Cattail Pond

[plum]

[ @Shade. ]

"Fine... Day.."

What was getting into her? The silver she-cat felt... Blocked, somehow, as if there were something suddenly out of place. Something that suddenly felt wrong but she couldn't place what exactly it was, or where the problem lie. She just knew.

Casting her eyes to the ground, the molly frowns and starts over again, committed to creating a semi-decent impression on her Clanmate, rather than a poor image of a Shield. Lifting her gaze once more, she flicks her tail and puts up a front.

"Fine day," Plumstorm says crisply. "Are you fishing? I can't say I enjoy doing that too much, but I have to teach Irispaw sooner or later. Would you mind if I joined you, perhaps?"

[Shade.]

@implimm

Lizardfrost watched the other cat reply. This wasn't exactly notarial behaviour but Lizardfrost could not tell whatsoever. She just stated back blankly. Her mind mostly glossed over the various statements. The pale tabby asked her a question. She thought about it for a moment. Would she mind? What exactly would mind mean? It would mean that she would be somehow impaired by her presence. Lizardfrost did not think that was the case. She could fish normally with someone else around. Unless they purposely attempted to prevent her from doing so.
"I would not mind." She said in the usual relaxed monotone. In all honestly, Lizardfrost was a curious cat and wanted to learn new things so perhaps observing would be good. Maybe even asking questions. However, she didn't want to get too distracted from her work. She found a nice spot by the pond. She would wait to see if the fish head this way. If not, she would simply dive in and get them herself.

[plum]

[ @Shade. ]

Relieved to be invited rather than turned away, she nods and rounds the pond as well, peering into it with an expression between curiosity and dislike. She didn't want to get wet, but fishing was... A wet experience, wasn't it? Even if it were just her paw, that was one pondy paw she would need to excessively groom as soon as catly possible!

Plumstorm settles down into a crouch with a sigh and flicks her tail. It was absurd that this was really all fishing was... She preferred the thrill of the hunt to sitting in absolute wait. After a long lapse of staring into the pool blankly while the smaller fish sometimes poked out of the shade, the silver she-cat sets her head down as well. Something was definitely wrong.

[Shade.]

@implimm

Lizardfrost reached her paws in elegantly, letting them float. She wanted to catch as much prey as possible. She had already provided the clan with quite a lot but honestly it was never enough. For some reason the thought of the delicious fish swimming in the pond made her mouth water. She paid little mind to Plumstorm.

Lizarfrost looked around slowly and spotted a big carp floating calmly, pecking at the surface. Moving slightly to the side, she got a little closer. Then she lunged into the pond. She grappled with the carp and water flew everywhere. She slammed it on the shore and delivered the killing bite. Again, she paid little mind to the ow possibly drenched Plumstorm.

[plum]

[ @Shade. ]

Plumstorm wished that she could place what it was that bothered her, but the she-cat's thoughts were muddled and difficult to read. She settles on staring listlessly into the water, couched not like a poised and waiting fishing cat, but relaxed and loaf-y.

When Lizardfrost lurches into the water, surprise yanks her back into the present and the Shield jumps with shock. Staring at the cat wrestling the large fish, she pulls back, shying from the water. Once it's on land and dead, she lifts her gaze to the warrior and blinks.

[Shade.]

@implimm

Lizardfrost looked at her catch for about a second before simply placing it between her and Plumstorm and turning to the water. Speaking of Plumstorm, she seemed to have shrunk back as Lizardfrost dived in. Did she not want to get sprayed by the water. Then how was she even going to fish? Lizardfrost did not understand emotions whatsoever. She needed to be explicitly told how others felt and then her reaction would be to say she does not understand but will do as she is told. She was fairly self-aware in areas she did not understand. She was naturally extremely curious but this stuff didn't seem to be something she was ever able to understand.

"You moved back. Is something wrong?" she asked. Just in case it was actually important, like Plumstorm spotting some sort of danger in the water. Also, maybe because she was at least a little curious now.

[plum]

[ @Shade. ]

"I wasn't expecting it, that's all," she snaps. It was difficult to will herself to stay still, to even say anything in response. Lizardfrost wasn't poor company, rather Plumstorm was today. "Any cat would flinch."

No one alive really knew of her disdain for swimming, she thought. And if they did? Well, whatever. It wasn't as though she weren't contributing enough to the Clan... Or was she? As a Shield, as a regular member of RiverClan even? If the she-cat didn't like to swim, was that enough to make her a poor excuse for a RiverClan cat? Plumstorm frowns and turns away from the other she-cat, peering into the water again. She didn't have the patience for fishing right now.

Suddenly, everything felt sour. Her encounter with Lizardfrost, sitting here staring at the pond, the fish next to her, the idea of swimming. "Look, just keep doing what you're doing," she sighs. "I'm not in your way, it shouldn't be a problem. There's no need to bother me, just like I'm not bothering you."

[Shade.]

@implimm

Lizardfrost didn't understand this behaviour. What she said made sense but not in this context. She had very little social intuition but even she could tell something is off. Ah, it was probably emotions. Hmm...she wondered if she should ask after all.
"Am I bothering you? Is it because you're feeling emotions?" she asked, tipping her head to the side. Lizardfrost insisted on working hard but she had time for a few questions.

[plum]

[ @Shade. ]

"You're bothering me, yeah!" Plumstorm snaps irritably. "I'm feeling emotions! You freakin' weirdo, you always go around looking like you have to make dirt! The hell?! I just thought that since you're such a quiet, nonchalant cat, that I could sit here a while without being bothered!" The silver cat didn't know where it came from, but it came. She stares hotly at Lizardfrost for a solid moment, then turns her cheek with a puff of air.

"Why do you do anything at all if all you're going to do is look so miserable about everything?" she finally asks, though her words came out as a mumbled mess. "I mean, don't you feel satisfaction? You literally just caught this bigass fish and you're not even happy?!"

[Shade.]

@implimm

Lizardfrost's ears flipped backwards. What? This loud noise was unpleasant. Normally, loud noises meant danger. That or her clanmates were being emotional or something. Lizardfrost didn't understand. Her eyebrow lifted. She briefly opened her mouth to say something then shut it again. What was happening? She didn't feel like relieving herself, even if she hadn't been to the dirtplace in a while. And why was Plumstorm feeling emotions. As far as she'd spotted, emotions happened when something significant was going on. The muscular tuxedo tried to focus on the words.
"I'm...sorry? I'm satisfied...I think. I always am when I'm working hard enough. But it's just one fish. I could do better. I have done better. Why are you not satisfied? You're a shield." she said, sitting down. She was confused. And her thoughts didn't make much sense anymore. That's because a tiny snippet of them weren't thoughts. They were feelings.