[div style="max-width: 360px; font-family: palatino; color: #2a4971; text-align: left; padding-top: 8px; padding-left: 10px; letter-spacing: 2px; font-size: 13px;"]Idir brí is idir muir, Tá mé i dtiúin

In the heart of barracuda bay a stone statue sat.  Tofu the turtle.  Worn down by weather and moons spent keeping vigil among the sand.  A precious landmark to some.  Even an annoyance to a captain of the past.  And sadly forgotten by many.

The turtle was of particular importance to the Typhoon's tiniest crewmate.  Her first physical landmark.  The place she could always locate.  A compass.  Even if she didn't know why the statue came to be... Or why it was a turtle... The petite fae had relied on Tofu for a long time.

Of course time changed things.  All children grew up.  Keona gradually needed Tofu less and less.  No longer required the little aid to navigate.  Knew the island too well to make the detour.  To double check.  And so Tofu became less and less part of her day.

Yet fondness remained.  Keona used to play in the turtle's shadow.  Climb onto the stone back.  And so in a moment of free time, the tiny wildcat found herself sitting in the turtle's silhouette once again.  Simply at ease in a place so familiar.  Quietly listening to the sounds of the bay.

© MADI

[div style="max-width: 360px; font-family: georgia; color: #74657c; text-align: left; padding-top: 8px; padding-left: 10px; letter-spacing: 1px; font-size: 12px;"]ALL THE STARS ARE FIXED UP IN THE SKY

Each day another addition to the tally, another excuse half formed, as though such meagre reasons may prolong an inevitable he deemed as truth, another reminder. Away whittled the hours of many upon menial tasks, some given at the behest of another for better he occupied than a waste of resources, others taken upon himself. Interspersed throughout meandering exploration, though he had been rather lax in expanding his chosen path, the comfort of the known was simply too great. Such may not alleviate the growing agitation, a want that pressed itself against his ribs, slide between the spaces, gentle tugged at the strings of his heart.

Wanderlust.

Once he had thought himself incapable of such, wholehearted his belief he was one better suited for a rooted existence. Time has seen fit to take even this, a short tether choking him now the walls he once longed for, a permanent residence he may return to. Maybe it was simply because of where his current residence was, the tavern grown grating through the pleasant and welcoming atmosphere had not waned, yet his desire to find a solitary residence had been dashed. And so he settled for his walks, allowed his steps to take him where they may as his mind wandered over different threads, tangents followed and replaced.

No different this day, though the direction was subtle in its shift, heavily trafficked areas avoided even without aid of conscious thought. Relatively devoid of life the bay, possibly such why he moved towards it as avoided the dense growth of the jungle and the dangers it hid among the foliage, a sight as of yet unseen. At first drawn his gaze to where sand and brine met in a gentle rise, tide laced with foam and uttering a hushed sigh with each retreat, the hue unlike any other. Momentary the hold as watched the back and forth, the sand consumed and revealed once more, damp and dark beneath the oceans reach, curiosity too much to hold him.

Expected the sparse flora dotting the land space, the setups permitting casual assembly, few present speaking in quiet tones, none as perplexing as the central piece. Small as Harland was he at least may hold his own compared to others his species, yet this was reduced, the bombay made tiny beneath the weathered turtle where she stood silent guard over the bay. The sight was one he could not wholly deem as true, sleep deprivation finally caused a noticeable effect, the minutes passing did not make it any less solid. Unsure his steps, distance closing quicker than he liked, the meagre heat stolen as he was enveloped in the shadow it cast.

His progress was halted prematurely when the presence of another registered, lax where she perched in that dense shade, at peace almost. Mouth opened and closed, words worked over as he tried to formulate some query to put his own mind at ease. There seemed none befitting the situation and he instead settled on changing his direction, clearing his throat once close enough to Keona to be sure she knew he was present.

Little did he know of the dealer, though her status as blind something he quickly learnt of for it caused a hitch in communication on his bad days, though their paths had been rare in intersecting. She seemed truly capable from what little he had seen of her, a force to be reckoned with, alike the ocean that stretched out before them, a tranquillity hiding a raging storm she was well versed in handling. Though not to cross his lips there was apart of Harland that admired and respected her, where the world may have pushed her down for her disability the chance had never been given.

Paw rose, gentle in the rub along his throat. He admired her greatly but so too was he envious, she was everything he was not and yet wished to be. A thought for another time this, however, and so put aside. Rather than dwell on things only he may change Harland finally spoke, lifting his voice as best he could, which was not a great deal but at least was louder than his usual whisper. "It is a rather pleasant day, isn't it." His tone shook ever so slightly, unsure on the reception to rather lacklustre words, his gaze drawn once more to Tofu. The question was there, lay on the tip of his tongue, finally rushing forth without his bidding. "Do you know what this… turtle is, there is nothing else like it and it is just so…" Words failed as he grasped for a descriptor that felt fitting, always left coming up empty handed and so silence was he left to. Understood how strange his rambling may be, maybe she did not know of it and would think him mad, or maybe she did and would make him look a fool, though she didn't seem the type for it. To his silence was he left awaiting an answer, bottom lip taken between his teeth and chewed upon as he looked anywhere but directly at Keona or Tofu.

© MADI