Arrh swam up to breath and for a second, Kreool was disappointed and confused. Oh. Right. Air. He'd forgotten that part. The little newborn shivered, noticing its own lack of breath, then shot up after Arrh to do the same. A quick nose above the surface, exhale, inhale, and back down they sank, then it was time to play. Dare.

{Kreool dare for Arrh to...} She hesitated, placing a thoughtful claw on her chin, squinting her odd gaze at the black and white friend as she thought. An adventure. What's an adventure? Like swimming fast or going really deep. What about really up? Could Arrh swim really up? {Kreool dare for Arrh to swim up! Up! Up! Swim up high, in air, then back here, with Kreool, for Arrh's turn next!}

@Arrh

When the little noodle had shot up after him after he began to descend once again, the Orca gave him a little boost with his flukes before waiting for Kreool to come back down. Arrh awaited his challenge, and he blinked when the small leviathan tasked him with swimming up high. Maybe he meant to jump! He could definitely try to do that! He did that sometimes while playing with Moana or putting on little water splash shows for Maji Walezi. Hopefully that'd be a piece of cake.

The orca nodded and clicked happily, then began to swim down to get a swimming start. Now, he propelled himself up as hard as he could. The surface lunged closer and closer...

... Arrh felt cool air meet his form as he rose a good foot above the water before crashing back down into it on his back. Quick to turn the right way, the killer whale clicked happily. "Arrh did it! Swim way up!" Then he swam back down to his playmate and clicked. "Kreool, truth or dare!"

@Cerulean

Oh, Arrh was gonna do it! Kreool swam back a bit to give him plenty of space, then watched with a gleeful expression as he shot past the little blue babe and up out of the water. The wave that came from his crashing back down again sent Kreool into a giggling spin, riding the current as it swirled back to normal. Still laughing, a girlish sound, Kreool swam back to bump noses with Arrh approvingly.

{Arrh good at swim high! Good!} She praised, adoringly. Next it was her turn. Kreool backpedaled again and grinned. {Kreool want dare now! Dare Kreool!} Yes, she hoped he'd send her flying into the air or off on some deep adventure! It all sounded fun and now she got to try something! She hoped Arrh had just the right first dare in mind for her! It! Them!

@Arrh

Arrh lifted his head gently to bump noses with Kreool just as she had, then smiled, looking up and swimming close to the surface. "Come up!" he bubbled, watching the water become clearer and clearer to where he could see a rock jutting out from the water. Perfect! He floated at the top, head resting just above the surface as he waited for Kreool to catch up. Then he chirped. "Arrh dare Kreool to jump over rock!"

@Cerulean

Kreool was happy to oblidge and followed Arrh up to the surface, curving from side to side above and beside Arrh, not unlike a fish might, riding the current he made. The pair popped out of the water and as Kreool did, he sucked in a deep breath of air. Here above the surface, his eyes had to adjust and the world was blurry. He wasn't ready for the land, but this wasn't about leaving the water. Arrh told him to jump over the rock nearby. Kreool examined it thoughtfully, then grinned. She could do that.

{This one will jump over rock! Watch! See! Stay here!} The little blue dove back under the surface, spiraling down around the rock until it reached the river bed. There, she grasped at the pebbly floor and adjusted to face the surface. Just like Arrh. Just like Arrh.

She shot upward like a bolt, flexing new muscles, aiming for the sky...

..and she felt the air blast against her face as she left the water and Arrh behind and shot into the air. Problem was, breaching was a skill little sea creatures had to learn. So, when he broke the surface, Kreool's tail caught on the downstroke, halting his momentum and swinging him awkwardly forward with the curling of his body. He shrieked, a glass-shattering sound that echoed through the cave at an alarming pitch. The sound cut short, its counterpoint a sickening crack, as Kreool's head made contact with the rock he'd been trying to scale. He sank back into the water, dazed, bleeding from his forehead and seemingly lifeless.

@Arrh

Arrh was excited to see what a big jump Kreool could manage! With that big powerful tail, he- she? could probably clear lots of rocks! Happily, the orca watched the serpentine critter swim deep down into the abyss. Soon, the little blue shot upwards and past him like a bullet. He cheered in joy, clicking and squealing like mad, "Kreool can do it!"

