Swimming Lessons

From FiranMUX

Ibania arrives, rather breathless, looking around anxiously for Graciana.

Graciana is standing at a very healthy distance from the pool. She looks at it in great trepidation. She is in her full clothing, you'd think she'd be warm or trying to protect herself from the pool with her clothing somehow. But, she is not cowering in the corner, no, she's even brave enough to stand a few feet from it.

Ibania is wearing her full clothing too, but mostly because she was late, in a hurry, and not thinking. Must have been that urgent craving for lamb stew that hit her a few moments ago.

Among the crowds in the area you notice Ibania.

Graciana is glad to be distracted by the late arrival of Ibania. She's more enthusiastic than usual, probably glad to quit her contemplation of the pool, "Lady Ibania! It's good to see you," she inclines her head and dips just a bit in her version of an old-granny-curtsy.

Ibania brightens, glad Graci waited for her, "Mes Graciana! Oh, I am so sorry I am late, Solgarik had dropped by to discuss charity business."

Graciana makes a face, but only briefly, "Ah, him," is all she says, "I hope everything was satisfactory?" she says in a bit more of a charitable tone.

Ibania chuckles a bit, "Well. It depends on how satisfactory is defined." She eyes the pool, "Do they have clothing one wears for this here, or do we need to have some brought?"

Graciana looks a bit puzzled at Ibania's words but also turns to look at the pool. Her expression of distaste mirrors what she reserves for private thoughts of Lucretia and the like, "What DOES one wear to swim?" she says, "This wasn't covered in any of my etiquette lessons..."

Ibania says thoughtfully, "I believe tunics are worn. At least, that is what Sani wore when she retrieved the statue of Banik. I do not think one can swim wearing a stola."

Ibania studies the water, sighing a bit, "Nydiam swims like a fish, I really must practice the skill."

Graciana frowns, "Tunics are for men," she says severely, her arms crossing over her chest, "It shows far too much leg. Goodness gracious, what could she have been thinking?" Her tone indicates more of a 'it figures. It was Zeysani after all'.

Puzzling this over, Ibania frowns, "But stola's cover too much. Really, if you can't kick, you'll sink." She proposes, "How about tunics that are slightly longer than those short things generally worn?"

Graciana just frowns and crosses her arms over her chest, "I don't believe I'll ever swim in front of men. Goodness. They'd think I worked at the Dove," she sniffs, but nods as if this compromise will do. For now.

Ibania smiles, "Well, this /is/ the women's section, I doubt any men will come in /here/. At least, they had better not!" She turns, and gestures, and one of her everpresent guards, female, of course, is despatched to fetch tunics, befitting the modesty of the two swimming wanna-bes. "Now, then, have you ever tried before?"

Graciana looks at the water, "Well, in my youth I would occasionally venture out, only knee high, mind you, out into the water by our village. MY that was quite some time ago. But ever actually try to swim? It's just not very... well, ladylike." She declares. Yes, that's an excellent reason. Water is dangerous, unless one is cooking with it. And even then it's dangerous if Sabine's cooking with it.

Ibania tsks, "And whatever would happen if you fell in by accident? Knowing how to rescue oneself is surely better than sinking to the bottom?" Ibania uses her very best coaxing voice, "Besides, once you've learned, you can tell all the little princes stories about swimming, and how to do it, and not to do it, and they'll look up to you."

Graciana outright laughs, "The boys haven't looked up to me since I was taller than them, and let me tell you, that was QUITE some time ago," she quickly clears her throat, "Well, if I fell in by accident, I assure you, there were plenty of people around to help me out. However, I am not so clumsy as to ever fall in," not to mention she never really got all that close to water, other than bathing and that knee-high thing.

Ibania wheedles, "Oh, come, do let's try. Look, Savika has brought the most darling magenta tunics. How quaint, they look rather old. I wonder where she found them. But they'll do. And well...what if, uhm, well....you can tell Zaridos and Lianos you can swim. And Sadins little girl."

Graciana just sighs, already having resigned herself to the lesson, "I'm only doing this so I can teach others so there will be fewer ill people coming in, having swallowed water. I've been seeing far too many lately," she says frowning. She looks at the tunic and quickly changing into it before declaring, "I feel more naked in this than I do in the baths." Boy, is she ever excited to learn how to swim. Oh boy oh boy.

