fandomhigh | Interdisciplinary Studies or Whatever, Class 3, Wednesday, Period 5 (Galactica Point)

Today, Squall was waiting for the students at Galactica Point, and had ~~handwavily~~ informed his students to meet him there wearing swim wear and carrying towels. That's right, today's lesson is on swimming. ...Of course, this is Squall, so your character might not have gotten the memo. Your choice.

He greeted them wearing only a pair of black swim trunks and his short-sleeve, midriff-baring leather jacket. And his necklace, of course. Never takes that thing off. "All right, class!" he said, once everyone had arrived. "Is Keladry of Whatever here today? Has anyone seen him? At all?" He shrugged. "Whatever. Sign in, everyone." And he whipped the clipboard at someone.

"Okay. So. Today you're going to learn how to swim. Unless you already know how, in which case you're going to laugh with me at the people who almost drown. The important thing to remember is that this is brackish water, so it's going to be easier to float, but it's going to sting if you get it in your eyes. Now, everybody into the water."

Squall tossed his jacket on the sand, waded out until he was a little more than waist deep and turned to face them again. "Okay, stop. Everybody practice floating or whatever. Just lean back and float face-up."

After not nearly enough time, he called out "Okay, stop! Now. You've got four basic strokes -- the easy ones are the crawl, or "freestyle", the backstroke, and the breaststroke. He demonstrated each of them for the students. And there's also the butterfly stroke, but I'm not going to teach it to you because it's hard." He shrugged.

"So. There's a white buoy out there." He pointed. It's out there, about 50 yards, but it's small and the waves make it hard to see. "Swim out there, and come back with one of the things hanging off it."

"Oh, and don't drown."

[ETA:
I forgot to mention: the thing you're getting from the buoy is a bright orange Fish Scale, about two inches across, tied to a length of fishing line. Squall won't explain it without being prompted, but it's a one-time-use item that will do water damage to one enemy if you throw it.]

[~~Wait for OCD~~ Swim along, just join the song/A musical for everyone to have a lot of finny fun]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Alone or in groups

Ami swam out with no issues. Possibly twice.

"Show off."

"Sorry. We are finally doing something i am actually vaguely proficient at..."

"Which means you're not learning anything."

Squall shrugged. "Of course, I didn't say showing off was a bad thing."

"Well, what should i learn?" he was the teacher after all.

It took Aravis a lot longer to make it out to the buoy than she would have liked. She did it, though, and was able to bring the thing back. She was a bit overly pleased with that.

"Good." The Fish Scale gleamed in the light.

The breaststroke and backstroke looked complicated, but when she tried the crawl, it settled itself nicely into a natural rhythm.

Naminé swam out to the buoy and back as if she had been swimming for ages.

Squall shrugged at her. "Good."

Just...floating made Setsuna way too nervous; she had to keep moving when she was in the water, and she swam out to the buoy, yes. It wasn't exactly nearly as quick as she was on land; certainly not even close to as fast as she was in air. But that was just the nature of the best. She was a crow demon, not a freakin' swan demon, thank you very much. She wasn't particularly good at swimming nor did she like it. Too many bad memories...

(Is she all right?)

"It's just water," Squall told her with a smirk. "It doesn't bite."

"No," Setsuna said, her faced decidedly not marked with a smirk, "but people can drown in it." Her eyes were hard on him, half warning, half begging, that this was not a topic to push her on.

Damn. A fisherman's daughter, or something like that.

(Please don't let me have to console her.)

Still, he tried to think of something to say. "Yes, they can," he eventually came up with. Which is why I'm teaching this class."

"Yes, well..." Setsuna turned away, having nothing more to say ~~except maybe 'whatever.'~~.

On his own, Roxas makes it out to the buoy.

It's kind of far out. He's kind of alone.

But he's not gonna look like a wimp. He swims back in faster than he swam out, and gives himself a headache in the process.

"Nice job," Squall told him, clapping a little. Was he being sarcastic? It was hard to tell.

"Thanks," is the only reply he gives before he flops down on the sand.

If it's sarcastic, he doesn't know. Doesn't much care.

He's just glad he's back on solid ground.

Valentine sputtered and gagged and flailed his way out to the buoy. And actually made it. And was thrilled with himself.

And clung to it for dear life and did not want to attempt returning to shore.