Theory was hips-deep in water, peering intently into the quiet waves. Hunting wasn't her strong suit, but she was going to give it her best shot. She was thoroughly enjoying the freedom that the festival was affording her - it was rare to receive unsupervised time, although she supposed that with Alouette roosting in the trees at the shoreline, she wasn't entirely unsupervised. She trusted the raven not to report anything back to Rhyme's companions; they had forged quite the bond of their own. As the daughter of an alpha, she was used to the feeling of always being watched.

Just like she was watching the fish intently, tracking their every move. The comparison gave her the heebie-jeebies; she hoped her father and Shaye weren't tracking her movements to scoop her up and turn her in for some weird prize. She snorted at the thought, almost missing the silver flash of a fish beneath the water's surface. With a gasp, she dove for it, snapping her jaws closed in the water. Salt flooded her mouth and she resisted the impulse to gag.

Fishing attempt #1

Fished!

Thalia was beyond delighted that she was here. She'd never been so far from the Empire before, but when word had started to spread of afestival happening soon, she was already beginning to concoct reasons why they needed to attend. To spread the word of their God, of course! Not only that, but it'd be a good opportunity to recruit like-minded wolves to their pack, though she found it hard to believe they'd find anyone suitable, at least not easily. Luckily for her, her father didn't need much convincing - he thought it a good opportunity to spend some time with his children away from home, and it'd be as much a lesson as it was an adventure. The rest of the world is not always like our home, he'd told her, and she wanted to know precisely what he was talking about. Upon arrival, she wasn't sure this was exactly what she'd been expecting, but the thought of winning - and bringing glory to the Abraxas name - was highly appealing to her. Firefly catching later sounded a bit foolish, like a game pups younger than her might play, but fishing.. wasn't such a bad idea. At least that was a worthwhile skill, and she had a feeling she could definitely catch a big one... despite having never gone fishing before. Thalia squinted as she neared the shore, briefly glancing over her shoulder to ensure her father wasn't watching her every move. Someone was already sitting at the edge of the water, exactly where she'd been headed, but that wouldn't stop Thalia from sitting exactly where she'd intended. Giving the stranger a wary look, she sat down - likely far to close than she ought to be sitting next to a stranger - and she eyed the water curiously. She hesitated for a long moment before striding forward, feeling the cool ocean water lapping at her paws. Up ahead she saw the movement of something, though she wasn't sure whether it was a fish or simply the reflection of the sun on the water. Before she had a chance to strike, Theory rushed forward, and the distraction was enough to make her lose focus on the phantom fish she'd been eyeing. A soft huff signified her apparent annoyance. "Are you sure you're doing it right?" Thalia asked after a moment, head tipping to the side as she regarded her momentarily.

Fished!

now i know what i shoulda did A stranger caught her off-guard, and she turned suddenly, causing a wave of water that frightened away the fish for the time being. Huffing, Theory eyed the stranger - she was under a year, like herself, but perhaps a season younger. She pulled herself up to her full height and found herself chuffed to realize that she was much larger than the unknown female. It made her feel a bit braver. Theo didn't have that much experience with wolves outside of her family, but she supposed now was as good a time as any to try and craft a cool, daughter-of-the-alpha persona. Lifting her chin and staring down her muzzle with more ire than she thought capable, she said: "You're the one who startled me and caused the fish to swim away! We have to be very quiet." She flicked an ear at Thalia, unsure of how her words would land. They had felt strange enough in her mouth, but not everyone could be allowed the same "Theory" that her family had privy to. Right? Perhaps it would take a while until this felt normal. Theo felt safer experimenting on someone her own age - an adult might have seen through her posturing, but a younger pup? She had every advantage! "Ssshh..." she emphasized, turning back to the water. "Watch me." Her voice was still quiet and low. Standing completely still, it was even more obvious how much larger Theory was. Their twin shadows stretched across the water as the sun set, Thalia's falling far shorter than Theory's. Thalia smelled completely and utterly foreign to Theory; so far, she had been able to pick of traces of some of the different packs and lands in Boreas off the coats of stranger's, but Thalia had an earthy smell unlike anything she'd encountered so far. It was intriguing, but she didn't want to give up her edge by asking foolish questions. If she maintained her illusion of cool superiority, maybe the stranger would give up her origins on her own. "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

