[OPEN] I Want to Swim Away, But Don't Know How...

[treadwater]

Who: Undine and You
When: Mid-May, after the Battle Royale
Where: Pool Deck
Summary: Trying to remember how to relax
Warnings: Discussion of the event and violence possible


1. Flyers
Hand-written flyers on Serena Eterna stationary are posted in a few public spaces. Perhaps you run into Undine while she has an armful of them, sticking some up in the library or Playback or around the seating area of the Windjammer. They're fairly plain, words hand-written and a vague silhouette-style drawing of a person doing a swim:

SWIM LESSONS AT POOL DECK, 3PM-5PM

Apparently someone's looking to do something productive in the aftermath of all the things.

2. Swimsuit Shopping
Of course, Undine's going to stop and find herself a new, flattering swimsuit at the new Tommy Bahama before the lessons. If you're a friend, she might encourage you to join her. It's always an interesting time for her, shopping. Blue hair can clash with a lot of things, if she's not careful, but she also doesn't want to lean matchy-matchy. That's something she does in her transformed form, and she doesn't want to evoke that same sort of mood now.

"Alright, so here's the question: paisley or floral?" She's holding up both suits for a second opinion.

3. Lessons
Swim lessons go here--Undine starts everyone out in the shallow end, getting to know their level of comfort with the water. Luckily, she found some kickboards and floaties on the sports deck, so she can give lessons at all levels. She's an encouraging teacher, a bright smile on her face the whole time.

4. Free Swim
Once lessons are done, Undine gets herself a virgin pina colada from the pool bar and sits at the edge of the water, dangling her feet and relaxing. Now's a good time to talk to her about anything on your mind. Or maybe, maybe to get her to talk about what's on hers.

5. Wildcard
Same bat time, same batchannel: darkersolstice or darkersolstice#9463

Comments

3.

[decohere]

As much as she enjoys the hot tub, Ava has outright avoided the pool. She has absolutely no idea how to swim, which seems a poor idea when surrounded by water. So when Undine puts up her flyers advertising lessons, Ava makes all sorts of lame excuses about why she's too busy to go.

But she lurks around, watching to see if too many people show up, before dipping her foot cautiously into the water.

It's cold. Fuck that. "Anyone drown yet?"

[treadwater]

"I'm not going to let anyone drown while I'm giving lessons. I was a junior lifeguard the summer before I had the dream and became a magical girl, you know." She had grown up in a very different world, had been swimming since a very young age. She treads water, looking up at Ava.

[decohere]

"Hn," she comments. Feigning disinterest rather than admitting fear. But she sits down at the edge, sinks her legs in, and tries to acclimate to the temperature. Slowly kicking them back and forth, trying to keep her legs solid enough to move them through the water rather than allowing the water to move through her.

"So does it work like that? Your magical element matching things you already like?"

[treadwater]

"It's hard to say. Like, I like to think that when we have the dream, we influence what powers we get, because that feels less fatalistic, but no one really knows. We don't fully understand it, and no one remembers all of the dream to be sure."

Undine slowly leans over to rest her cheek against Ava's shoulder. Best big sister, here to be supportive even if she's scared.

[decohere]

"Do you ever wish you had different abilities?" Ava asks curiously. Because clearly they suit her well, but maybe there's other magical girls in her world that have ones she envies. Maybe she feels boxed in, limited by a certain image she has to maintain. Or maybe Undine is perfectly happy to be as she is. What a concept. "I do." She feels more defined by her own powers than an actual affinity, like everything else about who Ava could've been faded away to make room for the pain and instability.

She glances down at Undine, a gentle smile at the gesture. There's not many people at all that she'd allow that from, but she's comfortable now with the girl's presence. The familiarity.

"Moving through the air, solid objects. That's easy. But... I know too much about fluid dynamics," she tells Undine with a sigh. "It gets in my head. And when I'm nervous," she holds up her flickering hand to show her. "I can't stop thinking about..." slipping through.

[treadwater]

"For a while, I was jealous of how Sylvia could fly, but I got over that. We were all in balance as a team." Before three of them died and one lost her powers.

"Anyway. I think...it sounds like you're a little in your head about it. I know you tend to go a little weird when you're nervous, right? So...for the moment, we're just going to hang out here and relax. Dip your toesies, and feel instead of think about it. Pay attention to the water on your feet and legs, and listen to my voice. Alright?"

[decohere]

"Flying would be neat," she agrees. The concept is somehow far less intimidating than facing the water. "Do you feel out of balance, now?"

Ava snorts in response, because she's a bit too into her head about most everything. But she can handle her feet in, that's the easy bit once she gets past the chill. "The hot tub doesn't bother me any," she assures Undine that her comfort level at least isn't a complete aversion.

[treadwater]

"I've...struck a different balance, back home. I found someone else to be my patrol partner, and things are working differently, but they're working. Here on the ship, everything is definitely way out of balance."

Or maybe she's just...lonely.

[decohere]

"I've always been a bit out of a balance." A bit is an understatement, but... "So I simply adapt to that. That's what water does too, right? Fill to fit the shape of its container."

[treadwater]

"And goes with the flow. Though...maybe if I'd been able to stand up for myself at some point, things might have gone differently with my team." She's replayed those last couple days in her head hundreds of times, seen every moment she could have changed the course of everything.

[decohere]

"We learn things the hard way, unfortunately. We just do what feels necessary in the moment. Nothing ever really makes sense until after it's over. I used to torture myself with all the ways I could have prevented my parents getting killed. But..." Ava shakes her head. She's got to accept that she can't protect anybody. "You can stand up for yourself now, at least?"

[treadwater]

There's a pause. A long one, paired with a thoughtful frown. "Sometimes. I try."

But the last thing she remembers of her world before being brought to the ship was running away from a fight with another magical girl. So...she hasn't mastered it yet.

[decohere]

"If you help me face the water, then I'll help you face that. Deal?" Not that she's been the best with it herself, but she's learned over the years to be more careful, not get taken advantage of.

[treadwater]

"Yeah, you have a deal." Undine nodes easily.

[decohere]

Right. Well. That means upholding her end of the bargain and setting a good example. Ava sighs and slides into the water. It's not all that deep, so her feet touch. So that's all fine, she's fine.