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 Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2015 5:11 pm
Otto had a feeling Chance didn't know that either. No movies, no bikes. He wondered if the man had ever played catch in his life. "S'okay." Otto murmured. "You ain't gunna get it the first time. Keep tryin'."
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 9:37 am
He gave a little nod, slightly grimly, but there was at least determination in his eyes. Chance shifted a little to try and get his footing in the right place, and then wrapped his fingers more securely around Otto's wrists, taking a deep breath.
The second time it was easier, even if his body automatically wanted to move, his legs instinctively stretching towards the floor of the pool, but Chance reeled back the impulse and tried to float. He sank several inches, but his height made it easier to keep his head above the water.
About three seconds were managed before his toes hit the floor again, but there was a bright smile on his face.
"I almost did it!" said Chance eagerly, beaming at Otto. "Almost!"
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 3:48 pm
Otto smirked at Chance's exuberance. "Yup. Keep it up, buttercup." He drawled in a tease. "Once you get the hang of it, I'll let ya go."
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:19 pm
He made a face
"Can't you come up with a better nickname than that?" Chance complained good-naturedly, kicking his feet out again. This time he managed to stay afloat for much longer, nearly a full thirty seconds, though it made his legs ache a little.
"Okay, I think I might be getting the hang of this..."
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:05 pm
"Hmm...nope." Especially if it bugged Chance. Teasing was sometimes too much effort, but every now and then... "Kay. I'll let go. If ya get scared, just stand up again." Otto let the man's arms go, waiting for Chance himself to let go too. Training in shallow water was sure to take the edge off of learning.
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:16 pm
He stuck out his tongue at Otto, which was a very mature thing to do, and then gave a little nod and a deep breath. Chance felt Otto's fingers slip away and then he was bobbing up and down in the water by himself. There was a certain sense of exhilaration mingled with surprise that he was actually managing to float by himself.
Approximately ten seconds later, however, the instinct to fall got to him, and Chance rapidly put his feet down, dragging in a breath of startled air.
"Almost," he wheezed out, putting a hand against his chest. He found it unsettling that he was so strangely out of sorts over this. "********. This is harder than I thought."
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:20 pm
"Better to panic here then in the middle of the ocean." Otto assured him with a shrug. "Also try usin' yer arms to keep afloat as well. Here. I'll tread water with ya." Otto stepped a pace or two backward, treading water by example. "It's exhausting, to be honest. If ya do go swimmin', I suggest lookin' for a floaty right off the bat. I usually keep a kickboard on hand. They just look cooler than water wings."
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:28 pm
"A fair point," Chance agreed, lifting a hand to run through his wet hair. His fingers were trembling, just the smallest amount, and he buried them into his curls, hoping Otto wouldn't notice. His eyes focused on the movements of the other man instead, trying to memorize the motions.
"A kickboard is one of those flat things, right?" Chance asked, slowly easing himself back into the water, attempting to mimic what Otto was doing. He kept one foot on the ground, and only moved his arms to start.
"Hopefully there won't be any missions involving deep water anytime soon, but I suppose there's no way of knowing."
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 3:49 pm
"Yup. Just a flat foam thing. Its great for when you're in deep water and you get tired or get a cramp. Keeps you floating till you feel better." Otto was slightly surprised Chance was taking it so well, shaking or not. Swimming was probably one of the scarier things to learn, because of the risk of drowning alone. "My grandpa taught me how to swim, back when I was like, seven. Took me to California too visit my cousins. I threw like the worst tantrum and refused to go back in the water after I saw a fish swim by my ankle. They had to bribe me with buckets of candy to try again." He hoped this might ease any tensions Chance held, since the man seemed slightly nervous.
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 3:52 pm
"Do they do a lot of water training here on the island?" Chance asked curiously. "Well, I mean, I'd still rather learn from you, but do they help at all here, or do they just...throw you to the wolves, essentially and hope that you don't drown?"
His fingers had stopped shaking as much as they first were, even if they still trembled slightly beneath the surface of the water. Chance carefully shifted from balancing on one foot to the other, mimicking Otto's gestures.
"Maybe that's what I need after this," he said jokingly. "Buckets of candy."
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:12 pm
"Latter. Definitely the latter." Otto replied. "I feel like this place might benefit from island wide training days in certain things. For survivals sake." But that was his Special. It was something he ought to put together now and then. "I'll look into it." It was something to focus on. Work was good for that. "I can arrange for some candy. Ain't gettin' my bucket tho." "Don't stand up so much." He scolded, noticing Chance favouring touching the bottom with a toe. "Try and do it without standin'."
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:30 pm
"Sounds like a fun time," said Chance, wincing a little as he shifted again. " 'Welcome to Deus, where we throw you in a piranha pool without the fun floaties.' "
He laughed, and it echoed throughout the pool area, which was thankfully empty, save for the two of them. "Stingy," he said petulantly, just to be obnoxious. "Maybe I'll take the bucket when you're not looking if we have another movie night."
It was almost sounding hopeful that they would, both for the company and the movies. Chance made a whining sound, but obediently attempted to lift both of his legs this time, his arms shaking a little with the effort - but to his great astonishment, he found it a little easier this time to bear.
"I think," he said, about thirty seconds later, when he stuck one foot down again. "I think I'm getting this now. Maybe."
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:44 pm
"Pretty sure that's their motto." He grumbled in agreement. "You ain't stealin' my candy. I was in Death for almost three years, buddy." His reflexes were swift. Especially when candy was in jeopardy. "Good. Keep at it." He was no slacker as a teacher, if nothing else. "Gotta make it second nature. That way if you ever fall in somewhere, you won't panic."
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:00 pm
He gave a nod, slowed his breathing down so that it was steady. Otto wasn't tiptoeing around anything, he was being steady and calm without pushing too much and it was exactly what Chance appreciated. He shifted his feet again, trying to compensate, and this time he was able to tread for a good minute before his legs dropped down again.
A smile wormed its way across Chance's face. He ran both hands through his hair now, dripping wet and plastered to his face in limp curls.
"I like the whole not panicking thing," he said with a laugh, and was relieved to see that his hands had stopped shaking (mostly).
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:37 pm
Otto himself was standing too, having run low on stamina from keeping himself treading for a while. "Panic leads to bad decisions." He said matter of factly. "Right now I'm wishin' I packed some lemonade. I'm ready for a break."
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