Ibania changes into her own tunic, dancing a bit, laughing, and tugging out the front, "I think this one may have been worn by someone weighing /much/ more than I. Or perhaps I shall save it for when I am fat and clumsy." She grins, then steps carefully into the pool, "Ah, at least the water is warm!" trying her best to be absolutely positive about the entire thing. Except this water isn't bath water, and while it may be clean. It may be perfect for swimming, and it may be indoors, one thing it is not, and that is warm.

Graciana looks dubious, "I see goose bumps on your legs, Lady Ibania," she says most severely, "Don't lie to me young lady," she sniffs. In a martyred tone she steps closer to the pool, "I bet little girls and boys have gone to the bathroom in that pool," she makes another face like she's eating one of Sabine's cooking attempts, but only when the Queen isn't looking.

<OOC: ROLL> Graciana rolls her Intuition + Bs Detection at difficulty 5 and gets 6 successes.

Ibania can't help laughing, "I'm not lying, precisely...just..embroidering the truth a bit. It /is/ warm....compared with the river outside." She eyes the water, suddenly wondering herself whether anyone has peed in the pool. "You don't think really?"

Graciana sniffs indelicately at the 'embroidering the truth' bit. She moves to stand at the edge of the pool. She does NOT look very happy. The things she does for her people. She does, however, say, "I just bet they have. Can't you feel the yellowness attaching itself to your legs?" is that a glint in her eye? Never.

Ibania hefts herself onto a nearby ledge, kicking a dubious foot into the water, which looks like ordinary water. "Surely they circulate it." She looks around for an attendant, but sadly, all are on break. Or finding urgent things to do upon seeing the two enter. Frowning, Ibania eyes the water, then looks sharply back at graci. Surely the priestess wouldn't /tease/.

Graciana sighs, "I remember the boys and girls of the village occasionally going out to the water just to do so. I do believe they at least fish out the more... solid waste, if any children suddenly feel the urge to, well, you know." She looks at the water, "Is there some brown floating there in the corner?" she asks.

You say "Heck," she adds as a afterthought, "Where do you think all the fish go out in the river?""

Ibania glares towards Graciana, "No, there is nothing of that nature in here." firmly. After a really good thorough look. "Nor," triumphantly, "are there fish in here. Now stop stalling, and come in. It isn't.... freezing." If she were younger though, she'd have her hands over her ears, saying nanananana.

Graciana sighs in martyrdom. She closes her eyes and puts one foot. Her toe, really, in the water, "It IS freezing!" she declares, holding the hem of her tunic down, now feeling naked AND freezing.

Ibania giggles, enjoying this, now. "Oh come. It's not freezing or there would be ice on it!" /so/ charmingly cheerful. "Come, just....duck in! It's the best way to do it!" And now she has to prove this, miss only- has-her-feet-in-to-the-knee. Taking a breath, she slips off the edge of the pool and nearly comes unglued, sputtering, "Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" gritting her teeth, to stop them from chattering, "R-r-refreshing!"

Graciana snorts, "Refreshign my as... asphalt," well, she would have said that if asphalt was created in these days. Instead she stumbles and says, "as-thumb." Darn I wish they'd invent asphalt already. "Now your arms have goose bumps, Lady Ibania." She seems to be enjoying this sideline-view, "Why don't you duck your head in, Lady Ibania. Surely that will be even MORE refreshing..."

Ibania gulps, treading water, but this is, at least, providing some needed energy...and warmth. And her Istabannos pride is surfacing. She WILL go under. Just to prove she isn't c-c-c-cold. *duck* *gasp* "S-s-seee? C-c-come in, it's....." cold. Think of another adjective, quick. "wet." rather lamely.

Graciana tries not to laugh, really she does, but the site of Ibania, wet as a rat, hair clinging to her and her tunic floating up above her waist. But those little sputtering sounds come out of her instead, and her lips twitch, she just can't contain it very well. It's downright painful to hold it in. She bites her lip. Hard. As innocently as she can she manages, "Your tunic is riding up," before she has to clamp her teeth back on her lip. That's gonna leave a mark.

Squirming while treading water and looking down at the same time isn't the easiest for experienced swimmers. Add in cold water and it's downright difficult. Ibania tries smoothing down her tunic. Except this means her arms are no longer treading water and under she goes. Swimming to the surface, up comes the tunic. Hmm. Major dilemma here.

