Go Fish [Open]

[Ember]

ARREN THORN

Arren awoke during that uncomfortable time between morning and midday, when the sun had risen but hadn’t reached its zenith, unable to heat the land as effectively as it could. Though Crowberry Lake often experienced mild springs, evenings spent near the water were still chilly. The cool breeze from the night before hadn’t been chased away by the warmth of day yet, and the young male could only growl as his fiery pelt and the thin grass along the lake’s edge were teased alike.

He rolled onto his elbows with a grunt, propping himself up so that his neck and head were lifted skyward. The clouds overhead seemed way too bright as they reflected the sun’s rays back toward the earth, and he blinked, grimacing, to adjust his eyes to the view.

That minor irritation aside, the lake was perfectly quiet, save for the gentle rustling of the budding greenery around him. As far as he could tell, no other wolves had found their way into the area while he slept, and the thought was enough to unfurl the wrinkles along his muzzle.

He was alone. Good. He could work in peace.

Finally, he rose to his paws and stretched, see-sawing as he extended each of his limbs to shake off the leaden sensation that sleep had planted inside his muscles. Then he padded over to the water’s edge, like he had a hundred times before, and crouched.

And then he waited.

Fishing wasn’t easy by any means, but his island-born mother had insisted on teaching him the ropes when he was still a pup. Thanks to her, he’d been able to survive off the scaly creatures for the past few weeks, even if surviving was the only thing he’d been able to do. He didn't really have the same amount of experience on his side, after all.

At present, a trout meandered closer and paused near the edge of the water, its fins working in slow, sweeping motions. A cocky smile curled the boy’s lips, and he lunged forward, jaws open and fangs ready to close around his quarry.

Icy water drowned his mouth, his nostrils, his eyes, and a deep ache blossomed across his skull, and then he felt the dull grinding of teeth against teeth. He jerked his head back and huffed out a quivering sigh once he could breathe again. The lake’s waters were much colder than expected, and his vision and breathing didn't return to normal until after a few moments. By the time he was able to focus again, the trout was already too far away to pursue, its form shrouded and unclear as it retreated to deeper water.

A low growl rumbled in his chest. Damn, he couldn’t wait for summer.

Open to all! Whoo, I'm totally the best at titles. *sarcasm*
Also, temporary table is temporary. x)

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[daemitra]

tagged - Ember - notes - ...

It was a calm morning, the breeze - still chilly - gently tousled the snowy wolf's fur, bird's twitters could be heard just overhead as leaves fell from their branches and uncovered the brown feathered creatures. Leaves crumbled beneath the petite she wolf's paws as her gentle steps carried her towards Crowberry Lake.     Loki simply wanted to stretch her legs, the lake seemed the best destination there would be water that she so desperately needed this morning and it was peaceful there. Puffs of mist floated from her maw with every breath, dissipating up into the air like little clouds and she watched them for a moment, her rosey oculars rising up and then focusing back on her path.      The lake came into view, Loki sighed a little, happy her little walk was over and that she could lap at the gentle water of the lake when a firey pelt glimmered in her view. The male looked deep in concentration staring at the water and she froze, letting her eyes scan him, her head tilting to the side. He lunged at the lake, whole face immersed in the very likely freezing water and she snorted lightly making her way towards him once more.         She found herself next to him and up to the water's edge as he brought his head up, giving him a side-long glance before bringing her neck down, allowing her tongue to lap at the icy water. She was right, it was freezing, and this crazy wolf just stuck his whole head in. The ivory female brought her head back up, now facing him and bringing herself down on her haunches, and chuckled.      "Nice." It was almost a purr, rolling off her tongue, her demure voice adding emphasis at the beginning. "That's one way to wake up, I guess."          And Now im wasting away in my own misery

ψ

[Ember]

ARREN THORN

Arren remained in place for several pensive moments, his face still dripping with the lake’s icy water, and was content to watch the fish weave back and forth from where he stood. They were just out of reach, just barely beyond his grasp. Really, they were just taunting him at this point.

A snarl wrinkled his muzzle, and as if on cue, the fish bolted away. If not for the fact that he was trying to hunt, pride would have swelled in his chest, because any other time, the fish would have been right to swim away. They would have been right to fear him. They—

Another wolf lowered her head beside him.

As though pulled by some unseen force, Arren lunged away from her, his head and body held low in a defensive crouch, and his legs splayed apart for support. A warning growl, one that started deep within his chest, rumbled forth from between his parted lips.

She seemed to have come out of nowhere, and he had to wonder: Who the hell was this wolf? How had he not heard her? How had he not smelled her? Probably because he was upwind of her, or something stupid like that. Crap.

He paused his snarling long enough to hear her chuckle, which instilled in him an entirely different and new kind of anger. She had been here for all of a few seconds, she had scared off his prey, and what? Was she mocking him?

Incredulous and unblinking, he trained his golden eyes on the white she-wolf as she sat before him. A quick survey allowed him to notice the golden undertones of her coat, her petite frame, and her soft, pink eyes. She was… really pretty, in fact.

Which made him like her even less.