Confidence seemed to simply be emanating from the stranger, but despite that and her bigger size - and the fact that she was visibly older - Thalia wasn't intimidated. If anything, she was glad that not all wolves outside of her family, and her Empire, were weak and frail as her childish mind had made them out to be. For a second she studied Theory, somewhat bewildered at her markings, especially the ones on her face - she'd never seen anyone who looked quite like her, and she stared shamelessly for a long moment before coming to her senses. Of course, she didn't look completely awed at the sight, but still maintained a look of relative caution in the presence of a stranger. Surely her dad was carefully watching her just in case, though she hoped Theory wouldn't turn and notice him leering at the two of them from a distance... Her words earned a slight frown. "Did not," she replied matter-of-factly, though she made a conscious effort to keep her voice down a bit more than she had before. Even if she hated the idea of someone she didn't know telling her what to do, she was older.. and maybe she was on to something. Maybe she just might help Thalia win! Though she felt a bit indignant about all of this already, she did want to get some helpful tips, so she fell silent and watched Theory with a stare as calculated as a girl her age could muster. Watching and waiting wasn't really her style though, so as she watched Theory attempt to catch something, it was hard to sit by and do nothing at all. "Bet I can catch a bigger one than you," she dared her after a moment, trying to maintain the same kind of cool aura about her as she dove in for another fish, salt water splashing up into her eyes that she'd forgotten to close - earning a quiet wince.

now i know what i shoulda did Her ruse seemed to be working, and it made Theory a little bit giddy. It felt good to command a certain kind of respect; she was so used to falling in line with her siblings. Noir was always making trouble, Verse was often off in her own world, and Poem and Motif were in a different league entirely. Poem, especially, in her preparations to eventually become Rhyme's successor. The thought caused a strange little itch, but Theory ignored it. Poem would make an excellent alpha, and maybe Theory would one day be able to lead by her side. What would this little stranger think of her then, second in command of Boreas' largest pack? She noticed Thalia's slight hesitation. It seemed as if she was subconsciously searching for someone in the shadows - was her escort nearby? The other pup was younger than her, and Theo was a little surprised that there wasn't an adult hovering just over her shoulder. The lack of supervision suddenly made their entire meeting that much more interesting. Rhyme and Shaye knew everyone that Theory knew, but this little female could be a secret of her very own. Theory rolled her eyes at Thalia's stubborn response and gave her a dismissive flick of the tail. "Did too," she murmured under her breath. Theory's eyes were carefully following another fish - she snatched it out of the water! But it was a small one. Wasting no time, she splashed towards the shore to toss her catch up on land. Disgruntled that she hadn't nabbed a bigger one to impress the younger girl, she headed back into the water just in time for Thalia to soak her completely as she dove headlong after another fish. Theory sputtered and shook out her coat, but was unable to withhold a little laugh. "Did you even catch anything?" She teased, wading towards Thalia to inspect the results of her dive. With a splash like that, all of the fish would likely be swimming for deeper, safer waters. "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

It was a fine line, trying to find solid ground between feeling weirdly awed at the presence of a non-adult stranger while also wanting to naively assert her own dominance over someone who was surely a mere mortal, so different from her own family members. It left her feeling quite odd as she tried to figure out just what kind of aura she wanted to give off to this stranger. Being too confident felt right, but she didn't want to be seen as an arrogant, naive pup.. especially since she wasn't skilled enough in fishing to be certain she could really seem as grown-up as she wanted to be. Theory's muttering earned a visible roll of her eyes and a soft, barely-audible huff - but she said nothing further. Suddenly her worries about seeming like a bratty pup seemed to only exacerbate, which led to her falling into silence for a long moment. Her gaze followed Theory's, watching as she snagged a small fish onto the shore, though her own attempt had earned a fish of around the same size. Nothing to boast about, definitely not, but at least she'd caught something.. right? Her gaze shifted to Theory as if trying to gauge her reaction, and she scoffed at her question, diving at something else as it glimmered temptingly beneath the water's surface. "'Course I did. Think you'll be able to get another one?" The rising tone of her voice implied a challenge, as did the way a faint smirk touched her lips as she looked her way again.

