First Encounter with Water (Tag, Meesh/Ebony)

[yoko]

His eyes gobbled up his surroundings with every step. Now that he had seen other living creatures, ones who may or may not have emerged from a pod, he watched his steps more closely. He'd been mindful of plants while passing through the Blue Plains, observing their different shapes and sizes and diligently avoiding brushing up against them less they have unpleasant side-effects. When he at last crossed the seemingly endless blue-tinted fields, his throat ached and was dry. His paws were less willing to move forward, though his heart and mind were insistent on doing so. It was in this state that he first encountered the River Garden. 

The bubble and murmur of water graced his ears first. They perked, thinking a creature might be the cause. It could be misinterpreted as a growl, but Mike actually found it to be a soothing sound and was drawn nearer. The sight of it confused him. There was more grass, greener this time though interspersed with large striped blossoms and strange bobbing grass blades. The grass was surrounded by a blue...grey...or clear substance. This substance was moving, changing, swirling. He watched it, utterly fascinated. If he walked on top of it, would he sway and bob as some of the plants were? Gingerly, he extended a paw, then he hastily retrieved it and shook it. The substance had changed it! The fur around his paw was wet and clinging to him. Water... he thought, the word coming to his mind. This must be water. But he still was unsure of its properties...or if he liked it. 

[Meesh]

Ebony was sunning lazily, stretched out as far as he could on the sunny rocks spattering along the edge of the river. Stretched out all the way, the absonding feline could easily have dwarfed any aboriginal. He was nowhere near the size of an absonding canine, of course, but still stretched out to a rather impressive length, getting as much sun as physically possible.

Finally deciding he had had enough of the heat, the brown and black spotted cat climbed to his paws and, after a lazy stretch, slid smoothly into the water, ducking underneath for a few seconds before resurfacing, easily swimming against the current. He paddled around like so for a few minutes before an unfamiliar scent caught his nose. Hum...odd. While Ebony's tribe's territories did not extend so far as the River Garden, which served as a sort of neutral ground between the Plains Tribe and Starpack, he still knew the area and its residents well. After all, there were only so many felines or canines around in this area. So the presence of a new scent must have meant what Ebony had been expecting for some time now- the pods were finally hatching again. It was newborn season, and the young ones were finally venturing forth into the world.

Knowledge attained, Ebony quietly pulled himself out of the water and padded towards the scent, seemingly not minding the water streaming from his thick fur. The young male feline sitting by the water was not too hard to find, and Ebony padded over quietly, giving the young one a friendly smile. "A newcomer" he rumbled, purring a hello. "Welcome to the world, young one." he settled down on his haunches to more easily match the kit in height. Goodness, had Ebony ever been that small..?

[yoko]

The wetness of the water had not hurt him at all, so Mike was strongly considering touching it again when the voice of another creature came. He was not one to be easily startled, but he had looked up expecting to see another of his shape and approximate size. Instead, he was met with a giant of very different features. His eyes widened a bit, not of fear but of wonder. What was he? He could speak....unlike the rodents of the Blue Plains (though perhaps they could speak too and were just unwilling). Had he too emerged from a pod just now? But no...there wasn't a single pod on that tree that was even close to his size.

When the large one spoke again, Mike managed to compose himself and lower his raised brow. "Thank you," he replied graciously, appreciating the fact that he'd come down to his level to speak. "And hello, my name is Mike. I hope I haven't disturbed you." He was unsure of how touching the water could possible bother the dark-furred creature, but then he barely knew how anything worked in this strange new world. "I've just never seen it before," he said, gesturing to the water.

[Meesh]

The new-hatched was small, with light fur shaggy enough to be an absonding's. It was noticeably ruffled, and the healer had to mentally resist the urge to lean forward and smooth it straight with his paws and tongue until it was in some proper order again. He is not one of the tribe's kits that would be much too forward Ebony scolded himself. "And my name is Ebony, healer of the Blue Plains Tribe." he replied, dipping his head graciously. A squeaking sound interrupted Ebony's words, and a large brown rodent came dashing from between the rocks to leap onto Ebony's shoulder. The rodent was rather large for one of its species, but still was easily dwarfed by Ebony, not even coming up to his paw. Had Ebony's fur not been dripping wet and clinging to his sides, the rodent would have been completely hidden in his fur. As it was, it would take some focus to see the small brown creature slowly climbing its way up to rest on Ebony's shoulder. The feline gave the creature no mind, however, calmly gazing at Mike.

