2018-10-11: Swimming Lessons

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  • Log: Swimming Lessons
  • Cast: Layna Manydays, Seraph Lanval, Sephilia Lampbright
  • Where: Silver Coast
  • Date: October 11th, 2018
  • Summary: Taking advantage of a peaceful day Layna gives Sephilia some lessons on how to swim. Lanval, however, is a little distracted...

========================<* Lacour - Market District *>========================

The Lacour Market District does not rival that of the major commercial powers of Filgaia in terms of volume or value of trade, but it the class of the world in traditional weapons and protective gear. More than a hundred individual shops line the streets of the district, each bearing its own name, specialties, and branding. Almost any kind of weapon or armour can be found in Lacour, and odds are good that anything innovative will be found here first...or make its way here in short order.

The merchants of the Market District are proud and competitive, and walking down the streets is an exercise in patience, as they bombard passersby with litanies in praise of their work and curses for the rust-ridden works of their neighbours. At no time is this competition more fierce than during the Lacour Tournament of Arms; this annual exhibition to name the World's Greatest Fighter includes considerable prestige for the merchants sponsoring their entries, and talented fighters will find their services heavily sought-after.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

The Ruby Empress was on the sea once more! To the Manydays Pirates, this was a victory long in the making. They had been working toward and hoping for this day to come, and now it was here! Before too long they'd be setting sail for the distant continent of Elru.

An important part of being on a ship, though, was knowing how to swim. Every good pirate knew how, or had a good reason as to why they couldn't. And, of course, swimming was also an important talent for a good explorer to know.

And that's why everyone's gathered here today, at a pond on the Silver Coast. It wasn't a natural one - it had been made with a mixture of magics. It wouldn't last forever, but it was good enough for their purpose - namely, swimming practice for one Sephilia Lampbright.

Layna herself sits at the end of the pond, dipping her feet into the water. She's set aside her coat and hat for clothing more fitting for the occasion. Sure, she could swim in them, but it wasn't ideal.

Dahlia and Victoria are here too. The latter keeps watch, while the former just supervises...and offers some reassuring words of advice.

"It's alright. Before I joined up with Layna, I didn't know how to swim. They had to teach me the basics." Dahlia admits.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        Lanval helped with it, through a whole load of word trickery that begins and ends at 'instead of doing the dishes' and he was totally on board with it. The dishes would've been a lot less effort. What is it with him and not doing the dishes?
        The pond's made of the most pure water imaginable, as per Lanval's power as a potent Water Seraph. Even if it looks like his presence - that of a tattered, aged, obese drunkard which he basically is - would lower the veracity of this claim. Nope! Water's great. Clean, an acceptable temperature, whole nine yards.
        He drifts along the surface, just staring up into the sky where he can see a sliver of the Silver Star in the daytime light.

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephilia is in a swimsuit she bought in town. Chauncey's sat on the side of the pond, safely dry. Sephy is in up to her waist, and looking nervous.

"I...I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how deep this pond goes..." she says.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Once Sephilia's in the water Layna pushes off the side, wading further in. The water's nice, really. They had Lanval to thank for that, mostly. She sends Sephilia a reassuring smile.

"It's alright, lass, I'm here. And Lanval's here, too! Neither of us are gonna let anything" She says, gesturing with a thumb to where the Water Seraph is floating about like driftwood. "Just take your time, and try to relax. Don't try to fight the water, just kinda let yourself drift."

Again, she gestures to the Seraph.

"See? Just like that." She says.

"It could be worse. Layna tried to teach me on the coasts of Meribia. It's rather hard to stay calm when you feel something grabbing at your feet." Dahlia comments, dryly. She sends Layna a Look that causes the captain to chuckle nervously.

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy's eyes widen in terror. "Grabbing--at your feet? Oh no no way nope!" Still, the girl ventures a little deeper, taking Layna's advice and easing into a float.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        "Nothin' is gonna grab at yer feet," Lanval says, reassuringly enough in terms of word choice, "there'sh... not a whole lot 'round here ta do that."
        ...That actually sounds kind of melancholy, in a way. This is one of the greener parts of Filgaia, and even then it's patchy and sparse - nowhere near the lush, untamed rolling fields of Lunar. Lanval exhales, as per his weird breathing habit he picked up from being around mortals so much.
        He lets Layna take the charge on showing how to swim, because he's water and he can't truly know what it's like to not be water and then be in water.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Aye, no need to worry about that! It's just us here. There aren't gonna be any curious lil' fishies comin' to see what's up." Layna says, nodding to agree with Lanval's reassuring words.

She watches as Sephilia eases into a float, and nods proudly.

"Aye, that's the way, lass. Now, once you're good and comfortable, trying moving yourself around a bit...kinda like this." Layna says. She swims slowly enough that Sephilia can see what she's doing, trying to give her a few examples. No point in starting with anything too complicated.

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy does her best to tread water and move around slowly. It's not actually that hard, and she seems to realize this rather quickly. "Hey, look! I'm doing it! Chauncey, look!"

Chauncey does indeed appear to be looking. Somewhere. His button eyes betray nothing of his joy for his mistress.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        Lanval takes in the joy of discovery in stride from the young girl and her more sea-worthy mentor, as he drifts along. He closes his eyes (further) as he has himself another drink out on the surface of this magical pond he has helped put together for them. Sephy is lively with a renewed sense of confidence and capability.
        The water spirit goes upright and touches his feet down against the ground, at a depth that would put him in chest-high water. His beard hairs float on the surface, the tangles at the end resembling creeks at the light blue tips.
        They probably can't feel it the way he does - really, a lot of it seems good on the surface. Almost no malevolence to speak of, but... that seems more of a silver lining to what seems to be going on with the Blue Star.
        "..."

