Serpent Lake and the sea was a reminder

The girl suddenly moved to walk out of the pool, and Lucca took a slightly startled step back, though quickly disguised it as if he was simply moving out of her way. He couldn't hide the widening of his eyes, however, as he saw her fur — undeniably long even while drenched with water. She was more slim than he had first thought, fooled by her dry, plush mane. He suddenly felt self conscious, knowing he himself hadn't taken a bath in what seemed like an age, the fur at his stomach matted and dirty. He probably looked like some homeless urchin.

However, Lucca's tail began to wiggle in delight as she complimented his own name, feeling a simmer of pride for his family. While he didn't bear the quintessential stripe, he was still Blackthorn. A sharp pang of homesickness hit him then, amplified tenfold when Shisu spoke about her own home before asking about his.

Her answer was vague — far — but, while curious, he accepted it nonetheless. Maybe she didn't want to talk about it. It added to her mystery, though. She didn't at all look like she was native to the Wilds. "Oh, that's cool!" he responded, though his ears fell back as he added more quietly, "I—I was born in Teekon, at Redhawk Plateau. We moved a while ago but then I...uh, got lost trying to find my sister." He offered a small, reassuring smile as if Shisu cared at all about his current plight. "But that's okay, I'm sure she's fine!" This was Fiadh they were talking about after all.