got a feelin' that i'm going under [open]

[Deleted]

Man, was he hungry. It was perfectly fine to sit there and wriggle his paws in the water - Lira wasn't here to nag him anyway, so Luc did just that, but his gaze wandered to the wide open waters. Had the sea always been so clear and blue before? He would have dived in just to have some fun if he hadn't been brought up with stories - and multiple injuries - by playing too close to the invisible knives there. Come to think of it maybe he should have asked that Chaos Lady for some fancy gimmick to avoid getting hurt like that. It might, actually, make fishing fun again. Yeah, right, he had promised Iiona that he'd follow her around an' shit but what she didn't know didn't hurt her, right? And as tiresome as it was to actually get up and fish, Luc kept the fish piles moderately full and they were fed.  What would he do without Salome, that cunning old snake? Luc shook his head, ruff moving along in tandem. Maybe someone would come along and bring him a snack. That sounded about good. Yeah he'd wait for that to happen. "speaking"

[Lirriel]

Oh mother, tell your children,

"Useless fleabag!"

The sharp yowl of a harassed wolf rang through the open air, splitting through the rush of waves much as a shark through water. The lead fisher trotted down the beach, his ruff raised and ears pinned flat, looking as perturbed as he was ever taken to acting. For Iiona, he was often cocksure and dangerously sly - in front of most of the pack he had adopted a disinterested air backed by a wicked tongue. But Luc deserved none of the patience he grasped; what little of it he had seemed to flee, minnows darting before snapping jaws. Though Salome doubted any in the pack might stand up to his ongoing verbal assault of Luc - mayhaps Lira, and she was the type to just as surely take his place in scolding.

But the true reason for Salome's scolding, his irritable action toward all things relating to and in relation to Luc was simple: the other wolf was a waste of the space he had been given in the pack, further drawn down Salome's likability ladder by his inability to give a damn. And for the likes of Salome, who had struggled to adapt, who had climbed mountains in comparison to the lazy lout - just seeing the other male's disinterested mug sickened him.

And so it was that as Salome drew closer to the missing fisher, he bared one canine, his shoulders hunched up. He was not the type to fight, and his build was much the same as Luc's: wiry and stripped of fat, though Salome's snout was more femininely tapered, and he stepped lightly upon the sand, almost as if he found the ground distasteful. And that was the truth of it, he wanted nothing to do with the fickle Luc and had he been able to dispatch Lira in search of Luc, he would have. But no, he was lead fisher, and he snapped his jaws in distaste at the younger male, green eyes blown wide in barely-contained fury.

"Again, Luc?" he questioned, his voice dripping acid. He did not expand on his question, merely stood there with the squared up posture of a commander wronged and damned well willing to dole out punishment. "Did you decide to do us all a favor and enjoy a swim?" He flashed a toothy grin, sardonic and sarcastic all at once. He knew well his pack's fear of the ocean and of the reef in particular. He was not so foolish as to believe he might swim upon it unscathed, but Salome was friend to the ocean and it friend to him in turn. It was not an ideal partnership, but there was a mutual companionship to be found there, both of them used and yet feared by the Sharktooth pack.

And for the briefest of moments, Salome found his gaze drift past the scolded male, instead gazing out upon the sea. Glassy blue today, dark in the spots where clumps of coral huddled beneath. To be able to swim amongst the brilliant forest found beneath, much as his favored prey did. And yet even that thought was not enough to fully cool his ire, though it soothed much as cold water might a burn. He blinked and returned his gaze to Luc, his stare no less grave but with some of the emotion bled of it.

Not to do what I have done.

tag: @cher
words:xxx
photo credit to sas r. at dawnthieves

[Deleted]

Useless fleabag! Salome's enraged howl split the air near Luc, his head snapping round quicker than the fish that sped away from his paws that dangled in the water. He was first frightened - what, Salome had one hell of a yelling voice, then quietly seething, angered as any wolf might be from the hotheaded words that the Lead Fisher seemed to spit from his mouth, spittle flying out alongside jagged speech. After the anger had passed, all Luc wanted to do was curl up in a little ball or perhaps just disappear entirely - it was times like this that he regretted not working his butt off. But Salome was conveniently blocking his exits, and behind Luc was the Channel. And he loved swimming, loved jumping into the sea but... it really wasn't worth it.  Luc swallowed the lump in his throat and peered up at the elder dude with his calm eyes, and an easygoing grin on his lips. This was not Lira, who'd let him off if he promised enough and begged and complemented her pretty fur. This was the raggedy, wolf-from-hell Salome Ramira - he be damned if he allowed the Lead Fisher to holler down his throat again! Ah, but aforementioned Lead Fisher's teeth were looking rather sharp today... maybe Luc would put the rebellion off for another five minutes. He slunk back towards the waters, allowing half of himself to hang into them - he knew they were safe - it was the outer, rougher waves about half the Channel that could kill. "Well, uh, hey Sal! I've been workin' an' getting that fish pile done, sort of. Yeah, again! Like I always do. Yeah." Luc stammered at Salome, barely able to coat his words in his usual, friendly sarcasm, shocked by the appearance of him. Really - he was just that good! He could fish like no other, and he'd seen Iiona tossing sneaky glances at him, as if wanting to dump something like leadership on his head before shaking her own and walking away. That had to count for redemption, right? "And yeah, I did," he retorted, pushing further back into the soft waves - he liked the sea! Most of the time. Luc, aware of how pissed the Lead Fisher probably was, promptly ducked his entire head into the water, coming up with a nicely sized fish to emphasise the nonexistent work he'd been doing. "How's your anger management been doing?" "speaking"