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"There you go, lass! I knew you could do it!" Layna says with a proud grin. It was just the start, sure, but everyone had to start somewhere. It was the foundation of developing proper swimming skills. Even Dahlia offers Sephilia a smile, and Victoria takes a glance back.

Briefly, Layna glances over to Lanval. He's been pretty quiet, compared to what she usually expects from him. And, if she's not incorrect...maybe lost in thought?

She returns her attention to Sephilia.

"Alright, now! Once you've got that down...see if you can't copy me." Layna says. She goes to one end of the pool and then swims to the other side. A little quicker than before, but still slow enough for Sephilia to be able to copy the movements.

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy nods and, calming down a bit, sets her attention to following Layna. Laughing, she catches up. "Look, Lanval, I'm doing it!"

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        Lanval does seem to be quiet and distracted by something. He would never make it as a proper lifeguard, wow, he's not even watching to make sure the two of them are all right -
        "Mmmph?" Lanval hears his name called. As he turns his head and sees Sephy make a lot of noise as she swims. As if snapped back to the present reality and misinterpreting the intensity of her voice and call of his name for something else, Lanval chants up a hasty Seraphic Arte to summon... bubbles?!
        Bubbles that could lift Sephy out of the water and take her back ashore if she lets them? She was doing just fine, though!!

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna nods proudly.

"Aye, that's the way!" She says...and then, suddenly, Lanval seems to realize what's up and rather than congratulations, offers...bubbles?

"Whoa, what's up, lad?" Layna asks. She can tell that he's trying to help, but she wonders if he noticed something she didn't. He was the current leading expert on water, after all...

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy cries out in surprise, but does let the bubble carry her ashore. She cocks her head to one side, curiously. "Was I doing it wrong?" she asks Lanval.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        "...Huhhh? Doin' it wrong?" Lanval rubs at his beard as though confused by the confusion, because he is. "...Weren't ya jusht drownin', Shephy...? Er... ya were callin' my name and tellin' me ta look..."

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy shakes her head, eyes wide with concern. "I was swimming," she says gently. "I wanted you to see."

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna swims after Sephilia as the bubble carries her ashore. She takes a seat on the side, and shakes her head.

"Nah, you were doin' just fine, lass." She says, ruffling Sephilia's hair before looking toward Lanval, nodding to agree with Sephilia. "Aye, she was! Just as good as any fish in the sea! You shoulda seen 'er."

She looks back at Lanval, fixing him with a closer look.

"...So what's eatin' you, lad? You've been distracted." She asks.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        "...Ohhhhhh." Lanval sinks a bit into the pond. "Shorryyyy~"
        He takes visual stock of the both of them. Sephy's shock from having a moment of joy and triumph taken from her by someone being overly cautious, Layna's concern for how their Seraph friend could be of such divided attention that he'd make this innocent, well-meaning mistake for Sephy's sake...
        "Mmmmm... uhh... don't worry 'bout it..." He laughs it off. It might be something best he ask Tethelle, or some of the others like her later. "Aaaanyway, water's shtill good... besht yer gonna get fer... ash far ash the eye'sh gonna shee..."

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

Sephy quickly goes and hugs Lanval, then slips back into swimming. "See?" she smiles. "I'm okay with this now!"

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Lanval apologizes, and Layna shrugs.

"It's alright, lad. Coulda been worse, aye?" Layna says. He laughs it off, saying she shouldn't worry about it. Layna frowns...but then nods. She'd let it go - this time. Today was supposed to be about teaching Sephilia, after all.

Layna slips back into the water.

"Yup! You're a natural at this, lass. Just keep it up, and soon it'll be second-nature to ya. Then we can get you started on some o' the more advance techniques." She says.

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"Wait, there's advanced techniques?" Sephy gasps in surprise. "I thought it was just this! It's...actually kinda fun!"

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        The water is the finest as far as the eye can see, there's truth to that. Lanval's gotten to see bits of the ocean first-hand. Even when he was expressing joy at the idea of getting to meet Ione Paua on a trip where most the rest were already expecting the worst at St. Centour, the very water they were going by sea over... he could feel it.
        ...
        Lanval's brought out of the interal thought by a Sephy hug. He lets her, as a means of comfort for her. He drifts away to give the two of them further space to practice swimming and enjoy themselves.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

It really was fine water - having Lanval around made things a lot easier for them than other groups of adventurers might have it. There was a lot they owed to him.

"Aye, lass! There are techniques for swimmin' faster, or for preservin' your strength, handlin' things you don't expect...things like that!" Layna says. "It is, isn't it? I've got a feeling you'll be making the sea your own in no time, lass!"

<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.

"I just wish salt water weren't so hard on Chauncey," Sephy says mournfully. "Also I'd never forgive myself if I lose him." She shudders at even the thought.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        As Layna speaks of how one day Sephy will conquer the sea with her swimming skills, and the young girl laments the loss of Chauncey, Lanval has to catch himself from talking about that long passage of time he's already lived thus far. Five hundred years exceeds both of them. In a sense, that innocence can't last between Sephy and Chauncey. One is going to lose the other.
        It's kind of a depressing thought, and Lanval reasons that he's already working with oppressively depressive thoughts about what he's been seeing...
        "Ha ha ha!" He laughs. "Ahhh... I'm shure he'll alwaysh shtay with ya."
        In a sense, there is one mortal so long ago who has stuck with him. That's a genuine enough sentiment, at face value.