Yup, those are tears squeezing out from Graciana's eyes. Tears of laughter. And yes, that looks like blood from her lip. The taste of the iron in her own blood on her tongue causes Graci to let loose of her lip. Which is fatal, really, because she's laughing. Hard. Out loud now. She can't even see (not that she can see really well at the best of times) but with tears streaming from her eyes and clutching her own stomach she tries to remain standing. Unfortunately, the footing isn't all that stable and her feet go sliding out from under her. Oh dear. She teeters at the edge of the pool for a while, the laughter now stopping, her arms flailing. In slow motion, she starts to fall...

Ibania's eyes widen at first in a scowl at being laughed at, then in expected hilarity at the inevitable result, then panic because Graci's form is headed directly for her. All of which take far too much time deciding which direction to go. Choosing one at random, she strokes haphazardly for one corner of the pool. Distant chortling can be heard from the everpresent grouping of Eagle guards.

Graciana would turn and scowl at the guards, but she's a little distracted by her first true flight. Her arms are even flapping, she looks like some fat magenta dove with its feathers plucked out trying to fly. Well, naturally she doesn't succeed. A huge splash comes, of tidal wave proportions (well, a little smaller. It IS only a pool) comes from the landing. Oh the attendants are going to have a LOT of fun cleaning THIS up. With luck, it will splash those guards too, and with MORE luck, enough water will have gotten out of the pool for Graci to stand. She goes under.

Ibania turns, then realizes that 'accidental' immersion has happened. And graci /can't/ swim. Worry replaces hilarity, even if the guards are still doing the silent shaking thing. "G-g-graci!" she shrieks, reaching and grabbing at magenta colored cloth at random. Some rescue /she's/ managing.

Graciana's belly surfaces first. If this doesn't give Graci nightmares and prevents her from EVER swimming, nothing will. Her arms and legs are still flailing and Graci's trying to get her feet under her. She's sputtering and her face comes up. She's screaming and yelling something like 'help' but then she goes under again, her attempts to flail, uh, swim are only hindered by Ibania trying to pull her tunic off!

Ibania sputters, yelling frantically, "Quit hitting me!" only to get a mouthful of water. *glug* She flails her own hand, grabbing hold of one side of the pool. The other tugs at whatever seciton of Graci she can grab, if any, pulling her towards the side as well. She is cringing, trying to avoid wildly swinging fists.

Graciana's head comes out of the water thankfully, at Ibania's efforts. Unfortunately, what Ibania's pulling is Graci's hair, causing Graci to sputter and cough out water, then cling to the side of the pool as if someone were going to rip it away from her at any second. She's not thinking that she might have swallowed some pee, no, she's just glad to have hold of the cold marble as she's ever been glad of anything. She rests her head against the side of the pool, her grip on it is white- knuckled, "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" she says between sputters of water coming out of her lungs, "And make me bald."

Ibania releases the cranky hag, gasping, amidst shivers, "N-n-no, y-y-you're t-trying t-t-to kill me! Why didn't you use the st-steps like anyone else?" Both her hands are clutching the side of the pool as hard as if she couldn't swim either. Maybe she's forgotten how. Maybe she WANTS to forget how.

Graciana hears Ibania's shivers and promptly is reminded of the cold as well. She starts to shiver too, "Because you cursed me to fall in," between her teeth clattering. Except, Graci's butt starts to float up, she's going to end up face down in the water again! Graci's eyes widen dramatically, and she clutches the side even tighter. A faint squeaking noise emerges from between her lips.

Ibania denies any wrongdoing. "I d-d-did not. N-now, I'm GOING to do this." She certainly isn't going to get into this situation /again/. "Kick your feet out behind you, but hang on to the side of the p-pool." Oh please, gods, let no one come in to see how foolish they both look.

Graciana is distracted by her rising midsection and butt. So she doesn't counter Ibby's statement as she usually might, "But my TUNIC is riding up," comes the wail, "How can this possibly be right!" her feet kick faintly but her lower half still rises and rises, causing her panic to rise equivalently.

Ibania steadfastly doesn't look in Graciana's direction. Besides, her own tunic is rising, too. Always has been, "I think it's the material. It's got...I don't know, but it wants to float! And it is right, just kick." Oh please let her get the hang on this, it's freezing!

Ibania closes her eyes momentarily as if in prayer.

What? Ibania doesn't want to see a wrinkled old saggy butt? Or the wrinkled legs that look like cracks in the skin all the way down to her toes? What could Ibania be thinking? Wrinkles are SO fasionable! But Graci too wants out of the water. Her eyes screw shut and her her teeth audibly grit. She kicks. Weakly. Her heels rising out of the water along with her bobbing butt.

Ibania cheers Graciana!