At her comment, he merely rolled his eyes. “Or a good way not to starve, if you’re not stupid enough to make assumptions.” He paused, then, and sighed.

Truthfully, it was still far too early in the morning for him to maintain such a defensive stance. Instead, he straightened himself, and the hackles along his back settled. His ears lowered, relaxed, in opposing directions, and he allowed his eyes to fall half-shut as he turned back to the lake.

With two wolves now on the shore, the trout were much farther away than before.

“Thanks for scaring away the fish.” The sarcasm underlying his words could have been much bolder, much harsher, but again, he just didn’t have the energy for it. Not this early in the day. And not when he was hurting for a meal.

daemitra

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[daemitra]

tagged - Ember - notes - ...

A silent pause passed between the two as she stared at the auburn male, unimpressed tranquility flowing through her body. She didn't suppose she had to be frightened of him, even though his body language was defensive, on edge. She blinked her eyes before inhaling, turning her head towards the area she had just come from, her eyes half lidded.      "There's no need for that, surely had I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so by now instead of trying and failing to make a friend." She chided referring to the growl that had rumbled deep in his throat. Her tail wagged lazily behind her as she brought her eyes back to him. "Pleasantries are obviously thrown into the wind." She grunted, unsatisfied. She had only meant to tease him a little, not have him take it personally.      'Thanks for scaring away the fish' He said, causing a chuckle to rise in her throat once more before she brought herself to stand again. "I'm afraid you've done that yourself, my dear. But if it helps you sleep at night, do blame me for all your splashing about."Loki rolled her eyes lazily, shaking her fur out a moment and starting to pad around the male, scanning over his body. "Is fish all you eat?" she pondered aloud, not really caring if he didn't enjoy her company or her prodding questions. Life as a loner was boring, and trying to powerplay lost its charm after a while.      "I'd think hunting animals that don't live in water were easier to catch." The ivory female said, coming to stop behind him, peering past him into the water where the scaly creatures lurked at that surface. She did love to watch them, only because she could never really catch them, this caused her to wonder if it was really worth it? They were fast and slippery and smelly.  And Now im wasting away in my own misery

ψ

[Ember]

ARREN THORN

My dear. The term caused Arren’s golden eyes to narrow. Without turning his head, he sent a sidelong glare in the she-wolf’s direction, catching the last of her movements as she shook out her pale fur. He would have continued to stare her down, irritation at her given pet name festering in his chest, but she stepped around him, and it was then that he was forced to turn to keep her in his sights.

He shifted in the grass as she circled him, uncomfortable with the amount of attention she awarded. Her gaze, curious and not necessarily predatory, still called to his mind one image: that of vultures and other birds of prey circling their quarry. The sudden realization that he had so much in common with corpses he had scavenged off in the past cause him to pin his ears, lips tensing as he threatened to bare his fangs again.

And he would have voiced another choice retort, had her question not piqued his own interest.

"Hmph." A smug grin played across his muzzle, and he trained his golden gaze on her rose-colored one. And then his whole body shook, a violent, blurry motion. The freezing water that clung to his face was sent flying. Arren almost hoped some droplets might splash onto the she-wolf. She was close enough, he figured, and it’s what she deserved for prodding so much, anyway.

"No," he said plainly. "Think what you will, but getting a little wet sure beats getting kicked upside the head by a hoof." He glanced at the lake again. The fish, while still a considerable distance away, seemed calm as they weaved through the water just beyond reach. He flicked an ear in the she-wolf’s direction, quirking a brow as a thought came to him. "Care to try?"

If she took the bait, well… Things were about to get interesting.

daemitra
Sorry for the wait!

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[daemitra]

tagged - Ember - notes - My turn to apologize for the wait LOL

Loki enjoyed watching the emotions she emitted within the wolf before her, the way he shifted, how he pinned his ears to his skull and looked as if he had smelled something rotten. It didn't make her feel powerful, but it made her feel confidence. It was strange, she hadn't intended on playing with him... though that seemed to be what she was doing. Then he moved, shaking out his pelt.  Loki flinched, pinning her ears back and closing her eyes as she lifted her front leg so she could catch herself if she were to lose her balance. Water sprinkled on her thick coat, she could feel them splash against the snowy golden hairs but she hadn't felt their chilly temperature.  When he came to a halt and the pelting assault had stopped, she brought her paw back to the ground and opened her eyes once more, letting the rosey pink hues find his golden orbs. "Thank you," Loki mumbled, dropping her tone by only a few decibels  before shaking off the remnants of the droplets.  "As for your kind offer, I'd rather take a swift kick to the head than make myself look an idiot sloshing through the water, thank you. No need to rub the fact that you're better than I." The frosted wolf refrained from tilting her nose to the air; acting so...above others was unattractive, no matter how much she disliked what they did - especially when they did it to survive.  "But please, show me how it's done, master fisher." Sliding her front down so she mimicked a bow, she kept her eyes on Arren, a spark of humor glowing within them before straightening.  And Now im wasting away in my own misery

?

