I will survive

Julooke made her way up and over the jagged peak of a mountain. She hadn't expected much of anything on the other side except maybe a valley surrounded by more mountains. What she found, however, was a beautiful blue lake snuggled between more peaks. Her tail wagged as she made her way down to the shores, delighted to find something that seemed so pure. 

The water was a blue she hadn't seen before, as she was used to the muddied waters of flat-land lakes. Even rivers didn't hold a drop to this lake. She dipped her muzzle to take a lap at it and found it refreshingly cool. She lowered her body to drink her fill, her eyes scanning the area before her. She spotted the waterfall, and thought about checking it out. Maybe in a little bit.

---

+2 Discovery points

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---

I'm pulling out a complete wildcard and I'm gonna throw Dan in here. He need some action.

 He didn't know what he was doing, it felt like so long since he'd woken up here in a strange new body. He was scrawny from his lack of hunting --eugh-- skills and had managed to keep himself fed with berries and other edible vegetables. It had been trial and error to figure out what was good to eat and what was not but he was slowly getting the hang of it. Although walking, it was still weird. He'd managed to get it all down though and though he still looked rather silly --he drew his paws up entirely too far and looked like a spider discovering gravity for the first time-- he managed to get where he needed just fine.

 He'd wandered a bit from the dense forests he'd found himself in, up to a place with sparser forests and weird elevations. Now that was a challenge to walk in. Going uphill and downhill, ending up tumbling head over tail a few times but he prevailed. And this time he didn't even cry! It wasn't all so bad, he could use his new nose to find exactly what he wanted. That was how he kept himself alive with berries and other things. Now though, he needed water and he knew just the place to go. He followed his nose and eventually found a pool of water... with a wolf already there. Oh... uh... he actually hadn't had much interaction with his "fellow" wolves. How would this go?

 He edged closer, pausing to lift a paw to wave in quite an un-wolf-like, human fashion, before he edged a bit closer and tried a smile. Just act casual, just talk to her like she's a normal person. "Hey! Uh, hey there! Uh, I didn't smell any..." What were those things called? Oh yeah! "Scent markers. Is this your territory? Or, uh, can I drink here?" He was completely like a fish out of water trying to navigate this new world but he was trying. He was also trying not to spiral and trying to look a tthe positives. At least he didn't have to pay rent or go to work anymore and food was wherever you wanted it to be.

 But damn, he would kill for a coffee right about now.

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Her ears alerted her that she was no longer alone, and she lifted her head, followed by her body, until her gaze found a male wolf, looking pretty thin to her. Her ears perked in interest when he waved a paw in the air. That wasn't something she had really seen before, at least outside of playing. She tilted her head just a bit as a smile formed on her maw. She had always been drawn to silly characters. 

She shook her head, No, this isn't my territory, she confirmed politely. You're welcome to help yourself, she added. It did look like he needed it, after all. Confident he was friendly, she made her way over to him, her tail wagging in friendliness. I'm Julooke, she introduced herself, then paused to see if he would give a name.
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 The other wolf raised her head and looked at him. He halfway expected some sort of growl or angry sound but instead she was quite cordial. Different than what he'd seen on... on... well, he couldn't remember where he'd seen but he knew that he wouldn't have gone gallivanting with wild wolves in his previous life but here he was now, talking with a lady wolf who seemed the opposite of ferocious beast.

 The white wolf told him that this was not her territory and he was quite happy to hear that! "Ah, jee that's great! I mean... not great if you want this to be your territory but you know-- great for... me?" Foot meet mouth. He was just going to shut up now. "Thanks." There, something less awkward as he walked his way over to the water with his awkward steps and began to drink his fill. Aaah, it was wonderful. Cool, delicious mountain water.

 He glanced back up at her with a dripping maw as she spoke again. Oh wow, his first wolf conversation. Heh... wolf-ersation? He kept that dumb joke to himself as he raised his head so he could properly answer her. "It's nice to meet you, Julooke. I'm Daniel. But everyone usually calls me Dan." It seemed almost normal, this conversation. Like he was talking to someone at his old bartending job. You know,if one forgot that the words were coming out of the maw of a wolf.

