Desperate times truly did call for desperate measures. Amaranth crouched sphinx-like on the driest patch of land she could find, glaring into the murky water. Had it really come to this? Was this the price she was to pay for her sins? Her tail twitched in agitation. She should just move on, leave this muddy tangle of waterways behind in reviled memory where it belonged. The air smelled of rotting vegetation and stagnant pools, muck and silt, and was positively brimming with life. That last bit might have been the worst of them all, because it meant her stomach was overruling her common sense and refused to let her flee. "It's not even below freezing today, you big baby." "Shut up, Ed." "You look like that stream stole your sweets and called you a loser." "Shut up, Ed." The bobcat laying beside her opened his mouth to toss another jab, but before he could manage it Mara ground out, "One more peep and I'll toss you in by your scruff. I'm working up my courage, let me live." The cat rolled his eyes but silence held, and even if he was still pretty sure they'd both die of starvation in the meantime he could keep that to himself. Mara stood with a resigned sigh. She would face her funeral with her usual dignity and grace, of course, even if keeling over frozen stiff was a stupid way to go. Whatever prey might be hiding in the brush ahead, there was no avoiding wet paws in this situation however she approached it. Fish were supposed to get sluggish in cold water, right? Maybe? Honestly she wasn't all that keen on fishing even in the warmer seasons but if her goal here was to get in, get a meal, and get out as quick as possible it was probably the direction she'd have to take. Didn't mean she had to like it, so Ed would just have to deal. "TALK" "YOU" THINK

Now she had freedom to come and go as she pleased, Hanako made a point of venturing as far east as the land would allow. Winter had settled in nice and comfy, her breath condensing from her nose as she bounced along the Delta. Sure, she could fish within the Armada's territory, but today she'd gotten a real hankering for fresh crab, the sort that couldn't easily be caught back home. Being the talented fisher she was, Hanako knew that crabs often frequented rock pools and there were plenty about the Delta, she just had to take her pick.

Slowing to a walk, she noticed a dappled wolf and bobcat lingering by the waterside and bickering quite incessantly, clearly reluctant to take the plunge. Not that she could blame them, if the air was chilly the water would be even worse. No doubt another reason she wanted to stick to shallower waters.

With a wrinkle of her pale nose, Hanako drew close to one of the many seaweed-soupy pools. The smell didn't do much to rouse her appetite but the sight of crabs skittering from her shadow was more than enough to make it worth it and since she'd hardly be able to eat all of them by herself, so why not share? She was feeling charitable and a meal was always best enjoyed with company.

"Come see." She beckoned them close with a friendly sweep of her tail, wondering if they were willing to play along. "There's loads of crabs and...an eel maybe?"

Normally Amaranth wouldn't consider herself a 'self-involved' wolf. Not one to get mired down in her own personal shit. Apparently cold water, or at least the looming threat of it, was enough to turn that around because the unexpected voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. Her head whipped sideways, where she was met by a pretty face saying something she hadn't managed to catch in the midst of her surprise. Still, Mara was not without her social graces and quickly introduced herself with an elegant, "...Wuh?" Ed rolled his eyes and stood, swatting at her as he passed. "Crabs. Eels. Food, dum dum, come along." The bobcat nodded a greeting of his own towards the stranger as he appraoched. "I'm in favor of anything that can be caught with dry paws. Name's Ed, and that big baby-" "I am NOT a-" "-is Mara." Amaranth was very aware that she wasn't making the best first impression here so she stood as well, trying to wipe away her sulk as she trailed behind. She should be thrilled at a stranger appearing out of the blue, rescuing her from such a grim task, and she was, just... She'd never bothered with crabs, or seameat in general, and the jury was still very much out on whether or not Ed had earned a dunking. She glared at her so-called-companion before flashing a tight smile at the shewolf. "Nice to meet you. We'd be happy for some help, if you don't mind. Fishing isn't really our forte, especially when it's this fuckin' cold out." Mara watched as crustaceans fled before them, slowly skittering for cover. Definitely an easier target than a deer or a hare, but much more... pinchy. As for eels, anything that slimy could stay well away from her, is what she would have said if she wasn't absolutely starving. She settled for, "Is there a trick to this?" instead. "TALK" "YOU" THINK

Hanako squeezed her eyes a little at the corners in a bemused smile. It was nice to see a sense of rapport between the two, as most wolves she'd seen only tended to pay attention to their companions when they were in need of them. She found it sad, sometimes, but was quick to shoo away such thoughts when the cat went on and introduced himself and his wolf-buddy.

