Victoria was, by product of her youth and nature, a fast learner - she watched constantly around her and assessed the responses of others, the consequences of actions and it helped to shape her future behaviour. Of course, the dramatic reaction of some adults did not seem to have had a similarly dramatic effect on either of the more active Oasis Princess' but there were subtle adjustments being made daily. For example, the last time she and Diantha had had a big fight, she'd cried about it to Mummy. And then had been made to apologise to her sister and pretend to be nice, which had only endes in an even bigger, worse fight. It was all immensely frustrating. So Victoria had held it together - she hadn't been a cry baby and even though she hurt from the spat with her sister she tried her best not to show it. Her flower crown had been destroyed and she hadn't wanted to stick around to build a new one. Instead, the young princess stalked out towards the Oasis centre, hoping she wouldn't run into her sister again. What she did find were a load of scraggly looking scrub bushes - channelling her foul mood into her spiky fur and hissing, spitting fangs, Victoria swiped forward to attack a particularly weak looking one. She may not have cried back there, but she was certainly displaying emotion now, in spite of her wish to hold it inside.

table by koi

Generally, he'd found the oasis to be a pretty quiet, chill place. Which, on one paw, was great, it meant very little pressure and allowed him to fall into old habits. Like coasting through life. On the other paw...well, it meant more time alone with his own thoughts and that was a dangerous thing. He'd already started making plans to find and ferment a bunch of dates so he had an escape, of sorts, readily available. Which he'd say was an improvement from hunting down plants that would get him high as balls for a few hours. Yay progress?

Point was, it wasn't a place he expected to hear the sounds of something fighting something else. Especially something that sounded so small fighting something else that sounded like it wasn't doing much fighting back. More like a frustrated rustle. Bushes probably didn't make that sound on their own, did they?

Nah...

Curiosity drew him toward the noise and he was only moderately surprised to discover the source was...a very young cub. One he assumed belonged to the dark sovereign, since he didn't remember any other recent litters. Of course that didn't rule out adoption....Ah, he was overthinking it. So he'd flop down a couple feet from the girl, prop his cheek up on a wrist, and arch a brow at her. "That's a lot of frustration for such a tiny body, kiddo."

@Victoria

code by corvus

She maintained her attack, little body vibrating with fury as she pounced forward and batted at the shrub. Her fur stuck out on end and she gave a malevolent hiss as the shrub flipped back and bashed her on the nose. She would have continued her assault (getting ready to wrap her fangs around it and teach it a lesson) when a voice interrupt her. Victoria paused, little body still looking almost electrified with fur stood on end when @Haros caught her attention. "Yeah - well - that's cus its stupid." She breathed heavily, her tone defensive as she looked back at her adversary. She stomped forward, gaining a good grip on it and tugging experimentally. In spite of its weakling appearance, it was stuck fast into the earth and she let go with a huff. "Can you get it - please?" Her manners remembered at the last minute, Victoria almost pouted at the unknown adult in an attempt to get him to help her out and rip it from the ground.

table by koi

If the kid wanted to destroy some dried-out shrubbery, it really wasn't any of his business as far as why she did it. Didn't mean he wasn't vaguely curious about it anyway. Shrugging at her request, he rose and moved to grab the plant in his teeth and yank upward, ripping it out at the roots and dropping it straight back down. Once that was done, he moved back to his previous place and flopped back to his rump, "Why're you fighting a plant, anyway?" Was this some kind of cubhood game? Haros didn't have a lot of reference points for what a 'normal' childhood involved. Most of the fighty games had been between his other siblings, and were more fight than game.

Haros had always been better at talking than fighting, and had often been on the sidelines, cheering on one sibling or the other. Or switching between them to encourage a longer scuffle. Because it was funny when it was between them - none of them ever tried to really hurt each other. It was much, much, less funny if it was a sibling against a stranger. That was always scary. Possibly scarier than a stranger against himself sometimes, but that really depended on whether any of the others were in danger at the same time or if he just had to worry about saving his own skin.

@Victoria

code by corvus

Ask and you shall receive - Victoria wasn't exactly spoilt in the sense that she got everything she wanted. With a sister like Diantha, expressing any kind of wishes usually ended in disaster anyway. But her request is fulfilled as @Haros went and pulled the shrub out before dropping it back on the ground. Victoria pounced, socked paws trapping the shrub and then tiny fangs clamping on and shaking vigorously. Sand and roots sprayed everywhere as the man asked her why she was fighting a plant. What was she meant to say? She picked a fight with her sister and lost? She wanted her sisters flower crown and couldn't have it? "My sister stole my crown." She revealed instead, carefully omitting the truth like she always did and expecting Haros to understand why that meant she was attacking the shrub. When it was well and truly dead, Victoria looked back up to the man with blinking grey eyes. "Who are you?" She asked finally, heading cocked to the side as she studied him.

table by koi

As soon as the plant hit the ground, she was on it. And made quick work of murdering the poor dead shrub. Haros brushed a bit of stray sand and plant-bits off his forelimb as the girl spoke again, humming sympathetically a her explanation. "Sisters can be annoying like that," he shifted again, reclining to stretch out on his side since there seemed to be little danger of getting dried shrub flung in his face now.

"One time, when we were kids, I made a thing out of vines and bits of pelt and pretty feathers to wear around my neck and my sister stole it," he chuckled lightly, remembering both the incident and just how badly the accessory had been. Less a careful weaving job and more a tangle mess with a few pretty bits stuck wherever they'd stay. "but I stole it back later." And then their father had destroyed it (because frivolous displays of individuality were discouraged), but he'd leave that part out.

Her question earned a light grin, "I'm Haros - you're Genya's kid, right? I was there when you and your sisters were born, but you wouldn't remember that." They'd been very small and squirmy and blind, so he didn't expect any of them to remember anyone who had been there except maybe their actual parents.

@Victoria

code by corvus