Wheeling Gull Isle backwards with purpose

please allow @Huojin to post first also @Huā @Aiolos

The chance encounter with Lionel had not delayed her long; Alya was soon arriving on the island's proverbial doorstep alongside Huojin, still wet from traversing the sandbar and not quite happy about it.

At once, she tipped back her head to howl for Huā, eager to get the niceties over with so that she could find a place to dry off and rest for a moment. Perhaps the leader could be persuaded to allow her to remain as a more permanent guest; she had no intentions of returning to Moonspear just yet, after all, but also no firmer plan in mind. It would be a safe enough home base to use while she explored the coast at her leisure.

normally, huojin preferred to travel by himself, but he’d found himself tolerating alya’s company. she wasn’t overly talkative or otherwise annoying; instead of wanting to get away, the lionet actually found himself quite attracted to the moonspearian woman. forbidden love or something like that.

my aunt i hope comes soon, huo affirmed with a nod. he turned to alya to ask, you will go back right after? of course, he did hope that she might stay, but only in the manner of a childish crush.

It hadn't been really all that long. Just shy of two moons in fact, though it didnt change the fact that Aiolos had missed both Ruo and Huojin something fierce. He had kept himself busy, as often he did. Instead of his attention split between those two and his duties, he instead had placed all his attention to his duties. Simple, really. It was not to say that he missed his time at Ruo's rock with the pair, a rock which he still visited from time to time but had not stayed since they had been gone. It wasnt the same without them. 

Another call sounded. They had quite a few visitors as of late, loners and allies alike and though this call rang for Hua (as often it did) the guardian would still make way towards the border to stand guard should, given the chance, anyone meant ill toward his Empress. 

Original intention to stay back and wait, this all changed at the very sight of his son...and not Ruo with him. Worry plagued him, of course, but for the moment he let questioning sit to the side as he came quick to his son. Huojin! A laughter takes him, one he had not had in some time. Tail waving all the while, he lifts a foreleg to throw it over his son's back and try to pull him in close for a hug. I've sure missed you son.

While she was willing to look past Lionel's obvious youth to flirt with him, for some reason, Huojin's crush failed even to register with the typically astute seductress. Perhaps she was simply too accustomed to being venerated by wolves his age — anything else was too ridiculous to contemplate, despite her having had several similar crushes at that age. (Including one on her own father.)

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, looking around at the island and doing a very good job of hiding her distaste behind her very real interest in the island. She'd never been before, and she wasn't looking forward to trying to get back to the mainland from it. "I am hoping to get a few days of rest here — and a chance to explore — before setting off again. But I won't be going back to Moonspear just yet. There are a few other packs I need to check in on."

But, when someone arrived to greet them, it wasn't the shewolf that Hydra had described to her at all — and he rudely didn't even acknowledge her as he ran to greet his son. Alya gave them a moment to themselves, waiting with growing impatience in the background. When she spoke, however, there was only amusement and quiet indulgence in her smooth voice.

"My, what a welcome," she said warmly, inserting herself back into reality.

Huā was a touch late, coming to find Huojin and Aiolos in an embrace, while Hydra hung to the side- or whom she perceived to be Hydra, though she was looking a little wider around the edges, not that the siren would mention such a thing aloud. Huā smiled broadly to see the boy back home, though wondered where Ruò was- (was it not her job to look after her own son?) and why Hydra was here with her nephew. With a wagging tail she moved past the father and son, coming to her ally with a respectful bow, despite how they stood on the empress' land. Hydra was like a role model to her, after all, and she wished to always stay on her good side. Greetings, Hydra- I hope Moonspear has been well? I am happy to see Huojin home- I suppose you have met my nephew, now- though naturally I am curious why you have come with him. A slight cant of her head in lighthearted question.

alya’s answer brought some slight disappointment, but it was quickly washed away by his father’s excited greeting. huojin took pause, allowing his father to initiate the embrace, before stepping back with a neutral grin.

this is — oh! 阿姨我来拜访你. 这个女人把我从山上带了. huojin was grateful to be understood again, but knew that he would have to further explain for this father.

he turned to alya with a gracious dip of his head. this is alya from moonspear. i lived there for four nights.

He had grown, changed perhaps more then in his structure which was far more leggy in his adolescence now. He spoke more common, this was for certain, but his Mandarin was as fluent as anything else.

 Aiolos knew what the boy was saying, having to come to an understanding of the tongue though could speak it far less. He had stayed on the mountain then, to rest with an ally from his travels back? But where was Ruo? 
 
