private 𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆝 Man overboard! | Foxtail ⋆⭒˚.𓇼

[Blackwater]

The prime of Greenleaf always held great promise for those hoping to reap the benefits of the fruits it routinely bore, Blackwater being one of many who often sought out the prizes of nature for himself and his clan alike. He sat attentively along the riverbank, his frame hunched with taught muscles, immovable in an attempt to fade into the dense plantation that served as a natural curtain protecting the precious torrents behind it. He was not alone in this endeavor, Foxtail's presence filling the otherwise vacant space between them. It was not their first time within one another's company, the two having familiarized themselves to one another in passing since their birth to the clan, however they had only fairly recently begun to allow a proper friendship between them to blossom. He enjoyed the tricolored tabby's more modest company- and his hunting skills were always a great asset, rivalling Blackwaters own- they would not return to camp with empty jaws.

Movement beneath the current sent Blackwater's instincts on alert, his pupils narrowing to focused slits and his ears swiveling in controlled directions in an attempt to hone in on what he was certain were fish bold enough to ascend to the river's surface. A knowing silence permeated the air between Blackwater and his clanmate then, patience being invaluable when it came to something as meticulous as securing prey. Another movement, it's presence made all the more noticeable by the help of the sun's beating rays bouncing off of countless reflective scales. The blotched tabby would share a momentary glance between himself and Foxtail before slinking slowly forward, his steady paws soundless as they pressed evenly into the dampened soil. His body had taken this stance many times before, his mind doing little work in maneuvering it, it was simply second nature now- perhaps this was nothing more than a lapse in judgement, perhaps a trust misplaced in his instincts- regardless, the outcome was the same in that one misstep upon the rocks turned slick by the beating torrent against it caused Blackwater to slip and tumble into the depths below with a short gasp.

Blackwater would remain beneath the rolling tide, eaten alive like the very prey they were hunting by the rivers abyss where only the accumulation of disrupted earth and oxygenated bubbles remained swirling amongst the place he had once been. The song of the tide gently caressing the shoreline that connected with it seemed like a mockery as every second that passed by felt as though it were an entire season- there was no indication of injury, the water's colors remaining purified and the stones above pristine and free of crimson stains- but it was not uncommon for one to lose consciousness by means of impact alone, and drowning was certainly something that could not be discredited.

He had waited long enough. Before Foxtail could make any definitive decision on whether or not this was something deserving of action, Blackwater broke through the surface with a force strong enough to send a flow of aqua spray into his companions direction, gravity pulling it swiftly down so that it's chilled droplets battered his thick pelt. "To my great regret...I seem to have lost the fish." The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a small but playful smile, his expression contrasting the flat tone of his hoarse voice.

✧ ° . ☠︎︎ . ° ✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: @FOXTAIL
• 

  BLACKWATER — HE/HIM ･ 25 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY SLOANE

  SH blue tabby/blue chimera with low white. born to riverclan and eternally devoted to their ranks, he often prioritizes the wellbeing of others over himself and is prone to doing much more than he is physically capable of as a means to prove not only to others that he is deserving of his position, but also to himself. although not something he displays externally, he is imbittered and melancholic regarding his physical ailments and incapability. despite this repressed mental unrest, he is quite laid-back and gentle towards those around him, often content to converse and connect to any who may desire it- although admittedly, he is not the most observant or quick-witted when it comes to recognizing social cues.

 

[FOXTAIL]

Ah, Greenleaf. The time of the year where the days last longer, and when it's the most hottest. On a mean, brutal day out in the sun, even the smallest splash of water from the river can feel so refreshing. There are days where Foxtail feels like he's melting underneath his long fur coat, but to his relief, today isn't one of those days. He crouches at the riverbank alongside Blackwater, his olive green eyes scanning the flowing river for any sign of a fish swimming by. This certainly wasn't their first time in each other's presence... as Blackwater is a mere two moons older than the lead warrior. Foxtail remembers how they briefly shared the apprentice's den, but the two didn't talk back then. Foxtail had been too anxious... too stressed to talk to other apprentices that weren't his littermates or Feathergaze. It's taken both of them some time, but the young lead warrior finds himself quite... happy that he's found himself a friend in Blackwater. The slightly older tom is quite like him.... someone he can relate to.

His cinnamon tail twitches as he spots movement around the same time as his friend, probably a few moments after him, his pupils narrowing as the fish swims close to the surface.... unaware of the two felines that crouch at the riverbank. He looks at the silhouette, and Foxtail can tell that it must be a pretty big fish.... maybe it can feed two cats? Three? He glances over at Blackwater, and gives him a silent nod. You spotted it first, He would say, but he doesn't want to scare away Blackwater's prey.

His clanmate moves forward, and the lead warrior stays still— he expects the fish will be out of the water, and in Blackwater's jaws, in a few short moments. Blackwater is quite the skilled hunter, rivalling his own even.... he wonders which one of them will catch the most fish today! But before he can blink, Blackwater slips— seemingly on a slick rock— and tumbles into the river, and the lead warrior is unable to hear Blackwater's short gasp over his own. "Blackwater!" The tom exclaims as he jumps to his paws. If Blackwater didn't scare the fish away by falling into the river, his sudden movements definitely did the trick.

