Gwen

#//reblogging for the end :(#iansolko #ian002

Ian surfaced and wiped the water off of his face, scrambling to swim over to the wall and to listen to what Gwen had to say. "I'm sure I'll need some help later, so can do, ma'am," Ian told her, offering her a thumbs-up. Maybe he'd even ask her to help if and when he didn't need it...the idea of swimming alone didn't sound very fun, actually.

Ian was patient, allowing his heart rate to slow down and his breathing to even as Gwen considered his question. In the scheme of things, it wasn’t like Gwen was in charge of him, and regardless of what she said he could just do it anyway…but he wouldn’t. If she told him he wasn’t ready, then he believed her. And then her answer surprised him in a very good way. There were a lot of stipulations in there, sure, but why wouldn’t there be? Just an hour ago, Ian had never swam before. “Wow--okay!” He grinned. “I can do all that: stay away from busy places, don’t be a burden on other people, practice…sounds good! Thanks!” Then Ian stood up and jumped in, doing something he’d always wanted to do into a pool: a cannonball.

#//weeeeee could probably wrap here :(#iansolko #ian002

Ian seemed very excited about being able to swim in the canals, which was simultaneously off-putting and... endearing? She supposed it made sense for them to be excited if they wanted to experience Dvun more fully. She'd been enjoying the canals, personally - maybe he would too. She almost opened her mouth to say something, but Ian was already standing again - to cannonball into the pool... alright, then. Part of her wondered where this energy had been on lap ten, but maybe he'd take some enthusiasm with him to the canals. "...You're welcome," she answered his thanks, after the water had settled a little from his cannonball. "...Let me know if you want any additional lessons after you've had the chance to practice what we went over today." By this point she was confident that Ian wasn't going to drown, so she didn't feel the need to babysit him - and with how excitable he seemed at the moment, she doubted he would be interested in calming it down a few notches for more pleasant interaction.

#//reblogging for the end :(#ryderastrea #ryder006

"I--yeah," Ryder agreed hesitantly, though they weren't sure exactly what she meant by that. Being a medic was what made sense for them, because they weren't good in combat and they trained for this, but they wouldn't argue again. He looked where Gwen was and nodded in confirmation when he saw the building. At least now they could have some snacks and watch a movie--hopefully without having a life crisis. "Let's go."

"Oh," Ryder replied, blinking in surprise. He almost forgot that Gwen knew Skylar well before Robin and Ryder joined the crew. He remembered when Skylar went to Earth when they were twelve, and he seemed so...withdrawn when they saw him again. He knew now that was because he just left behind Ali. Once Skylar started working full time, they saw a lot less of him, so it wasn't that surprising that he didn't seem too brotherly when Ryder thought about it. A lot had changed in the last few years. Skylar was married, and the twins were adults who saw him every day. "Yeah, he has changed a lot. And I know I can't be in the same place as Sky and Robin forever, but...I want to while I can."

Ryder seemed surprised by her admission, for reasons Gwen couldn't fathom. She was pretty new to sharing information with Ryder though, so maybe this was just one of their usual reactions. Or maybe they weren't used to outside perspective on someone they knew so well. Whatever the case, it was a small victory that she'd said multiple things now that hadn't led to another round of panicking from Ryder. "That's fair... as long as you don't overstay what makes sense for you." She was talking more about herself now than she was talking about Ryder, which made her uncomfortable. She looked up ahead. "Is that the movie theater?"

#ryderastrea #ryder006

"Kind of like that," Ian repeated again in a quiet mumble. The rest of her words sunk in...he needed to keep practicing but after he'd rested, he could agree with that as his heart was racing...and the next part piqued his interest considerably. That alluded to the interesting bit of this city, and why he wanted to learn to swim here specifically before they left the planet. "Okay, so uh, do you think that I'd be able to swim in the canals?" They didn't know much about whether the water was 'calm' or not, but they couldn't be that bad if the canals were used as a regular mode of transportation?