now i know what i shoulda did Theory was enjoying their strange, tense interaction. It was so vastly different from what she'd experienced in Abaven that is was positively thrilling. She was sure of her place there, but here at the festival everything seemed to be turned upside down. "Of course I'll catch something else," she asserted, shouldering her way through the water and closer to Thalia. Where was she from, anyway? She didn't smell like any of the packs that Rhyme had spoken to her about on their way here. They weren't too far from Abaven territory, but wolves had come from all across the continent for this. "Where are you from, stranger?" Theory asked, her voice light and teasing. They were standing closer now, about a foot apart. The current was weak and the sun had begun to set. Only a few waves built and gurgled towards shore, losing their power before washing up on the beach. A shadow moved beneath the surface and Theory lunged forward, jaws agape. fishing attempt #4 "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

Tense was definitely a good way to describe how the air between them felt. It wasn't the same comfortable feeling she was used to experiencing around her siblings, but the kind of discomfort she felt was... strange. It felt challenging, like it was something she wanted to continue to grapple with rather than something she wished to run away from.  "You sound awfully sure of that," she commented dryly, though she was looking at her like Thalia wanted to learn from her ways. The moment of observation was brief, though, and before long she pulled herself back to her own fishing. Already she'd accumulated a couple small fish, but she wanted more, and wanted to catch a fish far bigger than any that this stranger could dream of dredging up. As unskilled as she was, she wasn't doubting her own abilities - she was an Abraxas, after all. She frowned at the way Theory called her stranger. "I have a name, you know," she explained matter-of-factly, briefly pausing to lift a paw up from the water, her eyes narrowing as she tried to lock on to something moving in the water up ahead. "It's Thalia. Thalia Abraxas," she stressed her surname with all the arrogance she could muster, her tail curling above her back as she spoke. "And I'm from... far from here. I'm sure you've never been there." To Thalia, the journey they'd taken had seemed like it was immensely far; it was hard for the girl to fathom just how large the world was in comparison to the tiny distance they'd traveled to get here. "But what's your name, stranger?" She stressed the word, her voice managing to find a sudden hard edge.

now i know what i shoulda did "Yep, I'm positive," Theory said simply. Success would be had. She had to impress this little girl somehow. If it wasn't through this fishing competition, it would be by some other means. Poem had bested her recently, but she'd beaten Rhyme... sort of. That ought to count for something! Theo trained her eyes on the water, following the fish beneath the surface. They had encountered a range of sizes so far and were fairly evenly matched. Abraxas. A moment of silence stretched before Thalia spoke again. That name she knew - Shaye had mentioned them when she had discussed the packs in Boreas. They were those god-touched fools from Auster. Did Thalia really believe that she was superior to everyone else? Tch. I should put her in her place. "Theory," she replied simply, giving Thalia a cool grin that said even if I have a second name, it's not for you to know. The older pup noticed Thalia's dominant stance and mirrored it, flicking her own short, bunny tail upwards and raising her muzzle a hair. It helped that she was larger. Spotting a quick movement beneath the waves, Theory dove in. Her sudden gambit splashed water all over Thalia, but hopefully it would prove successful. fishing attempt #5 "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