[Lirriel]

Oh mother, tell your children,

Salome snorted as the caught wolf fidgeted and fussed. Nothing but hot air - wasn't that always the way with this sloth? He moved his eyes away, because watching Luc made him itch. The younger wolf was so much useless dancing and so little useful working. To imagine what he might have achieved if he had only the desire for it. And yet at this point Salome's jealousy was expended, fallen down into the warm sand. There was no use thinking of what if when the wolf in question was currently as useful as ripe fish. Salome wrinkled his nose in distaste at the other's display.

"Well, uh, hey Sal! I've been workin' an' getting that fish pile done, sort of. Yeah, again! Like I always do. Yeah."

"Oh, shut up," Salome said. Gods above, this wolf made him itch. "Quit yammering like a twit. You're embarrassing us both."

Suddenly it was too eager for Salome to wish his position on some other wolf. Damn the power he wielded, damn the seasons of work he had put into achieving his current rank. Just dealing with this foolish, blabbering genius was enough to wish the walking, talking problem on someone else. Anyone else. His ear flicked with distaste as Luc added, "How's your anger management been doing?"

That he had caught a fish so quickly in such shallow waters was a testament to his skill. Alas, it seemed his ability to fish so well had compromised other skillsets, particularly the ability to manage something resembling a respectable comeback. "Charming," was all Salome said. No reason to dwell any further on such a question. Instead, Salome tilted his head, examining the reef beyond them. "Why come to fish here and not with the others?" he asked at last.

Everyone knew the dangers of Purgatory Reef, and it seemed foolish to try fishing alone. When working correctly, Salome's fishers had been able to split in two, some driving fish into the shallows even as others dove through the school, snapping up the cornered fish. Fishing alone seemed inefficient, and though the reef was home to numerous prey, the dangers of rip currents that dragged unsuspecting swimmers deeper into the sea kept Salome away from the waters that bordered it. He had no plans of losing his fishers, so Luc's flagrant disregard for the dangers was a developing weed he must destroy the root of quickly.

Not to do what I have done.

tag: @cher
words:xxx
photo credit to sas r. at dawnthieves

[Deleted]

Luc was in the process of giving a sheepish smile and trying to see if he could wiggle away inch by inch. And he was succeeding, too! That was, until Salome's sharp eyes caught him in the act and he grinned, squinting because it was day and he was looking up and it didn't help that the lead fisher was being framed by the sun. Nuh uh. Oh, shut up, Salome said, and Luc gladly did, having found no words that would be able to sway the dude. Really! He needed to work so much on his anger management skills that Luc would have cheekily offered him a few of his own tips (like sleeping a lot and playing in the shallows), but then again, Salome was Lead Fisher. He was too uptight and responsible to play with them mere mortals. Peasants. Whatever. Oh, and now that he seemed to be appeased with Luc's offering of fish, Luc took the chance to scramble a little further out of the water, still keeping his back away from Salome and his tail respectfully down. But a shit-eating grin still pulled at his lips, proud of the record time he'd caught the fish. There was no mistake that he, Luc Terant, was one of the best fishers on Sharktooth. Not even the Lead Fisher could refute that, and even though his eyes were downcast, a glimmer of cheer still resided within them. Why come to fish here and not with the others? "Huh?" Luc said back, tilting his neck to look at Salome very carefully, as if peering at the little individual strands of his fur, like he was trying to figure something out. He raised a paw up to his jaw, tapping one of the toes as if in thought. "Hey, Sally, I know you're the Lead Fisher and all," Luc sat, raising up both feet (like they were hands) in a placatory gesture. "But your charming personality ain't drawin' anyone nearer to the little Fishers' Corner." Quickly, he shimmied into the waters until only his head showed so that Salome couldn't hit him if he tried to attack Luc. Really! It was totally Salome's attitude towards everything - grr grr bitey bitey and all that nonsense. "Well, I am the only other Fisher you have, so I don't see how you convinced everyone else to join your gang." Luc paddled away, laughing, then flinging yet another fish onto the shore. It was smaller, but it was still a fish, and the fisher pulled himself out onto the dry(er) beach, shaking off the wet fur (preferably onto Salome, as he was a dick). "Or, you know, you could always fish with me with the others in blue seas yonder." "speaking"

Lirriel