Cerulean Cape fire meet gasoline

@Huā - set for 4/26 but let me know if the date needs changed!

how long had it been since they'd left the forest? he tipped his chin upwards to glance at the mid-morning sun, golden eyes narrowing at the overwhelming light. the days and nights had muddled together, though he assumed it had been near a week since the pair of them had left the taiga. he wanted to stop, to rest again, but they were so close that he could practically taste the sea salt on his lips.

an hour later and they'd made it within howling distance. he stopped and turned to face @Ying, a gladdened smile tugging at the corner of his lips as tapped the spot next him with his paw. "you should rest", he let out with a brief sway of his tail before he spun on his heels to glance back out to the island in the distance. the tide would be at it's lowest any minute now, and after all that walking they'd done, he figured someone from her home could make the short trip to come and meet them.

and so, after a moment to consider who he should call for, astaroth tipped his chin back and sent up a howl for the sisters she'd briefly mentioned before their trip to the volcano.

tag for reference

She was resting in that little den daily now. The one Ying had shown to her, ironically, only weeks before. @Atausiq was never far off, in case the birth would begin anytime now, but when she heard the call, she stubbornly felt inclined to go to it. The voice was neither familiar nor not, she couldn't place a finger on it and couldn't tell if she'd ever heard it before. And so she set off across the land bridge, rounded stomach swaying with each step. 

There was... the jellyfish eater. Also one of the men who had been pulling for Ying on that day she'd gone into heat. A friend, or lover, Huā was not sure, but he was greeted with a wagging tail. And- oh? What was that just beyond him? The oh-so-familar form of her sister lay, quietly resting on the sands. Her eyes became glassy but she sucked the tears back down. Ying... what... what happen to her? Where she been? was all she could muster, not one for slow greetings right now.

just a cameo post! y'all can skip me! ♥

when the howl rose across the shores, carrying to the den that atausiq assumes his siren bride has claimed for birthing, he protests — vocally — letting it be known that he didn't think she should go. ultimately, it wasn't up to him and dutifully he follows along, eyes on her the entire time. she looks bigger than the last time they'd greeted a stranger at their borders and he bites back each fret and fuss that threatens to spill from betwixt his lips.

the strange male is who atausiq sees first: imperial jade gaze zeroing in on him like a missile. though hua appears to know him and greets the stranger with a wag of her tail, her groom to be ...father of her children pulls himself up to his full height, hackles bristling with some archaic, paternal instincts that spark to life perhaps too early. premature for his age or not doesn't seem to have an actual bearing — they are there and he feels them each time he thinks about the cubs she carries — which is a lot these days.

gaze so intently focused he almost misses ying nearby. he draws nearer to hua, protective of her, of the life she carries but ultimately remains a silent sentry.

also cameo!

familiar, but not quite known— she took her place near astaroth, but held her stance a short distance away. soon, there were two more wolves, one heavily pregnant and the other an apparent guard. the woman held the same vague familiarity as ying's savior; she lived somewhere deep in her memories, contained by a fall of black water.

ying stared blankly in their direction, more interested in the ocean's ebb and flow. she listened to the low crashing of waves and chose to focus on the tides, rather than concerning herself with the others' conversation.

his attention drifted between the island and ying as he wondered if any memories had resurfaced. surely the sight of home and family would bring her back? if not that, then what could? he had little time to daydream of the possibilities before the familiar sight of a dark face drew his focus away. this was ying's sister? and oh, a younger brother too perhaps?

he wished to return her greeting with one of his own, but found it difficult to muster the strength to do so. "we went on an adventure. nothing terribly far, but...", he stopped to turn and glance at the pale form of his friend, a rising pain his chest resulting in an apologetic twist to his face. "she fell in an icy river, and when i pulled her from it, she wasn't the same." she wasn't ying.

Atausiq draws near, she leans slightly into him, finding comfort in him at this strange time. Yes, things were unfolding quite strangely...  Ying stared at her like she was a silver porcelain doll settled neatly on the shelf. All big blue eyes and pretty lifelessness. Huā made eye contact with her sister as Astaroth explained, each word striking through her heart like bullets, she breathed out her nostrils. Icy river? Not... not the same?? What happen to her? She cried out, pulling away from her fiance to stride closer to the ragdoll. Halting just feet away, gazing at the soulless woman and then back to Astaroth. What happen to her brain? Why... why she act like this? Her face became wet with tears; she shook her head with pain, eyes closed as the waterworks really began. Why she always have to go on danger adventures? She let out a heavy breath, watery gaze flickering back to Ying with a silence that spoke all the words she wanted to say.

he finds himself wincing at her words and the visible hurt written across her features. she asked questions he didn't have the answers to, and so could only offer back an apologetic "i don't know. i'm so sorry", as she looked at him with tears streaming down her face.

he wished to offer her some sort of comfort, but found himself firmly grounded in place. "it was my idea to go on the adventure", he revealed as his gaze fled to the sandy floor. he was partially to blame, for he'd been the one to invite ying to the volcano with him. if only he'd been there with her. if only he could reverse time.