Ed and Mara, what a great pair they made. Their vibrant energy was infectious and Hanako couldn't help but revel it in, like sunshine warming the pink of her skin.

"I'm Hanako." She dipped her head in a playful curtsey,  a cute throwback to old habits long tossed aside." And it's no trouble at all, I think if I didn't have someone to stop me I'd eat till I'd have to roll back home."

She loved Ophie as much as anybody but uh....she'd gotten a little too big for her own good. Self-restraint was important when it came to eating favoured foods. Now onto the meat-or fish- of the matter.

"Probably." She beamed, knowing full well her methods didn't really follow the books. Since she was self-taught and all, just went with the flow and stuck to whatever worked. "When it comes to crabs, I try and shoo them to face the other direction, so I can grab them from behind." She dipped her paw into the shallow pool and gave it a good flick, causing the crabs to scuttle to the far edges.

Dipping her head in, it was just about deep enough for the length of her muzzle, she was quick to pluck out a crab. A little on the small side but a good first catch. Giving it a good cronch with her back teeth, Hanako cracked the shell and smushed the soft flesh beneath. Tossing it to Ed, Hanako gestured with a flick of her pale snout to see if they wanted to give it a try.

If this went well the eel was next.

Mara watched the other shewolf's introduction, curtsey bob and all, and half expected a little shower of glitter or sunspots to rain down around her. She was just a regular old sugardrop, wasn't she? Maybe Mara would be in a better position to appreciate that with a full stomach. She nodded back. "Thanks, Hanako." She cocked her head to the side. "I'll be honest, eating to the point where a gentle slope becomes a real hazard? That sounds pretty alright to me." Mara followed the mottled fae's movements as she turned back to the pool, grimacing as politely as she could manage when she stuck her face in the ice bath, but couldn't deny the appeal after Hanako snapped up one of the stupid water bugs in a flash. She sighed to herself, (just a little one, just as a treat,) and mosied to another pool a few paces away while Ed went off to find his own. How hard could it be? Settling down beside it, she caught the motion of a few crabs who sensed a disturbance in the forces around them. Mara reached one paw far out over the water and tickled her claws against its surface, pleasantly surprised to see her future morsels waddling back closer to her perch. She dipped her snout in slowly, clamping her jaw tight shut lest she outgas her displeasure via nose bubbles. With haste now driving her more than hunger, Mara snapped her jaws towards the first crab to wander into range and would have called her aim 'middling' at best. Having grabbed more 'side' than 'hind,' if surprisingly strong armored legs wiggling against the side of her snout was any indication, she flicked her head sideways and tossed the crab towards the wide stretch of sandy mud behind her. It bounced and tumbled but was quick to find its footing, skittering for the nearest crevice. Not if she had anything to say about it! Mara dashed after in hor pursuit, deftly pinning the crustacean beneath a paw before delivering the killing blow. See? Proof. She was a terrestrial hunter. She looked over to where Hanako lay and coughed delicately. "Easy-peasy." "TALK" "YOU" THINK

Hanako couldn't help but laugh, all light and airy till her heart felt fluttery. She'd give Mara that, she supposed a little bit of overindulgence never hurt anyone. Or rather that's where the line of thought screeched to a halt, since yanno...the same really couldn't be said for Ophie. She felt bad looking down at the pudgy Fatalis as she was such a lovely girl, kind and sweet in all the best ways, but she really had let herself go. And the thought of following in her pudgy footsteps really made Hanako want to visibly cringe, enough that she was quick to slap up another crab to shoo away any lingering guilt.

"Exactly. A lot of people think eating fish is beneath them or whatever, like true wolves hunt deer." She waved her paw dismissively, water dripping from the pale of her pads. "Whole load of baloney if you ask me."

In Hanako's not so humble opinion, seafood just tasted a whole lot better than stuff caught on land, less sinewy with more flavoured enthused into the flesh. It just felt like fine dining, you know? Worth the effort. And actually something she was good at.