Wheeling Gull Isle son... sun...

@Huojin

"huojin," the mother called out to her son, "what have you been up to." she asked, curiously as he was been more active then usual. she actually doesn't know much of what he does when out of her sight, unless he happens to blabber what he has been up to with his father. 

ruo still had a bitter taste over hua, and kept herself out of the mainlands. there was no point in continuing on social aspects, as all her family was gone, besides her little fire. ying had disappeared, her siblings were a mystery, mei was in the background, and even the other cousins- all but gone. it was just ruo, and hua left of the dynasty, but the two were at a spat. 

so she focused on what little family she had left, and perhaps the lion counted. since he is the father, but she made it clear they were not mates. but ruo was at peace with co-parenting.

for huojin, she would sacrifice anything.. even though sometimes she would like to shove his head in the sand.

seldom did the lionet wander far from either parents’ side, and never had he stepped from pride rock. this labyrinth of stone was all he’d ever known, though that hadn’t been much of an inconvenience. he enjoyed being around both mother and father, having them available whenever needed; what more was there, for which he could ask?

hearing his mother’s voice, huojin stepped carefully from his hiding place behind a short stone pillar. m.. he called to her, ma. such simple words were easy to translate; the more difficult, more abstract words still gave him trouble. 

he tumbled toward his mother’s legs, tripping only once on oversized paws. i go? huojin asked. his nose was pointed toward the outside, his eyes trying to peek at their view from the perch. unsuccessful, he gave himself permission to explore further, whispering: i go.

he was quite a good kid, rarely left. she only assumed there has been times he wandered outside to explore. ruo couldn't help but smile at his struggle of speech, and the simple, 'i go,' in determination. she nodded, and prodded him forth with her own paws, "go."

of course she would be watching in the back but, it was a good time to start expanding his horizon.

huojin walked outside and paused halfway, his hindquarters still shaded by rock. it was warm outside; without the sea breeze, it would be sweltering, considering his lack of a summer coat. he looked back at ruó for second permissions, then fully emerged into the beaming sunlight.

the calls of seagulls loitering nearby echoed over their corner of the beach, high-pitched melodies and other such things. 那是什么? he asked in his oddly-accented voice. huojin was learning which languages were appropriate and when, but he still had trouble deciphering between each one.

thus, his next question was: πουλιά?, which he couldn’t have known his mother likely wouldn’t understand. he walked to the edge of their balcony and peered over the edge, looking down at the sandy crest where his family members so rarely wandered.

ruo was pleased to know his language was developing, specfically in both english and mandarin. she preferred the mother-tongue amongst all else, but knew it was impractical within these lands. she trusted with communication from his father, it would not be an issue to learn both, "birds," she replied, simplyfying the names, "they are seagulls."

what became concerning though, he spoke one she did not recognized. a frown upon her slim features, as she followed her son outward, and gave a look toward her little cub, "huo," she started, "where did you learn those words?"

huojin nodded his head, 海鸥. they didn’t make wolf sounds, but he thought that it might be because they weren’t sure how to do it. convinced of this theory, he opened his mouth to bark in their general direction until one made a response.

however, ruò continued speaking before any of the birds could have a chance. huojin glanced back at his mother and tilted his head, somewhat confused by the question. which words was she referring to?

he knew that each parent had their own way of speaking, and that either way might be more appropriate in any given situation, but huojin hadn’t fully considered that the languages were exclusive to either individual. 话? he asked, hoping she might explain.

sometimes she thought to be a good mother, but ruo also doesn't have too much patience. she wasn't sure how to explain those words to huojin who knew so little regarding communication. he was still learning after all, "nevermind, proud of you," she would perhaps ask @Aiolos later if he was teaching their son this unknown language, she wasn't aware he knew any other one. as long as it wasn't some random packmate doing so. however learning three- was impressive.

"you want to go swimming, huo?"

swimming? huojin wasn’t sure he’d heard that word before, but trusted that his mother wouldn’t suggest anything bad. he nodded his head, excited to learn what “swimming” meant.. but equally anxious to take that leap.

wanting to show his enthusiasm further (and downplay his inner anxieties) huojin walked in front of his mother to take the lead.

she decided; it was the day. her pride and joy, her love of life... something she adored so, which was swimming. she longed for the day ruo would be able to teach her son how to swim, and prayed to any, and all gods, he enjoyed it as much as she did. but the siren knew, she had to take it easy. she couldn't have him frighten over it. the best she could do was take him to the shallows.

huojin took the lead, but with a paw she occasionally moved him toward the direction she wanted. it was just a bit away from their rock, but it was shallow waters nontheless. it would be too much to have him leap off their den, the best she could do was introduce him to the sea.

"pretty?" ruo asked, as she motioned him to take a look at the waves, going back and forth from the sand.

pretty. huojin stood there, stiff and stuck at his mother’s side. incoming waves pushed sea debris toward his little paws but each time, he stepped back, unwilling to touch the water just yet.

he looked up at ruó, waiting for her to push onward, while simultaneously hoping that this might be the extent of their ‘swimming’ for the day.

ruo saw her son avoiding the water, but complimenting it. though he went no further..

so she just pushed him.

with a paw stretching forward, the siren forcibly pushed her son to step toward it, while also joining him through into the cold sea. 

"do not be afraid," the mother tried to coo toward her son in native tongue.

huojin’s body began to tense, his paws writhing against the foreign feeling of water and wet. he growled, snapped his small jaws, and completely ignored ruó’s instruction to not be afraid.

rather, he was terrified, and equally furious at the introduction of a new, uncomfortable emotion. huojin’s vision began to narrow as he worked his way back onto the sand, his sides tightening to restrict his forced movements.

had his entry to the water been by his own choice, huojin’s reaction might have been different, but the loss of control ruined it.

ruo pushed her son back in.

it was all about tough love right now.

she didn't realize her little cub was more on the anxious and cautious side, as like her, remained more silent upon his emotions.

which was now a huge disadvantage as she would simply throw him back into the water.

停!, huojin yelled, no, ma! steady winds brought increased waves, allowing the water to pull him into partial submersion and further his panic. experience would have told him that he wasn’t in any true danger — if he’d had any.

this time, after fighting his way back onto solid ground, huojin didn’t stop to catch his breath. rather, he moved his soaked body as quickly as he could back toward pride rock and his hiding places, where he could hopefully escape ruó’s grasp.

of course ruo was disappointed over her sons fear of the water. it was her soul- her life, her lover, which she wanted to share so far. tough-love, really, but the siren never looked too closely to how her son had been growing.

he was an anxious ball, of fear, but how could she know that? only when he ran in fear, did she see a bit of it.

"huojin," she called out, "little cub," as well as his nickname, "come out, i wont force you anymore."

huojin wasn’t quick to believe his mother’s reassurance. he crept further into the shadows, trying to hide himself completely from view until she left — however long that might take.

"not leaving till you out." in all honesty ruo wanted to tear him out, but she learned so far it was better to be patient. let his tantrum continue- and eventually he should come out. so she hoped, anyway. the day was long and sunny, so she had time to wait. the siren laid down with a yawn.

and so, huojin did the same, settling onto his belly for a nap. this entire ordeal proved more strenuous than he could have expected, and a nap was exactly what he needed to heal.