Scilla Lagoon was surrounded by constantly moving water - the rhythm of the ocean a perpetual soundtrack to the lions who called it home. His mother had explained the movement of the tide, the wash of the waves on the shore and he had taken his time to watch the movements from the shoreline. But the ocean wasn't the only bodies of water on their little island and Baltasar had come upon the expanse of water that was steady and still in the middle. For several long minutes, the darkling had studied the non-moving water and wondered why it didn't have waves and it didn't wash across the sand like the big ocean did. There was movement to it though, he discovered the longer he looked. A gentle breeze ruffled his inky fur and it ran along the surface and ruffled the water as well.

Careful study seemed to be the way of the boy - he did not rush into anything without first having studied it closely, a scrutiny that couldn't necessarily be labelled as nerves. He wasn't nervous about checking things out, but he was thorough in his approach. With his face firmly set (a serious little expression), Baltasar stepped towards the non-moving water and abruptly plunged a dark-toed paw into the cold water.

She and her siblings were finally unbound from their den which meant plenty of time for exploration in the world outside of their 'playpen.' Dahlia was perhaps the mother of the group, always keeping a close eye on her brothers and sister. She was the oldest, it was her job after all. The patchwork cub had heard the sound of one of her siblings departure from the den and immediately she would take chase, following behind but growing distracted at the presence of a frog nearby. The croaking had drawn her attention temporarily as she moved to chase the leggy creature. This took part for at least ten minutes or so before the bumpy thing lost her attention span and instead she was back on her previous task, finding out who had left her behind in the den and why. Tiny paws carried her forward to find her dark brother @Baltasar by a pool of water. "Hey! varlega Balty.." She said swiftly before striding up alongside him. Hovering near the water her soft brown eyes would watch as he dipped a dark toe into the water, "Cold?" She asked curiously.

unsplash stock

From behind, Baltasar heard the rebuke from a voice he knew very well. Glancing back over his shoulder, dark eyes caught sight of @Dahlia coming towards him. If ever there were two cubs who resembled their individual parent so wholly, it was Baltasar and Dahlia, who were almost mirror images of their father and mother respectively. Even at this young age, he could observe the differences between his mother and his sister, but for those who didn't, it was uncanny. Dahlia stepped forward, a questioning word that was rewarded only with a nod of his head. It was cold, but that didn't deter him. Dark toes flexed beneath the water, wiggling into the sand. The cold water seemed only an invitation to Baltasar and with a glance back at his sister, took a brave two or three big steps until the water lapped at his belly and made his shudder. "Kalt!" He confirmed, his breath whooshing out of his body as he tried to adjust to the temperature.

Dahlia tried not to show her nervousness as @Baltasar moved deeper into the water, confirming that it was in fact cold but that didn't seem to bother him any. Her ears flicked backward with uncertainty as she stayed planted where she stood, being sure that her toes didn't touch the water. Her soft brown eyes frantically moved from the water back to her brother before she spoke, "N-not too far!" She warned because if he kept moving away from her she wouldn't be able to help him if something went wrong. Dahlia wasn't trying to think of the worst outcome but at the same time she was a natural worry wart. The girl watched as Balty continued to wade further, all the while trying to stay as calm as she could muster.

unsplash stock

Baltasar was by no means a daredevil, or any kind of adrenaline junkie. He did not thrive on seeking activities that would spike his adrenaline - eventually he would know where to draw the line and he had a healthy respect for danger. But there was that desire, that calling, the curiosity to find out more. And as he toddled up to his belly, the cold water electrified his nerves and made his belly flop and his breath whoosh out of him for a moment. From the shore, the slightly panicked voice of his sister caused him to pause and look back, inky eyes flicking over @Dahlia's face. She looked worried and he didn't want her to feel scared, so (almost awkwardly) a smile twitched at the corner of his lips. And then he waded deeper until dark tipped toes couldn't reach the bottom anymore. In much the same way as the weightless feeling of being carried by his mother, the water cupped and cushioned his body. He was buoyant, body floating in the water for several glorious seconds. And then a gust of wind ruffled an almost wave that splashed up over his head and he dipped beneath the surface.

Dahlia watches and tries not to be too anxious even as @Baltasar turns to send her a reassuring smile. For a half a second Dahlia relaxes, he was okay there was no need to worry. But the very moment she did relax a breeze pushes through the lagoon, causing a small wave to lap up and over Baltasar's head. Immediately Dahlia goes into a full-blown panic, "BALTASAR!" She shrieks, running forward but skidding to an immediate halt the very minute her tiny toes touch the water. She glances from the water, watching as little bubbles rise to the surface where her brother had once been. "Mamma! Pabbi!" Dahlia cries hysterically as she begins to pace, waiting anxiously for someone to come help. This was such a dumb idea and even more stupid was the fact that she could not move forward and rescue him herself. Her fear was paralyzing and she felt completely helpless.

@Magnus or @Desdemona c:

unsplash stock

Cocooned - in the span of a few precious heartbeats, Baltasar registered firstly the aching cold that surrounded him, then the blissful quiet and blanketing that the water created. Some visceral part of him felt almost as though he were back in the womb, still a tiny developing little thing that was just suspended there, safe. Black eyes (that had instinctively shut against the invading water) blinked open and peered into the gloom. There wasn't much he could see, the murky water dappled barely with sunlight from above. But a tiny silvery fish darted past him and he started from his dreamlike state of floating and then from above he registered the panicked scream of his name and then, unmistakable the cries for their parents.

Going under had been an accident (a journey of discovery therein) but the boy had no death with in spite of the urge to remain underwater. His chubby little legs kicked out, toes spread wide to propel his head up and out of the water. Baltasar continued to kick, legs working sporadically for several moments in uncoordinated jerks before he finally settled into somewhat of a rhythm to keep his head above the water and his body floating in. "Dahlia - it's - okay -" Most of his breath was needed to keep paddling, but between them he managed to call to @Dahlia on the shore, to try and reassure her that he wasn't drowning - he was swimming.