She was excited to get started on the activities that the festival had to offer, and fishing seemed to be one of the activities offered! She had never tried fishing before, so she wasn't sure how she'd do but she was darn well going to try! She knew Holland was around, and some of her other family and packmates too, but she focused more on making it into the shallow water and searching for fish. As she frantically searched, she spotted a flash of silver heading away from her. With a determined growl, she tried to chase it down and leapt into the water after it, jaws snapping frantically in an effort to catch it! "Speak"

art by Birmapus

he wasn't very good at hunting. his prowess in old skills were fighting, but he rejected them in favor of healing. he wasn't even sure he could defend himself now if he tried. too much time had passed in favor of him learning. still, he wanted to try for the festival. walking toward the waters, who was he to spot other than Kairi? she was splashing around, trying to hook a fish for herself. Holland wondered what everyone would do with the catches. would there be a feast afterward? he shook the thought away in favor of this moment. "mind if I join you?" he would ask from the banks, his eyes spotting a flash beneath the waters. he'd grunt, lowering himself instinctively and flash out with a paw to try himself. he'd already gotten some 'tickets' from digging, so why not this? he wanted to see the prizes and wanted to see if he'd get something for his continual effort. "SPEECH" attempt 1!

Her teeth closed around a slippery body, and when she jerked her head back up she was ecstatic to find she had caught a decent sized fish. Maybe this part of the contest wouldn't be so hard after all! Pleased with herself, she almost didn't notice Holland was there until he asked to join her to which she nodded before tossing the fish onto the shore. She didn't know if there were plans to have a big fish feast, but she sure as heck would so she wanted to save all her catches and maybe share them with someone...and that someone would probably be Holland since he was here already. She took a moment to catch her breath and shake some of the water from her face and watched Holland swat the water. Almost as soon as he did, big fat fish flew out. "Whoa! I think you're a better Fisher than I am! Nice catch Holly!" She smiled at him, tail wagging as she waded a little closer but not too close so as not to get up in his fishing space. As she drew closer, another flash of movement caught her attention and she dove for it, trying to pin it with her paws this time. "You're not getting away from me!" She exclaimed excitedly. Maybe she was having too much fun with this. 2nd fishing attempt! "Speak"

she had already invited him to join, but Holland felt it was prudent to ask still. he'd gone and done a few activities by himself - no events, just hovering and randomly talking - and thought she'd be sick of him by now. so he kept his distance a bit, having spotted Kairi going to the fishing hole alone and decided to join her like promised. as he hooked a fish, the sheer size of it startled him. Kairi whooped, congratulating him. Holland felt his cheeks grow hot. "it was beginner's luck" he'd state humbly as the fish flopped between them. the healer bent down to nip its neck, killing it instantly. he wanted to chuckle at her enthusiasm as she dove again for another, but a movement caught his eyes again and he went to catch another fish. who knew? maybe he'd get lucky and get the golden fish? what wonderful medicinal properties did it have? once more he felt his jaws flood with water, and he resisted hacking and coughing in disgust. he tried to close his mouth around something of value. "SPEECH" attempt 2!

She caught another fish, tossing it towards the shore and letting it flop around there. If it made it back to the water, oh well. But she had made sure to toss it far enough so it would probably tire out before making it. "Don't be so modest," She responded as she turned to look at him. He was doing a better job at fishing than she was, not that she was mad about it or anything. She was proud! Er...wait what? She caught herself blushing, her cheeks growing hot as she turned away and focused on finding another fish. As soon as she spotted movement, she drove her whole head into the water and slipped in the process. Now she was completely soaked and half laying in the water as she sputtered and coughed. Well...that oughta cool her off. "Woops, guess I got a little carried away ehe," Wow...how embarrassing! 3rd attempt "Speak"

"but... it's true" Holland protested softly as he added another extra large fish to the growing pile that they were creating. he wasn't good at bragging about things outside of his knowledge of herbs. Kairi told him not to be modest about his skills though, and he thought about it for a bit. what if he had a talent for fishing? or hunting? thinking back, he never was good at it. then again, he only focused on fighting. fighting and wars and battles. it was a wonder he hadn't been killed or scarred up to the point of losing his questionable good looks. that was him, being humble and not entirely vain too. maybe he should hunt for Lirim when this was all over. help out universally. that sort of thing. "what'll they do with all these fish..." he uttered randomly, frowning at perhaps wasting them. "SPEECH" attempt 3!

