Dragoncrest Cliffs Anglerfish

She pushed down on the stick, trying to press on the base of it to avoid snapping off any of the branches. She hoped the smaller branches might catch some kelp and perhaps disguise the trap, so the fish wouldn't avoid it when the tide came in. The sand was firm, though, and even when she put both her paws on the stick, it would only go in so deep before it resisted her effort. 

"Hey, Su,"

Her ears flicked back, an indication that she'd heard him but she merely pursed her lips and put more effort into pressing the branch into the ground. It also made her look slightly annoyed, which was part of her intention. She shifted her weight and exhaled slowly as she rocked her weight into her front feet with gentle pushes, inch by inch managing to push the branch's stem deeper into the sand. 

"I'm-"

Push. Push. Push. Snap.

The branch broke. She'd put too much pressure on it, and part of the dried branch broke off. Without reacting, Suzu put her forefeet back on the ground and paused for a moment, before she turned around to face him. Expectantly, she waited, ears still turned back but her expression was even. She blinked and pushed her whiskers forward as if to cue him to finish his sentence.