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 Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:57 pm
"No," Antony said, pointing at himself. "I do. Can you count while I stay under?" Doubtless he couldn't count very high at that age, but it would keep him happy. At least, that was what Antony was going for.
"I did, actually. I've heard of lots of strange things here," Shade said, lounging back in the water so he was floating with his arms out. "Like fairies from flowers, or children out of cups of liquid."
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:07 pm
Melchy nodded at Antony's request, excited at the oppurtunity to practice all the numbers Katrina had taught him. He was actually rather good at counting. "Okay, go!" he said brightly.
"I rather wish I'd heard of it," Katrina said absently. "If I'd known it'd hatch, I wouldn't have been so upset. I mean, honestly, one day I'm the terror of the seas and the next I'm searching for an apartment that houses seventeen because I've had to put in to carefore a child. The crew isn't complaining yet, though." She watched Shade float for a while, still holding the now-counting Melchizedek. "It's a strange world, when you really come down to it."
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:11 pm
Antony stayed down for a longer time, listening to the kid count as he held his breath. If he could do this, he guessed he could do other things, too, right?
"Sure is," Shade said with a shrug. "But it's not too bad. Antony turned out alright, and I'm a lousy dad. Can't cook with a darn."
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:18 pm
Melchy counted away cheerfully until he reached twenty-five. Then he accidentally repeated a number and paused, obviously confused.
"Twenty-seven, twenty eight..." Katrina supplied loudly, and Melchy grinned and continued from where he had left off.
"There are very few people in the world who can cook," she said gently to Shade. "And I'm sure you make a better father than I can ever make a mother. The boy calls me Cap'n, for crying out loud, because that's what the rest of the crew calls me, and I didn't want to confuse him! Pirates just don't make good parents," she finished decidedly, smiling crookedly at Shade. "Hopefully the boy won't be a wreck when he grows up."
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:22 pm
Shade laughed as Antony came to the surface again, gasping for breath.
"Now try swimming like I showed you," Shade said. "Under water."
Antony nodded, taking another deep breath and going under once again to try and swim. It didn't work so well while holding his nose.
"If they grow up that fast I don't see how we can ruin them too much," Shade said.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:27 pm
Katrina watched as Antony tried to swim underwater and failed. She waited until he surfaced again, and then reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.
"If you breathe out through your nose as you go underwater, you won't get water in it," she suggested with the knowledge of prior experience.
Melchy looked at Shade for a little bit, and then he laughed excitedly. "You have tail!" he said brightly, pointing. Katrina winced and pushed his hand down.
"Pointing is rude," she said, but Melchy put his hand up again and pointed, saying, "Cool!"
"Sorry about him," Katrina said, wincing.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:31 pm
Antony nodded, taking her advice as he went down this time and doing much better.
"Having a tail's a good thing," Shade said as his came up, flickering back and forth. "It can help you swim." He didn't seem bothered by the pointing at all.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:35 pm
"I have tail too," Melchy said brightly, pointing at it as best he could while trying not to fall into the water. Katrina watched Antony and smiled when he came back up.
"The boy's not half bad at swimming," she said to Shade. "Mine, on the other hand..." she shook Melchy a little, and he laughed, kicking his feet and spraying Katrina with water, "has a cat's outlook on swimming."
"Cat!" Melchy said brightly. "I'm a cat!"
"Yes I know you are," Katrina answered, shaking her head. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to do with the boy.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:38 pm
Antony looked over at the group, slightly stunned he had gotten as far as he had, then he went under again, swimming back to them and surfacing. "I did it!" he said proudly.
"Sure did, kid. Now you can help me teach when we bring the class here."
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:49 pm
Katrina smiled at Antony when he swam back over to them. "You did wonderfully, lad. You're a regular fish, now." She winked a little bit. Melchy frowned.
"He's not a fish!" Katrina sighed theatrically at Shade, and then looked down at Melchy.
"It's a figure of speech," she explained. "A different way of talking."
Melchy brightened. "Like when Hawkiss says 'Arr'?"
"...Sort of." Katrina shrugged, dipped Melchy once more, and looked at Shade. "I'm glad we got this chance to talk, Shade. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. This child's a social one."
Melchy, to prove her point, smiled adorably at Antony and Shade. He could take a hint when Katrina wanted to leave. As Katrina gave Shade and Antony an elegant bow, he waved at his newest acquaintance.
"Bye-bye!"
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:52 pm
"See ya," Shade said easily before turning back to teach Antony more.
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