She frowned and squinted at him, wondering if he really doubted his abilities. Could she blame him though if he really did think he was no good at fishing? She thought she was not that great of a fighter, she hadn't had any real fighting experience except for once against the chick with the cat claws...she had her reasons to believe she wasn't that good at some things. Fighting especially. And since she didn't know anything about Holland's past, maybe there was a reason there on why he thinks the way he does. "If they don't do anything with them, who's to say we can't? We can have our own fish feast," Movement against her outstretched leg caught her attention and she kicked forward in an attempt to catch it, splashing the water as she went. Soon enough, a bunch of small little minnows went darting every which way and she dove after them until she caught one in her teeth. Pulling her head back, she turned and grinned at him with the minnow clutched in her teeth. "Want a snack?" She joked. Attempt 4 "Speak"

perhaps Lirim could use all this fish. two Lirim wolves were fishing for them, after all. who else could use them? Holland bit down on another large fish that he scooped from the waters, casting it aside just as Kairi caught a minnow. the little fish dangling wildly from her jaws was amusing, and he couldn't help an amused snort. "perhaps... they'd dock points for half-eaten entries?" he tried to joke, try to make her laugh for once. all she'd done so far was look at him in confusion when he spoke, but she did say his ideas were good. that... that was a start right? he didn't want to bend over and take the minnow either. that was way too close for comfort. his fur prickled uneasily at the thought of going that close to any woman - let alone Kairi - before he dove for another fish. maybe he'd get lucky again and get a big one. "SPEECH" attempt 4!

"Hmm...so maybe if I catch another minnow and eat half of that one, would that be one whole ticket?" She grinned and laughed at his joke and her own before tossing her head back swallowing the little fish. She hadn't realized it, but all this fishing was making her hungry! Glancing around, she darted after more fish that swam every which way trying to get away from the pair. She launched herself towards one that looked big, while also aiming to scoop up another minnow. The minnow had been a success, and as she flopped around in the water she could feel something wriggling underneath her belly. Had she trapped a fish beneath her? She would wait a few moments before she checked, for now she glanced at Holland with a grin. "Here, catch!" That was the only warning he got before she flung the little fish at him. 5th Attempt "Speak"

she actually laughed at his lame joke. it felt good to hear her laugh with him over at him. his head swum with potential and stupid dreams, and then... he was fish slapped. water smacked against his face as the small fish collided with him. he'd grunt in surprise. turning to look at Kairi, he'd pause at her shit-eating grin before throwing his own caught minnow at her. his mother's voice rang in his ears; don't fucking waste your food, Holland! but it was ignored in favor of potential amusement. he immediately dove for another fish to throw at Kairi, his previous minnow - the smallest fish he'd caught so far - probably gasping for water by now. "SPEECH" attempt 5!

She burst out laughing when the tiny fish smacked him in the face. She had expected him to catch it, but maybe she had thrown it too fast. Luckily, he decide to play along too and threw a fish back at her, Kairi ducked just in time that it flew over her head, "Fish fight!" She exclaimed before frantically searching for another one. She bounded along in the water, splashing and sending waves every which way as she aimed to track down a fish. She spotted a few several feet away and leaped in after them. She sought to catch another and throw that back Holland's way. Would it hit again? Would it miss? She'd feel bad if she managed to hit him with a bigger fish than the first one. She had to admit she was having loads of fun with him, and assumed he was having fun too if he decided to partake in her childish little game. Attempt 6 "Speak"

the war cry rang; fish fight! Holland wasn't sure what to do. part of him rejected such childish behavior in favor of keeping his level head. the other part wanted to experience that childish behavior because he never had time for such things growing up. his ears burned at the thought of someone - especially his alpha - seeing him like this. so far he'd put up a wall and Kairi was knocking it down fast and hard. the man gasped, ducking as she flung another fish at him just as he shot his head back to the surface. fish or water thrown, he didn't care. he was going to get her. as soon as he dumped the water at her, he went for another fish. his usual competitiveness rang true, jaws snapping to find a bigger fish to throw at her. "SPEECH" attempt 6!

She smiled when he decided to play along, and when she had grabbed for another fish, she came up with...nothing. She sputtered and spit the water out like a water fountain, opening her eyes just in time to see a big fat fish flying towards her. A small squeak left her as she watched the fish fly towards her, almost as if in slow motion. She was a little too slow in ducking this time, and the fish smacked her right across the face which caused a little "oompf" to come out of her before it slid back into the water. She didn't hold it against him, and the fish didn't hurt that much. She was having too much fun for it to hurt anyway. The force sent her falling onto her rump though, and she playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "That's how you wanna play eh?" She giggled playfully as she frantically searched for another fish. Spotting one closer to him, she wore a mischievous look before leaping straight in his direction, landing just a couple of feet in front of him to both splash him, and try to grab for the fish between them so she could try and slap him with it. But not too hard, that would be mean. She didn't want to spoil the fun, either. Kairi reattempt (from previous 4th try) "Speak"

more water and more fish. Holland could barely keep up with Kairi's enthusiasm but tried his damnest. she was so full of life it was... kinda amazing. especially considering her age. when she squeaked playfully at him, the healer shifted his head to lower a bit. a small playful growl appeared surprisingly on his features. though his eyes were dead serious, his curled lip was teasing. "bring. it. on" the man growled at the other wolf before diving for another fish (or a pawful of water) to throw at her once more. he no longer cared about catching fish, instead he simply tried to grab anything to throw at her. "SPEECH" attempt 7!

