Wheeling Gull Isle and we've finally found a chance to get together

Uncomfortable, well, that was putting it lightly. The den was too shallow to properly rest in, but she couldn't really dig much deeper. Eventually, the frozen ground became soft, became clay; Ying rose that morning with wet dirt caked onto her scruff. She cursed as she stretched, then made her way toward the ocean for a frigid morning bath.

Huā was at the ocean. The water lapping at the shore was like a soothing white noise, and so she lay just a few yards from the water, eyes closed in a place between waking and asleep, something like meditation. The sound of footsteps breaks her peace, and she turns slowly, blinking to the sight of pale Ying. 

英! She calls, 你跟我一起坐吗?

Somewhat surprised by her sister's call, Ying turned and stared blankly. She quickly realized what had been asked and nodded with a smile, replying, I have to wash first. The mud was hardening, tugging at her fur in the process; a bath was more than necessary.

She walked closer to Hua and settled at the ocean's edge, holding her breath as she dove under. Ying rearose with a giggle and asked, What're you up to? They hadn't had a conversation in some time, so this was long overdue.

She giggled lightly as Ying entered the frigid water, which Huā figured was too cold for comfort. Soon a couple of droplets splashed onto her face, and her assumption was proven true as she started at their touch. Though her sister was not ready to sit yet, Huā was still grateful for her company. 

放松。 She replied casually with a flick of her ear. Finding the topic of the present moment to be uninteresting, she paused before shifting the conversation to the incoming future. 我觉得小组差不多好。可是。。。你觉得什么? She wonders.

Thoroughly drenched and half-frozen, Ying made her way back to the shore. She sat down beside her sister and shrugged, before turning back to begin removing the leftover debris. I'm not sure, she answered, I'm nervous. It was an honest answer.

Things felt rushed, but could that be helped? She would always be unsure, even after their plans were solidified. But...I guess, if you're ready then I am, too. In the long run, her nerves didn't matter; Hua would be the one leading things.

Now her sister joins her, and Huā gives a pleased smile, her tail beating on the ground for a moment happily. But Ying tells her she's nervous, and her expression falls. Huā nods. But her next comment made her feel as if Ying was only going along with with Huā suggested, and the siren shakes her head again.

She wasn't looking to be a supreme ruler. She wanted the nuvujak's input, wanted to hear her honest opinions, her worries. She would be a fool if she could not admit that she had much to learn from Ying and Mei both. Even if Ying wasn't choosing to join them in leadership, she would still seek out her sister for practical advice. And so she wonders, 对我说为什么你很担心?

Where to begin? There weren't enough mercenaries, hunters, or caregivers. In times of need, this could mean a shortage of defense, supplies, and an unnecessary amount of deaths. Ying preferred having a smaller group, but thought that it would only work if they valued practicality as much as their isolation. She looked up at Hua and drew in a deep breath, unsure of how to properly explain.

After a moment's hesitation, she exhaled: It feels rushed. The plan wasn't for things to move this quickly, and now that they were, she was having a hard time adjusting. The island didn't feel ready and their members didn't seem settled; no one knew that they existed yet, except for Rusalka. There were caches to fill, parts of the border to be marked... I'm just worried that things are moving too quickly for us to keep up.

Ying hesitated, though told her sister after a moment that things felt rushed. Though nuvujak continued, Huā wished she would be a little less vague. She wished she would communicate the specifics of thoughts she was having. But she knew it would be no use to get frustrated with her sister, or pester her further like an interview.

Instead she draws up calm compassion from within. 我也觉得我们没有很多人。这是为什么我认识Orochi。 She offers, though it was not nearly enough. A moment's silence, and then she wonders, 你觉得我们做什么? 我知道我是王，可是。。。我要你帮我。 She sighs. She worried Ying would view her as incompetent, but she just wanted to get this right.

No, I don't mean that. She shook her head and continued, Keeping the group small is fine, but we need more useful skills. Background tasks — cache digging, prey tracking, border patrols — might have felt mundane, but they were important. Ying wanted the family to understand that the background tasks needed to take priority.

The huntress sighed. Hua was asking for advice, but Ying was no advisor. She would be better off looking elsewhere for guidance, for everyone's sake. I'm just rambling, Ying sighed, hoping that it would remove some of the weight from her words.

200! for you <3

Useful skills... she understood what Ying meant, or at least thought she did. Huā was always swimming or stargazing, Mei always worshipping her gods- and Ying, the sole one who focused on the bare necessities of life. Hunting, defending oneself. Is this what she meant? Huā had never been interested in such things, beyond fishing, but she worried now that she'd become a liability. And yet, she had no desire to fight. Aggression was not in her blood. 

Then Ying excuses her thoughts as 'just rambling'. That only made Huā wonder more. Often when people claim that their words hold little value is when their words come from the deepest realm of their heart. 狩猎等有用的技能？ 战斗？你是这个意思吗？

Ying's tail began a slow-paced beat behind her, slapping lazily against the sand. She'd been understood enough for the conversation to move forward. Exactly. The burden was too heavy for a few members to hold on their own, so having everyone contribute was vital. General maintenance. A basic knowledge. 

She allowed a moment for Hua to respond before continuing. Do you think we're ready? Ying's priority was serving her sisters, so if this wasn't an issue in their minds, she was willing to move on.

Finally she had hit the nail on the head, as his sister confirms that it was those such things that weighed on her shoulders. She spoke of general maintenance, and Huā nodded, listening closely. But Ying turns to focus back to Huā's thoughts. To which the siren chuckles, 我觉得我们很好了，但现在我不确定。 你有一个好点。 She admits sheepishly with a smile.

