"Alright," Aresenn grumbled, his voice echoing against the roiling waves of Hermit Cove. The tide was high, dark waters lapping at the gravelly shore. The sun was high in the sky, casting a shimmering reflection over the rippling expanse. "Let's see if we can get your paws wet." Silhouetted against the warm glow of fading sunlight, Aresenn's muscular form loomed above his daughter. His piercing amber eyes were focused on the fidgeting pup, a hint of amused challenge underlying his expression. He pressed forward, guiding her towards the water's edge where the frothy surf met the stony shoreline. But of course, he wouldn’t force her if she didn’t want to join him.

It was hard for him to look at a beach and think of his own childhood with Pirate’s Plunder. The ocean brought him a sense of nostalgic solace that he was happy to indulge in. Aresenn didn’t hesitate, wading out into the tide. The chill of the sea was familiar, a welcome sensation against the heat of the Auster summer. Aresenn didn’t go out very far- it would probably be just far enough to touch her belly should he choose to try and follow him out. After all, he couldn’t imagine that it would be well received back home if her mother found out that she had lost a daughter at sea. "Come on, Xi," he called over the steady thrum of the waves. “There’s nothing to fear. Just don’t get the water in your mouth or eyes.” He grinned, trying to infuse some lightness into the situation.

260 / 1500 words
"Aresenn Praetor"

She had huffed and puffed and complained the entire way here until she got bored of the effort to complain. Now they were here and it smelled... a lot like the polar sound in some way but a lot warmer, richer, and heavier with the scent of decayed fish and bird droppings. Crabs and tide pools and salt water invaded her nose. She hated getting wet, he knew that, she hated the icky crab smell and the seaweed and being told to do anything she didn't want to do.

A grimace was set into her maw as her father kept walking away from her. The sun on her back at least felt nice but the sandy shore was not nice. She liked the pebbly shores of home a lot better than the icky sandy stuff here. There were stinky crab shells all over the place and he kept walking into the water without her! She wrinkled her nose, the sand felt awful between her toe fur, and the sky was far too bright. A wave pushed itself to shore and it sent her scrambling backward trying to get away from the foam.

Her father called and she scowled at him. Nothing to fear her butt fluff!! The sea just about ate her right here!

"NO!" She called, stomping her foot when she got up, it splashed in the water as it receded back to the ocean. Oh! It was a bit chillier than the sand! She chased the seafoam out across the shore as it went back into the deep. Her chase carried her closer to her father, whom she was mad at for dragging her all the way out here.

She launched at his leg to grapple and use her needly puppy teeth to make it hurt! Show him to drag her out into the ocean and make her sandy and wet!

573/ 1500

The humor of her small, fiery form charging him was not lost on him, her teeth gnashing at his leg. She was a resilient little shit, he’d give her that. Aresenn moved to side step her, but her momentum carried him into the surf. The cool wave swept over his haunches, as he intentionally tried to push his hindquarters into the rolling tide. He warned her to not get the salt water in her mouth and eyes. She could enjoy the consequences of putting herself in a disadvantage even if her head went below the surface.

Aresenn prepared himself, bracing against the waves as he watched his daughter's furious assault. Her puppy teeth sank into his fur, but he barely felt it through his thick coat. A warning growl rumbled from deep in his chest, but he couldn't help the amusement twinkling in his amber eyes. “Think you’re tough, huh?” he taunted, flicking his tail to splash more water at her.

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"Aresenn Praetor"

As she dug into his leg a wave swept over them and the salt water definitely got into her eyes and mouth. She immediately opened her mouth and let go of his leg while she scrambled and spluttered against the water. It carried her to the shore and left her there on the beach. She coughed in between wails.

"Da-Daddy!!" She yelled and coughed, "I was drowning!" Didn't he CARE that she had drowned!? The water had gone all the way over her head and everything! The taste in her mouth was AWFUL! The worst taste on the whole planet! Was that some seaweed? EW. Her eyes STUNG!

"UGHHH This is the WORST DAY EVER!" She wailed into the sky. She didn't even shake her fur dry when she got up.
Half blind with salt water she charged at him again, scraping her claws over his hip and trying her best to get her teeth into some of his flesh. He splashed water at her with his tail.
That's it! No more missy nice kid! She hopped back, another wave pushed her back even further for a moment, with as much rage as her little body could muster she dove at her father's tender underbelly, ready to scratch and bite the soft skin and thin fur and do some real damage.

957 / 1500

Seeing his daughter's renewed fury, Aresenn braced himself for her attack. His muscles tensed as she launched herself towards his underbelly; this time, she was aiming for a sensitive spot.

The sight of a snarling, waterlogged puppy bounding toward him could have been comical if not for the sharp teeth and claws headed his way. The instinct to protect himself kicked in, but he was careful not to retaliate too harshly. With his superior size and strength, he twisted his body, avoiding her lunge and placing himself between Xina and the open sea. "Don’t start fights you can’t finish little girl." he growled into the salty air, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a hint of amusement.

He watched as she scrambled in the shallow water, panting heavily and hair matted against her small form. Her amber eyes glowed with defiance and determination, despite the clear exhaustion seeping into her little body. He admired her tenacity, even as he planned his next move. With a swift sweep of his tail, Aresenn sent a wave crashing over Xina, hoping to momentarily stun her if nothing else.

Aresenn took advantage of her momentary distraction, quickly moving closer to his daughter. With a low growl, he launched himself at her, aiming to pin her down with the weight of his body at the edge of the water.

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"Aresenn Praetor"

She aimed for his soft stomach but he twisted himself away telling her not to start fights she couldn't finish.
She growled harshly, which came out cutely, and yelled, "I will if I wanna!" at him, and rounded on him to continue her onslaught. Her fur was matted and slick against her body, and she hated the feeling of the sticky sand touching her skin. She was panting and she was not willing to show him she was tired.

As she tried to charge again he let a massive wave bowl her over! She sputtered and coughed as she scrambled against the onslaught of seawater, pausing her charge against him. She shook her fur and her ears and coughed again. Completely oblivious to how her father started to growl and lom over her. Just as her vision started to clear and her nose started to clear as well, she wailed as he launched himself at her, easily pinning her beneath him. She used her back legs to try and kick at his chin but she was growing weaker by the second. Puppies still needed a lot of sleep as they grew, and she was no different.

She panted and scrambled and writhed. Her matching golden eyes still flashed with defiance at him, even half-lidded, blinking slowly and her chest heaving with effort and fatigue. One white hind foot hooked over one of his arms and tensed to scratch him. But her body gave up and she couldn't remain awake any longer. Her foot slipped and it made her eyes open briefly as she fell limp.

She scrambled against him for another half moment, fighting him and fighting the nap. Then she was out. Thoroughly defeated by both her father and her need for rest.

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Aresenn allowed a low, grating chuckle to rumble in his throat as he watched his daughter's futile attempts to resist sleep. His amber eyes gleamed with triumph under the sun, pleased with the outcome of their little scrum. He gave her a final nudge, their wet bodies sliding against one another in the shallow tide. The salty scent of the ocean wreathed them, laced with the distinct musk of wet fur, as he got up, shaking off the water that clung to his thick coat. In one sweeping motion, he scooped Araxina up, placing her over his shoulder blades with a careful, practiced ease. Her small body was limp and heavy with exhaustion, swaying gently with each step he took toward the shore, and the on toward home.

-end thread-

1604 / 1500 words
"Aresenn Praetor"