But it went wrong. It went horribly wrong. It took him a second too long to realize that the little leviathan was indeed not going to clear the rock. He'd begun to swim forth in panic as the creature's head collided with stone, a sickening CRACK! echoing towards him.

The whale shrieked, "KREOOOOOOOL!"

He expected a response, but none came. The dazed creature sunk deep into the freshwater river, tugged along by the current. He'd drown or hit a rock again! The black-and-white beast sucked in a big gulp of breath and dove downwards, determination swarming his thoughts. He'd find little Kreool and save them and tell them that he was sorry! Arrh just knew it! So he began to click and click, searching for the leviathan in the depths of the waters...

...but there was nothing. He couldn't find his new friend! It was his fault! Arrh was the one who dared him to jump over the rock! He should have known it would go wrong. The little creature had only just emerged! The whale stopped in the depths of the waters and gave a long call of mourning. Maybe Kreool would wake up and hear him, and find Arrh. Then Arrh could lift them up and they'd be safe!

@Cerulean

The world had become a muted, ringing whiteness. As the river carried Kreool away from the rock and his new friend, the little creature drifted in and out of focus. Briefly, he noticed the high pitched squealing, getting further and further away. It faded into silence and then, Kreool heard only the rushing of water past his ears. He felt the sensation of movement. A rock brushed his scales and suddenly, his head was above water. Instinctively, he sucked in air and opened his eyes. The world was swimming, doubled up, but he could tell that he was moving- and fast.

A churning sound up ahead woke him further. He twisted in the water to see what it was, and felt his stomach lurch at the sight of a massive turbine up ahead- the generator, though he'd learn that name later. He felt the current pick up around him and he was forced under again, into twisting waters. He turned and paddled, trying in his dizzy state to fight the force of water pushing him towards that dangerous wheel...

...and with a powerful thrust of his tail, he found a slip stream and followed it, back up-river, towards the worried orca he'd left behind. Spotting the black and white shape, he grinned despite his bump and dizziness.

{Arrh! Arrh! Here I am! Stop crying!} He squealed upon hearing his friend's distressing song. {I'm okay, see? I'm okay! I'm here! Kreool is here!}

@Arrh

The orca keened into the dark waters, still yet searching for his new friend. Kreool must have floated downriver. Downriver. Fearfully, he looked towards the end of the river. There was a generator and a wheel! Just as Arrh began to paddle with the current, he noticed there was a glimmer of iridescent blue, shimmering scales in what little light there was. Bright pearly eyes appeared in the darkness, and then a whole noodle! A high-pitched squeal sounded, and it was sea creature language. It was the call of Kreool.

One could swear that poor Arrh's heart probably burst from his ribs and flew out into the other side of Origin Caves from the sheer joy that filled him.

"Kreool! Arrh's sorry he ask you to jump rock!" He whined his sorries and looked over the small creature before proclaiming that something was wrong. Indeed! There was a small trail of blood escaping the leviathan. He really had cracked his head wide open! Quickly, the great black-and-white whale moved forwards, swimming slightly above the neonate. His head lowered and he licked the top of the blue's crown, both in a loving gesture and in attempt to help cleanse the wound. "He sorry you hurt."

@Cerulean

The little blue winced and even let out a sing-song giggle of sorts when Arrh licked the bump. It helped. She spun in a circle around the whale and came to rest atop his back, clinging to the smooth skin with barbed claws- though she was certain such tiny pricks wouldn't hurt her new friend. She was careful.

{Kreool wants to play something else now, Arrh.} She figured it was a reasonable request. {Kreool's head is spinny and hurt. Loves Arrh, but not feel so good now.} It didn't help matters that the little tyke hadn't eaten yet- like, ever. He wasn't sure what to make of his twisted stomach and pounding headache. Resting his chin on his friend's head, she closed her eyes and flared her gills, sighing with secondary lungs as if to prove her point.

{We find something, make Kreool feel better. Arrh knows the water better, right?} Arrh would take care of her. She was certain.

@Arrh