She snorted at the look on his face, the fish swinging wildly in her jaws before she let it go. His words brought a renewed vigor to her, now that she could finally tell that he was having fun! Bouncing back a step or two, she laughed as the water splashed her, and she leaped straight up just so she could drop straight back down to both send a wave splashing toward him (and hopefully) land on a fish in the process. There were so many around, it had been too easy so far! But now she was just mostly focused on playing and trying to get Holland back that she didn't even really care too much about the fishing part now. She didn't care if anyone saw them goofing around. She didn't care if she was disturbing the other participants. They could always move. And while she wasn't one to be too rude, she was allowed to have her own fun just as much as the next guy! attempt 7 "Speak"

yes, he was having fun. no, he didn't need anyone to tell him that. Holland was reserved and a bit shy; if someone happened upon him and Kairi doing this... well, he'd be embarrassed and march off in all anti-social glory. then he'd hurt the woman's feelings. he didn't want that. the thought of the many fish being scared off by their wild floundering was pushed to the side of his brain as he dove for another one. thoroughly soaked to the bone right now, the healer barely registered the chill in the air as the event was coming to a close. soon, he'd have used all his turns and there would be nothing left to do. but he could enjoy himself before that happened, surely? "SPEECH" attempt 8!

She was huffing and puffing, the girl winded from her jumping and darting and hopping and splashing. But she was having fun! And she hadn't had this much fun in a while! The fish were fun to chase, and splashing Holly was proving to be pretty fun, too. She was completely soaked, and when she shook out her fur, it stuck up in every direction and in clumps, but did she mind? Not. At. All. She didn't care if they were disturbing nearby fishers. They could move and go somewhere else. She didn't care if anyone saw them, because they would just see a couple of packmates having fun. And what was life without some fun? If there was anything she learned from her boring 'ole pack and family, was that being serious led to unhappy thoughts, and she hated unhappy thoughts. She knew what it felt like to feel depressed and lost for a little while, and she never wanted to go back to feeling that way. So...here she was. Goofing around with someone she didn't expect to goof around with, and although he was newer to the pack, she felt like she had known him for much, much longer. She bounded away from him as an idea formed in her head, and as she did so, she aimed to leap for a fish that swam ahead of her. She landed with a splash though she didn't care much if she caught it or not, because she was about to spice things up! Play wise, that is. They were in the water, there were slippery rocks and plenty of room around them. After stopping a few yards in front of him, she got a running start and just let herself propel through the water as she leaned back onto her rump and aimed for him. Water splashed on either side like she was some sort of furry jetski. She laughed, tongue flopping out as she neared him. And as she drew closer, she forgot she was supposed to stop before she reached him, and instead had skidded right into the poor guy. She managed to knock him off his feet and onto his back, and she landed on top of him. They were chest to chest, the woman out of breath now but she laughed and laughed. She was having so much fun in fact, that this didn't feel awkward at all. It didn't even occur to her that it could be, after all, they were just playing. "Woops, heh, sorry!" She sounded out of breath, and she subconsciously leaned her head against his neck as the exhaustion began to set in and she tried to catch her breath for a moment before she would decide to try and get up. attempt 8 "Speak"

things happened that he hadn't exactly expected. firstly, Kairi slid on her belly like some odd seal, propelling toward him before he could react. he had been aiming for a fish and suddenly he got the wind knocked out of him as they collided into a mess of wet fur and flailing limbs. Holland gasped, her minature weight on top of him as she effectively pinned him to the shallows. he'd grunt, trying to dislodge her. he knew it was an accident. he knew it, but still... he hadn't exactly gotten close to another person like this. in forever. and he sorta wished he could stay like this forever. especially when she rested her head against his neck. "i-i-it's okay" he wasn't going to berate the woman for an accident. his dark mask hid how flustered he was as he worked to detangle himself from her grasp. he'd sit up at last as he slid away from her, panting from the effort. "are... you okay?" the healer in him knew that small rocks could be embedded in paw pads. sharp crustaceans could cut and bruise. Kairi didn't look injured, but he felt himself pull forward instinctively to look closer. "SPEECH" attempt 9!

They untangled themselves, but not before she got a good whiff of his water soaked fur. Even under the wet dog-like smell, she could still smell his underlying cologne. Wait...why was she smelling him? Uh...she'd chalk it up to accidental considering their position. Nothing out of the ordinary right? It was perfectly normal....right? She slid off of him as he moved to sit up, his flustered words going over her head for now, instead she focused on what he asked. Still panting from her little slip 'n slide venture, she nodded. "Yeah I'm alright, what about you?" She asked softly, hoping she hadn't hurt him in any way.

She glanced down to see a fish darting between them, and though it was odd, they did just stir up the water alot and the fish were probably swimming around frantically trying to find an escape. She quickly shot her paws forward in an attempt to catch it, but by this point, wouldn't be disappointed if she missed.

Attempt 9

see? it was nothing. he was making something out of absolutely nothing. this was what happened when he was being normal. his overactive imagination playing a devilish trick on him... he was ashamed of himself. turning his head away as she proclaimed she was fine, he'd give a curt nod before backing away. "I'm fine too." Kairi dove for another fish and he had his last turn to do... this was nothing but play time for them. nothing more. nothing at all. he said nothing too. clearly she felt it wasn't anything but good old fashioned fun. Holland dove too, trying to catch something of value for the tickets. yes. this is why he was doing it. for tickets. "SPEECH" attempt 10!