The ancient tortoise stood like a living mountain, waterfalls cascading down its mossy shell, each breath rumbling like shifting tectonic plates.
Alice stood before it, looking quaint and small, her fingers dancing through the air in a silent, practiced rhythm.
The tortoise responded in its own way, low, resonant grunts and reverberations that felt more like tectonic conversations than vocalizations.
Grunnnnnt… Hrunnnnnnnt…
Each sound vibrated through the ground, stirring loose pebbles and sending tiny ripples across the surface of the fire's pot.
Naturally, Liu Mei chose this moment to lean in and whisper, "Sister Yuu, can I pet that tortoise? Will it bite me?"
Yuu didn't even hesitate with her reply. "No. Absolutely not."
"Why not?" Liu Mei tilted her head, already halfway leaning forward.
