SHARKS IN THE WATER [introduction]

[LAKEMOON]

✵ ღ ☾ IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE - click, clack, click
Boredom had brought her here, perched in front of a half-buried stone, ebony claws clicking against the smooth surface one at a time. Azalea wasn't quite sure where her siblings had run off to, but today she had decided not to care, it wouldn't be her problem if one of them got stuck in the mud again.
Yet, the sound of a surprised squeal and the squish of wet soil from somewhere behind the blue tabby had her whirling around in a heartbeat, stony eyes scanning the marsh behind her until a patch of something striped stuck out against the green and brown, another cat standing over it.
click, clack
Her claws had found another rock in the soil, curling around it as she watched the scene unfold with a scornful gaze. Soon, the other popped back up, their fur now half-drenched in mud, and a smile on their lips. It wasn't one of her littermates, and that's all that mattered.
❝ This is boring. ❞ She muttered to herself, muzzle crinkling in disdain. The feeling of something wet drop onto her nose caused the blue tabby to blink, eyes crossing to stare at the raindrop, before more began to follow after.
With a flick of her ear, Azalea began to pick her way through the marsh, keeping her paw steps careful as she maneuvered from the shelter of one tree to another, having half a mind to just return to the groups camp, before remembering the very reason she decided to slip away in the first place.
Abruptly, a yowl escaped her as something was thrown into her side, her paws side-stepping as she felt her other side slam into the trunk of a tree. Raising a forelimb she swung, feeling her claws hook onto fur her brain began to piece together the image of a half-drowned cat, droplets sliding in a steady stream from their whiskers, obviously in a rush to seek shelter from the green-leaf storm. ❝ Watch it! ❞ Azalea snarled, recognizing the cat as one of her rogue-mates before she shouldered them off of her, ❝ There's enough tree's in the marsh for the two of us! ❞ She spat, in disbelief someone could be so blind.
❝ Speech. ❞

THE HATRED IN HER EYES​

​

 

[FLICKERFIRE]

╰☆☆ Though she lives in the boggy lands under Briar's claws, Flicker detests the rain. Being moderately damp does not bother her; her fur is short, thin enough so that it retains little moisture. But the onslaught of water from the sky drenches her to the marrow inside her bones, all at once. There's nothing gradual about it. The discomfort is immediate, and she lets out a low hiss, hating her bad luck.

Flicker lowers her head, flame-colored eyes brimming with hatred at the cloud-covered sky above her. Just had to happen after I set out, she thinks, clucking her tongue.

Her eyes are anywhere but in front of her. Distraction makes her clumsy, and she feels her side stumble into something solid. Solid, and furry, and angry.

"Watch it!" The snarl is not a warning, as it comes far too late. Belatedly. Claws meet her flank, though she just manages to get away without losing a clump of flesh along with the black fur.

Flicker's gaze settles with some astonishment on Azalea. A cat almost half her age, her junior, and she's dared to attack her! "It was an accident, frogbrain," she hisses. The sound is like steam. "I ought to take one of your eyes for doing that! Anyone ever taught you to save your claws for your enemies?"

She's worked herself up, the fur lighting along her spine like black fire. Or at least, it tries to--her pelt is sodden, and the spikes are more like strange clumps of rage.​

— PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

 

[moth ★]

The screeches that tore through the rain drenched sky brought a flick to Moth's ear. A single eye crept open. Only to snort at the sight before her. Just two idiots getting riled up over nothing. A near daily occurrence ever since she had joined this group it seemed. Nothing worth sticking her nose in. She bore no ill-will toward her clanmates, of course, and was full glad for the safety their numbers provided. That did not mean, however, she was going to put herself between their claws for the sake of a petty squabble.

At least, not for just any of them.

Unfortunately, if her eyes didn't decieve her, it seemed one of the idiots caught in this particular disagreement was her idiot. A heavy sigh left her as she pulled herself to her paws. She gave the downpour from above a rueful glance before slinking out into it.

"No one is taking out anyone's eyes!" she called out toward Flicker, as she made her way toward the pair. They looked about ready to tear each other's throats out. "No fighting at all in fact, at least not before my stomach has settled." She wedged herself down purposefully between the pair. Her thick coat making a wet splat as she set herself down, already soaked from mere moments in the rain.

