fandomhigh | Swimming With the Fishes, Tuesday, period 1

"Right, so." Duke was actually here for his class this week. Sorry, Lord High Master of All Fishes, your reign ~~of terror~~ has ended. "I was thinking of doing some surfing this week, but there are . . . no waves." He looked down at the water gently lapping at the shoreline. "Literally none. I blame our new candy colored neighbors. And that damned music —"

He shook his head.

"Anyway. There's no waves, but there's apparently a lot going on underneath the water right now, so I thought maybe we could do a class on one of my favorite ways to spend time in the water: free diving.

"Now, technically the term 'free diving' refers to any sort of underwater activity that doesn't use supplemental oxygen. So we're talking traditional fishing methods, snorkeling, underwater basket-weaving. . . . All of that counts as free diving. I'm going to teach you how I do it, though, which involves no extra equipment in the water but you, your own ability to hold your breath — and some kind of water-appropriate clothing, since this is a class and all. And we're all super excited to have our own clothing back."

Duke himself was wearing a simple short-sleeved wetsuit today. That he had not picked off a tree, thank you very much.

"Now, like most things in the world, free diving takes practice. Most — air breathing, land-based — people are not going to be able to immediately dive in and be able to hold their breaths for ages. And they probably shouldn't try. No one is allowed to pass out because they thought they could hold it just a liiiiiittle bit longer, today. But there are some techniques I can show you right now to increase the amount of time you can stay under the water."

Duke walked them through the process of a breathe up and recovery breathing for before and after their dives.

"Alright. There are some floats set up out there in case you get tired and need a break, and I'll be swimming around, keeping an eye on everyone to make sure you don't get into trouble. Now get out there, have some fun, and . . . see what you can find!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Okay," Duke said, nodding back. He offered her his hand. "Maybe I'll hold you up just because, then. When no one's looking."

Octavia managed a tiny snort. Quiet.

She took his offered hand.

"So I won't float away?"

"Exactly," Duke said. "You might decide to run off with the otters and never return."

Octavia's ability to joke was broken, so...

She gave his hand a squeeze. "I don't want to float away from you again."

Last time had felt a little too much like drowning.

"Good," Duke said softly. "I like it better with you floating right here next to me."

Octavia squeezed his hand just a little tighter.

"So," she said, and pretended the word didn't get caught in her throat just a little. "Deeper?"

"Deeper. You remember how to tread?"

Octavia nodded.

"Uh huh."

She had taken it all too seriously last time not to still remember.

"Good." Duke stood, tugging him along with her. He planned to bring her to the edge of where she could stand comfortably, so she could catch herself if she needed to.

Then, maybe, they'd go a little further than that.

Octavia followed along, wading forward. Refamiliarizing herself with what it felt like when more and more of her body was underwater with every step.

Watched a few otters go gliding past, playing.

Duke paused, spotting something under the water. He tugged on her hand and pointed.

"Remember those?" he asked. It was harder to spot here than it'd been at the aquarium, but when the sun hit it just right, its saucer-like shape would be visible.

Octavia looked in the water, and saw nothing. Her gaze flicked up to his face, questioning what she was supposed to be seeing, but then flicked back down again -- and then the light was there, right at the right angle.

And her voice was a faintly surprised murmur.

"Jellyfish."

"Ridiculous things," Duke said happily. "Gorgeous, though."

"Like you."

Maybe the surprise had dislodged some joking ability out of her after all. It sounded pretty gentle, though.

And kind of distracted. Octavia was still watching the creature in question.

Duke laughed. "Just like me. Plus, they sting if you bother them."

"Like me?"

Like him, too, to be honest.

"Just like you," Duke said, though he'd meant it more about himself. "We're just like a pair of jellies, you and I."

Octavia was probably always going to associate the negative quicker with herself than him, anyway.

She squeezed his hand a little tighter again.

Swimming With the Fishes, Tuesday, period 1

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?

Re: Free diving with . . . sea otters?