Stavanger Bay and a loveless creature is a beast

@Summer - I can't tag Huā's account ;-;

waves lapped lazily against the shore. warmth from the summer sun streamed down on the beach and washed everything in a hazy sepia glow.
 
from the sands, the ghost looked out across the sea and breathed in the saline in the ocean winds. a sense of nostalgia filled his stomach with a something akin to glue; he turned away from the distant seascape and plodded inland to where he could find peace within the shade. near the trees was a patch of earth that looked as though it had once been the favorite place for many to sit beside the ocean and watch. illidan lowered himself into a sitting position and then reclined further until he was stretched out in the green patch, shadowed by the trees from the wood.
 
not far from where he was, the ghost recalled meeting a cheery stranger who had challenged him to a fight. the test of skills had resulted in something powerful between the two. illidan wondered where that wolf had wandered off to. he then felt sheepish for reminiscing on a figure who’s name he could not even recall. a sigh passed through his nose and his shoulders dropped.

LOL no worries, she's untaggable X)

Huā took a break from Yuèlóng for today. After finding out about the pathetic little thing Ruò and Aiolos had been hiding under her nose, she could not stand to remain and face the stress and anger- and so departed for alone time, as she once used to do in Rusalka. The sea soothed her nerves as she trod through the sand toward the bay, where the scents of two women who tried to stake a claim had long faded. Good. She didn't want another pack trying to hunt near their grounds, and their leave had been welcomed. 

She turned her gaze away from the sea then, towards the wood where a figure sat settled. Blackhead. Like a silvery reflection of herself- she thought him to be the one that ran with Merrick, but as she hesitantly approached, his scent was certainly male. She stiffened, then continued quietly, halting in front of the boy relaxing in the shade. He was young, too- about her age. Greetings... She hummed quietly.

for only a moment, illidan thought that it was her. that caiaphas had come down the beach and she would reprimand him for being gone so long, for worrying his sister, and for leaving his pack. it was not until he caught the glimmer of sea blue in her gaze that he realized. for a moment, the flash of familiarity had struck his features. it had only lingered there for a heartbeat before it vanished. her voice sounded, drawing his ears toward her. the rusty color swiveled atop his head and then cupped in her direction just as she had offered her greetings.
 
“hello,” the ghost returned to her with a small dip of his head. the rough sound of his voice was made as though he had not used it in several months. he was hoarse and tired, not at all the sound of a young man. illidan wondered if this woman would continue to approach him, or if she had arrived on the beach in search of something specific.

A flash of recognition in his gaze too- it was funny, the both of them mistaking eachother for someone else entirely. His voice surprised her- the rasp of an old man, and her eyes unintentionally widened slightly at the sound. It was awkward; she settled back onto her haunches then- he had not asked for her company, but he would receive it. There were some wolves she needed a break from, and new was always better, and more intriguing... 

My name Huā, She introduced carefully. A little sniff told her he was not a pack wolf- and thank god, not a Rusalkan. But ever since she'd created the paradise that was Yuèlóng- the perfect home for herself- she wasn't sure she could imagine being a wanderer again. And so nagging curiosity got the better of her, and she wondered, You live near here? Or just pass through?

the name was one he was sure that he had never heard. with that realization, the last hint of what could have been familiarity had vanished from within him. for a flash, the ghost thought that he had wandered himself onto a beach that he had never touched before – that this wolf was one from a culture entirely unlike his own. the expression on the white wolf’s face from before had been enough to assure him that these waters had once been a source of comfort for the dark-crowned young man. the question that came from the woman’s mouth drew his gaze to her again.
 
“i lived near here once,” illidan answered in a ragged sounding way. “but now i suppose i’m only passing through.” after having shortened some of the space between them, the ghost was able to catch the scent that she carried on her coat. she belonged to a claimed territory. illidan could scent the aroma of other wolves intermingled with her own fragrance.
 
“my name is illidan. which pack do you belong to?”

He seemed to settle down more comfortably, causing her to be put at ease too, and soon she was slipping into the same lax position as he, no longer feeling at all that he could be a threat. Well, if he intended to deceive- but he seemed quiet, maybe even lonely. There was nothing off about his presence, and if anything she found him comfortable company despite the realized unfamiliarity between them. 