Well, that was a loaded question. "Hm." Gwen paused to actually consider it. "The canals themselves should be fine, but some of the other travelers might get impatient - so you'll need to make sure not to block their paths. And you'll need to limit yourself to short trips until you've built up your endurance more. You should stay away from the canals closer to the city center, and don't use any that are closer to open water than the hotel... but if you adhere to all of that, I don't see why not."

#iansolko #ian002

Robin breathed quickly out of his nose, amused with that, and was ultimately relieved that she did want to meet up again. He didn't think she would say no exactly, since they would stay in contact, but it could have also stayed unanswered. It wasn't necessary to think about what-ifs now. "All right, fair enough. I can definitely work with that," he mused. And then--he realized they'd just about reached about the end of things they needed to talk through. Everything else was just work and contact details that would be ironed out in the upcoming weeks. "I guess I'll...see you around, then. On the ship and then after that."

#//yeahh we can probably end here ;-;#robinastrea #robin005

Was she being dismissed? It sounded like Robin was indicating that she could leave, which oddly disappointing, but fair. She didn't have anything else to elaborate on at the moment, he probably didn't either, and it was the middle of the workday still. Either way, it felt... nice to have it reinforced that yes, he did intend to see her around beyond these next several weeks. "Yes, I suppose you will." She stood and started to turn to go, then paused. "Thank you." For his time just now, ostensibly... but everything else, too.

Robin formed a bittersweet smile as Gwen returned his sentiment; that she was going to miss him too. If he’d relied on vocal reassurance from her over the past couple years, then they would have never been friends. But he found that it was surprisingly nice to hear since she wouldn’t say it unless she meant it. “Yeah, I guess so.” Robin laughed quietly. He supposed he had a few options, but… “Maybe we can drop it low the next time we see each other,” he suggested, recognizing they hadn’t exactly promised that they would see each other again, but offering the option anyway. And then, it was at that moment that he fully realized that Gwen had presented her resignation to him first, instead of to the captain first. Because he was her direct supervisor? Or because they were friends? A combination of both? Either way, he knew it would have hurt to hear this secondhand from Daphne, so it meant a lot that she cared enough to tell him that she was leaving in person. “--If you’d like to meet up next time we’re in the area, that is,” Robin decided to finish the thought.

Robin seemed pretty fixated on dropping it low, and it took Gwen a moment to realize that it probably wasn't just about Robin wanting to drop it low next time they saw each other, so much as it was about potentially seeing each other again. But she did get there in the end, so that was something. "... it would be nice to meet up next time you're nearby. We can decide if we'll drop it low after I've had a few drinks." Not that a few drinks would be enough to really alter her decision-making.

#robinastrea #robin005

Ian heard the advice about practicing and exercise, but that was overshadowed by more praise. “Yeah? Nice.” He thought about his third lap; that by an objective observer was his best one. He vaguely remembered having built up the most momentum before that all went downhill, and that he was doing something else with his hips at that moment. They were still tired, but they slipped back into the pool before they forgot about the specific hip movement. “So, kind of like--” Ian kicked off and swam halfway across the pool and back, moving in a good approximation of what he was doing before. “--That?” He finished the thought as he sat down on the edge again.

For how tired out Ian appeared to be, Gwen was a little surprised when he slipped back into the water and swam halfway across the pool again without even being told to do so, seemingly in hopes of confirming the details of his best lap. Surprisingly, their form did improve again - still not as good as the third lap, but better than the last five without a doubt. He'd even reintroduced the specific movement that had prompted her to say the third lap was better than the second. "Kind of like that," she confirmed. "You should keep doing that if you need any additional repetitions to commit it to memory, and then get back to practicing after you've had a rest. But it doesn't seem like you're going to drown or have severe mobility issues in calm water."