 "So, uh, you live around here?" He glanced around as if he expected more wolves to pop up. "Don't wolves usu--" Foot in mouth again, foot in mouth! "Uh, that is to say, I expected a pack around here because we," "We", yes, us, we are all wolves here. No suspicious humans or anything. "Usuuuaalllyy live in them." Not a very graceful save but better than what he was about to imply.

---

+1 Discovery point

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She grinned at him, finding his bumbling charming. She did wonder at his logic of maybe her wanting to make this her territory. But, maybe he assumed she had a pack? Easy enough assumption, she supposed. She found herself next to him, and he introduced himself in kind. Nice to meet you, Dan, she replied. 

He began bumbling again, and her grinned return. Her assumption didn't seem to be that far off, as it seemed he expected her to not be alone, though she found his wording interesting. She chuckled, Usually, she confirmed. I'm not part of a pack at the moment, she explained. I'm new to the area, and haven't found one yet. I assume you haven't either? she asked.
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 He knew his fumbling around for words was probably exceedingly obvious but, he assumed, due to her good graces and kindness she didn't call him out or make fun of him for it. God, she had the patience of a saint! He appreciated it so much. The woman confirmed that, yes, wolves usually lived in packs. Good good, he hadn't made a fool of himself there but she didn't mention his choice of words. He was so out of his element around here, he wondered if he'd ever be super comfortable navigating conversation around here.

 So, no pack. That made them have something in common. Honestly, barring his ineptitude for wolf-conversations, it might be easier for him to find a pack to cling onto. It would likely be easier to feed himself and find safety with the larger numbers of his fellows. "I haven't." Not that he'd been trying hard to look for one. He didn't even know what to do. "I'm not great at navigating the pack joining. I've always been sort of a loner." No fibs there. He was a bit a loner in his old life save for the couple of friends that he had. Despite being okay at talking to people --barring some of his awkwardness-- he never really found it easy to make a lot of friends. Although now he was missing the daily talking to people at his job. "Like it'd probably be good to be in one but do you just go up and say, 'Hey! I'm lonely, can I stick with you guys for a while?'" Was it that easy? It seemed weird to him.

 "Believe it or not... I'm kinda new here too. I just woke up one day in a field with no idea where I was." Yeah, saying it out loud sounded so insane. "I know it sounds unbelievable but I swear, it's true." He knew that he didn't know her but well, maybe that's why he felt okay saying it to her.

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He confirmed he didn't have a pack, and she nodded, understanding that joining an unknown pack could be daunting. She took a moment to look over his thin frame and thought a pack could do him good. He didn't seem to be faring well on his own. She chuckled at his version of joining. Well, you're not far off. Once you smell pack borders, you want to stop to make sure you don't trespass. Then you call for a member, let them know you're looking for a pack to join. They will most likely ask what you would bring to the pack, if they were accept you, she explained in a bit more detail. She was a little surprised he didn't know the details in joining. Had he left his home pack young? 

She understood exactly what he was feeling. I believe you. The few wolves I've met have a story exactly like yours, including me, she explained, hoping it made him feel a bit more at east that he wasn't alone in that regard. Some have more memories than others of their past lives, she added. How much do you remember? she asked.
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 The man listened intently to her words, soaking them in for future use. Don't trespass. He remembered that advice from that weird monk-bird from when he'd first gotten here. Wolves didn't take kindly to trespassers. Got it. Check. Howl for a member and... what did he have to offer? He made a face when she mentioned that bit. What did he have to offer. "You think they'd accept the contribution of a charming personality?" He flashed her a smile, trying to put on display just how "charming" he was. Perhaps he'd be rewarded with a laugh, perhaps not.

 He heaved a sigh of relief when she mentioned that she believed him. It seemed he wasn't the only one like this and he wasn't sure if he should be happy about that or perturbed. If people were just getting snatched left and right, did that mean that they weren't safe here? What if they woke up again in another random place? It was unsettling but there wasn't much he could do about it. It also made him wonder if there were other humans here. Could Julooke have been one as well? He doubted it, she seemed perfectly well-versed in wolf society and was probably born into it.