Lived near here once- and now a wanderer like the rest of them. He was young, but his voice wove tales of it's own which she longed to hear. She would not press him for information- she was eager, instead, to share her own when he inquired. To meet you I am very happy, Illidan. I am Huā Jiang. I lead pack called Yuèlóng... back on island, there, She explained, momentarily motioning her muzzle behind her to the smudge resting on the blue ribbon of the sea. Her gaze fell back to him, quiet for a moment. You are looking for home... or, um, something else? And there were those that looked for nothing, of course, but nowadays it seemed everyone had a mission.

the woman spoke to him in a language that was like a broken version of his own. he wondered if she spoke another tongue. illidan had met a few of them who were capable of talking across different languages. many of them had come from faraway places and seemed to lead lives of wonder and adventure that he could never dream of. he wondered if this female had lived a similar existence.
 
“something else, i suppose. looking to find something,” the ghost answered her question with a small nod of his head. he did not feel as though he should disclose all of the details of his return to the woman. it would be overwhelming and inappropriate for someone he had only just met.
 
“what is your pack like?” illidan inquired of her, curious to know more about their culture.

Looking to find something. 

She felt he left his answer purposefully vague- or at least, this was how it seemed. Though often she seeked the knowledge of many of her subordinates, she did not feel it was her place to pry into a stranger's life. If he wished to share, he would've. And so Huā did not touch on this further. But for a man who was not interested in placing a home, still he inquired on Yuèlóng- and though she knew there would be no recruiting of one on a quest, Huāzhēn was always eager to share, enthralled by the paradise she had somehow created. 

It is beautiful, has shiny white beach and safe because of the ocean, cut off from main land. I love being by sea, getting to eat fish all time. Huā chuckled slightly, licking her chops at the thought. That was the environmental side, but perhaps he was interested in ranks too... and so she continued, We value respect between everyone; children respect parent, young respect experienced. I make sure we try not cause trouble for other pack, so long as they respect us too. Yuèlóng is lead by me only right now- but I try be fair. And sorting everyone, considering their aspiration, and involvement. She summarized. There was some personal bias too, but even Huā only knew that in her subconscious, and so when she ranked Ruò lowly, or Astaroth highly, she only saw it as fair. Seaglass eyes studied his expression then, if anything might throw him off- but she saw it all as quite standard.

Sorry for the wait friend <3

when she spoke of her claim, illidan knew immediately that she had devoted herself to the sea. there was reverence in the way that she described her lands. their cultures were not too different from that of the packs that he had belonged with, but she was notably proud of her accomplishments. the ghost did not blame her for such beliefs. she had carried the weight of her spirit to the sea and it had provided her with a home. some were not so fortunate.
 
“your home sounds very nice. i hope you are able to grow old comfortably,” illidan answered her in a voice that scratched. his frame stiffened slightly. the comment had been made somewhat formally, but the sentiment should have been understandable. surely, leading the pack on her own must have left her feeling the weight of the responsibility. illidan had only been a leader of rusalka for a short time and it had almost destroyed him.
 
“do you have pups?” he asked.

no worries! we can fade soon, if you're okay with it? :>

Your home sounds very nice. I hope you are able to grow old comfortably.

Thank you. Such words were taken well, considering the culture she had grown up in, such formal speak was appreciated. What he thought of the ties between leadership and age, it was all true. She had grown so much in the months of leading Yuèlóng... and no doubt, would only grow wiser (and more exhausted) with time.

The conversation shift was a tad sudden, but she welcomed it, nodding as a smile of pure joy met her face. Yes, this year I have my first litter. There are four of them- Nüwu, Haoming, Luli and Xiaoqing. She beamed, unable to help the way the information leaked from her mouth whether or not he asked for, or was interested in the specifics. Was it worth mentioning then, that she was unmarried? Some considered such a thing shameful, Huā knew at a time she had seen it in this way too- and decided not to share unless he inquired, for she did not want to be spat upon for the crime of having bastards. She wondered for only a moment if he had his own- but doubted it, considering he was on this journey.

The mention of her children, spoken with such reverence was met with a dampened expression. He could not help but to think of his own family and how little time it had taken for it to fall to pieces. He did not believe he could sit through a conversation with this mother, not with the love and joy she carried. The realization of this left him with a sour knot in the pit of his stomach. 

"I wish good fortune for you... and them, then," Illidan remarked to her with a small nod of his head. The young wolf did not wish to obligate a formal departure. He cast a small awkward smile, and hen he vanished. Still, even hours after he had left her... the young ghost could not help but recall the way she had talked about her children. He wondered how families became that way, and how they became like his own.