#iansolko #ian002

There were a lot of reasons Ryder stuck to his job despite being squeamish and generally uninterested in medicine. The main reason was the fear of disappointing his mother more than he already had, but when he really pictured himself leaving the crew and living on another planet, he hated the idea of being so far from his family. How often would he see them? They didn't even go back to Kraysha for most holidays. This was just easier--caused less trouble. "Yeah," Ryder agreed quietly before realizing Gwen was more or less implying she didn't know what that was like, which made him sad for her. "I mean, I'm really lucky I have what I have, but family doesn't have to be blood-related. Found family is just as important. Sky isn't actually related to me, but that doesn't really matter." Ryder didn't know for sure where he was going with that other than Gwen didn't have to be close with her biological family. She could still find her own.

#//gotta slip in my characters who know each other best talking about each other while they still can ;-;#ryderastrea #ryder006

"I assumed you were including Skylar," Gwen answered, Ryder's reasons for making the clarification going over her head entirely. "...It was pretty surprising, seeing him acting like an older brother when I first rejoined. Of the crew who was here the last time I was, he was easily the most outwardly changed." Not to mention the whiplash she'd gotten seeing him acting like an adoring boyfriend turned adoring fiancé, turned adoring husband. "But I think it's good for him. He seems happy this way... so I can see where it would be the same for you."

Robin was fine with that--they didn't need to get into contact logistics at the moment. She wasn't leaving today, after all. But the information that Gwen was leaving soon suddenly set in after the disbelief and the innate need to fix things was out of the way, and it settled on his chest in the form of grief. He hated when people left. This wasn't the last he'd hear from Gwen, Robin reminded himself. "Of course," he answered her, nodding. Even so, he made a mental note to discuss his master gunner's resignation with the captain sooner rather than later. But that was more work thoughts, and that still wasn't taking priority in his headspace. "I'm going to miss you," Robin blurted out, but after a beat he didn't really regret his admission. "I-it's been a lot of fun having you around," he continued. "And who am I going to drop it low with now?" This was mostly a joke, but he felt there was a bit of truth there.

Gwen blinked, a little surprised by the sudden admission - and elaboration that followed. There was no explaining away Robin missing her as simply missing the Prosperity's Master Gunner (a role that he and Daphne would now have to work on filling), not when the first word he used to describe having her around was fun. Huh. They really were friends. There was a pang in her chest then, at the full weight of that realization only fully hitting her now, as she was about to leave. Maybe there was something to be said for expressing one's sentiments before the last possible minute. Still, she couldn't help but smile at Robin's joke - or was it? She wasn't sure. "I'm sure you'll find someone else to drop it low with. But... I'll miss you too. Even if we are going to be keeping in touch."

#robinastrea #robin005

Ian felt somewhat relieved and happier, offering Gwen a smile when she paid him a small compliment. "Really? Phew." Their smile faded somewhat at the thought of ten more laps, though. Ian had to bite their tongue to keep from remarking on that, but he sincerely hoped he would be developing some abs by the end of all this. Nodding at her advice, Ian peeled off his tank top and set it on the side of the pool, then ducked under the water once more. They kicked off from the side and began the process of ten whole laps.

It was not as bad as it would be if he were a human, Ian figured. The tail helped him to go faster, and since he moved faster the laps were shorter. But he was also out of breath once he came back towards Gwen, and had basically forgotten about the 'making more effective movements' part by the last lap in favor of getting through it. Ian came up and took a large gulp of air, then pulled himself to sit on the side of the pool. "I don't exercise much," he admitted to Gwen in between breaths, while giving a small laugh. "It gets easier, right?"

#//uhh if you have a reason why the third would not be the best ig lmk lol #but my thought was - he's had time to practice effective movements but isn't completely exhausted yet #iansolko #ian002

Gwen watched expectantly as the smile slipped from Ian's face, interested to see if he was going to go along with her instructions or question them. He nodded - smart. It wasn't like she was telling them to swim 10 laps just to see if they would; it was for their benefit. She submerged again too but stay put, watching him intently. There was some effort put toward her advice at the beginning, it seemed - though by the last lap, his form didn't look better to her than it had before she'd made the recommendation. She resurfaced but stayed silent, waiting for them to catch their breath until they prompted her with a question. "It does get easier to swim greater distances if you practice, yes. Exercise outside of the water will help too - but your first few laps weren't bad. The third was the best."