"Not for fear of the blood, mind you. No, I simply worry the sight of you two's poor form might be too much for me to stomach." The molly commented with a chuckle. There, that should do the trick. They couldn't be so furious with each other if they were both busy being furious with her.​

[ BORE THE SHADOWS THAT YOU MADE ]​

 

[BRIARSTAR]

The abrupt downfall of rain had put Briar's hunting expedition on hold and she was returning with empty paws. It was no fault of her own. She had just started about thirty minutes prior to the downpour without a single scent of anything edible yet the idea of showing up with nothing, soaked and shivering, was not pleasant. Her colony was hungry and food had been far more scarce in the forest ever since the arrival of another group, with their tinkering little bells scaring off anything worthwhile. She'd even noticed that her cats were coming back with less and less from other areas of the wilderness, such as the moors and the river. She was growing agitated with each passing day, each skipped meal. There used to be a time when everyone went to bed with full bellies and now... now they were lucky to get one meal a day.

On her trek back through the rain, Briar was using the trees best she could for cover. The budding leaves in late newleaf provided her with some cover. She was used to water due to living in such marshy terrain, but it didn't soak her to the bone almost as instantaneously as a strong rain did. She much preferred dipping her paws into the murky water than getting caught in a downpour such as this. She was moving quickly, shifting from cover to cover with the rain lessened for a few moments, when hisses and spats up ahead caught her attention.

The pine group? Surely they would never dare coming this close to the marsh group's camp. That was just asking for trouble. Briar quickened her pace until she came across the answer to her question and she was relieved to find two spatting Clanmates instead of their enemy. Her shoulders visibly relaxed for a moment before they took up shivering as the cold rain soaked through her dark fur. She caught the tail end of Moth's joke and a soft rumbling laugh worked its way from her throat. "I think I'd like to see them squabbling around in all this mud and muck," she mused.​

 

[FLICKERFIRE]

---

╰☆☆ It's Moth's voice that calls her back from her rage, where she's teetering on the precipice after losing a couple of strands of fur to Azalea. Flicker blinks rain water from her eyes as she turns to the older she-cat, her scowl softening but still present. "She started it," she says, as though she's six moons instead of fifteen. After a heartbeat or two, the rest of Moth's words sink in, and Flicker's scowl returns fiercely. "Poor form! Whaddya mean by that? I could take you all on with my eyes shut!" She lashes her tail, her back pointedly turned toward Azalea.

Flicker hadn't even noticed Briar joining them in the shadows; she'd been too focused on Azalea and then Moth, pulling them apart and insulting them each in turn. Briar doesn't seem too troubled to have found them spatting. She remarks it might be entertaining to watch them flail in the mud.

"She's probably afraid to get dirty," Flicker jeers, giving Azalea a pointed look. Her orange eyes gleam triumphantly, daringly--challengingly.​

—PENNED BY MARQUETTE.​

 

[LAKEMOON]

✵ ღ ☾ IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE - Narrow blue eyes clashed against Flickers brilliant orange as her rogue mate bristled at her, but Azalea could only scoff. She knew Flicker, a hot-headed individual, always thinking head-first.
❝ Maybe you could use them to watch where you’re going. ❞ Azalea retorted with a swish of her tail. She had no interest in fighting Flicker, though as she would wait for the others answer, Moth would pipe up with her own humorous jabs, quickly followed by Briar.
❝ When you barrel into someone, what do you expect?❞ She pointed out with a side glance to Flicker, even as the molly jeers and makes ridiculous proclamations from beside Azalea. Still, the tabby thinks for a moment. Flicker had the advantage of age, and experience no doubt, but Azalea has size, and agility on her side. ❝ You’re half-drowned, flailing in a rainstorm, and whining like you’re a child. ❞ Azalea stated matter of factly, leaning her shoulder against a tree, ❝ maybe if you focused less on your bark, you’d have more bite. ❞ Her words were leveled, almost as if she were teaching rather than poking fun of. A part of Azalea knew there were two outcomes of this, Flicker could either keep throwing insults before storming off, or Azalea would poke the bear just enough to make Flicker throw the first strike. Still, Azlea held Flickers challenging gaze with her own cool blue.
❝ Speech. ❞

THE HATRED IN HER EYES​

​

 

[FLICKERFIRE]

---

╰☆☆ Ice meets fire as the two mollies, dripping wet and hostile, stare each other down. Flicker's nose twitches and water runs off of her whiskers. The temptation to teach this little brat a lesson she won't forget is almost overwhelming. She lashes her tail once, twice, and then forces it to still.

Moth does not want her to fight Azalea. She knows that. And Briar would intercept and probably be quite miffed.

The tortoiseshell's left ear flicks as though a fly is buzzing at its soft insides. "Come talk to me about bite when you've been in some actual fights," Flicker says, lifting her chin. It's a jab about her age and experience, but otherwise, she decides she will let it go. "And next time you're itching to take someone's fur off, go find a kittypet!"

She glances at Moth, hoping this is enough for her, before she begins to stalk away. She tries me again, I'll have to show 'er who's boss, she thinks.​

—PENNED BY MARQUETTE.​