fandomhigh | Being a Proper Sea Dog, Friday, Period 3 [Session 2]

Hook's time spent reading the Danger Shop instructions had paid off. Today's class met inside that wonderous room of programmable places, where Hook had created a simple replica of a three masted vessel.

He had a series of handouts for the students, showing illustrations of various knots.

"Today we're going over that staple of seamanship," Hook declared, after the handouts were passed among the students. "Knots. Rope is very important, very important indeed for the average ship. And before we can go into things such as rigging and nets and so forth, you need to learn the basic knots. For practice today, and for a bit of fun, we're going to split into pairs. You'll practice tying your partner to something on the ship. A mast, the wheel, the anchor, something. The idea is to use a knot that you think will hold them tightly. The partner then, of course, is to try and break free. If your partner fails to break free, then bravo. Midway through the time of the class, please untie your partner if they've not already obtained their freedom, then switch places as to who is being tied to what."

Hook chuckled. "And no, no one is allowed to tie me to anything."

He snapped his fingers. "Chop chop, get to it, that's a good crew. It's all very self explanatory. Yo ho and all that."

[ooc: ~~OCD first, plz~~ Up and ready to go!]

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"No need to hurry," Nico commented, waiting to be set free. "I don't have anywhere to be."

"Oh, sure, now you're not in a rush," Jason said, taking his time then to roll the rope back up so it wouldn't get knotted up on its own.

Oh, he was completely impatient, just saying the opposite to tease Jason. "How could I be? I know how slow you are with these things."

"I'm not slow. You just don't have an ounce of patience," Jason said, moving back around behind Nico.

"I wouldn't have to be patient if you were faster," he added. "And you should know I have patience when it matters." It just didn't often seem to matter.

"Oh, fine," Jason said, undoing the knots and freeing Nico's wrists. "Was that fast enough?"

"No," he said, stepping away from the mast and reaching up a newly freed hand to turn Jason, wanting his back to it. "But it's my turn anyway."

"Hey, wait a sec, who said you get a turn?" Jason said, turning how Nico wanted him nonetheless.

"Uh...me," Nico replied, reaching for the ropes. "You're used to this, right?"

"Used to letting you have a turn? I suppose so," Jason teased. "Are you going to tie me up the same way?"

"I was thinking about it," Nico admitted, not having a lot of experience there. "Why? You just gonna jerk free after ten seconds?"

"I won't, I promise," Jason said with a nod. "I told you, I'm unarmed."

Nico so didn't believe that, and still he took the rope and moved beside Jason to get his wrists in place and tie them with one of those knots he'd been reading about. "I'd never delude myself into thinking you're ever unarmed." Jason seemed far too clever.

"What, you don't trust me?" Jason said with a smirk. He held still as Nico tied him, trying to behave. "Or maybe you're starting to know me too well."

"Too well isn't possible," Nico said, pulling the knot nice and tight, if with rather poor skill. "And even if I trust you...we're supposed to be on opposite sides here, so that's right out the window." Like a game of capture the flag.

The knot was almost too tight, but Jason wasn't going to say anything, not wanting to make Nico feel bad when he was trying. "Okay, good point. Does that mean I shouldn't make it too easy for you?" he asked, starting to fight against the rope a little.

"Do your worst." Nico welcomed Jason's skills at all times, it was true. "Or best, depending on the view." He smiled and gave the other boy's shoulder a friendly squeeze of encouragement.

"And suddenly, your reasons for having us switch places become so much more clear," Jason said, laughing. His training had kicked in, and he was trying to find the right way to move to free himself. This would have been totally different if he was in costume.

"What?" Nico smiled down at his friend. "I can't like watching you at work?"

"I guess it's nice to know I entertain you," Jason teased. He'd tried to keep his hands open while Nico was tying him up, so he had more room to wiggle around with now, but it was still difficult.

"You're as good as a video game." This was high praise, indeed.

Jason knew what good praise that was, which was why he kept squirming to get free from the rope. It might not have been good for his wrists, but with a little more wriggling, he finally got one of his hands free, and started pushing at the rope around his other wrist.

"It's all the movement," Nico continued, oblivious to Jason's escape. "Keeps the focus engaged or something. Or is that the imagination?"

"I think it's movement," Jason said, which was why he kept looking like he was struggling as he loosened the other side of the rope and kept hold of it so it wouldn't fall. "I don't know if this is going to work."

"No? I thought for sure you'd be good at this. Maybe you need that belt thing," he suggested, reaching out to mess with Jason's hair while he was seemingly unable to defend himself.