Even if Thalia wasn't the best fisher around - she tried to tell herself that she was still pretty good, especially considering her age - surely she could beat this girl in a fight. She had no doubt about that. Maybe if she kept giving her attitude she'd find a way to prove to herself that she was stronger. Thalia pursed her lips as she spoke, though decided against speaking up again. Bickering wasn't something her parents appreciated, so she didn't think a stranger would find it all that impressive, either. The girl introduced herself, but it wasn't quite what she'd expected. No surname. Just a short name, one that sounded far too simple to her ears compared to the names of her own family. "Just Theory? That's your whole name?" That was it? She didn't bother to hide the judgemental tone from her voice as she twisted around to give her a weird look, though the expression was broken by water splashing all over her face, which earned a sharp scowl. How dare she! Thalia was even more determined to prove that she was a better fisher, and she dove straight for the fish Theory had been aiming for - or at least the one it looked like she was trying to snatch up.

now i know what i shoulda did She tried not to laugh as Thalia gave her a disgusted look at her name. Just as she thought! She must be one of those foolish god-touched wolves who put too much thought and weight on something as meaningless as a name. For a moment, she remembered when Rhyme revoked their right to the Imperialis name and had a twinge of guilt. Maybe there was something to a name - but it only held as much weight as you gave it. Thalia rushed to her fish and jostled her shoulder as she did so. Theory stepped harder into the bump, hoping to knock Thalia fully over into the water. Hopefully her superior height would give her an advantage - she really did almost comically tower over the other girl. "It's Theory Wouldn'tyouliketoknow!" She said gleefully, diving after another fish that almost slipped between her paws. fishing attempt #6 "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

It was a good thing Theory wasn't being more vocal about her opinions on her family - Thalia was still extremely naive, and her experiences had been limited.. and she certainly wouldn't know how to feel about someone not believing the Abraxas were above mortals. It was what she'd been taught, and all she'd ever known - how could it possible be wrong? The mere fact that Theory hadn't given her a surname showed that she was lesser, didn't it? She rolled her eyes as she lunged forward to snatch the fish from under Theory's jaws, but the older, slightly larger female was quick on her paws and sidestepped quickly into her. She nearly gasped, her lighter weight sent stumbling to the side and splashing into the water as she tried to catch herself. She wasn't sent completely toppling over, but she certainly stumbled, water kicking up her nose and effectively soaking her completely. A low, hardly-threatening growl left her throat as she regained her composure... or at least tried. "That's not your name," she retorted after a moment, snorting water droplets from her nose. As she reached to dive for another fish, she slapped her paw needlessly hard down on the water, sending a spray of water for Theory. "I'm sure your real name sounds even more stupid, so.. it doesn't matter."

now i know what i shoulda did "Of course it's not my name," she responded, offering Thalia a laugh that was more like a snarl. If she had believed Theory's not-particularly-clever joke, she'd have lost all respect for her. It pleased her in a strange way to know that she had the physical superiority over the smaller female, although that didn't mean she would win a scuffle uncontested. Who knew how those zealots in Auster trained - their fighting style could be totally unpredictable. "My name is Theory Imperialis." The lie came easily and surprised her, but when talking to Thalia, it somehow felt right. At least this way she still had something over on her. Thalia dove for another fish and sent a wave of crystalline water crashing over her shoulders and ears. It felt good dripping down her sides after a long, hot day in the sun. Autumn had been unseasonably warm, even more so on the island, and her black fur attracted the sun's rays like no other. "Thanks," she chirped, "it's good to cool off." fishing attempt #7 "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