 "How much do I remember..?" He echoed and thought back to everything he knew. To be honest, the longer he stayed here the fainter things were. He knew where he used to work and what he used to do, he remembered aspects of his previous life... but details were getting fuzzier and fuzzier. "I remember my previously life vaguely but the details are getting cloudy... I... I think it's getting more and more cloudy the longer I spend here." He frowned, unsure if he was happy about this or not. The memories wouldn't help him but it would be nice to not forget what he once was. Would he ever completely forget that he was a human? He shook his head, disturbed. "What about you?" He wondered what her previous life was like.

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A smooth laugh came from her open maw when he asked his question. It might be a good attempt, but will mostly likely not get you anywhere, she said with a smile. Pack life is all about supporting each other. Each wolf needs to do something to help out the others. I'm sure you have some type of talent, she assured him. It could be protecting your packmates, like patrolling borders, intercepting trespassers, things like that. Or seeing to medical needs, she added, giving a few examples. Surely, in his lone wolf days, he had at least learned how to defend himself? That would be easily transferred to defending the pack. 

He explained his memories were getting fuzzy the longer he was here. She looked into her own past, and while she remember a few select wolves and memories, she did find that many seemed to be gone. Well, she said softly, trying to make them both feel better, I supposed that could happen regardless of how we ended up here. Right? Do you remember being in a pack before? She asked, hoping to trigger a memory that could help him out.
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 Ah ha! A laugh, he grinned a toothy grin at her. Mission accomplished. Although her next words did not make him feel better in the least. Hunting? Nope. Fighting? Nope. Medical knowledge? Nada. Confrontation with trespassers? Nope nope, no confrontational skills whatsoever. Patrolling? Well... He could vaguely remember some hikes he'd done before. Maybe he could do that. Walking around a pack border and making sure things were... well, he didn't know. Border-y? That seemed do-able. All of his real talents of whipping up amazing beverages would likely not serve him very well here. Although, out loud he said, "Oh yeah! Plenty of talents, I can make myself useful to a pack, I'm sure." Or he'd just have to fake it.

 "I supposed that could happen regardless of how we ended up here." He nodded his head. He preferred her way of looking at things. It was much more optimistic, much more hopeful. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." He really hoped her view of the problem was correct rather than his pessimistic one.

 Her next question stopped him dead. He didn't know how to answer, whether he should be truthful about it or hide the fact that he was a human that never belonged in a pack. He had told the bird before but that was because he'd been so shocked waking up like this, plus the bird had known what humans were and was really worldly. Props to that awesome bird-man. However, this situation felt different. Would she leave him if she knew what he was before? "Uh..." He thought of something to say and the half-truth came out almost immediately, "I didn't have a pack before... I wasn't raised by other... wolves." Think. Think. THINK. "I was raised by people. Uh, humans! Entirely different creatures than us." Well, that was... mostly a lie but it could explain away his complete lack of knowledge about the world. He was slapping himself inwardly though, he didn't like to lie but he just felt like things would turn out better if he did. Besides, he didn't even know what she would think of humans or if she even knew what they were. "And I started out with them, I think... and they released me, after a while. Everything's really fuzzy after that." Hopefully the spotty details she would attribute to him having lost most of his memory and not that he was making it up as he went along.

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He assured her he could make himself useful in a pack, and she gave him a nod and a smile. Good, that's the biggest hurdle. And if he had talents, the hurdle would be nothing but a small speed bump in joining a pack. He seemed accepting of her reply on losing their memories, too. She really couldn't explain it any other way, and it wasn't something she wanted to focus on. She needed to find a pack to settle into, and keep on the lookout for Verrine. If she was focused too much on her previous home, she wouldn't be able to do that.