He admitted he didn't know- and her gaze moved away, uncomfortable and hurt. This was not the way things were supposed to be. They were supposed to raise their children together in Yuèlóng. Tell stories of the happier parts of their childhood to the cousins. Not like this. 

Then he explains it was his idea to go on the adventure. She wanted to get angry, to tell him it was his fault, that he was the one who did this- but there was no burning flame within her, and truly she knew it was not good to try and place blame. She did not want to be irrational and cold. He was a... companion of Ying's, and surely he felt the same as Huā did, though he did not express it as outwardly as she. It's not you fault, She ended up sighing. I am sure she want adventure just as much as you... it her nature. Her eyes found him again, and she gathered herself, breathing in deep, not wanting to look the crazy-hysterical crying pregnant woman she appeared to be now. Are... are you okay? She not know you anymore either, yes?

he'd been expecting huā's fury, so when it did not come, it left him a little confused. if anything, it made him feel even worse about the whole situation. she didn't blame him, but it was still his fault no matter how he looked at it. he'd been selfish to ask her to travel with him given her current state. she'd left whole and returned broken. that was on him.

"i'm -", he sucked in a breath as he stole a glance to the porcelain body of his friend, a wave of discomfort washing over him. "i'm not ok. i want her back. " was it cruel of him to say that? to think of who she was now as no one more than a stranger? "her paw is badly injured. she won't be able to hunt, patrol, or fight, so i will do this for her." he couldn't place this burden upon huā and then walk away like nothing had happened. he wanted to help, to somehow lighten the load that had suddenly been tossed upon her shoulders.

No, it was not easy to keep her cool. Huā was an explosive, emotional wild card girl by nature and it took every ounce of control within her to keep from allowing her rage to spew ugly out of her. Huā was the emotional, Ying was the logical- and so when Ying was not here to keep her heart and actions in check with thoughtful words, Huā knew it was a thing she must do alone. 

I want her back. I want her back too, Huā thought to echo. The pain of it was too real. Ying was- well, she was still Huā's sister. The siren would love the warrior forever. But was she really still Ying? Without a soul, a heart, a history? It struck her then that Ying would not recall her painful past. The time they had spent together in struggle, and the tribulations they had overcome together- all gone. Just a couple of strangers now. 

Me too. She repeated hush-hush under her breath after Astaroth. 

When he spoke of her paw, Huā's eyes immediately moved to look, noticing the scrapes, maybe a couple of slightly... off-looking toe bones, depending on exactly how bad the injury was. That was not good, not at all. No memories and an injured foot. When the man offered his help, it took a moment for her to realize what he was offering. In... in Yuèlóng? You okay with doing that...? Her tone was surprised; she had not expected such generosity from the man, despite his closeness with Ying.

he visibly sunk when her words echoed his own. would she ever she be their ying again? they'd had lots more adventures to go on, more stories to tell, more time to share. that couldn't be over...not like this! he nodded his head in response to her words, the decision having been made since before he'd even left the taiga.

"i want be here for her, in any way i can." sure, he'd miss the freedom and life of a rogue but really now, how much did that matter? even if he hadn't offered his aid and had chosen to dump her here and walk away, his thoughts would still be entirely of ying. of her health, her memories, her children. he wanted to be here for all the good and all the bad, because at the end of the day he still loved her, even if she couldn't remember loving him.

I want to be here for her, any way I can.

Yes- this was the man Ying should've chosen. Not Fengmian, nor Revui, nor Arcturus. This was the one who loved her. She could tell by his words, by the way he cared for her- she was not a piece of meat to him nor a toy. He valued her. Huā saw this, her heart broke sorely thinking of his own. You are good man. She told him, golden candor, gaze sadly trailing back to Ying, who seemed fixated on the waves and little else. Together, we bring back Ying. Take care her health, her soul. I trust you... we can not let such things happen ever again. The loss... it far too painful. Huā shook her head with a weighted sigh.

want to wrap this up?

she said he was a good man, but if he was a good man, none of this would have happened. still, her words helped alleviate some of the guilt he felt. "never again", he agreed with a nod of his head. even if he had to care for her for the rest of time, he would do so. so long as she was healthy and happy, that was good enough for him.

he followed the sea-woman's gaze until his own golden eyes landed upon the lost form of ying. even if she couldn't remember them, at least it looked as if she wasn't in any serious pain. slowly, he turned away from the duo and took a few strides towards the pale mother. "ying", he let out gently once he was beside her. "we made it home."

yep<3 some pp here for flow

Astaroth agreed as expected. As the man approached Ying, Huā bowed her head to herself almost mournfully, waiting for his silence before she raised her gaze again to her sister. Yingyue... Astaroth... follow me. Please, Almost a plead- she knew the man would follow, but her heart tore to imagine her sister might not... luckily for her, Ying came along, though seeming just as soulless as before. There was much to teach her about herself; Huā knew this would be no easy task. The future ahead of them would be filled with trial.