"Duh," she replied quickly, surprised at how sharp her own voice sounded. She couldn't help it! This stranger was rubbing her the wrong way, and though she knew she could easily walk away - or call her dad and tell him she'd been pushing her around - part of her wanted to stand right here and do just this. Maybe without the whole... being pushed into the water part. It felt like a small victory to get her to actually admit her name, a fact she took without question - because who the hell lied about their name? Even after being pushed over. She beamed, looking quite smug with herself, her tail curling slightly above her back again. At least when she did that, she looked way cooler than when Theory did it. Where was the rest of her tail, anyway? Maybe a fish had bit it off. The thought made her nearly crack a grin, but she held it back. But honestly... Theory Imperialis sorta did sound cool, and not stupid at all. But as if she was about to admit that to her now. Especially when she didn't flinch at the spray of water she sent her way. How was she so.. confident? It annoyed her she couldn't get her rifled up. If any of her siblings was splashing her like she'd splashed Theory, she would definitely be getting annoyed by now! Squinting at her as if she didn't quite believe her, she bit her tongue and considered what to say - or do - next. "It is, isn't it?" Thalia clenched her jaw as she searched for another fish, trying to focus on the task at hand instead of how irritating Theory was being. Was it cool enough for a swim, though? Splashing around in the water was one thing, but... after trying to pounce on another fish, she redirected her attention to Theory - and, using her back legs, sprung toward her, trying her hardest to bring her down into the water. Surely Thalia would be submerged too if she successfully took her down, but it'd be worth it to wipe that stupid expression off Theory Imperialis's face!

now i know what i shoulda did Theo could tell that Thalia was weighing the name she'd given her in her head. Nice, she thought, feeling an electric thrill of success. The lie felt powerful. Since Tana's death, it hadn't been often that she felt in control of a situation. Her day to day life was merely about managing - her emotions, her duties, her siblings. There wasn't much room for anything else. Being able to assert some kind of control over Thalia, however little, was like taking a very long, very cold drink of water on a scorching summer day. She wasn't expecting Thalia to launch herself at her. Theory sputtered and sat back hard on her haunches, sending water crashing up around her. The older girl managed to stay mostly on her feet, expect for the her rear that was now - pleasantly - submerged in water. "Nice try," she laughed, salt water stinging her lips and nose. Small waves from their collision rippled on to shore while new ones lapped at her chest. With all the commotion, it took some time before the water settled enough to fish again. She dove in for another fish, dunking her whole head underneath the water this time. Bracing cold ocean water washed over her ears and shoulders, bathing her entire body in the sea. It felt good! Better than anything she had felt in a long time. "Come on! Get wet," she yelled. Maybe if they swam a little bit deeper, they'd have more luck fishing. fishing attempt #8 "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

She definitely felt a weird sense of annoyance at Theory's entire existence, though it was coupled with an odd sort of... not respect, that word was too strong, but in a way the younger girl was impressed with her. Somehow she seemed even more confident than either of her siblings, and almost anyone else she'd ever met. It was frustrating - as well as impressive - but she certainly wasn't about to admit that to her. Theory didn't seem to expect her attack, but somehow she managed to stay mostly upright, though her hindquarters seemed to sink into the water. Damnit. She scowled, now that her own upper half was fully soaked, from her paws up to her chin. They were supposed to be fishing though, not wrestling, and she tried desperately to redirect herself. "It's not my fault you're bigger than me," Thalia huffed indignantly. Surely once she was fully grown she'd have no trouble at all taking her down! Still.. she didn't seem bothered by getting wet. She even dove underwater and aimed to snatch up another fish, seeming to enjoy the cold. Thalia didn't particularly mind it, and she definitely didn't want to seem like she was afraid of water if Theory wasn't! She mirrored her actions, wading in a bit deeper after her and dunking her head underwater to try to grab yet another fish. She wasn't so sure about going out this deep, but how stupid would she sound if she said she couldn't? Thalia cast a glance behind her to see if her father was still observing her before splashing a bit deeper, moving to tackle Theory again, this time hoping to send her completely underwater... and herself too.

now i know what i shoulda did She was distracted with another fishing attempt this time, allowing Thalia to bowl her over completely. With a gasp, Theory hit the water and went under. Thalia had finally gotten one over on her. The pup came up sputtering and gasping for air, having inhaled a bit of saltwater in her tumble. They'd have terrible luck fishing now, especially with a splash that big! "Ugh, you scared them all away for sure now," she groaned, shaking water out of her ears. The tackle was annoying, but it gave Theory an idea. "Do you really wanna fight out here in the ocean?" Theo challenged, arching an eyebrow. It would certainly be a challenging battlefield, and who said they couldn't fish while they fought? fishing attempt #9 "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