He explained his previous life and to say she was perplexed would be putting it mildly. She had never heard of an animal called people humans. That's quite a history, she said, trying to take it in, determine what it meant. The thought he might not be telling her the whole truth never occurred to her. She was a wolf who gave the benefit of the doubt. Well, I know that it can be daunting, being in a new place and not knowing anyone, she replied. You're welcome to hang out with me, if you like, she offered with a smile. Maybe I can feed you, she chuckled.
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 It seemed that she believed him relatively easily. There were no questions or suspicious looks or anything of the sort. Julooke took him at face value and remarked that it was interesting. Part of him was relieved and part of him felt guilty. He halfway wanted to tell her the truth right then and there but he knew it likely would be far too unbelievable or make her distrustful... for more than one reason. So, he'd made his bed and he was going to stubbornly lie in it. For better or for worse. "Yeah, I know, it's really insane, huh? All of us just being snatched from one place or another." He wondered if she knew what people were or was just too polite to ask for clarification. She was such a nice wolf.

 He felt even more like trash for lying now.

 And the niceness just didn't stop there. Hang out? "R-really?" No one had offered this to him yet, granted the precious few wolves he'd met was limited to like... one. He was nearly moved to tears at her generous offer. "It's been so awful being alone. You'd really let me stick around for a while?" Someone to talk to, someone to help him figure this wolf thing out! And best of all, food.

 His stomach growled right on time. "To be honest with you... I... I don't really know how to hunt. At all. I've been eating berries and mushrooms and fruits." And even though the thought of eating raw meat was awful unappealing, he knew that he needed it, he felt like hunger was just a constant friend. Quite unlike how it used to be where he had food at his beck and call. **"Food was really easy to come by before. It was brought to me whenever I needed it." And now, he'd have to turn over a new chapter in his life to learn how to properly care for himeself now.

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She nodded in agreement with him. Very insane. And very sad. We had no choice in the matter, she added with a frown. She and Verrine had planned to find a new home, but it was supposed to be together. She would not have chosen to leave him without a word. She sighed before continuing, Better to make the best of it, she said, trying to be upbeat. As far as she could tell, she could not change what happened, she could only look on the bright side. 

Right now, that bright side was a new friend in Dan. She chuckled at his surprise. Well, sure! Why not? It was a rhetorical question so she didn't expect an answer. I'm not used to being alone, so I'd like the company, she explained. Her eyes widened when he admitted what he had been living off of. Oh, that won't do at all, she replied in surprise. We eat meat! You won't survive long at all on that stuff. When he further explained he had his meals brought to him, she knew he was going to be in for a rough ride. Still, she tried to chuckle it off. Only pups get that treatment in our world, she said. Well, them and injured wolves. 

First thing is first, she said as she rose to stand and headed into the water, We gotta get you fed. I'll catch your first fish, so you can get something good in you fast, she said, not leaving much room for debate. Then, I'll show you how to fish. While Julooke was adept at hunting many kinds of prey, fishing was her favorite. 

She waded into the cool water, ensuring that the sun was before her, and went to work. She was patient, waiting for the perfect moment to strike instead of taking a chance and missing. She made her move, and her jaws came out of the water with a thrashing fish clutched between them. She made her way to shore, and plopped the fish down before Dan, and shook the water from her fur. Her tail wagged as she felt the familiar high of a successful hunt. Eat up! she ordered, and sat back on her haunches.
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 No choice at all but what could they do? He'd love to figure out why this was all happening but there wasn't really much research that could be conducted on the matter. Besides, it was easier to focus on things he did have some semblance of control over. Like his skills in being a wolf! That was a good place to start.

 He found that his tail was starting to wag at her upbeat attitude about things. He hardly even realized it was happening until he felt the dust stir behind him. He supposed that's what it was like to feel truly happy, eh? He was happy that she was happy and he was determined to not be a burden. He would be the best companion that he could be learn and learn what he could so that he wouldn't have to make her do all of the work between them. "I promise to be the very best company you've ever had in your entire life." He said with a laugh, clearly exaggerating to be a jokester.

 "I guess I've got a lot of catching up to do, then." As horrible as it sounded to murder some poor little animal, he knew that it was necessary. She seemed so enthusiastic about it too, it bled over to him and before long he pushed the fact that he'd lied out of his mind to focus on what she was saying completely. He watched as she wandered over to the lake, green eyes curious as to how she was going to do this with no tools. "Is it that, 'give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish he'll eat for life' or whatever?" She was literally acting out the proverb. It was actually quite amusing.