"Ah, you really are a newlyhatched, then." Ebony's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Water is necessary to life- you must drink it at least daily or risk becoming ill. but beware of submerging yourself in it completely- unless you move properly it will pull you under and you will not be able to breathe." Ebony reached out to give the young one a quick affectionate nuzzle. "But I'm sure you'll be fine."

[yoko]

Mike stared up at him, attentively. The Blue Plains....that was where he had just been he was fairly sure and a tribe...that was a group of some sort, he was fairly sure. But a group of what? Of giants like Ebony or little ones like him? As he was trying to phrase these questions as tactfully as possible, he noticed something moving on Ebony's shoulder. He thought he had imagined it at first, or that maybe it was just water falling as it had from his paw, but it was much too large and he leaned forward slightly to give the creature a sniff. "Try not to panic, but there's something moving up your leg," Mike said, slightly concerned, but certainly not panicking himself.


The white feline tilted his head to the side a little. It was a little hard to believe that water was that important, but he had no reason to distrust Ebony. He seemed kind and friendly. As if to prove this, Ebony nuzzled him, and this drew a new sound from Mike, a happy one that made his chest and throat tingle. That was his first laugh. "Alright, I think I understand," he replied, noticing again the dry ache of his throat. "So I shouldn't go all the way into the water, until I know how to move.in it?" 

[Meesh]

Ebony blinked at first in confusion, and then a smile spread across his face slowly as he realized who his young friend meant. "Oh no, this is a dear friend of mine." Ebony carefully turned his head and picked up the little creature in his teeth. It held obligingly still as Ebony lowered it to the ground in front of Mike, where it then stood up on its hind legs to sniff at the younger feline. "Most rodents of this size are usually quite wild and a bit vicious, but make for good prey if hunted down properly. This one I found when he was very young, and somehow managed to tame him. He herbs me find and gather herbs and berries for our tribe's healing supplied." The rat gave Mike a friendly squeak, and, after a thorough sniffing, turned and began scampering up Ebony's shoulder once again.

The young one's laugh made Ebony's tired eyes brighten in joy. How he loved seeing the joy and wonder the newlyhatched held for the world! It made him regret missing their original hatching, but Ebony was glad to meet at least one new one now- he would just have to be sure to go and meet the others as soon as possible. "Yes, that's right, but remember to drink some whenever you can." Ebony padded to the water to demonstrate, and dipped his face in, tongue lapping at the surface of the water. After a moment, he straightened and looked up at the young creature. "Moving in the water is called swimming. I can show you, if you like?" he offered.

[yoko]

A friend? Mike thought, watching Ebony gently place the smaller creature before him. To his surprise, the shape of it looked familiar. Yes, this one was like the ones in the Blue Plains. He hadn't gotten this close to the others, or maybe the others simply weren't this large. As Ebony explained about their relationship, Mike leaned down to sniff the rodent too. "Does he have a name as we do?" It would be very strange if each one was simply called a rodent. 

Mike watched curiously as Ebony demonstrated how to drink water. He approached the edge of the water and also lowered his face to it, only he'd dipped a little too far it touched his nose. Quickly he drew it out and exhaled sharply through his nostrils. Well, that hadn't been too pleasant, but he lowered his face again all the same. This time he held his head higher and tentatively lapped at the surface. He surprised by the coolness of the water, how it soothed the mysterious aching in his throat and even a little in the rest of him. He stayed crouched there drinking for a few long moments before lifting his dripping chin and smiling at Ebony. "I feel a lot better now. So that's why water is good?" 

Swimming, he thought, liking the sound of the word already. "I'd like that," Mike replied eagerly.

[Meesh]

Ebony shook his head. "It's not able to speak, at least not in any language I understand, so it's remained nameless its whole life. One day, perhaps, I may give it a name, but until then, he and I get along just fine without calling eachother by name. Often we don't communicate with words anyhow." he gave the tiny creature clinging to his shoulder an affectionate lick, it squeaked quietly in response.

Ebony held back a purr as he watched the young feline lap cautiously at the water, eyes sparkling at the adorableness of it all. He carefully dipped his paw int he water and began licking water droplets from his paw, a more dainty way of drinking that Ebony sometimes preferred. After he was fully satisfied once again, Ebony smiled once again at the young creature and nodded. "Be sure to drink until you are satisfied every day if you can, more often if it's hot outside or if you're tired." he instructed carefully, watching the youngster to make sure he understood. "But only if the water smells clean and good like this. If the smell makes your nose wrinkle and it tastes bad, do not drink the water, try to not even touch it." All too clearly in the feline's mind shone the terrible sickness last year that had contaminated and killed hundreds of pods. He still shuddered to remember the rotting pods with unhatched babies dead inside before they were even born.