He carefully pads to the edge of the riverbank, making sure to avoid the rock that made his clanmate lose his balance. He looks over the riverbank, olive green eyes searching for his friend. If he doesn't spot his friend soon, he will jump in.... what if Blackwater hit his head during that tumble? The lead warrior didn't get a chance to think another thought, before the shorthaired feline broke the surface.... quite dramatically. Water splashes him dead on, and as he shakes the water off of his pelt.... Blackwater gives him a small, yet playful smile.

The lead warrior hesitates for a moment, but he jumps into the cool river with a big splash... hoping to get back at his friend. The younger tom quickly breaks the surface, playfully splashing more water in Blackwater's direction. "Aw, too b-bad!" Foxtail laughs playfully, a warm expression in his olive green eyes. "I was totally e-expecting you to catch it after all of t-that." Though that would've been pretty impressive catch, wouldn't it have?​

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• 
  
  

  ---

  credit to raphaelion (via da) for the artwork <3
• Foxtail

  ​
  

  lead warrior
  23 moons
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: [HYPERLINK]
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to trops for the chibi <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  

  ---

  ​

​

 

[Blackwater]

Unexpectedly, Foxtail's expression ignited with a humorous expression that matched Blackwater's own before plunging into the briny current himself, wasting no time in returning the splotched grey tabby's startling gesture. Blackwater wouldn't admit as much aloud, however it wouldn't be far from the truth to say he didn't intend to stay trapped beneath the water's surface of his own accord, his plan to cause a bit of rare mischief of his own volition already placed in motion the moment he had fallen- admittedly, the former was unintentional.

Blackwater's ears shot back and pressed themselves against his head, his optics squeezing shut as a projectile surge of aqua spray battered against him from Foxtail's own rebuttal. He returned the laugh that followed, a laugh that was much less pleasant, at least in his opinion. Short, curt, more like a rumble from deep within his throat rather than a true expression of joy. Such a stark contrast it was to Foxtail's, the cinnamon tom's display of whimsy like a Newleaf breeze laced with birdsong, the warmth that fell from the sky soaking into the very bones of the earth below and all of the life it cradled in its embrace. How unlike Blackwater he was on the outside, a thin veil that hid all of that which they had in common from within.

I was totally e-expecting you to catch it after all of t-that.

His friend's tone was lighthearted, though for a moment it prompted the more critical voice in the back of Blackwater's mind to awaken. To criticize. To tear into his very soul like vengeful claws. I should have caught it. Had I been more perceptive, perhaps I might have. What am I doing, wading around in the water like kit? You don't deserve this, you haven't earned it after such an embarrassing display of incompetence. What would Splittail say if he were- His eyes opened once more and immediately fixed upon those in front of him, the color of which mimicked the foliage of an olive branch, something affiliated with peace. How fitting it was, for the peace those eyes brought to him in that moment of hidden inner turmoil was enough to anchor him to this moment, allowing him to stray away from a past that so often tried to follow him. All that mattered was now, this moment, him and Foxtail. The fish would return, cycling through the torrent like the ever changing seasons that brought them, but the memories he made with those he held dear were never as promised. He would harness it and hold it, he would prioritize what he himself felt was worth the means, not what he had been told years past.

"Well, they do say to expect the unexpected..." His eyes narrowed then, his sentence trailing off as if it were left unfinished. Sinking slowly downwards so that the water concealed his form, he would once again return to the murky depths, disturbing the thick mud and loose gravel beneath as he went so that he would remain undetected. This time, his return was quicker, breaking the surface with yet another pulse of water that flew against Foxtail from behind. "Perhaps you could catch something a bit bigger today!" Blackwater motioned with his tail to engage a chase between himself and his companion, his orbs glittering with a rare exuberance.

Like a minnow traversing amidst the riverbed's dense plantation, Blackwater swam with skilled movement that was customary for a RiverClanner, his body caressed by the surrounding liquidation as if he were born directly from its depths. A flow as graceful as it was powerful, he danced to the tune of the current, showing off only as minimally as possible in the form of flipping upside down or twisting himself similar to the death roll of a bloodthirsty crocodile. The blue tabby would cast the occasional glance behind him, his mouth opening into a shocked smile lined with pearly fangs as Foxtail began to close the gap between them with an eagerness that matched his own. The excitement made his chest flutter and his pelt warm despite the chill of the marine, and suddenly the amount of fish he caught became entirely meaningless, entirely forgotten. No amount of prey he caught could ever equate to this moment, it would never bring him as much satisfaction, as much content, as much pride...as much happiness.

✧ ° . ☠︎︎ . ° ✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 

  BLACKWATER — HE/HIM ･ 25 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY SLOANE

  SH blue tabby/blue chimera with low white. born to riverclan and eternally devoted to their ranks, he often prioritizes the wellbeing of others over himself and is prone to doing much more than he is physically capable of as a means to prove not only to others that he is deserving of his position, but also to himself. although not something he displays externally, he is imbittered and melancholic regarding his physical ailments and incapability. despite this repressed mental unrest, he is quite laid-back and gentle towards those around him, often content to converse and connect to any who may desire it- although admittedly, he is not the most observant or quick-witted when it comes to recognizing social cues.