Ibania splutters the equivalent of a cheer for the kicking oldster next to her. "Yes! Th-that's the way! You can do it!" She growls under her breath, "You had BETTER do it," then her fingers slip on the hard sides of the pool, she lets go, and cracks her chin on the side, biting her tongue.

<OOC: ROLL> Graciana rolls her Perception at difficulty 7 and gets 1 success.

Graciana hears SOMETHING from Ibania but that's after her courage is bolstered by the cheer. She kicks a bit harder although it's still pretty wimpy. Graci's not all that strong. "Yeah, I'll get better," she says between gritted teeth," well, good thing she didn't hear the WHOLE thing.

Ibania tries talking around what she is /certain/ is half a remaining tongue. "Haw awre you doeeng?" regaining her grip, which she makes damnsure is firmer than it was before.

Graciana's white-knuckled grip doesn't loosen, "I'm swimming! I'm swimming!" her feet are kicking weakly, yes. Not what most people would consider swimming but, ya know, it's what Ibania told her to do. That must be it.

Ibania looks encouraging, "OKaawy! Gooowd. Naow jusht let go and paddle wiath yawr handth!" carefully feeling her tongue to her lips. Not severed, just swollen. Darn. Not even any blood to evoke pity, either.

Graciana is most definately NOT letting go of the side, "Why are you talking funny?" she says to distract Ibania. Her kicking stops, but her lower half still floats all of it's own. Her wrinkles must have captured a lot of air on the way in, because there's no way that's fat causing the floating. No way, uh-uh.

Ibania neverminds, "Doshn't matter. C'mon, I'll sthow yaou haw." She lets go, and tries to dogpaddle about the pool.

<OOC: ROLL> Ibania rolls her Endurance + Swimming at difficulty 6 and gets 3 successes.

Ibania manages a creditable job, reaching the other side, "Okay, now you try!"

Graciana thinks . . o O ( OK, that doesn't look that hard. Still, there was that matter of water-swallowing just a second ago. Who knows what's in that water. )

Graciana looks at the water, then at Ibania at the other side, then the water again, "I don't know..."

Ibania coaxes, "Oh come on....if you make it, we can get out, get dry, get into our OWN clothes, and get some soup!" Now, if that isn't incentive she doesn't know what is.

<OOC: ROLL> Graciana rolls her Courage at difficulty 7 and gets NO successes.

Graciana looks ambivalent, "I don't know," she chatters, "That water's cold, and the only time I want to swallow water is when I'm drinking... I much prefer tea."

Ibania coaxes in her most persuasive tone, "But if you learn HOW you won't swallow any. And the sooner you learn, the sooner you can teach others, and prevent all those people getting hurt, and...and..wouldn't it be nice to be warm and dry?"

Ibania tries to persuade Graciana to swim across the pool. >>> You are persuaded by Ibania. <br><br> >>> You should swim across the pool unless it is outrageously out of character. <br> If you refuse to swim across the pool, you need to contact an admin, notify Ibania of the dispute, and postpone play until a decision can be made. Use the @911 command.

Graciana looks dubiously at the water, "What do I do with my hands again?" she says, grimacing.

Graciana lets go, slowly, with one hand, but only to tug the tunic down.

Ibania encourages, "Just paddle. Here, watch me. See?"

<OOC: ROLL> Ibania rolls her Swimming + Endurance at difficulty 6 and gets 2 successes.

Graciana bites her lip but winces as she hits the sore spot from earlier. She slowly lets go and tries to paddle.

<OOC: ROLL> Graciana rolls her Swimming + Endurance at difficulty 6 and gets 1 fumble.

Ibania brightens, then winces, "nono! paddle, paddle! Don't /worry/ about the tunic!"

Graciana sinks. Like a rock. She can't hear the words, she only sees a blurred kicking figure that is Ibania's lower naked half. She closes her eyes. Well, not really the last sight she wanted upon this earth. And not even to die upon Soli's flesh but instead in Zin's grasp. She wonders, idly, if Zin will take her to Unot. She just stops paddling and kicking. It seems to be just sinking her faster.

Ibania offers a prayer of patience. Here we go again. She kicks off from the side. At least magenta is easy to spot in the water. She grabs onto the tunic, and heaves Graci towards the side. Enough is enough for one lesson.

<OOC: ROLL> Ibania rolls her Swimming + Muscle at difficulty 9 and gets 1 success.

Graciana's grip is less than strong on the edge of the ledge this time. She doesn't say a word, just coughs up water. She rests her head over the edge.