Pushing the evil thoughts aside, Ebony slipped into the water once again, standing in the shallower area where the current wasn't too strong. "Your paws can still touch the ground over here, so here you can walk, though the current might push you a little. Come join me." Ebony suggested.

[yoko]

Oh, so they really can't speak, Mike thought. Well, it was a good thing he'd given up calling out to them in the Blue Plains then. He could see himself now, crouching in the grass and trying to coax one of these creatures into speaking back to him. He nodded understandingly to Ebony and drew his eyes away at last from the strange small creature. He couldn't imagine all the trouble he'd have gotten into earlier if he hadn't been able to speak to the larger creatures, the ones like him, that he came across. So long as it and Ebony could understand each other, he supposed that was all that mattered.

He sure was learning a lot today, but he paid close attention. Ebony seemed very serious about the smell of the water. Mike didn't even feel a need to ask why he shouldn't drink smelly water. His larger friend was advising him not to and that was reason enough. He turned to look at the water and gave it an actual sniff this time. He couldn't quite describe the smell of it, but it didn't smell bad to him at all. And as for clean....aside from the reflection of the trees and plants, he was pretty sure he could see the bottom. "Does clean water have a color? Or is it just that you can see things in it?"


Mike fell into step behind Ebony. The water chilled him a little. It wasn't quite cold, but it was cooler than he had been on the bank. Keeping his tail high, he waded into the shallow waters. Now he could have a closer look at the plants around him, but he kept his eyes fixed on Ebony. The further he followed him, the deeper his legs sank into the water and the more resistance he met with his walking. The water was pushing him, but he was holding his own pretty well for now. 

[Meesh]

The youngster was taking everything Ebony said into account, and learning quickly. This, Ebony approved of with a sharp nod and a purr of approval. He would be just fine out in the real world, though at this point the feline was seriously considering extending an invitation to the Blue Plains Tribe to the youngster. The invitation was open to all new podlings on default, but still it wouldn't hurt to actually offer, given as most podlings didn't even know about either the Tribe, or Starpack, its counterpart in Maple Forest. "Clean water has a blueish tint, but it's mostly clear. The cleaner it is, the clearer. Sometimes, you can see all the way down to the bottom of a pond or lake if the water is still- beware, though, it may be a lot deeper than you think, and if you go far under, you might not be able to come out again." Ebony warned, feeling a rush of protective warmth towards the youngster.

Ebony nodded in approval once Mark joined him in the water, and then pushed on deeper. Now even the older evolved feline was paddling at the water to keep his head above the surface, though he was easily able to manage the current. Still, Ebony kept a little downstream of Mike so he could easily catch the little one if the current grabbed him away. "Alright" Ebony called. "Now start moving your paws like I am now- like you're digging at the surface of the water, see? Remember the most important thing is to keep your nose above water so you can breathe. If you ever get tired or feel the water pulling you down or away, tell me immediately."

[yoko]

The clearer the cleaner, Mike thought. That ought to be easy to remember. His last words sent a chill through even Mike. Not being able to come up at all must be awful if only a second with water in his nose had been bad. It seemed to him now that while water was very important, it was also tricky and even dangerous. He'd have to be cautious about it always. He nodded solemnly. Still, this new knowledge hadn't put him off the idea of swimming. In fact, it made learning to swim even more important. 

As hihe glanced back at the shore, uncertain for the first time in his young life. If he did go under, Ebony would pull him out, wouldn't he? He seemed kind enough. Mike felt he could trust him. Facing forward again as Ebony demonstrated how to move his paw, Mike nodded. He had a feeling that staying calm was the key to achieving this. Whatever his fears were, they could wait until he at least tried. 

"Alright then," Mike replied bravely. Here I go."

With a deep breath, he let his toes leave the riverbed and began to paddle them. It was a little frantic at first, causing him to sink and put his nose almost perpendicular with the water, but he didn't give up. He pulled his legs closer to his body and continued to 'dig' until he leveled out a little and could turn his head down. It was still pretty tiring and he wondered if he was doing something wrong because for Ebony it seemed easy. "Like this?" he gasped out when he caught his breath. 