 Fish also didn't seem so bad. It would be like sushi. Sushi with a face. He wouldn't think about that and was sure that he couldn't if he tried. His stomach was so empty that he felt like he would absolutely destroy that fish. Sorry cute guy, but Danny-boy had to eat.

 In what felt like it was only a few minutes, Julooke was already padding back with a fish. She'd made it look so easy, he was impressed! His mouth was dropped open at her speed and let out a "wooow". He placed a paw onto the dead fish and looked down at it. "Wow, you're good! Thank-you!" He thought that he might feel some hesitation but nope. He was starving and without even thinking about it, he was demolishing the surprisingly flavorful fish. It disappeared down his throat rapidly and he flopped down onto his stomach after he was finished. He sighed happily and ran his tongue around his lips. "Oh jeez, that was so good." He was far less miserable now than he had been in... well, actually, he felt that he was happier now than even in his past life. Things had been so mundane then but now things were so new.

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She chuckled at his declaration that he would be the best company she's ever had. Good company would make her very happy, so she wouldn't hold him to his promise to be the best. Right now, he was already living up to more than just good company. For just a bit, her worries of Verrine were gone, and she could focus on the present. She chuckled at his saying, I suppose so. Every wolf had to learn to feed themselves, right?

She was glad to see him tear into the fish, and to finally have a meal that suited him. She had no idea of the turmoil that had gone through his head about eating the meat before it was placed before him. She might have found it odd. Now that his appetite was sated, they could move on to the long-term solution to his hungry. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Now, it's time to teach you to fish! Come on, she said, going back into the water. First things first, go in gently so you don't make a lot movement. You want to make sure the sun is in front of you so that your shadow is behind you and doesn't scare the fish, she instructed. After that, it's mostly a waiting game. You want the fish to come as close to you as possible, because the closer they are, the better chance of you catching them. You gotta be fast, and make sure you really grab the fish. They're going to wiggle a lot to try and get away, so you have to really sink your teeth to get a good grip. Maybe that was a lot at once, but she wanted to get all that out first so there wasn't much talking during the actual fishing. She glanced at him to see if he might have a question before getting down to business.
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 Oh yeah, that part about teaching him. He pulled himself up from the ground and was nearly about to splash in but then he heard her warning. Go in gently. Okay, he could manage that. It was a little bit more difficult to still his movements so he wasn't doing his normal ungraceful walk, but he just remembered the principle of how to walk and managed to go in without too much disturbance of the water. So far so good.

 He glanced up towards the sky to see where the sun was in relation to them, and that was all good. He looked towards Julooke again, to listen to her instructions all the way through. There were a lot of instructions to sift through but he'd always been good at listening and sorting directions so that he could follow them and the golden-tinted man nodded his head in understanding. He glanced down at the water, not too thrilled with the idea of slamming his head underneath to grab the fish. Wouldn't water get up his nose and all that jazz?

 He glanced at his companion, "Sooooooo, question... Can we not just use our paws to smack fish out of the water?" It might be more difficult but he figured they might be able to smack the fish onto land and then grab them with their mouths. Granted, his wolf paws felt far less dexterous than what he'd seen of cat paws. Cats also had those handy claws... why couldn't he have been turned into a cat instead.

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Teaching Dan to fish would be the highlight of Julooke's day. She hadn't hung out with anyone since Reiko, and had missed the company of other wolves. Plus, Dan was a delight, and a very charming character, even if his history was a bit weird. In her eyes, that didn't make him less of wolf, nor did his lack of hunting knowledge. 

She thought for a moment about his question. Not really, she settled on. Fish are slippery, and I don't think there'd be enough force to do it fast enough, she explained. Julooke didn't know much about cats and they didn't come to mind now. All she could imagine was swiping her paw at a fish, and the fish easily slipping away. She also didn't realize his worry about getting water up his nose. It happened, Julooke just huffed it out when it did.
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 Great... it would be too good to hope that he might be able to get out of this water up his nose. Alright! No need to complain now, he had to suck it up! "That seems fair... Okay! I'm ready." He straightened up and stared intently at the water... and waited.