[Ember]

ARREN THORN

Better than her? Arren suppressed the urge to laugh, pursing his lips into a tense line. He wasn’t sure how his hunting style made him better than her, but whatever. She was clearly a she-wolf who put her own image above doing whatever was necessary to survive, given her explanation, but he didn’t really care. It just didn’t make sense to him, was all.

He kept his gaze trained on the female, watching as she bowed in some invitation for him to demonstrate. But as she looked up at him with her pink eyes, her thin legs stretched out along the ground, his thoughts were far from what swam within the lake.

His chest tightened with some sort of stirring. How badly he wanted to leap forward, lunge at her, close the gap between them. The feeling wasn’t malicious, though—wasn’t his typical urge to scratch and claw and bite and lock jaws. No, it was something more... playful. He didn’t want to hurt her. Just push her around a little, maybe.

But the sorrel male refrained, baring his fangs only in some sort of clever grin.

"If you’re gonna watch, you’re gonna help me out," he declared, lifting his head and tail. "When I push them your way, try to get one." Barely a second passed before he snorted and added under his breath, "You know, if you can."

He pushed past her, doing nothing to keep his russet tail from brushing up against her side if she didn’t avoid him.

Arren walked along the shore, his eyes flicking to the lake’s surface just as another gust swept across the land. The water, cool and dark, rippled in the wind, making it difficult to see the fish below. An annoyed grimace played across his muzzle, but he was not deterred. After circling about a quarter of the lake’s perimeter, he dropped into a crouch and crept close to the water’s edge, tossing a quick glance in the she-wolf’s direction to see if she was still watching.

One at a time, he lowered his paws into the lake, inhaling through clenched teeth as the chilly water rushed across his skin and stiffened his muscles beneath his pelt. He was careful to move quickly, though, not wanting to give the female any chance to tease him later if she noticed his reaction. Finally, submerged except for his red and white face, he began paddling toward her, corralling the fish into the shallows where she stood.

daemitra
I'm having so much fun with these two but
omg I'm sorry he's a weird little brat

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[daemitra]

tagged - Ember - notes - ...

Giving Arren a knowing look as he gazed at her, she straightened once more, her rosy hues filled with amusement as her tail wagged slowly behind her.  If you're going to watch, you're going to help - the smirk on his maw made sense now. With a flick of her ear, and her face now not-so-smug, she cocked her head slightly. "Help? Help how? I've no idea how to-" Loki paused momentarily as his tail ran along her side, letting her eyes lay on the grass below her paws for a moment as she listened to the rest he had to say. "I can try," Arren was so sure of himself, surely it would be much easier than she thought? Loki stopped at the edge of the lake, looking into the chilly water, her lip curling slightly with distaste...but it was just water. With a snort, she placed a paw into the frigid water, jerking it back quickly before putting it back and bringing the others in, lowering her body to prepare for her catch. The snowy female watched as Arren moved around the lake, watching as his muscles moved and rippled beneath his fur, how they tensed as he entered the lake and how his yellow eyes surveyed the water's surface. The shadows of the fish below the surface came closer, until they were a short snap away with her jaws. Her instincts were screaming at her to take the chance to catch her prey...but she hesitated momentarily. Quick movements caught her eyes, the fish just beside her trying to get away from the figures in the water. Quickly, she snapped at it, feeling her teeth graze it's scaly exterior but not getting a good grip. She tried again, this time, sinking her teeth into the tough tail of it. The poor thing floundered in her jaws, smacking its body against her cheeks a few times before lying still. Loki looked up triumphantly, her pink eyes looking to Arren's with immense pride. "Not too shabby, I'd say." She practically purred. The fish itself wasn't anything too great, only a few inches long, but it would be a meal to a hungry wolf nonetheless. And Now im wasting away in my own misery

?

[Ember]

ARREN THORN

As he watched the powdery female snap at the fish, Arren could not keep from chuckling. The frigid water played at his parted lips as his frame rocked beneath the water with the sound. It was amusing—watching her launch toward the water-bound prey, not once but twice. Even once she was successful, he still smiled at how she stubbornly held onto the fish, even as it smacked against her face.

He continued to swim back toward her, and by the time he was able to feel mud beneath his paws again, the scaly creature was dead, hanging limp from between the female's jaws. He sighed in relief, and was, admittedly, a little proud of her. Catching and, more than that, holding onto such slippery food was no easy task, and she had done well there.

Not like he was going to mention as much and, what, give her an even bigger ego? No way.

Instead, as he drew himself completely out of the water to stand beside her, he eyed the fish with a look of approval. Now that he was closer, he could see that she had caught it by the tail, leaving its meaty body mostly untouched and unbitten.

He nodded. That was awesome.

Because it was gonna be his breakfast.

He lunged forward, snapping his white fangs across the majority of the fish's exposed body, and gave a hard tug. With any luck, she'd let go, and he'd be out of there before she knew what happened.

daemitra
Goodness, it’s been so long since I made a post… hopefully it isn’t
too awkward, haha. ALSO SORRY FOR MY SON I was gonna have
him run off with it but wanted to give Loki a chance to react!! >u>

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