Having not much of a relationship with Hydra, Olo would not have known by the difference either- the same dark coat, same eyes, same notch in the ear, same might... Do forgive my eagerness, he spoke to Alya, dipping his muzzle to her, I've not seen my son in some time. Thank you for bringing him home safely. 

Huojin corrected though, not Hydra at all, but 'Alya'. Ah, surely sisters yes? You look so much alike Hydra. He spoke with a sheepish smile for his mistake, not knowing she was one of triplets. And then, realizing his son's words... You've come to visit? But where did he expect to be going to? He'd only just gotten him back! Wheres your mother?

When Hua did appear, Alya returned her bow just as deeply, embarrassed for the woman as she did. If she had been Hydra, it would have been entirely appropriate, but this was not the case. Still, the gesture was appreciated, and she would be sure to pass on what a respectful greeting she'd received to Hydra.

"I am Hydra's sister," she explained with a friendly wag of her tail. "And her eyes, ears, and occassionally, her mouth. So you see, there is no harm done. We are quite used to being mistaken for one another, and it doesn't bother us one bit."

The slight Aiolos had paid her now easily forgiven in light of this more appropriate greeting, Alya was happy to give the two time to catch up. "Hydra is busy on the mountain, of course, but she sent me along to make sure Huo got home safe. I'm sure she'll expect me to bring home news of how Yuelong fares as well. I thought I might stay a few days and get to know some of you before setting off again, if that wouldn't be too much trouble."

Huojin spoke, and Huā beamed. 火金，你中文水平比以后很好！ She praised with approval. Of course his growing age played a part in that- but Huā chose to see it as a benefit of his time spent in their homeland empire, which had surely helped him to practice the language among more relatives. When he introduced Alya, Huā drew in a small gasp, realizing her mistake, and dipped her head in a quick little apolegtic bow, awkward crooked smile upon her maw, Forgive me, Alya! She chuckled, taking the way the woman brushed it off as a sign that she was not offended. When Aiolos asked after Ruò's location, Huā glanced down to Huojin, gaze upon him momentarily to show she wished for thst answer too. Repeating it would be redundant, and so Huā listened instead to Alya as she spoke, nodding. Of course- it is no trouble at all. You may stay as long as you need; thank you for taking good care of my nephew. Yuèlóng has little new news, but some old news, that I will be happy to share- and I would love to hear of Moonspear, as well. So often it seemed the empress only traveled over there to deliver news, and though she understood Yuèlóng's island was out of the way, it was nice to have them visiting instead. 

i think if you want we could have a separate thread set for after this one for alya and hua to exchange info? I didn't wanna derail this thread too much with it unless u want to :P

several conversations sprouted from their introductions, making huojin unsure of which he should focus on. he turned to his father first, explaining, with yingyue and fengmian, past the badlands. the journey wasn’t long, but it certainly wasn’t easy; he planned to rest here for quite a while before even considering a possible return.

of course, he’d already told his mother about this, which made the plan reasonable in his mind. visit huazhen, yes, huojin continued, i can stay for longer. in other words, he didn’t mind living in the teekon, but he didn’t want the expectation to be another permanent pledge yet. he’d have to test the waters first and see if he could find his place in yuelong.

scouting was still painfully boring in huojin’s mind, as were all the diplomatic duties that came with it. his disinterest in alya and hua’s conversation was obvious up until he offered his exit: dad, can we walk? in silence or in conversation, he didn’t care.

huojin’s exit, unless someone stops him! huo and olo can have a different thread so the ladies can take this one, if that’s ok with vami.

Yes feel free to use this thread. Huo and Olo will have another. :)

Visiting...his aunt but did his own son have no intention of saying hello to him, as well, had he not been here to know he had arrived back? And Ruo was gone yet still, having left their child to find his way back to the Teekon wilds on his own so that she could stay behind with Ying and Feng, a man he knew of as a former member but did not know him personally. If Ruo was not with the family she had went to in order to spy on and was with Ying instead, would she find happiness with her where she had not with Hua? 

Aiolos' jaw muscles tensed, the hairs along his spine beginning to rise in an anger that had been swallowed down for too long now. 

It was good to meet you, Alya. He spoke, dipping his muzzle to the woman and shifting his gaze to Hua. A silent dismissal before beginning off down the beach, urging his son to follow.

gonna wrap since alya ppc'd. mixed, feel free to message me if u wanna revive: )

 

Aiolos and his son went to walk together- meanwhile, Huā would listen to the news of Moonspear. She would too, share of Praimfaya's rejoining of Yuèlóng after her service as a spy- her word that Ursus and the Saints were no longer allied, and that the Saints resided within the canyon. Afterward Alya and Huā might talk a little longer, and Huā would invite her to stay the night if she wished or needed, before returning home.