Wheeling Gull Isle I've still got so much love hidden beneath this skin.

As the second day bled into a third, still Luli failed to thrive as her siblings did. If one were to look upon such a tiny and scrawny little thing among much larger littermates, they would be sure to think that that the end would come for her sooner rather than later.

Some might even wonder if it would be kinder to help her along in such a direction, as it was clear how she struggled.

But she tried. Albeit quietly, little Luli did her best to hold on.

She awoke that evening with the force of a sneeze, the loudest sound to have come from her since being thrust into a whole new existence. Startled by the sheer force of this unfamiliar body function, the peachy newborn responded with a fearful whimper.

Feel free to chase him off lmao, Ruvik too curious for his own good

Try as he might to avoid it, the foreign, strong scent of milk drew Ruvik towards Huā's den. He was overcome with overwhelming inquisitiveness, all at once afraid yet also wanting to sneak a peek at the new lives upon the island, almost like a curious child himself. He approached the place where the stench was strongest, body slung low as he quietly crept closer, eyes focused intently on the small opening of the den.

He was still a few paces away when a sudden, barely audible sneeze was heard, causing him to freeze and sink to the ground. A whimper followed afterwards, so soft Ruvik was barely able to hear it. His heart hammered as he realised he was hearing the puppies; the precious children of Yuèlóng's queen. He wanted to go right ahead and poke his head in, yet instinct prevailed and so he wisely remained where he was, staring into the den's mouth with ears pricked, hoping to catch any further noises.

Huā was nearly beginning to drift off herself, eyes half-lidded as evening fell. But eyelids fluttered open at the noise of a tiny sneeze, a little whimper; Huā craned her neck and leaned down to lap at Luli's soft forehead. Smoothing down the fur, maybe warming her up a little if possible... she was content to continue until a strong scent hit her nose. Ruvik. She trusted him, and so was not sure why her fur stood on end. Where was Atausiq-? Ah... off on his trip. She was alone to answer guests, and she did not want to answer to them anyway. Still, without looking out she knew he lingered, and so croaked softly- Ruvik? Is you?

Careful tending was swift to come, delivered by the gentle sweep of her mother's tongue to smooth the ruffled fur atop her tiny dappled crown. Luli cooed softly in response, content to bask in the warmth and affection of a parent who shifted to better shield her frailest babe, though it was short-lived. Something beyond the threshold on their hollow drew her dam's attention elsewhere but, too weak to cry out in protest, the little seadragon smoldered in silence.

Despite there being little much else apart from the faint sneeze and whimper, Ruvik still remained poised at the ready a few paces away from the den entrance. Alert, yet cautious, one ear trained on the sounds coming from inside the den while the other turned back to hear for any coming up behind him. He knew one of those beastly males of Yuèlóng were Huā's mate, and he did not fancy them finding him so close to their pups.

Still, for the moment he did not hear anyone here on the surface, and so he continued to peer into the darkness, jumping a little as a voice suddenly called out. Soft and tired, though still recognizable. "Hello," he croaked back, tail beginning to thump, thump, thump behind him in excitement.

Luli's coo was adorable- and a sign that, for once, perhaps she was doing something right for the little girl. But the matter of eyes beyond the den had to be dealt with. A little moment of quiet, and then Ruvik's greeting. And a thumping- she was  unsure for a moment, what that was, but soon her brain connected the pieces and she realized that he must be happy. Well... that was kind of uncommon, and sweet, but she still desired her privacy. Unfortunately though, Huā didn't have the heart to tell him to scurry off. So why was he here? If it was to see the children, one good look and he'd be satisfied and go, right? Are you wanting to see puppies? She wondered aloud in that same tired tone, and as she waited for an answer, she would turn back to continue grooming little Luli.

Unaware of a new presence lingering close to the Empress' whelping den, Luli failed to understand why the attention on her was so fleeting. She fumed, though only for a moment - too little to have much of an attention span and unable to harbour any real grudge.

Grooming returned to her after a time and Luli relaxed into each careful ministration, finding that she enjoyed her mother's affections. They came little but often, with Huā's attention divided between all four of her brood, so she was content to bask in time with her that was solely her own.