 He stared straight at the water, scarcely blinking with a comically determined facial expression. Don't move, don't twitch too much, none of that. Just. Wait. It was very difficult not to start humming or start counting how many clouds he could see reflected on the surface of the water. Focus.

 He wondered what sort of pack life Julooke had. Actually, what was any sort of pack life like?

 No! Fish. Water. Look. He blinked and refocused.

 Were packs just like normal families? With like little wolfy-kids and old grumpy grandparents? He wondered how--

 NO! Stop doing that!

 Oh hey, there was a fish. He watched it and waited as it came closer, swam away, closer, closer, just a little bit more and--

 He launched himself down with his mouth open at the fish--

 And managed to get water up his nose and in his mouth while the fish swam away unscathed.

 He yanked his head back and up and began to snort to sputter out water. "PUH! PUH! UFF..." He shook his head, scattering water droplets from his tufty fur. "That wasn't according to plan..." He mumbled out, glaring sullenly at the retreating shadow of the fish.

 "I'll try again..." Because he wasn't keen on just giving up just because it was hard. "Do you have any tips about not getting water up your nose?" Or perhaps it was just a mind over matter thing of not freaking out when the water rushed up into you.

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Julooke got into her own fishing stance, intending to catch another fish herself. Every few moments, she would glance at Dan. His expression were almost comical, but she refrained from laughing. He was trying so hard, and she didn't want to give him a reason to give up. She wasn't aware of his fight to keep his attention pointed in the right direction. Julooke usually had a calm brain, so it wasn't hard for her. 

Suddenly, Dan shoved his face into the water, and Julooke was hopeful he come out successful. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on this beginner's side. Her ears perked at his question, and she realized it was a very god question. She hadn't though about that. Well, just blow out air through your nose right before it hits the water, she explained. It had become second nature to her, and she hoped it helped Dan.
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 He was completely unaware that he was being casually glanced at. If he'd known he'd probably have been a bit more self-conscious, but as it was, he ended up failing. When he'd asked the advice from her, she gave him a handy piece of advice. "Okay okay, got it." He glanced back at the water then back at her. Focus on the water, keep calm and just... stand there.

 This was going to suck even more. Now that he'd splashed about in such a manner, he'd scared away most of the fish. This time he had to wait even longer while his mind tried to wander to and fro. It was fairly challenging but perhaps a little bit easier this time. While tensed and waiting the fish finally started to return and he attempted to employ the advice that had been lent to him.

 He stilled, tensing his muscles as a fish swam close to him and then... He struck. This time he blew air out of his nose before he hit the water. His jaws snapped shut on empty water but he attempted to snap a few more times at the fish as it eluded him. Unsurprisingly he came up with an empty mouth. "They're so slippery." He looked back at Julooke to see how she was fairing. She'd probably have gotten ten fish by the time it took him to master catching one.

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Dan seemed to take the idea easily enough, and they both went back to trying to catch a fish. They had been scared away by Dan's attempt, but Julooke was accustomed to not usually catching on the first try. Sure, it took time for the fish to start coming back around, but it was worth if they caught something. It was a little more difficult in water that was clearer, but it didn't deter Julooke. 

Suddenly, Dan struck forward, and Julooke was sure he would have fish. But, unfortunately, he came up empty-jawed once again. She gave him an empathetic look, Yeah, it can be hard. Try a smaller one until you get the hang of it. They won't have as much strength to wiggle out of your teeth, she advised. 

Then, she had an idea. Dan needed all the experience he could get in a short amount of time, and just waiting for the fish to come around would take a while. Instead, she offered up a solution. Hey! I have an idea! I'll herd the fish towards you, and you keep trying to catch one! That way, he would have dozen of opportunities. 

