily before joining them at the water's edge. Huā laughs lightly, though keeping it gentle- she, too, was sure this place must mean something to Mei. 

The elegant priestess, after a few moments, acknowledged her sisters in words. Speaking of her gods- Huā knew little, but had always been curious. She knew religion was important to her sister. If Mei felt this place was right for prayers, rituals- Huā could understand why. It was glowing with a magical light. Silently she nods her head agreeably at Mei, having no qualms with the proposal.

I'll hop back in after a few posts. She's just dilly-dallying.

White Huā and Mei contemplates the holiness of this cave, Ying was busy trying to catch the particles of light which sparkled after her paw. It was as if spirits, caught within the water's grasp were chasing after her every movement, adding another mystical element to their hidden getaway. She didn't pay much attention to what was being said, instead focusing on her new friends.

huā remained silent but nodded in agreement. ying, on the other hand, was preoccupied playing around like a pup. mei huffed but swung her gaze to the moon. 我要在这里待一会儿并祈祷。你想去就可以去, she proposed, still fixated on the crescent that shone through the window.

Ying seemed distracted, and Huā glared at her a little, though she doubted the nuvujak would even notice. Couldn't she be serious for just an instant? Her playfulness, it was equally charming and frustrating. 

Mei told them they could go if they wished; that she would remain and pray. Though it was not stated outright, Huā felt perhaps her offer that they leave was a voicing of her own hopes. That they leave her alone for a bit so she could breathe the room into her soul, so that she could speak with the gods.

She was not eager to leave the glorious cavern, for it held much beauty- but her sister's spiritual experience came before Huā's own selfish wants. Huā nods again, curtly, before beginning to head to the entrance. Before she starts climbing the staircase, she gently calls 英! hoping the girl would follow.

If Ying knew what her sisters were thinking, she probably wouldn't have cared. Hua and Mei had their own ways of thinking about the world; why couldn't she have the same? She sighed and stood, nodding a silent goodbye to the water spirits before turning and making her exit after Hua.