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Jove had been avoiding the pool, and other sources of large water since the island trip, and a particularly unpleasant accident following it. The boat ride had been okay, even entertaining at times, but what had followed soured his appreciation for the sea and what filled it. He had spent too long on that island for the smell of salt water to be anything but a bad reminder, and the more he avoided it the more his insecurity grew.

So during his recent wanderings when he found himself in front of the building housing the pool, he paused.

And then chided himself. What sort of little wimpy boil would be afraid of a swimming pool? He reminded himself of all the older students who had no fear of the water, Yaya and Gabrian, and certainly Seiji would not have been afraid, and the more he thought about it the more he puffed himself up. No, he would go in the building. He would stand by the pool. Because he wasn't a little kid.

Pushing open the doors, he walked barefoot through the building, his sore hip acting up again and making him limp. It had been getting better, but one long night of sitting in Ren's room playing Scario Kart and all the muscles had stiffened. At least it provided him with a distraction as he approached the pool, finding it much easier to walk to the water's edge while inwardly angry at his leg.

There, this wasn't so bad.

If it had been a fellow Swim Squad member, the playful scaring could have been quite a good joke. However, Jove was not very familiar with the kelpie or the water, and when something pale leapt out and bellowed at him, he felt his heart leap up into his throat. The pup scrambled backwards until his backside hit the wall, and he practically plastered himself against it as though he could blend in and be completely invisible to whatever it was seeking to grab him and drag him into the water.

His eyes were wide and frightened, even when he recognized the creature who leaped out. It was the boil he had met on the boat, the occasionally melancholy, horse-hoofed one with the long white hair. Calder had been friendly enough on the boat, and Jove had thoroughly enjoyed the pillow fighting, but this was a different situation entirely.

Jove may not have needed to worry about drowning, but he was worried about being dragged underwater regardless. The last time he had found himself underwater it had been very frightening and unpleasant...

The pup's expression hardly relaxed as Calder laughed at his accomplishment. It was almost surreal, how the boil with the pretty hair and little cloppy hooves could suddenly become a frightening monster in the water, like a leviathan lurking under the waves, leaping up to seize it's prey and viciously drag it under the water... Jove found it all too easy to remember the last time he fell into the water, and the way the strong current had trapped and battered him before he was rescued.

That was part of why he kept his distance. Yaya had taught him to swim before the island, and he could manage a pretty strong doggy paddle if he got himself into trouble. Even falling off the boat on the field trip hadn't scared him as much as it had startled him, if he had fallen farther away from the boat hull he could have paddled back over without a problem. But now his swimming condition was compromised, not as badly as when he had fallen into the river, but he knew that pool was deeper than he was tall.

After a minute Jove responded to Calder's concerned expression and softer tone of voice. He got down on his hands and knees and carefully crawled forward, not within the white-haired boil's reach, but close enough to show he was trying not not be afraid. A part of him was hoping Calder hadn't noticed his sore leg during his scramble backwards, or the way he still favoured it even on all fours.

It was a bit of a relief when Calder backed off of his own accord. Jove was able to relax and approach the water's edge at a less hesitant pace, and then he sat on his legs to 'talk' with the kelpie boil.

He nodded to the first question, and found himself strangely pleased that Calder had remembered his name. It had been awhile since the boat ride, and they had experienced much time, and trauma, since they had met and attacked each other with pillows. He wouldn't have been surprised if the kelpie hadn't remembered him at all, nor would he have been offended.

He wagged his tail slightly, and then a hesitant look crossed his face. He hadn't planned on swimming that day, perhaps after the island he hadn't planned on swimming ever again. But Calder looked perfectly at home in the water, and even seemed to be enjoying it a great deal. The pup frowned. He had enjoyed swimming with Yaya... And might have enjoyed swimming with Calder seeing as how he couldn't be drowned, but all thoughts of swimming fled his mind when the other boil asked about his leg. To which Jove looked away, refusing to make eye contact. He didn't want to admit it, but he was a terrible liar and omission was the best he could do.

Jove tried not to look at Calder, but as the other boil talked one of his fluffy ears swivelled to listen. Finally he glanced up with a shy expression.

Calder didn't look like the sort to fall out a window, or even really get hurt. He seemed more like the sort who would just... Dissolve into water or something rather than actually get injured. The pup had quite the imagination, and for a minute he let it play out all sorts of thoughts before both ears perked forward.

The kelpie had used swimming to help his leg? Jove inched forward, although he remained slightly on edge as though he were ready to bolt in an instant. But nothing happened, and he inched right to the edge of the water and did just what Calder suggested, dipping his foot in the water.

Jove watched how at ease Calder was in the water. It certainly looked nice, like floating.

He glanced down at his leg. It had been getting better, but maybe it was like the kelpie said, even his miniscule weight was keeping the leg from healing as fast as it could be. He had done a lot of favouring it since they returned from the island. Was it getting weak?

The pup shook his head, ears flopped sideways with doubt. He hadn't had a pleasant swim since Yaya's lessons. But if Calder was right and it felt nice... But then if Calder was wrong and just wanted to drag him under the water... No, the kelpie could have leaped out and grabbed him already. Besides, he had never been mean to Jove in the past save for the scaring a minute ago, and the pup had already forgiven that one. Surely a swim wouldn't hurt.

He had no sooner finished shaking his head than he gave a hesitant nod.

Jove hadn't arrived at the academy early enough to be aware of Calder's impulse control issues prior to the field trip, but he had been doing a lot of reading. And the result was his impression of Calder as being a nice boil fighting with his impression of kelpies as dangerous, frightening creatures when they were around water. Calder's promise to be nice finally won him over.

He gave the white haired boil a sheepish expression that almost said "don't look," and then wiggled out of his pants, scarf, and sweater in short order, to sit on the edge of the pool in dark blue shorts dotted with little mushrooms, and a plain white t-shirt. Yaya had made it clear during their lessons, you needed to be in at least a partial state of undress to go swimming properly.

He glanced up at Calder with a blush, and a bit of a frown just to make sure he hadn't been watching, and then slipped into the water.

If Calder had ever seen how embarrassing a shaved foxfire looked, he would understand Jove's discomfort. A naked foxfire was an embarrassed foxfire, and the pup's embarrassment extended to others being naked on their behalf as well. It just wasn't right to not wear anything!

He held onto the edge of the pool with both hands and looked over his shoulder nervously when Calder asked about his shirt. He blushed brighter and scooched along the side of the pool. Jove hadn't been allowed to wear it when he went swimming with Yaya, but he wanted to hide the ugly bruises that marred his side. It looked even darker and more intense since his time on the island, and there was no way he wanted Calder to see them, not when it had a tendency to freak people out.

Jove glanced over his shoulder again, and then let go of the pool side with one hand. The water was kinda nice... He envied Calder's ease of movement, if the pup could only let go and float and swim around like that...