Instead of waiting for an answer, Julooke spun around to get some distance from Dan and headed a bit deeper into the water. Then, she turned and waited for a school of fish. When one was between the two of them, Julooke lunged forward to make them go towards Dan. She leapt side to side to make sure they continued on path she wanted them to.
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 Smaller one? He frowned at the water. Heck, he'd be happy if he could get a hold to any one. He smiled at her though and tried not to sound frustrated, "Okay! I'll try that..." Ugh! It was going to take him forever to learn how to do this. If he ever did. He could feel the negative thoughts seeping in, attempting to drag him down but he shook his head and tried again to focus on the water.

 "Hey! I have an idea!" Huh? He looked up at her, ears pricking as he listened to what she said. Well, that was a rather sound idea. He looked a bit more enthusiastic at that idea. "Sure! Yeah, let's try that." He should at least be able to get one, right?

 So, he stood there and waited as she waded out to the deeper waters so that she could steer them in his direction. Okay, he could do this. He had this.

 He tensed and waited. It was a little while and then she started to move, herding the fish in his direction. The school came right for him and when they were close enough he bolted into action and lunged for the first one he saw.

 His teeth closed around nothing. Movement closeby and he lunged again, nothing. Come on! Come one! He lunged again and he snagged one.

 He jerked back up above water, the fish grabbed by the tail. It was flailing around, panicking, as it tried to free itself. To be honest, dan was panicking as well. Now what did he do?

 It smacked him in the face, he loosened his grip and it fell back towards the water. "NO!" Without even thinking he dunked his head back under and grabbed it more firmly. He came back up and shook his head violently like he'd seen pet dogs doing. He didn't stop shaking his head until he couldn't feel movement anymore.

 At this point the fish was rather messy and ripped up... but he still had it. He looked proudly over at Julooke, curious if he'd done alright.

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She herded the fish toward Dan, splashing through the water. It was the first time she'd ever been able to splash around while fishing. It was a lot more fun than just standing there, waiting. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him go for a fish, miss, then go again. It was a great plan! He'd get a bunch of experience in trial and error in no time! 

She squealed when he brought a fish out of the water, excited for him that he had caught one. But, in the next moment, it was gone. Dan wasn't giving up, though, and he dunked his head back into the water to grab the fish again. She laughed in joy, waiting for him to take it to shore. Instead, he whipped his head side to side until the fish no longer struggled. That worked, too! That's awesome! Great job! she said, wagging her tail. She headed to shore to shake the excess water from her fur. She assumed that with, now two, fish in his belly, Dan should be sated for the time being.
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 He felt warmed by the praise, happy to have finally succeed in this fishing thing. Sure, he'd had help but it was better than nothing. He now knew what it felt like to catch a fish in his jaws and how to hold onto one. "Fanks!" His said happily around the fish. He supposed they were finished today and proudly he waded back to shore, tail up in the air and wagging happily.

 He followed right behind her and-- "Hey!" He said as water landed on him from her shaking. He laughed and then shook his own pelt off, attempting to splash her as well. Then, he walked around and plopped on the ground with the fish right in front of him. He still felt really happy! He'd succeeded in catching a fish! He felt like he was practically on top of the world at this moment. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so proud about something. "Did you want to share?" He asked. He'd seen her trying to catch her own fish so he assumed that she might want a bite or two. It didn't feel right to gobble all of it down without asking her to take part. Besides, without her this fish wouldn't even be here.

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She hadn't meant to sprinkle him with water, though she laughed anyway, even when he did it back to her. Hey! Mine was an accident, she laughed, obviously not bothered by his revenge. It was nice to have someone to play with; she hadn't had that since she got here.

Her ears perked at his question of sharing. Normally, she would have said no, that it was his fish. But, she was hungry, and it would take a bit for the fish to settle down. I'll eat the head! she said with a wag of her tail. Not much meat, but she found satisfaction in squishing the eye balls between her teeth and chopping down on the skull. She waited eagerly for him to severe the portions before she dug into her own. 

Once that was done, she settled in to groom the remnants of fish from her face and forelegs. While she didn't mind getting down and dirty, she liked to clean up afterwards. She glanced over at Dan, Any idea where you want to go from here? she asked. She wasn't sure who else he had met, or if he had a particular direction he wanted to go.
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