[PRP] come away to the water [ soui + o'len&aleyath

[houllow]

She was determined to learn how to swim, if only because she lived basically on a beach and it was such a waste to not enjoy the waters. With the promise of warmer weather in the future, not to mention the occasional spurts happening now, the teen felt it would benefit her greatly to actually learn something new. While it might not help her in the long run for her career choice of being a healer, it would improve her physical stamina and prowess. A healer needed to be healthy and strong, so if what she knew about swimming allowed that then it was the right thing to do.

Still, Soui kept in mind the warning L'nik had given her about not being in the waters alone. She knew better than to ignore the advice of someone who was from the area and spoke with experience, but she also didn't think that hard on something as simple as wading in water. Besides, the section of beach she'd selected to explore had a small outcropping of rocks that she could stand on were she to get nervous. Never mind the rocks had small crevices she could fall in to, were she to not pay attention, and if she did get in one of them the filling water would make it so she couldn't get out.

That wasn't going to happen to her, certainly, she was too cautious and ready. A small bronze firelizard trilled from where it rested atop her head, its tiny claws holding against the bun she'd made for her hair to act as a little nest. His eyes were faintly yellow with worry as the healer peeled her socks and shoes off, following with a few articles of clothing that slipped away to reveal a brand new swimsuit. It had taken her a bit to save enough marks to purchase it in secret, but as the teen thought about not having to explain wet clothes it was all worth it. "Okay Remedy, are you ready to explore?"

Her question was obviously aimed at the lizard, and the small teen scrambled up the rocks to see what wonders they could hide. Perhaps she'd get lucky and find a shell, or maybe some fish trapped by the tides? They wouldn't be stuck long, as the tide was quickly coming in, so if she wanted to explore she needed to do it before there was nothing much to see.

Smerdle

sorry for taking so long to set this up! if it's not okay lemme know!

 

[Smerdle]

Aleyath was a quiet flyer, surprisingly stealthy for a dragon who was having a bit of difficulty with his newly gangly limbs. On the ground the brown was a little bumbling these days, but those who had known him in his first months of life could tell it would just be a phase. His confident strut would return again soon enough, but in the meantime he vastly preferred the air.

The dragon's relative silence practically guaranteed that all Soui would hear prior to a startled shout and a very large splash would be a whole lot of nothing. Aleyath winged over the water with barely a sound, dropping his rider in a spot where he knew O'len would be safe. Kind of. It was away from the more pointy rocks at the very least.

"AAAAEEEAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The height of the drop might have been a little greater than O'len had originally agreed to.

While his rider made his way back to shore, Aleyath spiraled lower and came in for a landing a short distance from where the healer explored. He didn't say anything, he just ambled over and took a seat on the sand, watching Soui and her firelizard atop the rocks.

houllow

who's taking long now
it me
here is a tiny healer as apology

 

[houllow]

"...?!?!" The sudden noise startled the young teen from where she'd been busy leaning over a tide pool, watching the fish and other creatures inside prepare for the rising tide. It was overly distracting and she'd placed all of her attention in it, so the sound brought more than enough terror to unsettle the teen and knock her off balance. "What the, are you oka - "

Before she could properly right herself and see just what happened she tilted into a wiggle, accumulating in actually falling face first into the very tide-hole she'd been looking at. The water and sand at the bottom hit like a punch but she was able to right herself quickly and attempt to stand up. The water was a bit too deep for someone as short as her to touch the sandy bottom, not that she wanted to, with what she'd seen in there, and she coughed out a few unwelcome mouthfuls of the ocean.

If either she or the rider were attempting to make amazing first impressions they both failed miserably. At least it was something to laugh about if both of them survived fine and dandy? For his part, her firelizard seemed to understand that falling was not good and hovered above the sinkhole, chirping miserably with worry. "....I'm fine Remedy. How about you go check on whomever or whatever it was that fell in the water? If they're hurt I'll need to help."

The little bronze gave out an affirmative chirp before slowly flying away, his tiny wings not carrying him as fast as he'd like, nor did he think that maybe popping between would make him faster. He approached the swimming figure as they neared the shore and greeted them with a honking noise, all the while circling around to check for something. Maybe he needed to ask again, to be sure, and another honk was given before the baby started back over towards where Soui was currently treading water.

Smerdle

OMFARANTH THANK YOU?! YOU DIDN'T NEED TO AHHHH GOSH I'M SO HAPPY THANK YOU I KNOW YOU'RE BISY FKJGHDFKJGDFK THANK YOUUUU

 

[Smerdle]

He's fine, Aleyath said, mirth plain in his mental voice. He couldn't quite hear what the girl had said to her firelizard, but he could only assume that she might be concerned, based solely on his rider's reaction. O'len was raised by fish.

I was not. O'len chuckled, nearly snorting water up his nose as he did. Might you check on the poor girl you almost drowned? He was a little terse, considering that he was concentrating on swimming back to shore, but he wasn't angry. And before you ask, no, you can't keep her bronze. He briefly raised a hand to the flit under discussion. "I'm all right, little one."

