It was a sad, cruel joke, and Calder realized that he was. When he respawned, he almost felt it was a dream. Almost. His gut told him it wasn't, and upon touching his pin, he knew something was wrong. He could feel something was wrong, and that wrong feeling wasn't going to leave him anytime soon. What was upsetting was it was Hellma. What was upsetting is that it was always there. What was worse was that in some way, she maybe was trying to help?

Honestly, he should have been grateful that he wasn't arrested or expelled, but all silver lining was tossed out when he dragged himself back to his room to see it dry. His bathroom, usually filled to the brim was empty, leaving a lot of very confused leeches. As for the ponds in his room, they too were all dried up. Nothing up dips in the floor.

There wasn't a drop of water to be found, and Calder pressed back against the wall, gripping his arms.

It…it just couldn't be so.

Of all the punishments, taking water from a kelpie was leaving them nothing. Calder LIVED for water. He swam. He took dips between classes, slept in his bathtub because he loved being submerged, and often met other monsters in the swamp. No, he wasn't going to die. Kelpies could live both on and off water. Many just lived around water. They didn't need to live IN it. Calder just felt he did.

The leeches all moved about, moving to him and chirping. No doubt some gnomes had come and taken up all the water. "It's …It's okay guys. Really. We can do with no water. …." He said, but even his shaky voice and paling complexion wasn't making them buy anything. A few were already heading for the door. "My Uncle Denik did well without water. Visited the desert. He was fine." ….before he started chewing rocks and started crying, 'Jawbreakers! Jawbreakers!'.

The white-haired boy gripped his head, staring at the empty lakes in his room. He could do this. He could live like this. It was fine. He was going to be fine. "I'm not expelled or arrested. I should be happy." He tried a laugh, but it turned to a whimper in the end. "I can last without it. I can still have glasses of water. Find some way to take a bath. It should be fine." Most of the leeches were leaving, but Fester remained, crawling up its master's leg with what might have been a worried expression. You could never tell with leeches.

"I just have to make it – what? 3 Years? 3 years without water? I….I….I can do that." He curled in more, feeling sick.

Today had been a long day. "We should sleep. Right?" He said, and got up, moving over to his empty bathtub. Stepping over, he wasn't welcomed by the push of water, but the hard, cold ting of the bottom. Frowning, he slipped in and laid there. "Not so comfortable without the water." He said to the ceiling, and Fester agreed, but moved into his owner's hair nonetheless.

Reaching up, he patted the leeches side. "Well, at least you're comfortable." And so Calder laid there, staring up and trying to go to bed. He just wasn't looking forward to tomorrow – or tomorrow – and what would feel like an eternity with the single element he loved.