ORIGIN - Fish Is Friend, Not Food

Lior was both hungry and bored, which might explain why the little alligator was talking aloud as they watched the fish in the water from the land beyond. "You're a bit too big for eating... Even if you do look pretty tasty," They commented to one fish.

"Better to catch a smaller fish," They decided, pale yellow gaze flitting around the waters for a fish that looked worth going after.

"Maybe you...?" They pondered as their gaze settled on a particularly bright fish.

@Pudge

The last cycle had been hard on poor Pudge. Nobody to talk to, all alone in the rivers and lakes of the caves. Nothing to do but swim and swim and swim, an activity he'd quickly gotten dreadfully bored of, and he had taken to looking for other intelligent life. Unfortunately, this had boiled down to swimming up to every fish and marine creature he could lay his little round eyes on and swimming up and asking in his chipper little voice, "Can you talk?"

He had not gotten a response yet, although a few tried to eat him. That hadn't been fun.

But he was attracted by the sound of a voice. It sounded faint, as if behind something, but he still swam in that direction, while a number of other fish swam away. "Hello? Is someone there?" It was a small squeak, not likely to penetrate the surface of the water. He looked around, turning his body to see if he could find the owner of the voice, but he neglected to look up. Maybe he would have seen the shadow over the water and the hungry jaws waiting to snap him up.

Alas, he did not. Poor Pudge.

@Lior

For a moment, Lior thought they almost heard something. In the end, they dismissed it as their imagination and went back to eyeing the brightly orange colored little fish in the water. It looked nothing like any of the other fish that they'd seen.

It was kind of odd that they'd never seen a fish like it before, they ate fish quite regularly. After some consideration, they decided they wanted a better look at it while it was still living. Lior glanced around, spotting a nearby divot in the ground with a small bit of water.

That would do. They would just have to be careful with their teeth. Quick as Lior could, they tried to snatch the bright fish up and deposit it into the found divot outside the main water source without harming it yet.

@Pudge

It happened quickly. At last, the poor unfortunate goldfish noticed that something was wrong - it got really dark all of a sudden! And then there was a loud splash and suddenly jaws were closing around him. Pudge screamed, as loud as a tiny fish could scream, and darted away, trying to escape before it swallowed him, but a sharp tug and he was stuck, one of his fins skewered by a tooth.

He didn't process it at first, still struggling to escape, but then he was leaving the water - leaving it!! - and he fell limp, no longer held up by the water. He still fought bravely, squealing loudly and flopping against the gator's jaws, before he was suddenly freed. Only for a moment.

He fell heavily into the water again and he turned to dart away, only to find that it was only a puddle. He was trapped.

Finally, he looked up, horrified to see the face of a young alligator peering down at him. He squeaked and bubbles began popping out of the water, harmless, but tinged red with the blood that was slowly seeping into the puddle from his torn fin. "Stay back!! I'm armed!!!"

@Lior