Welcome to Gaia! ::

As Mitsu had promised the day finally came when she decided to work with Shun on swimming. She knew he didn't have much faith that it would go well but she did her best to keep her spirits high in hopes of encouraging him that he could do this. It wasn't something complicated, at least she didn't think it was. They just had to find the right technique for him.

Shouldering her duffle bag Mitsu checked over the contents one last time. She already made sure that Shun had a pair of swim trunks so she took charge of bringing the towels and just in case, a set of floaties. Somehow she knew Shun would fight her on the floaties but they were made to help and it was worth a shot. At least in the duffle bag he wouldn't see them. Making sure they were buried under the towels Mitsu also checked over her first aid kit. Not that drowning would need bandages but worse things could happen. With everything in order she zipped up the bag ready to go.

Already wearing her bathing suit under her clothes Mitsu made her way from the dorm toward the pool by the school gym. She smiled brightly feeling good about how it was going to turn out, it was just a matter of getting Shun to feel the same way. Mitsu was worried that if he already felt it was a lost cause he may not even bother to try.

It didn't take her long to reach the large pool. The air was heavy with humidity, warm and smelled strongly of chlorine which burned the nose a little but over all Mitsu enjoyed the atmosphere. At least the water would be cool and that fact that she enjoyed swimming made this a little easier.

Tossing her bag into one of the chairs off to the side she waited for Shun to arrive. In the meantime she started to stretch, warming up her muscles to avoid cramping up.

Seeing Shun arrive Mitsu smiled and waved him over. It was possible she was trying a little too hard to appear chipper hoping her mood would catch on. "Don't sound so down about it," She scolded playfully. "Swimming can actually be fun...you know...once you get passed the drowning aspect." Okay maybe that wasn't the best encouragement but that aside she tried to remain positive. "I know you can do this if you set your mind to it so don't give up just yet."

Once she had stretched Mitsu removed her outer clothing to reveal the two piece panda swim suit she had underneath. It bordered on being scarlingish and yet somehow fitting.

"We'll start at the shallow end first and work our way deeper. Its a gradual drop so we'll move out far enough to where you're feet can barely touch and work on a few strokes that will help you keep afloat." Mitsu explained this as she made her way to the pool side and descended the latter into the cool water. It made goosebumps quickly rise along her skin until she finally grew accustomed to the temperature.

"Well, that's what we're here to work on," Mitsu kept her tone patient as she waited for Shun to enter the water. Once he adjusted to the temperature she held out her hand to him. "Come on, this way then."

Once she had his hand she started to pull him a little deeper the water level slowly rising. Mitsu had to start swimming a few paces before Shun but her ability to tread water seemed almost effortless. She came to a stop as the level rose to Shun's shoulders, turning to face him now that they were eye level. "Alright, now slowly move forward and move your arms like I'm doing. It's just a simple stroke to keep your head up. Just don't go too far out that way if you need to you can still touch the floor and keep your head above water."

Mitsu tried to offer encouraging words as Shun attempted to stay afloat but what came easily to her was quite the challenge for him. She was glad she didn't have her dad's approach to things....she could still clearly remember being shoved in and told to swim only to have her mother yell at him after. Luckily she had been able to swim but that hadn't lessened his scolding. Despite how long ago it was still fresh in her memory.

Once it seemed Shun had given up on the attempt Mitsu moved closer. "Alright let's try this then. Move you arms where you are. Get a feel for what movement helps force you up and what brings you down. You should be able to do that where you are. If you get the feel for it we can try some other types of strokes in the shallow end." It didn't seem like she had lost confidence in the fact that he could do this.

"It may seem that way but its the best way to build stamina for this and the best way to learn how to move without putting too much stress on the body." Mitsu swam to his side and took hold of his arms showing him a way to move and keeping his movements fluid and steady. "Try this. The fluid motion keeps it closer to swimming and less like flailing in the water. If you keep your arm movements synchronized it will keep you from trying to over compensate and in the end sinking as you struggle to correct your movements."

She moved back a bit to let him try that technique. "Did no one work with you before? On trying to swim?" From what she had learned of his father Mitsu was uncertain if swimming would be an appropriate training exercise. True it could be useful but obviously it wasn't terribly important or...she was certain Shun would know how to swim.

"You don't really believe you're a lost cause do you?" Mitsu asked, swimming around to his other side. She was worried his state of mind was holding him back. If he truly believed he couldn't do it then she was certain he would make himself right but if she could flare some sort of hope or even an idea that he could manage it then they would be able to make progress.

Moving so that she was in front of him again Mitsu reached out her hands and placed them on the sides of his cheeks. Her legs kept moving to keep her above water but it seemed even that didn't require much effort. "I really do believe you can do this. Its not impossible you just have to realize that. It might be a little harder because you were given up on before but I will not give up on you. If you sink we'll keep trying and I'll be there to help you."

At least he seemed willing to try. That alone made Mitsu happy as she watched him continue to move about only to sink in the end. She felt bad for him wondering what the issue was. Was she not doing well enough to instruct him?

Hurrying to his side Mitsu took hold of the reaper's arm and hauled him back to shallower water. She only stopped when he was able to stand above water on his own. "We'll keep trying." She assured. "Let's try some strokes to move you across the shallow end of the pool. We'll start with the backstroke since it is often the easiest to perform."

Mitsu demonstrated the technique pulling herself backwards in the water with her arms. She circled around the reaper with this technique until she finally came to a stop beside him. "Just be sure to stay on the shallow end but when you can try to raise your feet. Otherwise just get the feel for how you can pull yourself backwards in the water. Even sinking if you can manage to scramble to something to grab onto it can keep you from drowning."

Mitsu dove as soon as Shun went under but he seemed to be able to right himself without much aid. As she surfaced again she touched his arm, patting his back as his spit up water. "Are you okay?" She hoped this wasn't too daunting for him, not everyone picked up on things right off the bat but Mitsu seemed to have the patience to see this through. Probably to Shun's dismay.

"Hold on I have something that might help." Leaving his side Mitsu climbed from the pool and padded her way over to her duffle bag. There was no easy way about this so she simply snagged the dubbit floaties and made her way back to the pool and jumped in. As she surfaced she made her way back over to Shun holding out the floaties. "Put these on your arms." She said simply. Now Shun would get to decide what was more humiliating. Drowning in the shallow end or wearing dubbit floaties.