shape shifting

Random Prompt: Your character finds themselves near a small pond, though in the midst of that pond is deep enough where your eyes cannot see the bottom of it. There's a ripple happening within.
@Hotaru

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The world somehow still seemed sleepy.

Vienne grew slowly but surely, even if she stayed small and lean. A year of existence loomed a moon away. Even if life had felt shorter somehow, a thing she tried not to bother herself with.

She still had far too much to learn before she could touch that.

Like how the water here seemed to ripple softly in a repetitive manner. Even though the pond was tiny and there seemed to be nothing that disturbed the surface. No fish fins broke through and nothing seemed to be falling within it to cause the continued ripples. Which meant it must come from within. Something far below must be strong enough to cause the ripples.

Only she could not see it.

Even as she put her face closer and closer to the surface...

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thanks for the wait and starting

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The elder princess had been making her way through the territory. Checking borders and food caches had become second nature after so many moons of strife and fear. Fortunately for Shiroshika, their world had been turned upside down. Normally that would be awful, but it felt like they had been upside down for so long that having the world flipped made everything feel...right again? It was like a breath of fresh air to burning lungs that hadn't had a breath in years.

Even now as she patrolled her guard seemed to lower some, her steps felt easier, even if she was still focused on spreading Shiroshika's scent. What should have been a calm patrol, however, was quickly disrupted as she saw her sister looming over one of the ponds that settled on their land. To any other they likely would not see a threat, but to Hotaru her lungs screamed. A familiar fire choked her in the shallow pools of a mountain cave, and before she could think, she'd act. Swift paws moved to close the gap, her jaws open wide as she tried to carefully but abruptly pulled Vienne by the scruff away from the water.

It was very well possible that she'd topple them both in the process in a tangle of limbs and paws or scare her half-sibling, but that hadn't been her concern at the moment. She was protecting her, even if there was no wolf looming over the younger girl to hold her down. “Vivi— You have to be more careful.”

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It bubbled and gurgled.

Vienne thought that if she squinted very hard, she could see something down there. Perhaps the mouth of a fish? Maybe an underwater cave! Whatever it was must be able to breathe if bubbles could surface. However she had no possible clue what it could be that did breathe down there and yet she yearned to know more than anything else.

What if it was the work of fairies?

That seemed the least logical reason of all, though, and that she knew. Even if she tucked the idea close to her heart.

Only to have teeth sudden upon her scruff. Had anyone ever handled her in such a manner before? Her sister was not much bigger than her, but still Vienne was like a piece of paper in the wind with the movements. Easily sent back and away. It did scare her. Deeply and with an arrow through her heart. She did not scream or cry her surprise though. Merely gasped for air in that moment as she hunched against the ground where she had been pulled.

The pond bubbled still and Vienne used that sound to redirect her brain. To soften it and think of her own breathing.

“I was— I just—” She knew her sister only meant well, but Vienne could not fathom whatever danger had been there. “I was just looking.” Her voice quaked with soft apologetic tones.

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The Queen winced inwardly at the girl's startle. She wasn't surprised in hindsight that she may only cause more fear, but it really was for her safety. It had never been her intention to make the girl cower. Hotaru sighed, seemingly deflating as her rear found the ground. “I'm sorry for the fright... I shouldn't have grabbed you like that.” She never talked about that day in the cavern. Their mother and Haruki knew, but she couldn't bring herself to speak of it. They knew. They didn't push, but how did you explain that to someone else? Someone who never even knew the man that boldly forced his way into their family. “Just— be careful. Okay?”

She spared a glance towards the bubbling. The pond was small, but somehow the center felt impossibly deep. Whatever fish or creature lived down there, she didn't want to know. It probably was just like him, waiting for the moment to strike and pull unexpecting prey into the depths. Hotaru shook the thoughts from her mind and huffed, “Besides, there are far grander places if a wonder is what you seek.”

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It was a circle of guilt, perhaps.

Her sister showed remorse for scaring Vienne, Vienne felt guilt for being so scared of her sister — and for being where she maybe should not have been.

“Okay.”

Soft acknowledgement to better follow the rules. Rules of safety and mindfulness. To not startle her guardians and family so bad by peering so close to depths. Vienne was not upset at the reminder, only jarred by how sharp that reminder had felt.

Yet she willed herself to morph her features into something lighter. Her sister had not come here to strictly rain on her parade.

“I'd love to — if...you'll take me?”

It felt taboo to go off adventuring alone now.

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A sigh of relief slipped through parted lips at her sister's acknowledgement. The possessiveness that stirred in her gut was unfamiliar, even now, but she had good reason, or so she believed. Over half her life she spent separated from Haruki and the horrors she had no pleasure recalling all came in times without her brother. If she was here for Vienne then she would never have to go through any of that. The pale woman smiled as Vivi's request, “Of course— Have you spent a lot of time looking at the sky? It might satisfy your curiosity with the pools. Most of the time it is just a reflection of what lies up above.”

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