You Stink

Writers: Chelle, Jelena
Date Posted: 17th March 2012

Characters: Veerona, Naton
Description: Naton tries to gain Veerona's trust bit by bit.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 6, day 18 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Jylanya, Irabel

Naton was enjoying his slowly blossoming friendship with Jylanya and
found himself curiously interested in anything that was important to
her. Of course, what seemed to be the most important to her, and
rightfully so, was Veerona. Naton had been charmed by the girl at
their first meeting, and thus it wasn't even for her foster mother's
sake that Naton set his mind on earning the little girl's trust. So,
when he came across the child just as he came back from a round of
patrolling, the dolphineer greeted her with a wave from a distance,
waiting to see how she responded to that.

Her harper lessons were over so it was time for her to go do her
chores. For her, that meant putting her clothes away and other simple
things like picking up her toys. Veerona saw Naton, though, and
thought maybe she could avoid doing her chores for a little longer.
She waved back, though she didn't go closer. He looked like he was
wet.

"Hey there, Veerona," Naton said with a smile, taking the wave as an
invitation to come closer. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm okay. You're wet," she said astutely.

"I am indeed," Naton said with a laugh. "I just came back from patrol
duty. Do you know what that is?"

"Nope," she replied. He smelled like seawater, which in itself was not
a bad smell, but mixed with the fish, it was rather annoying. Of
course Vee was more accustomed with the smell than most since she
lived around it, but it wasn't something she liked overmuch. "And you
stink."

That got a boyish grin from Naton. "I know!" he laughed. "I'll go do
something about soon. Patrol duty means you swim along the shore with
a dolphin to see if anything changed recently. It's really nice if the
weather is this good."

"I go swimming sometimes, but I'm still learning. I have to wear
floaties." It made her feel like a baby, to be honest and she hated
the things.

"Do you know it took me ages before they let me swim without
floaties?" Naton confided in the girl with a serious expression. "And
I turned out to be a pretty great swimmer after all."

"I hope maybe I can get better soon so I can throw em away. Stupid
things. They're so tight on my arms." Plus their color made it easy
for people to spot her, including the other children. Vee didn't want
to be a baby.

"Keep practicing and I'm sure you'll get there soon," Naton said with
a smile. "If you would like an extra lesson, I am always in the water.
We can ask Jylanya if I can take you out sometime?"

She didn't know if she wanted to swim with a man just yet especially
one she was just getting to know. "Irabel takes me," she said proudly.

"Oh, Irabel is a great swimmer," Naton said with a smile. "I'm sure
you'll be out of your floaties in no time, if she is helping you!"

"Hope so. Then maybe I can go underwater. Don't like the salt in my
eyes, though, so I need some goggles." She was waiting, though she
knew a pair was rather expensive to make, so it'd be awhile.

"That is something to look forward to," Naton agreed, meanwhile noting
to himself to check with Jylanya just when the girl's birthingday was.
"Did you and Irabel ever swim with the dolphins together?"

"Sometimes. They're funny." She supposed her real mother had been
something like Irabel, but she didn't dwell on that just then. "Did
you know they eat thread?"

"I know, isn't that cool?" Naton said with an enthusiastic grin. "It
dies in water anyway, so it's not dangerous anymore. But I'd never
think of having a bite of thread!"

"I bet it's slimey. Course fish are slimey so maybe that's why they
like it. Have you ever smelled thread breath?" The thought of it sent
her into a fit of giggles.

"Ooh, thread breath!" Naton said, seeming to think that was the most
amusing thing he'd heard in a while and he grinned at the girl
appreciatively. "I can't say I have, then again, I'm not too sure what
thread smells like! I'll make sure to find out, though."

"Well my tummy's rumbling, so I better go." All this talk of thread
eating and fish eating had reminded her it was lunchtime. She wondered
what would be on the menu. Of course she forgot all about her chores.

"Have a good lunch!" Naton said with a smile. "And say hi to Jylanya
for me?" He would like Jylanya to know he was putting in an effort to
get along with her fosterchild, even if it didn't really feel like
effort at all.

Last updated on the March 20th 2012

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