Wheeling Gull Isle We've come a long way from where we began.

Maybe some help with naturalist trade?  :)

Despite the biting approach of the cold season, life in Yuèlóng had been pleasant. Young Luli kept mostly to herself when not among her siblings, content to entertain herself in exploring more of  what the island had to offer. Though she did prefer to stay close to her mother or littermates, she felt significantly more confident now to venture for greater distance alone. Fast approaching her eighth month of age, it was about time she learned how to better embrace her independence.

The koi drifted between the tide pools, stepping carefully across slick rock on nimble paws to hover curiously above still seawater. There was nothing really new to see, but she looked for movement among the pools as she went.

Sure thing! :D

The young sea otter had primarily been keeping to herself ever since joining the sand-bound territories of Yuelong. Yuelong though, huh? Strange name choice. Maybe there was a specific reason her sister named this pack after a 'moon dragon' of all things -- all beyond Aimi's knowledge at least. But oh well, that was probably just one of the disadvantages of being a newbie...

While we're on the topic of sisters as well, the coastal she-wolf still had yet to meet her own older siblings said to have roamed the islands. Meizhen, Yinglong, Huazhen; all three that she had yet to meet due to the otter's overall lack of a presence. Could anyone really blame her, though? Leaving home to depart on an island where long-lost relatives live would be nerve-racking for anyone!

She still had Yunxu here though, and the presence of the kind red man who took her in, so at least things weren't COMPLETELY unfamiliar...

Today would be a fairly pleasant one, if not for the noticeably changing temperatures, but that still didn't deter the otter from going out to explore the waters nearby. She was about to go further outland until the sight of a figure nearby caught her attention. The yearling turned to catch sight of a young girl observing the nearby tidepools -- smaller and younger than Aimi, and baring a uniquely speckled pelt that reminded her of a koi fish.  

"你迷路了吗?" Aimi asked them from the distance, tilting her sandy-colored cranium. They were quite young, so she'd assume her parents were nearby looking for her or something. There was a possibility that they didn't have a damn clue what she was saying either, and if so then the otter would need to rely on body language signals instead. (however effectively THAT would work...)

A voice called out to her in her mother tongue, which was surprising. Though her immediate family and caretakers primarily spoke Mandarin among one another, Luli had been so certain that she knew all of them. To hear it from the lips of a stranger startled the koi, who swung her rose-tinted muzzle toward the speaker.

"没有," she answered as her pallid tail swept low in submission, and she wondered if her nose around the tide pools was forbidden. Had her mother sent this she-wolf to retrieve her? Luli swallowed, not liking the idea of disappointing her most beloved parent. "没有丢失."

The otter's brows furrowed worriedly when she saw the girl's tail sweep under her -- as if she'd been startled by Aimi's sudden presence. Well damn, she didn't mean to do that at all. Looks like she'll have to make a softer approach then...

Aimi began calmly striding towards the girl with her head low and a sandy tassle wagging softy behind; maybe this way, the koi would find her less intimidating and more freindly. She had told the otter that she wasn't lost, so maybe just exploring away for her parents den? Wouldn't be hard to believe with the strong scent of Yuélóng coming from their pelt......wait a second.....

She...understood her? And she responded in Mandarin nonetheless!?

There were only a select few Aimi knew spoke her home language, so hearing the pup speak it back to the costal wolf made her pause in disbelief. A second generation that spoke it and yet Aimi was under the impression this island was made up of more foreigners that anything -- who might've taught her?

"Ah! 我不知道島上還有其他人可以理解我! 你叫什麼名字, 小女孩?" she asked her with a warm, delighted smile, coming to a stop infront of the koi while the rythym of her tail increased with excitement.

Luli's mismatched ears swivelled back as the young adult opted to close the distance between them, sweeping forward toward her with a softly swaying tail. Despite this friendly approach, the koi maintained her natural discomfort of strangers - it was nothing personal against this apparent pack-mate, her nervousness was simply akin to that of a timid baby deer.

She blinked up, seeking only a glimpse of the stranger's lovely face, before her gaze was swiftly averted to her ruby forepaws. Luli had seen the familiar glimmer of enchanting turquoise in the wolfess' that reminded her of her mother's, yet she didn't seem to know of the Empress as she commented on the lack of wolves who spoke in their shared tongue.

"露丽," the pup answered, "我们都这样说话." "We" being her and her immediate circle, her family. She felt confused as to how this wolf could not know that her own leader shared this language, but dared not wrinkle her nose in aversion.

"大家..." she processed thoughtfully for a moment before looking back to the young koi "有個叫艾奧洛斯 Aiolos 的人在幾週前把我介紹給了這座小島，他的普通話有點...好，波濤洶湧..." she smiled a bit, maybe even giggled a little to herself after remembering the second encounter her and Aiolos had -- him being forced to watch her tear into Yunxu about leaving her on the beach (in the fae's defense, however, he seemed to enjoy the spectical of tomfoolery).

"所以我想我只是假設除了我的兄弟姐妹之外的每個人都精通普通話..." she finally finished with a sigh, though it was nice to know that she would have to bust her ass trying to make the locals understand what she was saying, well, at least according to Luli...

"露丽..." The otter lowered her cranium to meet the koi's gaze and offered a warm smile. "這是像你這樣的漂亮女孩的漂亮名字！ 我的名字叫江愛美, 我還是Yuélóng的新人."

She hoped  the small exchange of words from her end would make the girl fret a little less around her, but if not..."您是在這裡尋找潮汐池中的東西嗎？ 我可以搭把手!" Maybe a bit more interaction can break the ice.