Fish Bowl

She looked so harmless, so peaceful there by the water, hunched over her own reflection as she dipped and scrubbed her muddy forelimbs in the current. An idle tune resonated in her throat, sending a soft vibration through closed lips. Hayai had gotten into the habit of creating noise when there was none to fill her ears; among company, she could hardly resist opening her mouth, but alone, oftentimes she was forced to resort to song. With no companions, not so much as a bird on her shoulder, her journey often turned stale and flat, even during treks through the highest mountains. The ups and downs of a melody were usually enough, in these cases, to lift her spirits.

This time, though, something managed to grab her attention enough to end her quiet solo. The girl straightened herself, head rising and nose poking at the air as she sampled its many scents. There was something about her surroundings that pulled at her, but she couldn't quite place what, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to trust it anyway. She'd learned the hard way about getting her hopes up and wasn't much a fan of the disappointment that had followed. So, for now, she remained where she was seated, slowly sinking back into herself as she tried to bring her focus back to the task at hand...and keep her premature excitement contained.

"