Video. POOL POOL POOL

[throwsdown]

Who: Takeshi and you!
Broadcast: Video // Fleetwide.
Action: The pool on the Iskaulit!
When: Now-a-day.

Hey guys! It's Takeshi, captain of the SS Goldstone.

[He gives a little salute. Behind him, there's a clear view of a pool: it's roughly the size of a backyard pool, featuring a single low diving board. There is a curtained off area for changing, as well as a storage area full of colorful floaties that have logos of various Atroma sponsors printed on them (thank you, pool description). Takeshi's clearly been doing some dope belly flops himself, because his hair is wet and sticking up everywhere on his head. It's one of the rare times the boy can be seen not wearing that weird black power suit of his.



Hoi Hoi paddles along in the shallow end, where Takeshi sits.

Are these things water-proof? He's not sure.]

I just wanted to let you know in case you didn't see yet — me and Nami and the others got together and helped get a pool on the Iskaulit! So if you wanna swim without having to leave the fleet, we got that now! You should all come by and we can all swim and have lunch.

... I was thinking about practicing my swimming more today, 'cus I'm still not real great at it.

It's important to be very strong swimmers! Even in space.

[Actually. He wonders...]

... How'd you guys learn how to swim?

Comments

[Video/voice]

[brothersboots]

[Hello, Takeshi, have a child-like old lady stare at you but you might not be able to see.]

I had to teach myself so I didn't drown.

[She's not kidding. Eizen's cursed blessing is pretty awful.]

It was either that or join the rocks at the bottom of the river near my mountain.

[Fuzzy Person Video]

[throwsdown]

[WELL HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE HER... FUZZILY.

Mostly from experience here on the fleet with all your dang seraphim.

He squints anyway like he forgot his glasses. Glasses he doesn't wear of course.]

That's scary! Did you fall in?

Fuzzy Person Video]

[brothersboots]

[Fuzzy is better than nothing. Also, stop that. You look weird.

Er.

You look weirder. :)]

I suppose. It was a long time ago. And probably one of the least troublesome incidents in my life.

[Fuzzy Person Video]

[throwsdown]

[No I will not stop, I will squint forever.]

That sounds pretty scary, though.

One time I almost got dragged into a acid river; that was pretty bad, too!

[Fuzzy Person Video]

[brothersboots]

[Fine, but don't cry when people make fun of you because you look ridiculous. And by people, Edna means herself.]

I suppose it was at the time but it was just one of many incidents of my childhood.

[She cocks her head to the side, curiosity all over her seraphic face.]

An entire river of acid? Are the humans on your planet really that bad?

[Fuzzy Person Video]

[throwsdown]

[He shakes his head wildly.]

No, not my planet, silly!

It was a planet we crashed our ship on! Before I joined the fleet.

[Fuzzy Person Video]

[brothersboots]

[Edna is curious, but she doesn't press it like Sorey or one of the others would. Instead, she just gives a slight hum before asking her questions.]

So, you were in space before you were kidnapped. What was that like? Was it better than this?

video

[kill_switch]

[She shouldn't really answer this. There's no need. But then she remembers getting caught in the snow and didn't Max almost drown once and it's possible swimming would be a good skill to know.]

I didn't.

[It's what happens when you grow up in a wasteland and water is a restricted substance.]

video

[throwsdown]

[He blinks, looking surprised.]

Miss Furiosa, you never learned how? Not ever?

Re: video

[kill_switch]

Never really had the chance, until I came here. Never thought to make time for it.

video

[throwsdown]

But have you learned yet? It's important to know, especially with all the planets fulla' water we visit!

video

[kill_switch]

I haven't. I just ... avoid those planets.

video

[throwsdown]

Oh... well...

Come down to the pool! I'll help you learn!

video

[tough_love]

Oh? It is finished already?

[This has just been a great couple of weeks for Looma. First a wedding, now the pool's done too! ...it's admittedly a foreign concept to her, but you know what, she'd fairly recently discovered that swimming is *awesome* because she's never seen that much water in one place in her life. Khoros is kind of a barren hellscape that would put Mars to shame, alright?]

I will have to find suitable attire at once!

[SO EXCIT- oh right, the tiny human had asked a question, hadn't he?]

I am afraid I did not learn to swim until recently. A strange human and his much more sensible friend were offering classes. It seemed both a useful skill to have, and another way to remain in fighting shape!

Video

[throwsdown]

Yeah!! It's pretty cool, right?!

[Ah. But he gives pause.]

Do they not have pools where you're from, Miss Looma?

[tough_love]

They do not, little one. My planet has precious little water, it is a luxury we cannot afford.

[Well, for her, money wasn't so much the problem as 'crops don't grow with wishful thinking alone,' and she and her father did have a kingdom to maintain.]

You humans are quite fortunate to dwell on a planet with so much of it!

[throwsdown]

I never thought of it like that...

Maybe that's why aliens keep attacking us on earth. 'Cus we've got some cool stuff.

[tough_love]

It is certainly possible! That wasn't my reason of course, but it was never your planet I was interested in.

[There's a two-handed dismissal tossed in there for good measure, because obviously a casual mention of planetary invasion is the sort of thing you can just brush aside that easily. At least she still seems to be in good spirits, not...swearing vengeance or something?]

[throwsdown]

[He stares worriedly for a moment.]

... Miss Looma, you attacked earth before?

[itstheirworld]

[Whoever this kid is, he's cute. Kind of reminds her of what Maggie's baby could look like if it was a boy. She blinks, but with the tiniest smile.]

I learned in the first grade. My parents gave me swimming lessons...

It's not a bad idea to let people learn.

[throwsdown]

[He looks mightily impressed.]

First grade!! That's when kids go to school, right?

That was real cool of your parents. I didn't learn 'til I was in space. But my adopted parents there taught me.

[itstheirworld]

Yeah. It was.

It was a pretty common thing most parents did, but mine were also pretty into staying active. [Not many people could get her to open up this much, so of course it's a kid that looks mightily impressed that does.] Who were your adoptive parents?

[throwsdown]

Heather and Mr. Ned.

[His shirt twists sheepishly in his hands, and he sways a bit.]

We lived in space, and they're not from my world, but they helped me a lot. I never really knew parents could be like that... I mean, my real dad was like that, but he died when I was really small.

...

Even smaller.

[itstheirworld]

You mean you where somewhere in space before here?

[This is how it's sounding to her so she has to clarify. He seems so young to be taken from his home world, and she pauses, taking a second to pull herself together for how bad she feels for him. Pity helps no one.]

They sound like nice people. What did they help you with?

[throwsdown]

[He nods.]

I went to the Tranquility when I was five years old. I think.

Ned and Heather helped me with... um, with reading, and writing... I had a birthday there -- a real one! And we read bedtime books, and... stuff like that. They always tried to take care of me, so I had to try to take care of them back.

It was dangerous there sometimes.