Ready to be Introduced

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 25th March 2007

Characters: Swift, Kateena
Description: Kateena and Swift meet on the beach at the end of the day.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 3, day 14 of Turn 4

Swift walked along the beach in the rain. Nothing like rain to keep people out of his way during the candlemarks he had off from the kitchens. He grinned, not minding the weather, and ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead and wiping some of the water off his face as he did so.

The rain was still over the beach when they neared the shoreline. They had followed the stormclouds over, coming in from checking the reef a couple of hundred dragonlengths off shore. Civi bounded through the waves, Kateena her hand on his dorsal enjoyed the sensation of virtually flying through the water.

She could see a lone figure walking along the sand, and recognised him from his lithe figure. Swift. It could be no one else, even from this distance she recognised his physique. "Take me right into shore, please Civi." she yelled over the sound of rain on the water.

Swift paused to watch the dolphin and dolphineer heading for the shore.
If he hadn't been so interested in cooking and baking and all the varied jobs of kitchens he might have been that dolphineer - swimming with a special dolphin friend in the rain. He smiled to himself, wondering why his mind was exploring the 'what ifs' all of a sudden.

Civi took her in as far to shore as was safe for him, he was a large dolphin and his stomach wasn't very far above the sandy bottom when he stopped to drop Kateena off. The dolphineer stood in chest high water, and gave one last pat to Civi before he turned and made his way off to feed.

She turned and swam the last dragonlength or so into shore, aware now that she was being watched by Swift. She wondered if he had any idea from this distance who she was, but doubted it; with her water bedraggled looks she could be any one of a number of dolphineers.
"Heyla, Swift!" she called, waving her arm in greeting as she stood up and walked the last few steps into shore.

The old man smiled and made his way down the beach to the dolphineer smiling widely. "Journeywoman Kateena."

"What are you _doing_ out here in this weather?" she asked, realising once she was out of the water, just how heavy the rain actually was.

"Walking?" He shrugged. The day was still warm and he had a change of clothes back in his room. "I won't melt, you know."

"No, probably not, but as you can see, the beach isn't exactly crowded...or is that the idea?" she asked, wincing a little as she realised she may be intruding on his time alone.

"I do like having the place to myself," he admitted. "But that's not the reason I'm out now. I like the rain - it rains so _well_ here - and I only get certain times off during the day so if I'm going to get out and enjoy the world, I have to do it regardless of the weather."

"Okay, just as long as I'm not interfering in your quiet time?" she felt a little embarrassed now to have lobbed onto him when he was out trying to have some time to himself. "I..maybe I'd better go.."

"No - There's no need." He rubbed his hand over his face again. "I'm not handling this very well. Sometimes I like being alone - doesn't everyone? Not right now, though, and not if the company is you." That sounded a lot more personal than he meant it to.

Her eyes widened, "Oh....okay..if you're sure." she could feel a slight flush creeping up her chest and across her face. "I have - um, had a habit of pushing myself into friendships before, and I..didn't want to make a pest of myself while I'm here." How could she explain? Did he realise that despite the bravado, she was unsure of herself? She had made the mistake before of being too upfront, to cover how insecure she was.

"Well you'rre not making a pest of yourself with me," he assured her.
"Would you like to walk -" he waved a hand to indicate the rain-swept beach, "- or are you headed into the Hold?"

"I can go for a walk, yes. I'm wet as I am, so I can't get any wetter, can I?" she smiled at him through the rain.

"No, you can't, and the fresh water will rinse you off." He indicated the direction he had been heading down the beach and started to walk.
"Is that your partner out there?"

She nodded, as a different, more wistful smile crept across her face, "Yes, that's Civi. He's curious, I guess." she looked out across the waves, as Civi bounded through the surf, a few dragonlengths off shore.
"He was supposed to be going off to find something to eat..."

"Curious about why you're walking in the rain?" Swift suggested, though it was entirely possible that the dolphin was curious about who she was walking with. The creatures could be as nosy as old aunties sometimes.

"That too." she laughed, she watched as Civi made his way back and forth across the waves, sometimes coming in closer, and then splashing as he disappeared into a wave face, "He's probably making sure I am alright, after all, for him the alarm bell at the end of the pier isn't too far away."

"He thinks I'm a _threat_ to you?"

"Possibly? I think he's just curious," she turned and smiled up at Swift, "it's not often that he doesn't meet someone I talk to. They're usually part of the 'pod', so he gets to interact."

"Mostly you know dolphineers?" he suggested. "That's not so surprising.
Well, tell him if he does go and eat that I'll be on my best behaviour."

"He won't leave until he has met you." she chuckled, "Promises mean nothing to him, he needs to assess you." Taking Swift's hand in her own, she tugged him towards the water, "Come on, you're already wet, and as you've pointed out, the rain will wash us clean again."

"He might eat me!" Swift teased, letting her pull him along for a moment before slowing her to a halt. "I wasn't intending on swimming. Hang on a moment." He pulled his hand out of her grasp and hauled off his shirt. If he ended up swimming then the constriction of fabric around his arms and shoulders would be frustrating. "Now I'm ready to be introduced."

Last updated on the March 25th 2007

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Ready to be Introduced