Ibania comments, "Maaaaaaybe another day." She isn't looking so great herself. "Savika! Bring us towels, please! And help us out of here, it's freezing." Oh sure, NOW she tells the truth.

Graciana says quietly, "I don't think I like swimming." Understatement of the year.

She might even dislike it more than she dislikes Zeysani. No, wait, that would be pushing it.

Ibania looks in agreement, "I don't think I do either." A bit of a struggle, and ah that blessedly warm towel.

Graciana is less than amused/laughing now. She gratefully takes the warm towl and wraps it tightly about herself, heaving a shuddering sigh. She shakes her head. She steps carefully, if shakily further away from the pool.

Ibania offers, trying to be optimistic, "You uh. Really did a good job. Good kicking, you uhm, got the kicking part down, really!"

Ibania praised Graciana!

<OOC: ROLL> Graciana rolls her Intuition + Bs Detection at difficulty 7 and gets 4 successes.

<OOC> Ibania notes she /did/ get the kicking down.

Graciana doesn't even dignify that with an answer. She doesn't even look up. After a thoughtful pause, though, she does say, "Thank you," but that's it. She takes the tunic off and dresses slowly, her hands shaking a bit, "Burn that tunic, please," she says quietly.

Ibania eyes her own, and admits, "I don't much care for mine, either." A sigh, then a slow evil smile, "I believe...I shall give them to Sani and Shona. For swimming in. They seem to like certain tendencies those tunics have."

Graciana's dander rises a bit over the dampness her mood took over the dunking, "Loose, immoral, evil women," she grumbles quietly to herself, mouth thin.

Ibania mutters, "One of em is, for certain." though she doesn't specify which.

<OOC: ROLL> Graciana rolls her Perception at difficulty 7 and gets NO successes.

Graciana just sighs, "Well. I'm so glad I now know how to sink better than I did before. Oh boy." She says deadpan.

Ibania grins, regaining her good humor, "Oh, come now. You're better than you were."

Graciana nods, her nose wrinkling. Nothing like having your life saved (and threatened) by person to pull you together, "At sinking," she says, nodding agreeably. She glares at the guards now that she thinks to. They laughed at her when she was DYING in the pool.

Ibania glares too. Just because.

Graciana stomps soggily over to a guard and her cane makes that little loud thumping that it only does when she's either angry or in a hurry, or for emphasis, "You couldn't even HELP pull me out? Nooooo. You had to LAUGH at my misfortune. What kind of guards ARE you?"

Graciana says darkly, "I think I shall inform Bannos of how poor his guards are when he returns," she says right to the guards, looking each of them in the eye.

Ibania hushes Graci, "Now, now, they couldn't know. How else are you to learn? And those aren't Daddy's. Those are Nydiam's."

Graciana crosses her arms over her chest, "Fine. I shall talk to the queen about them," THERE. That's a threat that should have them quaking in their boots. The queen's precious nanny almost died. The queen would have their heads for not doing anything.

A few lights can be seen burning bright this evening as some hard working Firans tend to their chores.

Ibania doesn't know about the guards, but /she's/ quaking. "I'm sure they wouldn't have let things go /that/ far, Graci. Are you warm again?" hopefully.

Graciana turns from the guards at that threat and turns back to Ibania with a big sigh, "Warmer. I think I lost some hair in that little ... episode," is all she refers to it as. She pins up her hair again. It does seem thinner now.

Ibania tries to look like she feels bad. Not very well, however, "Er, it uh, well. Can Sabine swim? perhaps you can teach her?"

Graciana looks shocked, "Soli forbid. If anything should happen to her..." Not only would Elianos kill her, Graci herself would go to meet Unot willingly. She looks at the pool with a slight amount of horror.

Ibania murmurs, "Will you be able to get home alright? Should we escort you there?"

Graciana shakes her head, "I've gone home wet before. I shall just have to walk quickly and hope not to slip." It isn't too far, although it will sure seem like it today. She takes a deep breath to summon her courage, "I shall manage." Mostly because it's OOCly faster and her player needs sleep. ;)

Ibania gestures to two of her retinue, "Make sure she gets home safe." The or else isn't verbalized but is there nonetheless.

Graciana smiles warmly at the two, "Or we might make you swim the river and see how funny YOU think it is," she says with no small amount of satisfaction. She nods her thanks to Ibania and makes her way out, eager to go home.

Ibania tries not to smile. Really.