Hm. Aleyath canted his head to the left and slowly stood again, trotting closer to Soui and Remedy. How are you? Breathing?

houllow

OUO <3

 

[houllow]

Soui wasn't sure if what she was hearing was a voice of the dragon or her imagination, though when a head peered over the hole where she was desperately holding onto the wall it was more or less confirmed. Remedy cheeped at the sudden arrival before diving down to join his master, eyes whirling a worried yellow at how tired she seemed. Treading water was not easy, and holding the wall wasn't exactly working out either with the tide slowly creeping in.

"Oh, hello." She managed to keep her tone calm and happy as she looked up at the dragon, a smile on her face despite the small sliver of fear running down her spine. "I'm breathing fine, but I might be a little trapped. I can't swim and I can't get a decent enough grip to climb out of here on my own." Panicking would do her no good, and where there was a dragon there was always a rider. "Is your rider really okay? Did he hit the water hard?"

Her concern for another outweighed her own predicament, clearly, and Soui bit at her lower lip. Remedy continued to circle around her before he darted back up towards the dragon, his little cheeps and honks perhaps a sign he was far more upset than the teen was.

Smerdle

OwO OwO

 

[Smerdle]

Yes, he's—

Almost there. Aleyath. Do try to help her... somehow.

The combination of mild alarm issuing from both his rider and Remedy tinged the dragon's eyes briefly yellow as he hopped forward, thoughts of how can I grab her without any hands and she doesn't look like she's drowning floating through his mind as he watched the girl intently. Thankfully, real assistance arrived soon after as O'len splashed to shore and rushed over onto the rocks, kneeling and offering an arm to Soui.

"Can you reach up and grab my hand? If not, I'll get Mister Are-You-Breathing to actually help."

Aleyath gave an amused huff, adding learn how to properly save drowning humans, for some reason to his adventuring to-do list.

houllow

 

[houllow]

Carefully, and sticking her toes in a few crevices to help get a slightly better footing, Soui reached up and took the extended hand. Part of her worried she'd be too heavy and would actually pull him with her - but maybe it wouldn't happen. He had a dragon after all, and the dragon wouldn't let any harm come to his rider. Right? Right?. Remedy chirped his concern towards the human who'd come to help, circling around his head and apparently complaining. "Thank you, very much."

Once out and safe, Soui took the chance to bow to her rescuer before Remedy planted himself squarely in her arms, all the while crying and chirping and doing everything he could to make a spectacle of himself. "I don't even know how I managed to get in there, but I'm really thankful you happened by when you did." Either she'd completely forgotten he was the cause of everything or was attempting to be polite, but either way Soui gave another bow.

For the record, her face hurt.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Even soaking wet, lifting Soui wasn't a problem. O'len got her back on the rocks with little difficulty, even without his dragon's help. He was hardly expecting a bow for his trouble, but he accepted it readily enough, ignoring the chuckle and the single syllable Aleyath directed at him alone.

Vain.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance." O'len leaned in a little to examine her face, then straightened almost immediately, unable to keep a tinge of guilt from coloring his features. What he had thought might have been the beginnings of a bruise resulting from hitting the water too hard was actually quite a bit of scarring. "And I'm glad you're all right." He shook off his brief discomfort easily enough, grinning broadly instead. Years of putting his best face forward made it easy, though the firelizard's antics helped as well in this case.

"You might want to come out here with a friend next time... one larger than this little one. Even the best swimmers can get caught in a sinkhole."

houllow

<3

 

[houllow]

Soui blinked a bit as the young man seemingly stared at her face, and she reached up to place her fingertips against her cheeks. "Is there something on my face? I know I hit the bottom of the pool face-first, but I didn't think I cut it or anything." She tapped and touched, though when she pulled her hand back there was nothing but pruned skin on her fingertips. Had he been looking at her because he recognized her or something? Soui certainly didn't know him, but when he backed up and kept talking she figured maybe he was mistaken. There was no harm, no foul.

"Um also I...don't really have any friends though." Soui had quite a few people she knew but hardly anyone she wanted to bother. Spending time with their own personal friends was much better than spending time with her, she felt, since she was still so new to the Weyr and hardly deserved to pull them away. "I didn't think I'd actually be swimming." Her excuses sounded weak and Soui knew it. "I'm...sorry though. I'm really thankful you were here, the both of you."

Remedy chirped at Soui's uncertainty and rubbed himself against her. His comfort was perfect timing, as always. "I'm Soui, by the way. I'm an apprentice healer."

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

O'len shook his head. "Everything is fine," he said with reassuring confidence. "You might end up a little bit bruised tomorrow, but you're right. It doesn't look like there are any cuts." He backed away from the topic, fairly certain she knew more about the whole situation than he did, with her being a healer and all. He couldn't dwell on her scars, not when she seemed as bothered by them as he was by the few that dotted his own hands, which was to say not at all. And anyway, not having any friends was far worse than what he could only assume had been some distant childhood accident.

"And well, we could be your swimming friends, if you'd like. O'len and Aleyath. We're very pleased to meet you, despite this one's unnecessary silence." He nudged the brown who was watching with pleased blue eyes, his posture upright and curious.

I like the sky more than the sea, but I'm learning since O'len likes water so much, Aleyath said, his attention on Remedy. He lived on an island and I want to fit in when we get there.

houllow

apologies from my face hole for slowness <3