[ closed ]

[sclavus]

WHO: Charles Vane + Gwenaëlle Baudin
WHAT: Swim swamming
WHEN: Vague hand waving at Kingsway
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: nah

[ charles vane is lesson planning.

teaching swimming is not actually as simple as it seems like it should be. how was it he learned? oh yeah, blackbeard's crew threw him over the side of the ship and laughed until his flailing eventually turned into doggy paddling. he's guessing the inquisition won't be so keen on that thought. they've made it through several lessons at this point, and done a decent job with it. no one's died, at least, but there could be improvements, especially once they're getting into the fine tuning of it.

so, instead, he's here, pushing himself up onto the edge of the pier while he watches his co-teacher, gwenaelle, tread water a couple feet below. ]

We have to get them to stop using one hand to hold their damn noses. [ they allowed it, after first, because they kept choking down sea water, but it's just not happening. ] Best you tell them. You've a way with them I don't.

Comments

[sclavus]

Exactly.

[ sometimes the good cop bad cop thing works really well, ok? she can warn them they'll get their hands tied behind their backs, and he can come behind her and enforce it. she doesn't look that imposing, no, but most of those looking to sail have been men thus far, and they tend to want to do what she says more than what he says regardless. the smalls in chilled water tends to help that too. ]

Maybe an exercise? Make them carry something while they swim, to keep their hands occupied?

[elegiaque]

( she tilts onto her back, kicking only absently to keep herself in place instead of floating away on the shift of water, hands flat on her belly. she's less self-conscious of the scars than she used to be, though the angry teeth-marks are still new enough to ache, to need resting. she's in favour of practising swimming in clothes, too, because they'll have to, but she's not sure her leg would have supported the additional weight today—

but speaking of things they'll have to do: )

It's not as if they're never going to need to swim with something in their hands, or learn to open their eyes under the water. We don't have to frame it in terms of fixing the bad habit—obviously it will, but you're not always going to be able to rely on a swordbelt, are you?

[sclavus]

[ she'll hardly get any odd looks from charles for the scars she bares, given he sports a slave brand on his chest, and the lashings he'd earned from the slavemaster's whip years and years ago still show in ugly, pale lines along his back, criss crossing his spine and shoulder blades. if nothing else, she's gained more respect from him for it. scars show that you survived something. ]

They'll complain about the sting at first. Best they get used to it now. [ the mention of a sword belt, though, is a good point. ] We can collect practice swords from the gallows, have them swim with them in hand.

If they drop it, it's up to them to dive down and retrieve it.

[elegiaque]

If they're really struggling to begin with, we can let them tie it to their wrists, ( though gwenaëlle's patience as a teacher is limited, and this suggestion comes out a little more condescending towards their students than understanding of the need to pace learning, ) but once they've mastered holding onto it, that's how we should proceed.

You drop it, you find it.

[sclavus]

[ okay that mental image gets a loud, barked laugh, charles leaning back to brace his hands on the deck behind him while he squints up at the sun, grin on his chapped lips. ]

And who's going to stitch their faces back shut when they start flailing and carving each other up? [ because he can absolutely see that happening. hell, he could see trained idiots from Nascere doing stupid crap like that and getting themselves killed. Sometimes being a captain means not overestimating the combined intelligence of your crew when panicked. ]

Chum the water for sharks, maybe we won't have to.

[elegiaque]

I am an expert at stitching up idiots, I'll have you know, ( arch, with a laugh,

but not untrue, and not a skill it isn't very useful for her to have aboard a ship. ) I've a medicine pouch and everything.

But obviously we start with wooden swords, and if they want something with a bit more dignity, they earn it by improving.

[sclavus]

And you'd volunteer for that job?

[ stitching up idiots? oh, gwen. please, love yourself. idiots who slice up their own face deserve to suffer. ] Remind me of that if I ever find my ship and crew again. We could use a medic willing to deal with practically any fool.

[ if his fucking ship ever shows up again. ugh. he misses his pretty boat. anyway, about work. ] Wooden swords it is. Until they can be trusted.

[elegiaque]

You'll be amazed how competent they become to avoid me, ( cheerily.

she's efficient; her bedside manner is about as good as you'd imagine, having spoken to her for longer than five minutes. )

We need a way to be sure they're opening their eyes, though. Maybe have them swim to something—something that they'd have to look to see.

[sclavus]

I believe that.

[ he hasn't known gwenaelle for terribly long, but long enough that she's not to be tested. she's a strong woman with no shame in speaking her mind and then some. any injury that comes to her is likely to get berated into shame before she's finished stitching them together. but if it works, it works. ]

Agreed. Salt water stings at first. They'll need to get well used to it.