Half Moon Bay Weyr - Lagoon
// A sandy beach running along the edge of the lagoon, between the sparkling waters and the bowl. Given the weyr's tropical climate, riders and dragons can be seen playing in the water nearby or a dolphin can be seen cavorting nearly turn-round. At other times seacraft can be seen coming in under the arch to dock. The lagoon is large enough to fill a quarter of the length of the bowl.//
It is right after the noon meal, people are moving about there business on the warm winter day. Rukbat shines down on those in the lagoon, Riohra is sitting on the peir relaxing after his chore of dragon washing in his swim clothes. He has his eyes closed and just soaking in the warmth of the day. There are two very happy blue dragons lounging in the sun at the end of the pier.
"Five Marks!" Tanit's voice booms as she stands near the Tiki Lounge patio, feet braced a shoulder width apart, drawn to her full height as she stares down a burly man that looks like he would make up three of her. "Unless your afraid to drown." Holding her glass with a wild grin, knocking back the rest of the amber liquid with a laugh. "I'll take any one of you on, and I'll outlast you all." Whatever is going on, the small group is heading in the direction of the peir, "Yer on missy. Don't say I dint warn ye."
Riohra will look over and see the new face challenging people to a drinking match as he gets up from his spot on the pier. Making his way closer to the tiki lounge he will walk over to Litral and pick up one of those peaches he seems to always be selling. The young man leans on a post and grins watching to see if there is anyone who will take up the challenge.
Drinking contest? No, not exactly. Tanit may have a ridiculous metabolism, but even she knows better than to challenge a man three times her body weight. "Rio, come be our judge." She calls as they reach the pier, stripping the sarong and handing it to the Candidate, revealing her swim attire. "This fine gentleman believes that he can outlast me under water. And we've wagered five marks on it, but really." Tanit grins, "Maybe we should make it ten. The first one to surface loses the wager."
A grunt from the man, who only grins wider at the wager, "Cocky aren't ya lass." Some of his shipmates give him a big nudge, and there's murmuring around.
N'talya walks slowly along the pier looking about as she walks, the green riding dolphineer appears to be looking for someone as she goes.
Riohra laughs and grabs another peach walking over to the pier, he will spy N'talya and wave saying "Hey you might get to save a drowning idiot besides me today" He walks over to where the others are gathering saying as he approaches "ok kids empty your pockets if you got'em, there will be no hidden weights"
N'talya peers the the proceedings and says softly, "What kind of stupidity are they getting up to?" as she moves over to near Riohra and cocks her head to the side.
Jingum is smiling as he walks from the other side the bowl towards the lagoon. He still doesn't know a lot of people here yet but at least he isn't in the infirmary for the first full evening since he arrived. He spies a familiar face from earlier today and walks over. "How's the arm Tanit?"
There isn't any place on Tanit to hide weights. She twirls in her suit as if to emphasize this point. Of course, if there are any Dolphineers in the group she's done for, but she specifically aimed for shipmen, so maybe it will work? "It's fine" Showing the faint lines of the sting all but healed, as she starts breathing differently, just as she would preparing for a dive.
There's a grumble from the largest of the ship's men but a few strip down to skivvies, and there's a small group gathered at the end of the pier now. One a young man built small and squat, and a third who looked like he'd been run along a keel at least once in his lifetime. "Weights. Ha. Ya satisfied candidate?"
Riohra nods and grins at N'talya "look and they say I am silly" he waves at the healer and says to the group at large "there we go, expert dolpineer and a healer on hand. Who is going to hold the money? Because we won't be cheating people here." When addressed by the others Rio will say "looks good, though you might need a new pair after this"
Jingum looks over at Rio and frowns for a moment before getting a quizzical look on his face. "Umm what did I find myself walking into?"
N'talya smirks and shakes her head setting her bag down and sliping her riding jacket off, "In case I have to go in after any of them." she just shakes her head.
Once the contestants are ready, Tanit swan dives off the pier into the water, followed by splashes of various size and severity. Almost immediately the mousy man comes up sputtering and flailing. Either he wants to be rescued by a pretty girl, or he simply didn't think through the fact that he couldn't swim. There are bubbles showing where the others remain, underwater. A lanky man claps Jingum on the shoulder revealing a smile that was more gap than tooth. "Worsht thing that happenssh ish you hafta give mouth to mouth."
Finishing up her own shift at the infirmary, Kelani is passing by as she sees the crowd and their noise. Caught between heading to dinner and curiosity, the latter wins out and she walks over to the group. "What's happening here?" She queries as she steps near Rio and Jingum. There are a few odd stains on her healer's uniform that don't bare asking about.
Finishing up her own shift at the infirmary, Kelani is passing by as she sees the crowd and their noise. Caught between heading to dinner and curiosity, the latter wins out and she walks over to the group. "What's happening here?" She queries as she steps near Rio and Jingum. There are a few odd stains on her healer's uniform that don't bare asking about.
N'talya shakes her head looking down at the flailing man and says, "Shore is that way iffn you need out." acting as if she doesn't care. "I aint on duty here you know…"
Riohra is laughing and watching as the man is floundering in the water becuase that was him he lowers a rope later down so he could climb up if wanting too. he is still watching the others 'divers' for signs of cheating or trickery. He laughs happily and eats a peach on the edge of the pier waves to Kelani saying "hey you ever had a case of drowning by stupidity cuz?" he points at the people in the water.
Jingum is startled by the lanky man as he grabs his shoulder. "Mouth to Mouth? Dare I ask what they are doing that I would need to give CPR?" He watches what can only be called 'the spectcle' as a man is having trouble staying above the water. His attention is drawn to his fellow apprentice. "Your guess is as good as mine Kelnai. I just arrived myself to find.." he points, "this."
