She'd let those fluffy white birds get away with their indiscretions one too many times - who'd they think they were anyway? Stretching their long ugly necks at her when she got too close and letting out those awful harpie screeches out of their sharp devil beaks like they owned the place! Mneme fumed as she was frantically chased away from her hiding spot in the reeds by a pair of boisterous swans - though they had good reason for it (Mneme had gotton a little too close to a nest of eggs snuggled up in the damp shoreline foliage) she didn't know that, and now she held a heavy enmity against the ivory Avians.

Safely on shore now, far from the murky water's egde and the snapping beak of the angry male swan and the squawking protests of the protective female, the child sent forth a squawk of her own, "You're just big ducks, you know that?!" The ducks were a little nicer though, and they hardly bit her as often.

With a dark scowl framing her features the pup paced the shoreline, eyeing the swans as they gracefully waded atop the water. She couldn't deny it, they really were one of the most lovely creatures to bless the estuary, but she'd never let them know that, "You're uglier than ducks though!" She laughed then, acting as if she was unfazed by the swans and their attacks, but she quieted and coughed nervously as she caught the bigger swan staring her down.

She got it then, the most glorious idea yet! If she was going to take down these swans she'd need an army - but where would she get one of those? The first 'recruits' to pop into her head were of course her siblings, her number one turn to when she needed to fill an empty place in one of her many schemes. She decided she'd convince Philotes first and she let out a few chirps for her complete opposite of a sister before turning to watch the swans with a smirk - Mneme was practically rubbing her paws together with an evil laugh.

Philotes was resting at the edge of the estuary, actually bird watching. She was never far from either brother or sister, her nature wanting her close to one or the other. Losing their mother had a bigger effect on her than Mnemosyne it seemed. The dark girl would give a soft sigh, ears flicking every so often as she listened for her sister. It seemed like Mneme was getting into some sort of trouble, judging by the not so pleasant avian sounds she had begun hearing. Philotes would rise, a low whine in her throat as she flicked her ears back and forth. Seconds later came her sister's call. What on earth was she planning?

Philly would heed her sister's call, though almost immediately upon laying her eyes upon Mneme the girl was practically flailing. "YOUR FURRRRRR!" The girl would whine. "You were a hidin' in the reeds again, weren't you!? Your fur is so ickyyyy!!" Whereas Philotes was careful to be clean and pristine at all times Mnemosyne cared pretty much little when it came to such things. Philly's fur puffed up, much like a displeased cat. "What on earth could be so important Mneme?" Though she was complaining, as she often did the more dirty her sister appeared, Philotes cared greatly for her sibling. Silver eyes would look towards warm pink ones, curious as to what her sister was up to that got her in this state.

The pup's little cinnamon ears perked as her sister's familiar words echoed through the air and through her head (as they had so many times before), "YOUR FURRRRRR!". Mneme couldn't help but giggle and cease in her swan glaring as she hopped around to face her sister, her angry expression instantly replaced by a jovial grin and a teasing wink, "Well, where else am I suppose ta hide when I got birdies ta hunt, Philly!" Mneme moved her head towards her shoulder and gave an exaggerated sniff, really just one deep breath, before coughing as if overcome by something terrible, "WOAH; must be all this mud and gunk, huh? I smell like the swamp!" Mneme turned her head then as she giggled under her breath, eager to see her sister's reaction to her statement - she knew just what buttons to press in order to get the funniest reactions from Phil.

Quickly though Mnemosyne's head snapped back around to face her sister. Her pink eyes swelled with childish determination and false seriousness as she began to explain the situation, her voice becoming oddly loud and momentous (it was to add suspense, of course), "Enough jokes, Phil there is something serious happenin'!" Mneme bounced around to face the murky marsh, her eyes narrowing and her lip curling back instinctively, "Y'see them UGLY," she had to yell it, to make sure the swans would hear, "white things, swimmin' round like they're so cool - we gotta teach 'em a lesson, Phil." Mneme looked to lock her eyes with her sister's then, her expression reckless and fiery - the swans had to pay.

Mneme would giggle, but Philly was serious. She would frown some, tail flicking back and forth, giving her lighter sibling a look. “Duh! Of course you smell like the swamp. It’s. Gross.” The dark girl would stomp her right forepaw. This was no joke! She wanted Mnemosyne to take a bath right away! But of course her sister would distract her by quickly facing her again. There was something serious happening? Philotes would raise a brow, giving her sister her full attention.

The girl would look over around at the white birds, the beautiful swans. She would squirm some, stepping on her paws a couple times as she looked back at her sister. “But Mnemeeeee.” The girl looked uncomfortable. “We’ll get all muddy! I’ll get muddy!” She frowned, seeing the expression her sister wore. “Nnngh... If we do this will you take a bath afterwords? Pleassseee?” If it got Mneme to take a bath then it was probably worth getting dirty for a bit.

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Art by Evelyn