He shifted in place, licking his lips nervously as he thought he heard tiny movements and squeaks from inside the den. He wondered how many there were, how many there could be, having never been exposed to a situation such as this before. His ears pricked upright as he heard the leader's fatigued voice once more, so unlike her usual smooth drawl, yet the notion that he was disturbing her and her children's peace did not cross the boy's mind.

Her offer instead enticed him closer, and he shuffled forward excitedly, breath coming out in eager pants. "Y-yes," he replied, the smile in his voice hard to hide. "How many?"

If only Huā was a more intuitive mother, had she known the way Luli felt, perhaps she might've sent Ruvik away immediately. For now, the foolish siren was content to entertain him until he left. Just as unaware as he was, so was she, and so in this moment they complemented eachother in keeping Luli from the complete peace she deserved. 

His eager pants disturbed her, she curled instinctively around her daughter protectively, suddenly feeling as if Ruvik was the infamous blackhead who tormented children. She shook the thought away- Ruvik was someone she trusted... no matter how creepy he might seem. 

He asks how many... Four. She reveals quietly, yet proud. Three daughters: Haoming, Nüwu... Luli, She hummed, offering another few laps to the tiny rose girl. One boy, Xiaoqing. Sje hesitated for a moment, quiet, before speaking up to him once more: If you want, you can come see, just poke head in... She suggested.

Feel free to carry on without me!

Soft, sweet murmurings. Luli basked in those precious moments with her dam, happy to be pampered for a time. Had she the ability to smile properly, her little face would beam up into Huā's own in utmost aporeciation, but all she could offer was her baby coos.

Lulled into slumber, the mottled infant went willingly. She curled herself close and drifted with ease, happy and loved.

<3!

Four. An ear twitched as Huā revealed her litter's size, and Ruvik's eyes grew wide with fascination. How had four puppies fit into that tiny woman? He knew newborns were small but he didn't know they were that small. The names she gave seemed to be in that strange, foreign language she and the other women of Yuèlóng spoke, but Ruvik would try his best to remember each one.

Then, she spoke again after a pause, and put forward an offer that he wasn't sure he heard right the first time. "Come see?" he breathed eagerly, tail beginning its thumping behind him again. Was she really letting him take a peek?

Despite his uncertainty, Ruvik couldn't help but wriggle forwards once more, snout completely into the den now. There was nothing but darkness ahead but, as he moved forward inch by inch, he could just make out the faint outline of his alpha. His nose twitched back and forth excitedly, drinking in the nearly overpowering scent of milk as his gaze scanned the den.

"H-hello...hello puppies," he rasped, not at all as endearing and friendly as he would've hoped.

As odd as Ruvik was, he seemed pleased to be able to see the newborns, and his joy brought some to her as well. His snout made it's way into the den, she watched on from the darkness, blue eyes shining in the shadows. His nose wiggled; she unfurled her limbs, allowing the children to be shown on display. They were small, dark- not yet the brilliant spotted kids they would be in a few weeks. But they cooed and purred, breathed their little breaths, and that was evidence enough that they were truly living. As Ruvik greeted them in a rasp, she had to stifle a giggle- but her tail batted on the ground, inviting him a little closer if he wished.

If he strained his ears, he could just hear the muffled squeaks and soft breathing of the puppies nestled within, sounds so entirely foreign to Ruvik he had no idea what to make of them. The dark mass before him shifted slightly, before he caught a glimpse of a blue eye and then suddenly his gaze was drawn downwards. There, against the pale fur of her side, were four lumps barely visible in the dark.

The boy shuffled forward without thinking, focused on the nursing infants. "Four," he muttered, gaze jumping from each one to the next. One seemed tinier than the rest, and it was she he stared at unblinkingly. "One so small," he said quietly, almost as if to himself, before he looked up to the mother's face, a lopsided smile splitting his features in two. "R-Ruvik help them grow...grow big, strong."

Already he was enamored with the newest additions to the island pack.

wanna wrap?

Moving forward he came, mumbling as if almost to himself. His wide eyes were like glowing saucers in the dark, unnerving, and yet she appreciated the way he valued the kids... especially his last comment. Small children... they will be big and strong one day. With help of you... and whole pack. She murmured softly into the dark, before she curled slightly back up around them. He ought to be satisfied, for now- he would see them later, in time. But for now she had to sleep in the peace and keep the babes warm. And so she looked to him, You meet them better later, a polite sort of dismissal for the man.