[Meesh]

Ebony kept pace easily with Mike, paddling water with the ease of a longtime swimmer. When the kit started to look tired, Ebony simply held out a massive paw and lifted Mike gently up by the stomach so he could rest a bit and regain his breathe. "You've picked it up remarkably quickly" the absonding feline praised, giving Mike as much time as he needed before lowering him back into the water. "Now all that's needed is practice to build up your muscles. Try to only do it when there's an older creature around that knows how to swim, though. Or swim in water without a current. You won't have to bee that cautious forever, but young ones are particularly susceptible to that which we older ones can avoid more easily." Once again, the images of the rotting pods flashed in Ebony's mind and made him flinch, the memories all too clear despite taking place almost two years ago.

Now hmm, what else to teach the young one? Even if Mike planned on moving on on his own, Ebony at least felt obliged to make sure he knew the basics of survival first. True, it would all come out via instinct soon enough, but nothing beat the guidance and warmth of other creatures to give you a head start. "Hmm, do you know about eating yet?" Ebony asked, slowly making his way out of the water, still keeping an eye on the younger feline in case he wanted to stay and swim a tad more.

[yoko]

Being lifted from the water was a big relief. Mike's paws continued to tread a few seconds before he realized Ebony could hold him up on his own. With that knowledge, Mike took a few deep breaths, which helped slow his pounding heart. He'd done it! It was a little hard, but he'd done it. He nodded understandingly at Ebony's advice. If the larger one hadn't been there, he might have actually turned and gone back onto the shore. "So....if I practice with someone here...it'll get easier right?" he asked, not quite connecting this to the muscle building he'd mentioned earlier. Not long after, Mike felt confident enough to paddle again and ended up going in a little bit of a circle. It really was actually really fun now that he wasn't as nervous about it. He was floating around in the water, splashing the surface with his tail, though he noticed he'd accidentally sprayed Ebony with this and quickly apologized between breaths. "Sorry!" He wasn't sure if the water was getting stronger or if he was just getting tired again, but it seemed to him that he was drifting further from where he'd started. It took a lot more effort to swim back in that direction. Why was the water so determined to fight him?

"Eating?" Mike replied as he paddled, unfamiliar with the concept.

Note: Mike kind of thought fish were the only edible thing after this thread. Sorry to make it tricky for you x3 

[Meesh]

Ebony nodded as he reached out a paw to tug the kit the final few meters out of the water and onto the shore, shaking out his own fur to get rid of the water, sending a spray of water flying out in all directions. It caused Ebony's own longer fur to floof out quite outrageously, making the feline suddenly twice as big and ten times as fluffy as he had been a few seconds before. "Sort of." He replied, trying to find a better way to explain it. "Having someone here means that if you get tired, someone can help you- you saw how getting out of the water was harder?" Ebony nodded at the very visible current. "If a stronger swimmer is here and you're in trouble, they can help you. Otherwise, you might drown." Ebony didn't want to scare off the youngster, but understanding safety was important, even moreso than the importance of exploring.

Quickly changing the subject, Ebony padded back to the banks, crouching and staring at the fish lazily swimming in the water. The large feline's paw shot out, flipping one of the fish out of the water and killing it with a quick blow. "This is food." Ebony nudged the fish towards Mike. "You have to eat every few days, every day if you can. Try eating this fish and then and I can show you how to get more. It's not as important as drinking, but still needed."

[yoko]

Mike was so relieved to be out of the water that he flopped onto the bank belly first. He shut his eyes against the spray of the water from Ebony's fur. When it was safe to open them his eyes stretched wide at how much bigger Ebony looked compared to Mike, who had shrunk now that all his fur was clinging desperately to his sides. He noticed that before the water had felt cold and now the air was really cold. Gathering his strength, he stood to his paws and shook his own fur. That was a little better. He took a deep breath and sat back down. Mike nodded to Ebony. He guessed it was the current after all, and, although he'd managed not to panic, he did worry about what he would have done without Ebony there to pull him out. Still, it wasn't as scary now that he'd done it once. So long as he found someone stronger to look out for him, he'd be alright.

Mike stared at the fish as it flopped a few seconds before Ebony struck it again. That looked as though it might have hurt, but he didn't dwell on it. Walking over, he sniffed it. It's scent wasn't even close to his or Hera's or Ebony's. Even as Ebony was explaining about eating, sheer instinct drove him to lick its scaly outside. "Tastes like water," Though he wasn't quite sure why he'd lick water off this creature rather than straight from the water.