Word count: 354

Hanako had kept to herself, mostly. Which was to say she was still sulking. And why wouldn't she be? Being punished for something she hadn't even done was like a sour taste on her tongue that wouldn't quit, refused to be washed away no matter how many days passed. She hadn't seen Azure around much, hadn't even made an attempt to talk to him and instead hung around the beach mostly. Made herself busy-ish as she tended to her little fishy enterprise, caught and sought out the fish she liked best and ignored the rest. Was productive in a very Hana-esque way.

Having scavenged, or borrowed-or however you wanna put it- some pots from the marketplace she'd been quick to hurry back to the shore to put her plan into motion. It had been forever since he'd had octopus, which was a crying shame since it was her favourite and all. And oh was she cunning and clever, had come up with a schemy-scheme to catch as many as possible with as little effort as possible.

Tying rope with a floating buoy on the end, around the neck of the vessel, she pulled off the lid and put it aside for later use. The plan was simple but smart at the same time, would let the prey come to her and save her from swimming about in the cold water for any longer than needed. Just in case though she'd had Toshi put together and tend to a little camp fire, so she could warm up and dry up amongst the prepared blankets as a little treat. It's the very least she deserved, right?

Now onto the wet part, to put a few more vases out and collect the ones she'd prepared earlier.  Glancing over to her magpie, she nodded to herself when she noted the bird was tugging apart the last tangles of the fishing net she'd been working on for the past few days. With luck, by the time she was done it'd be full of octopus...and if she was feeling generous she'd share some with the rest of the Aramda too.

The days had grown unbearably short, Azure finding himself quickly overwhelmed by all there was to do when leading a pack on his own. He'd expected things to get easier once the pups were born and weaned but even that was a poor assumption. Three of them were defective, and what little free time he had now and again he had to be careful to dodge their stupid and time-wasting interruptions. For now they seemed contained to the Col, and Azure took the long way around the mountain ridges to dodge their prying eyes as he made his way to the cove for some time away. Time well deserved, in his opinion.

It only made sense that in his attempt to get some privacy that he'd stumble upon his fiance, one of the wolves he'd been avoiding for weeks now. If there were Gods up above, they were punishing him for something. Az sighed, hanging his head low between his shoulders and shutting his eyes wearily. Gathering himself and preparing for the likely fight that was to come. He didn't feel quite ready by the time he straightened and set off toward her, but the days were short and he had much too little free time to wallow in hate for long. "Morning." He commented briskly, gaze flickering between her face and the pots she had thieved. "What's going on here, then?"

"Speech"

Word count: 273
total: 859

Hanako shot him a sour look, tail twitching a little as she tried-and failed-not to linger on past grievances. Time wasn't enough to heal these wounds, not when Hanako kept stubbornly picking at them. She supposed his question was valid enough, she wasn't fishing in the usual way those who knew her expected her to, if nothing else the Warlord deserved an explanation. Though the temptation to deny him one was strong indeed, enough to make her ear twitch in consideration.

"I'm setting octopus traps." If he cared to pay attention he'd' realise they were her favourite. The one meal she'd nagged him for when she was all nakey and round. "If my presence doesn't make you want to heave then you can help, if you like."

If nothing else his muscle would be helpful, the pots weren't heavy but another set of helping paws would mean less trips for her. Picking up one by the rope she began to drag it to the water, the waves lapping over her fiery paws she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at how chilly the water was. Nothing that would have her freezing to death, but in her mind she'd certainly deserve to huddle up to the fire by the time she was done.  

"We will have to swim a little out." She explained, recalling he wasn't the best of swimmers. This thought made her smile, all wry and cunning. "Octopus like places to hide. I set some earlier, so once we place these, take the lid and check out the others. If there's an octopus inside put the lid on and pull it up. "

So they were still conversing in passive-aggression and spite, something Azure was quite used to and fluent in by now. He raised his brow at her comment, shrugged his shoulders and stepped up toward the shore. "I have responsibilities, and unfortunately I need to tend to them regardless of my level of disgust." Not that Hana could ever disgust him, but Azure had always been happy to stretch his words and feelings when in the middle of an argument. He watched as she began to drag a pot into the water, glad for the fact that she gave him enough direction with her words that he would not be forced to ask for help or guidance. He was too angry with her still to admit he did not know how to catch this sort of fish but also too stubborn to admit his failings and leave her to it alone.

Stepping into the frigid water and ignoring the sly smile on her lips, he moved to approach the traps. A strong swimmer he was not (and the cold of the water did nothing to help) but he'd learned, and his trips to the isles of Boreas had helped to build the necessary muscle. So long as he wasn't asked to swim out all the way to Atlantis Island, Azure could manage. He pushed his head beneath the waves, spotting a trap within the sand and something slimy looking within. Diving deep enough to grasp the rope, he turned and began to haul it back to shore - making sure to tow it far enough up the sand that the octopus wouldn't be able to escape quickly should it try to. "Where do you want it?" He questioned, the words still clipped.

Total Word Count: 1149

"Speech"

Word count: 196
total: 1345

"Aren't I lucky then?" She mused, biting back the urge to bristle at the fact he hadn't made a move to assuage her concerns in any way. Some mate he was.

Choosing to let it go-for now-she got to work diving beneath the surface. The waters were not as calm as they were back in the south, the current choppy, almost demanding as it tugged her this way and that. But she was at her best in water, kicked her way gracefully down to the sea floor and scooped up the rope with ease before kicking her way to the surface. From weight alone she knew an octopus had found its way inside and thus was quick to put the lid on, just in case it tried to escape. Surfacing with a gentle gasp, she made her way forward till she could reach the bottom with her paws.

"Leave them with Toshi, he's on netting duty." He was in charge of moving them from pot to net, out of the frying pan and into the fire. Grabbing an empty pot she moved to repeat the process, plant a new pot and gather those she'd prepared earlier.

Leaving the octopus with Toshi and his net, Azure stepped back into the water with the now empty pot. Treading slowly back out to where he'd found it lodged in the sand, he ducked his head beneath the waves and replaced it firmly for the next creature to crawl into. One octopus caught, one trap reset, that was enough, right? He hated the cold waters of this beach even more than the warm waters of the tropics. Fishing had always been a chore, even when he'd had to do it to keep his pregnant mate happily fed while she was den bound. Thank the gods she could do it herself now.

Stepping back onto the sands and returning to Toshi, he reclaimed the netted octopus out of the companion's paws. "I'll bring this home." It was a heavy creature after all, and if Hana was set to drag one of her own then she might struggle beneath the weight of two. In reality it was a way to dismiss himself that might not flame the koi-colored wolf's annoyance higher. "I have things to attend to."

He tossed a lingering look back at her to ensure his mate had heard his words and had no complaints before turning to head back toward the Col, octopus in maw.  

-exit-

Total Word Count: 1561

"Speech"