Wheeling Gull Isle light & dark

@Sotiris for reference, but open to anyone!

Her one and only child, her precious son, was nearly two weeks old. Tzila hadn't known what to expect from motherhood from the get go. She was terrified. Unsure. So worried that she wouldn't measure up and be good enough. Surprisingly, in these early weeks, she hoped she was proving herself wrong. Having lost one child at birth was traumatic enough, weighing heavily on her conscious. She wondered if there was anything she could have done differently. Fretted if Astaroth blamed her in any way. Did he?

With only Sotiris, Tzila could at least devote all her time and energy on him. Her dark son, she could already sense, was special. Her days were spent holed up in the confines of her den so her boy could eat and rest, to grow strong. Rarely, she ventured outside, and when she did it was only for a quick break to relieve herself. Today was like any other day, as she had curled herself in a tight little ball of protection around Sotiris. She had caught a good night's sleep but was still weary. Resting her head over her paws, silver eyes alert but quiet, she watched him with a soft sense of wonder.

now that ruo was ready to enter society again, she started pulling @Huojin alongside with her. occasionally, he would would go off with his father, or the woman, whom was training her son. if he wished to play the siren would set him free, but often more or less, preferred to bring him along. especially near the water.

with him coming along, as per usual would walk along the beach. a little farther then their pride rock, but on the shore. her nose crinkled, as she looked more inland to an unfamiliar scent.

smelled like fucking hua. her scent was along it.

but it wasn't.

blue, murkey eyes looked to the figure in silence. there was another with her, a smaller being. another mother.

Feel free to skip him, just making a small cameo where his eyes open <3

Life was... quiet. Though the earth trembled with every noise, he could not perceive it. The outside world was not much different from the womb; dark, silent, warm - no siblings to playfight over a teat for. Due to his lonesome upbringing, it was quite possible he'd fall behind on wolf behaviors, especially around kids his age. He would not grow to be of lean muscle, seeing as there was no need for him to establish dominance. He was quite spoiled, now that he thought about it.

The boy lifted his muzzle in the air, nose scrunched and messy brows pinched together. A loud sneeze erupted from the tiny being, and it popped his eyes open with it. The blue-eyed boy blinked around, not seeing much but the smudges of brown of the den. It wasn't all that interesting, to be fair.

Others are still free to join!

Tzila regretted that Sotiris would grow up without a sister. But she also knew there were many other puppies born into Yuèlóng this season. When he was older, he surely would have no shortage of playmates. For now, the newly dubbed mother would spoil him rotten. Dark ears pricked attentively as a sneeze overcame his little body, prompting her to usher her muzzle forward and give him a gentle once over from head to toe. Sifting through his fur, she placed a loving kiss to his crown, cooing sweetly to him. Only when she looked further down, did she see. Those newly opened oceanic eyes. Tzila felt her heart skip a beat. "Well, well hello my sweet one..." She whispered.

Outside, she caught a scent. Glimpsed a flash of earthen and sandy fur. Instinctively she tensed for a split second. This wasn't Hua. It was someone else...Ruò, if her memory served her right. Not a wolf she was familiar with at all, but still one of the pack all the same. Had she come to visit? Or had she happened upon her den site by pure chance? Glancing down to her son, Tzila carefully scooted forward without disturbing him too much, enough to poke her inky head out, where silver eyes glinted with a cautious, silent question.

ruo did not know the other. not even the name, but compared to the more sandy wolves she is used to, the mother was very dark, blackened with redden hues. however she smelled of the water yuelong held to their pelts, and carried no hostility due to that. she simply nodded to the other in silence, a perfect poker face before looking back at her son.

did he have playmates..? now that she thought of it..?

The other appeared to be no threat. She only offered a silent nod, which earned a flick of Tzila's own dark ears. Following her blue gaze down to Sotiris, she quickly surmised that Ruò must be somewhat curious. The slightly tense look from her face faded, smoothing over. "Seems that you came upon my den by accident." She paused, considering the other mother, whose own child wasn't in sight.  "Ruò is it? I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Tzila, and this..." She gestured with her muzzle to the dark child. "My son, Sotiris."

the siren nodded. she was generally a bit surprised others have heard about her, but remained with a calm allure, "nice to meet you." while a rescluse, she had some sort of manners to follow. the family required the general knowledge at least that much.

"this is my son, @Huojin." she revealed between her legs her little lion cub, but perhaps he didn't feel like coming out to play. ruo didn't mind- she wouldn't force him to socialize.

huojin could no longer deny the existence of an outside world because of his mother’s decision that he become a part of it. his only form of protest was silence; they would cross paths with other wolves and he would hide, or ignore them, if only to get a rise from ruó.

however, this time was different. huojin slowly emerged from hiding, not to see the dark woman but to investigate the squirming thing beside her. he ignored his mother’s introduction and instead focused on sotiris, lifting a paw to bat the boy’s head and test his reaction.

No, it wasn't all that interesting - until he saw a small shadow moving his way. In the ground he felt the vibrations of voices, his body feeling them but not hearing quite yet - what he felt even more so, was the boop on his head. It was placed there by another little boy, but Sotiris had no idea. He just stared blankly at the shadow, gargling a soft and purr-like; Pbrrr. The boy was still a little too young to play.