A Splashing Debut

***Alchemist Kitsune*** · #1 August 25th, 2024, 05:48 PM

Today had been one of those days. Where Lightningstorm had been wanting to take off. Go for a bit of a walk in the territory. Have the sky above her for a change. It was true that the aforementioned sky was overcast, not much sunlight filtering through the cover of clouds... but her nose couldn't smell any rain, and even if it could, it needed the break from the harsh herbal scent in her den. So, with the excuse of wanting to go gather a new wad of moss for her patient treatments, she padded off. There was of course moss in the den, but it wasn't quite what she liked using for cleaning injuries, so it wasn't a lie in any case.

The molly sniffed upon arrival to the falls, her paws having taken her there almost by instinct. It seemed sometimes that her body seemed to remember their way around the territory more than she did, as the familiarity she had seemingly traversed the plateau with had not been quite as evenly matched in her mind. Expertly, the pale herbalist leaped on some rocks by the edge of the pool, searching among the shaded, moist areas they offered for what she sought, yet finding nothing more than the common moss she used for bandaging wounds and replacing nests. It was useful, yes, but not what she had come for. A fact that made her wrinkle her nose in thought before instinctually turning towards the water's edge, finding the fluffier, more verdant moss she used underwater just barely out of reach.

Genuinely stumped, Lightningstorm sat, wondering just how exactly old her had managed to get around this situation. It was clear this had been the moss she had picked before. But... this area was hardly a woodland. And she was severely lacking in sticks back home, so bringing one back and potentially losing it on this was out of the question. Narrowing her eyes, she got up, stretching lightly before turning her head left and right. Making sure she was alone before closing the gap with the water's edge once more.

While far from tall - the medicine cat was in all earnest quite the petite feline - she had long legs, making her reach somewhat longer than most other cats her size. Compelling her wonder if maybe... just maybe... she could. Get. The stupid. Moss. Into her-

The oriental mix did not notice the slip. It wasn't until she had become submerged that she reacted, eyes wide open as the moss she had been trying to obtain slowly became further the more she sank. Panic clawing at her insides she twitched, uncertainty taking over when again it happened. Her body moved with knowledge it alone understood, paws paddling upwards towards the light. Breaking through the surface of the water with a manic whoop of unabashed joy at having discovered something knew about herself. She could swim. By the stars, she could swim! Of course she could swim! It seemed so obvious now! Ta old Lightningstorm! She must have been the overachieving, must learn everything type.

@Rani [Crowtooth]

***Rani*** · #2 Today, 03:00 AM

Crowtooth
Windclan Deputy | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Sometimes it was nice to just.... Wander without doing things. Well, he had come out here to do things actually. Spotting the weird popping flashes in the sky (fireworks, not that Crowtooth knew that or how odd it was that they were going off during the day) the tom had trotted his way out of camp, following the disturbance just to make sure the clan was ok, only to find him at a dead end at the falls when the (still) distant popping stopped. From there he'd planned to maybe continue to learn to swim, an ongoing task of his, only to find a dead end there again as he'd nearly choked to death on the first attempt.

Well maybe not 'to death' more of to soggy uncomfort as he'd sputtered and failed to remain buoyant despite his wild thrashing masterful swimming attempts. An attempt that'd landed him sitting in the shallows, just enjoying the cool water and cleaning properties of the pool when Lightningstorm had arrived.

She either seemed uncaring for his presence (fair, he wanted a break from cats sometimes to) or didnt notice him so either way the tom just relaxed, letting the little waves lap at him as half asleep he kept a single eye on his friend.

That calm died a quick death as Lightningstorm plunged into the deep, let me tell you that much. Crowtooth let out a distressed devastated yowl as Lightningstorm's head dipped below, unthinkingly darting forward past where he could stand in a desperate bid to reach her. He wouldnt lose another friend, he couldnt and damn it all he didnt care if he drowned NOT HER TOO!!

Water filling the toms mouth, Crowtooth exhaling what little air he had to keep his lungs clear of the fluid as he tried to push off the bottom towards the middle where he could blurrily see her form, paws reaching out a distance he couldnt cross before she drowned....

Only to watch, shocked as the molly he'd dove in to save rocket up and away from the depths like an eel, twisting through the water with a grace her so called savoir did not have. She didnt need saving at all really, and for a long moment the tom hung in the water, paws skimming the bottom as he watched her dance.

The tug of lost air drew him soon away however.

Crowtooth was thoroughly winded and half suffocated by the time he hauled himself onto the bank, hacking and wheezing air deprived but thankfully dry lunged as he gasped. For a long moment he could only do that, gasping and heaving in breaths as he recovered from his short (ultimately harmless) watery stint, letting Lightningstorm do as she wished. When he was recovered however, he had words for her.
"WHAT IN THE DARK FOREST LIGHTNIN'!?!?!? YA SCARRED THE PISS OUTTA ME!!!!"

@Alchemist Kitsune