fandomhigh | How Not to Drown, Monday, September 1, Period 3

The swimming class was meeting in the basement pool of the dorms (Anakin had provided rather elaborate directions for those, like him, who had forgotten it existed), and their two instructors were waiting for them by the side of the pool with their legs dangling into the water.

"Hello, everyone," Anakin said with a casual wave. "We're here to learn to swim. I'm sorry if the chlorine is burning your eyes, but we had to give the pool a thorough cleaning after relocating the squid."

That was a normal thing to mention, right? He gestured to the dark-haired man to his left. "This is Commander Steve McGarrett, who you might recognize from his work at the Trooper Station. He's also a Navy SEAL."

"Retired, now," Steve said with a slightly tight smile. "And I'm not actually anything like a seal, the animal. SEAL stands for Sea, Air and Land, and we're the United States Navy's premiere special operators. Among our skills is, well, swimming. I'm here to assure you that no one will actually drown."

Steve dropped down into the water with a small splash. "The first thing to do is to get comfortable in the water," he said, "so everyone hop into the shallow end. Your feet will be on the bottom of the pool, so there's nothing to be afraid of." He sent Anakin a slightly puzzled look. "Especially now that the squid is relocated."

"Introduce yourselves as you jump in," Anakin added, sliding into the water.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Relieved that the yeeter isn't in play yet.

Henry of Skalitz

Lydia Bennet

Harley Quinn

Rey Skywalker

As you get in the water. Or don't, depending on your level of comfort here.

Well, Henry was all right sort of stepping into the shallow end ~~in his silly white braies and undershirt~~. "I'm Henry from Skalitz?" he offered.

There wasn't much jumping involved, so anything more dramatic felt a bit much.

"Welcome, Henry," Anakin said. "No experience with swimming?"

"None at all," Henry agreed. "Which was interesting when you had us all thrown into the pond."

He looked at Steve. "Oh, and thank you again."

"You're welcome," Steve said with a grin. "It's part of why we're doing the class."

Lydia was in her shift.

In public. In front of men.

She hadn't really known what else to do, though. She'd only found out she was signed up for this class yesterday, and had spent most of the intervening time trying to find a modern swimming costume she felt she could wear, and failing miserably. And she knew well enough that if she wore one of her dresses, it would be heavy when wet, and then she would have to deal with laundering the salt out of it...although there didn't seem to be any salt here? Well, she didn't know what that strong smell was, but she suspected it would be hell to launder out, as well. So. Lydia. In her shift.

She stepped down the stairs into the shallow end of the pool and introduced herself with as much dignity as she could muster. "I am Miss Lydia Bennet. I cannot swim at all. It was not considered ladylike in my time. Additionally, I very much dislike the sea." 'Dislike' was perhaps the wrong word, but 'dread' would probably raise more questions than she wanted.

"Welcome, Lydia," Anakin said. "I don't think we have current plans for swimming in the sea," he added. "Is it the size of the body of water that bothers you? Would ponds be all right?"

Ponds had muck and plants and algae, Anakin. Obviously that was not 'all right.' A fish might touch her leg.

But she was very much resigned to her fate.

"It is a circumstance unique to the Sea," Lydia vagued, especially since her teachers probably couldn't hear capital letters.

"We'll keep that in mind," Anakin said with a smile. "We want you to learn."

Trauma was for the summertime.

"This is bein' taught by the guy that threw us in the water in the first place?!"

And also a fuckin' cop, but Harley was enough of a criminal to remember to keep that bit of outrage to her damn self even while running her mouth otherwise.

Still, she kind of hopped into the water with a little splash. Only because it was visibly shallow. "Anyway, I'm Harley Quinn, and I've almost drowned twice, although one of those times it was a big vat of unknown chemicals so I dunno how much swimming skills would've actually helped me there. Also I broke up with the only person that's offered to teach me before, so... Here I am!"

This was apparently something she'd signed up for in her sleep deprived delirium on Friday.

"But you didn't die!" Anakin said happily, like that was somehow the correct reply. "We will...probably not be teaching you how to swim through chemicals--" Beside him Steve gave a thoughtful shrug because he thought it might be useful, "--but we'll give you some of the basic skills by the new year."

Harley waved a hand. "It was a small enough vat to stand up in, anyway. Swimming wasn't the real issue."

Then why had she brought it up?

Because it still related to drowning, and that was how her associative paths worked.

"The chemicals?" Anakin guessed.

"Well, that and the bein' completely outta my mind at the time."

"I don't think we'll be working through that part in this class," Anakin said. "Something about liability and insurance."

His tone indicated that the insurance people were giant babies for not allowing Anakin to, you know, drug people to help them swim better.

Look, people! Rey did in fact have a bathing suit! It just hadn't been worn in like two years.

"I'm Rey," she said once she was in. "I just want to do better than 'not drowning.'"

Adding chlorine to flavor day might be interesting.

"We'll definitely help with that."

Steve would. Mostly Steve.

Steve took over here, moving gracefully through the water despite a visibly red surgical scar going vertically from his abdomen to his pecs. "Okay, we're going to start really slow and easy," he said. "Put your hands onto the side of the pool, let your legs float up behind you, and then start kicking. Keep your legs long and straight and generate your power from your hips and core, not your knees."

He demonstrated the position. "If you feel comfortable, put your face into the water as well, between your arms, and blow bubbles."

Henry held up his hand, a question written all over his face.

"Yes," Steve replied. "What's the question?"

"When you say core, do you mean like here," Henry said, waving at his chest over his heart, "Or here--" Waving a bit lower and non-innuendoy, thank you, "Or is it more of a metaphor for here?"

And that was a wave at his head.

"Oh, good question," Steve said with a smile. "Stomach muscles, mostly," he said, pointing to the non-innuendoy lower portion of Henry. "You want to use your entire body as you swim. If you just use the muscles in part of your legs, you'll get tired faster."

Edited 2025-09-01 14:39 (UTC)

Hopefully you haven't found out what they taste like, but accidents happen.

Yay, classes!

How Not to Drown, Monday, September 1, Period 3

Sign in 9/1

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Introductions

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Swimming

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Talk to Anakin & Steve

OOC