Score! Thalia let out a cheer of accomplishment as she tackled Theory, though the sound was soon muffled by the splashing water, which drenched her completely now. As she scrambled to her paws, she shook out her coat - mostly her face - to keep the salt water from dripping into her eyes. Likewise, she tried to maintain her balance as she straightened out her legs and felt her paws hit the sand once again. She barely even cared that they'd scared away some fish - so what? At least she'd managed to shake Theory a bit, who finally sounded annoyed at her rather than annoyingly confident. It was a success, at least in her book. "They'll come back," she argued swiftly. She wouldn't be blamed for any failed fishing attempts, even if Theory tried! But she sounded like she wanted to fight... Thalia cocked her head, straightening her posture. "Maybe afterwards. I'm not done fishing," she answered seriously, twisting away from Theory to search for another fish. She was right - she'd scared some of them off, so she'd have to wade out a bit deeper to find one, to where her paws no longer touched the bottom, but once she was out there she dove underneath and went to snap at one below the surface.

now i know what i shoulda did "Nope," Theory said, gesturing towards the empty waters with a paw. All of the fish had vacated the immediate area in the aftermath of their scuffle. "So, since all the fish are gone, I guess you're done fishing now..." she said suggestively, circling around Thalia like a shark who'd smelled blood in the water. The fact that the fish had fled didn't really make her angry, but maybe it would be interesting if Thalia thought it did. Besides, Theo had grown so sick of sparring constantly with only her siblings. They had all become so familiar with their usual tactics that it took all of the fun right out of it. "Think fast, Abraxas!" She yelled, running at Thalia through the waves. The water slowed her down a fair deal. Alouette, who had been roosting on the shoreline, stirred at all of the commotion. With a roll of her eyes, the raven took the skies and circled above to make sure Theory didn't get herself hurt. Rhyme would have her for supper if she got injured at the festival. She hoped to hit Thalia hard and fast in the side, using the bulk of her body to push her under the water from sheer brute force. With height on her side, this kind of fight was entirely different from her evenly sized play fights with Poem. Theory vs Thalia for Dominance Round 1/2 Age: Under 1 yr Size: Extra Large Build: Medium Companion 1: Alouette (flying) Disability: Pup Fight Skill Level: Intermediate "theory speaks!" gone all day to the beach with you

Nope? Of course they'd come back - that was what fish did. Thalia certainly wasn't going to take the blame for this one, no matter how hard Theory wanted to insist it was her fault they'd left. Maybe if she'd just told Thalia her actual name in the first place she wouldn't have forced her to get all agitated and splash her. Yeah, that sounded right! Either way.. Thalia visibly rolled her eyes, shaking her head as if in quiet disagreement. "Apparently," she huffed in annoyance, but... maybe Theory was right, as much as she didn't want to agree. She'd gotten quite a few fish anyway... maybe it was enough? She cast a glance to the shore, and the brief moment where she tilted her head to try to count the fish she'd tossed to shore was just enough time for Theory to gain an advantage over her. Think fast, Abraxas! she heard, whipping around to glare at her. She saw the shadow of her bird rising to the sky, but before she could react Theory was ramming into her hard. A low growl fell from her lips, though she wasn't used to sounding threatening and it likely didn't at all. Despite trying to brace herself for the impact, it definitely caught her off guard, and she stumbled sideways - just barely managing to catch herself from completely going under. "What the hell?" Was she even supposed to be talking like that? Thalia doubted it, but her dad wasn't within earshot anyway, and she was mad. Her growl intensified as she paused, shaking water from her coat before she dove in for an attack of her own - the fish be damned at this point! The sound was a bit harsher now, her jaws unhinging as she moved around her back and aimed for her tail, hoping to snag it and pull her down with it.. unsure if such a thing was even feasible. Thalia vs Theory for Dominance Round 1 of 2 Age: Under 6 Months Size: Large Build: Heavy Fight Skill Level: Beginner