N'talya glances to the two healers, "Idiots are putting money on who can stay down the longest." she shakes her head.
So disappointed. Mr. Mousy manages to wiggle his way up the ladder ungracefully. The burly man bobs up like an apple in a water barrel, wiping his eyes and nose, only to curse when he sees at least one stream of bubbles left. He makes his way back in toward the shore. As for the toothless wonder, he just laughs at Jingum, "Cassse one off em drowns." Whistling on the S's.
Kelani looks to her cousin and gives a slight eye roll. "From my understanding that is the most common cause of drowning." she responds before looking back to the water. She looks askance to the other healer and gives a little sigh, "Probably best we stick around then so at least noone dies from this."
The scarred sailor and Tanit emerge almost at the same time, with Tanit behind by mere seconds. Sea-green eyes shift to Riohra and the suddenly larger crowd than was there when she went under. Not likely to be able to pull that hustle again anytime soon. "Who won," Comes the rough voice of the scarred man as he starts swimming back to the less crowded shoreline rather than going for the ladder.
"A guess a healer's job is never done?" Jingum looks at Kelani knowingly and just shakes his head. He looks at the gentleman with no teeth. "No ones drowning on my watch." He nods to N'talya. "And how long? Or just the last one up?"
Riohra will watch as the two come up, and grins at the other people before looking back down "there is no shame in being more buoyant than the little lass may good man. but you did break surface before she did." never mind that they both wanted air at the same time, he will stand up and take a bite of the peach waiting for the contestants to get back on the pier.
"As long as there is stupid in the world, we will always have work." Kelani responds with a half smile to the fellow healer and looks over the contestants to make sure none are floundering. Not that she can help with the rescuing part because she can't swim either!
N'talya smirks and turns away as the last contestand comes pu and bends to pick up her back, she glances at Riohra, "Been keeping up with what I taught you?"
The scarred man seems to accept the answer, but the big guy, the one who could probably bench press runnerbeast? He pushes his way over to Riohra. "I smell a hustle; they came up same time, which means a tie, don't it?" Looking to the healers and the greenrider for confirmation of his assessment. "What is she one of those girlies who swims with the shipfish or something?" He doesn't give poor Riohra a chance to answer before bodily shoving him, forgetting perhaps that Rio is the one playing bank.
As the big guy comes up to Rio, Kelani moves to stand by her side and tries to stand as tall as her 5 and a bit feet let her. "I swear on my oath as a healer, she came up after." She declares with a nod of her head for emphasis. "I have no part in this, but I saw that much." She looks at the man square in the face, even if there is a slight tremble in her hands.
Riohra is not so much moved as he falls back with the the money in hand, at one time he would of been afraid of the deeper water. But now well lets say he doesn't really mind going for a swim, he will how ever 'accidentally' hook the other mans leg with his foot tripping the big man to hit the deck. As the candidate hits the water and comes up swimming, not well mind you but he sure as shells isn't having the panic attack like last time.
A young boy runs in out of breath and winded whispers something to Jingum. The healer nods his head and rolls his eyes. "As I said, a healer's work is never done. Seems I am needed in the infirmary. Guess my full day off was too good to be true."
Kelani is eyed, the bigger man wheezing a minute as though contemplating shoving her in as well. Instead, someone offers to buy him a drink, and the crowd mostly disperses. As for Tanit, she watches as her payday - Riohra falls into the water. "Sore" Something very rude, "Loser." She starts swimming over in Riohra's direction. "You ok Rio?" Faranth! If she kills a candidate on accident there's no telling what kind of trouble might come down.
N'talya smirks a bit and shakes her head looking down into the water and nodding her head as she sees Riohra getting about ok.
Riohra laughs "Of course I am, N'talya tough me to swim" he will flash a grin up as he doggy paddles back towards the pier. there is a large bruise starting to show on his chest "And do you be worrying about your money Tanit. it is safe up there" he points to the bag hanging of the edge of the pier where the hunter fell in.
N'talya smirks and says softly, "Nice trick you have there kid, be careful there are some of us that could beat you at it." looking over to Tanit."
Riohra grins and will wave at his retreating cousin then start climbing up looking at N'talya "so how did I do Teach?" he is abit out of breath but that could be due to the way he was was laughing and trying to swim.
Tanit watches Kelani go before grinning at N'talya. "There's a reason I only go up against Seacrafters, Dolphineers know how to dive, and I'm willing to bet have better training. We don't have dolphins back home, and most of what we learned was handed down through the generations by a craft reject." So there's that.
N'talya smirks and says softly, "Well if you want to learn a few tricks feel free to look me up." she smiles, "I actually have real diving equipment and can and do take people down." she looks at Riohra and smiles, "I give you a A for effort. If you where not a candidate Id take you out there…' the points to the distance, 'And make you swim back in.
Riohra will pale slightly at that but still grins saying "and if I wasn't a candidate I would do it" his voice is a little shaky though. He will grin over at Tanit "oh N'talya is the best, she can learn you all sorts of things about how not to die in the water" probably had this speech himself at some point.
"Damn, really?" Sea-green eyes focused on N'talya, "I'd love to learn to use the equipment, we don't have the tanks either back home." So many things to know. "Actually that healer needs to learn too, but she'd probably fair better learning from you." Tanit notes of Kelani, "You should know how to swim if you live on an island." Looking at Rio she snorts, "You really should start practicing more, it's a life skill."
Riohra will look at the little diver and laugh "oh pick on the forester i see, I will have you know that since my mishap I have made leaps and bounds in recovery and getting back in the water" he is pleased as a dragon who just ate the herdbeast. He will head back over and pick up the money bag and hand it to her saying "it is all yours, you earned it" with that he walks back up the beach heading toward the barracks or possibly the hot springs to soothe his muscles.