Her sister was right- the army consisted of Ying, Orochi. Maybe Lei or Kun would be interested, but she had no confirmation. And everyone could hunt, but the only ones who claimed it as their skill were Nuka and Ying. She could see that her sister held much of the pack's strength.

Chipping away at Hua's confidence had not been her intent. She smiled sheepishly and looked downward, somewhat embarassed by her blabbering. It's your decision.

Ying had her own plans to think through, and if they were actualized, the process of teaching everyone would be simple. Don't let me discourage you. The twins could talk through it later, pray about it or whatever else they did when making these decisions. 

Have you thought about who you'll send to Moonspear? They hadn't talked about it and, as far as she knew, no plans had been made. Ying wondered if Hua had been plotting on her own.

Ying was still humble as ever, telling Huā that it was her decision. She laughs quietly when her sister says that she shouldn't be discouraged; Huā didn't want Ying to feel guilty about changing her perspective. She appreciated the help. 

Ying changes the topic to the alliance with Moonspear- the faraway pack whom she'd spoke of. A moment of quiet after her question, before Huā speaks up. 我想送日洛。她很年轻; 我想测试她的能力。 She tells her. Huā was fond of younger individuals, often doting over them- but Riluo was a year old now. She ought to be able to assist the pack as she grew into adulthood, and she hoped the girl would develop her social skills through this trip, considering much of the pack was reclusive.

Riluo? The name sounded vaguely familiar. Our cousin? she asked, assuming that this was the case. After seeing her face, Ying was sure that she would remember. Alright. If they had been able, she would have asked that someone with experienced be sent. Securing their first alliance was too important to leave in the hands of a student, but what else could they do?

For the sake of her own sanity, Ying offered, I'll go, too. She had things to discuss with Hydra, so it made sense for both trips to be made at once. Of course, if Hua was set on Riluo making the trip alone, Ying would not push the idea any further. What else needs to be done?

Huā nodded at the inquiry. She was not surprised Ying did not fully recall, for neither did she. The girl's litter had been born only months before the incident. They had scarcely had the chance to watch her grow up.

To Ying's next comment, Huā grinned. 好好的。也许你可以教她一些东西。 She chuckles. Huā had not thought the alliance would be difficult to make, considering Ying had met them. But perhaps having the nuvujak there would solidify success. At her last question, Huā's brow furrows in thought. Being vulnerable, she offers- 我们可以用Rusalka修复问题吗？我仍然为他们担心。 She sighs, eyes drifting away from her companion and settling on the shore.

Later, she would seek out her younger cousin and advise that she prepare for the journey. There would be several days spent before reaching Moonspear and an equal number for their return. Ying moved quickly, so she could only hope that @Riluo would do the same.

Their conversation shifted to Rusalka. Ying hadn't told anyone about her meeting with the Betas yet, and were it not for Hua's prompting, it would have likely remained a secret. She cleared her throat to break the silence. 

Rusalka isn't an enemy, she said. Surely, Hua would want to know how she could be so sure. I spoke to Rosalyn and Erzulie about a week ago. I don't think that they'll be a problem.

Ying tells her Rusalka isn't an enemy- which has her confused, for only a moment. Until she tells Huā she's met with Rosalyn and Erzulie? Why was she having secret meetings with their enemies behind her back? Her eyes narrow, if only slightly. 

Maintaining her calm, she wonders, 你跟我说他们说什么。

The question seemed to come from a genuine place of curiousity. Any displeasure went undetected, much to the Empress's credit. Ying thought back to their encounter and tried to remember what had been said. We talked about what happened, she explained, eyes trailing as she continued to search, They asked about where we'd gone, so I told them about the island. The details were unimportant, as the advice given had been fairly personal. She looked over her sister for any discernible emotion before continuing with her grooming.

Ying was cooperative, telling her what had happened. Rather vague, though. But Huā was concerned when the island was mentioned- now Rusalka knew exactly where they were. The mermaid still wasn't convinced that they were safe. 你跟他们说我们这在这里? 如果他们进攻怎么办？ She frets, brow furrowed with concern. How could Ying be so careless? Giving away even this information could lead to their downfall, or so she thought.

Somewhat confused, Ying shook her head. I just said it was an island, she explained, Even if they did know, why would they attack? Based on their prior conversation and the Betas apparent disinterest, she doubted that Rusalka would pose a threat to their home. It made sense that Hua would be stressed as a leader, but did she not know that her safety was already accounted for? 

She smiled in an attempt to alleviate some of her sister's upset. The wolves on this island are safe. If something happens and we have to move someday, it'll be fine. The only thing that mattered was that they were all alive. Ying's priority shifted to planning mercenary training so that everyone could defend themselves, if the need was ever to arise.

She shakes her head as if shooing away the fright. 好，好。你说对的。对不起，我只恨紧张。 Huā sighs. Rusalka would leave them alone, right? If Ying had spoken with them, and come back without any new wounds, they probably had nothing to fear. Probably.

The nuvujak's smile eased her successfully, and she rolled her shoulders, releasing some of the tension stored there. The thought of moving didn't appeal to her much, since she'd already garnered a love for this place- but she decided to simply not think about it. Whatever happened would happen, and they could address it when they came to it.

Pleased with her sister's response, Ying heaved a sigh of relief. She paused her grooming and leaned into Hua's presence, content to spend the rest of their time in silence.