Ryder felt really stupid when all Gwen said was "okay." She was just making a suggestion, he didn't have to react like that. He could've just changed the subject or said "thanks but no thanks" essentially. At least he didn't cry this time. "Sorry," he mumbled, visibly sagging defeatedly. "That was...a lot. What I meant to say was this is fine, and I don't need to do something else. I like being on the ship with my family."

Gwen had no idea how Ryder had wanted her to react, but apparently just saying one word and looking at him hadn't been the move. Was she supposed to reassure him? The very idea would have been extremely annoying a year ago, but now... she mostly just felt bad that she didn't know how. "It's fine. I can understand not enjoying other people making suggestions on what to do with your life. If you prefer being with your family over enjoying your job, that's your prerogative... it must be nice having a close relationship like that."

#ryderastrea #ryder006

It felt perfectly okay that Gwen didn’t have a plan for what she wanted to do instead. As long as she could be happy. Robin’s eyes widened for a split-second, and then he visibly relaxed at this, offering a more genuine smile this time. “Thank god…I was honestly worried I’d never hear from you again. So of course I don’t mind staying in touch. As friends.” Obviously he had never heard her refer to them as such, and it felt really nice. He only lamented that she was stating this shortly before she was leaving. He shifted forward a bit. “I can give you my e-mail, or you can always send messages through comm, or through physical correspondence through ship mail if it’s safe for you to do that…oh,” he remembered the whole resigning thing. Right. Robin slid the folder closer to himself, deciding to look at the contents later. “I accept your resignation,” he said. “Would you prefer I passed this along to Daphne, or do you prefer to tell her yourself?” He didn't have much of a clue about Gwen’s relationship with the captain.

Gwen had braced herself for the worst, so what actually happened came as a pleasant surprise - she was a little surprised by how relieved she was that Robin wanted to be friends, actually, but managed to keep that surprise from her expression. She did offer a slight smile at the confirmation that he wanted to be friends, and his offering of no less than three separate ways they could keep in touch. "We can exchange contact details prior to my departure," she decided. Having more ways to stay in touch was registering as more of a good thing than a danger, interestingly. "I'd prefer to tell Daphne myself. Thank you for giving me the option." It hadn't been as important to tell Daphne in person as it was to be the one to inform Robin, hence her coming here first.

#robinastarea #robin005

Ian determinedly pushed himself to move his tail and arms just so. He'd need a lot more practice for this to become muscle memory, but he thought he was beginning to get the hang of the motions. Their eyes were trained on the carrek waiting for them at the other side of the pool--whom had reached the wall, then moved there at a blindingly-quick pace, and was now watching them carefully to study their movements. Ian reached her not nearly as fast and not nearly as gracefully, but as fast as he could muster. Then he pointed up and surfaced. "So. What do you think?" Ian asked Gwen when she had surfaced as well.

Gwen focused on Ian's movements as they made their way over. Between genuine improvements and her being desensitized to his movements, his swimming was no longer painful to watch, so that was good. More than she'd expected in one session. She was... proud? Hm. "That was better," she allowed upon being asked her opinion. "Now do another 10 laps. Focus on identifying the movements that aren't as effective at propelling you, and minimizing those to conserve your energy for more effective movements."

#iansolko #ian002

Gwen offered him a smile as she explained. That was a relief, as Robin half-expected her not to. And she didn't seem in completely negative spirits, necessarily. Maybe just somewhat uncomfortable. And he was relieved that his worrying was for nothing, that she was leaving to do what she wanted to do. She was more honest than he was used to, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. Robin was happy that they were clearly communicating and that she was confirming some lingering questions he'd had in his mind about her past, but he also wondered if she was only doing so because there wouldn't be any consequences. No point in hiding anything anymore if she was leaving for good...Robin swallowed, nodded, then offered his own faint smile. "That's amazing, Gwen. Of course I don't envy your future battles with your family, but...you're getting out, you're doing what you want to do. I'm really happy for you. Do you know what it is you want to do yet?"

It felt very weird to say aloud that she was getting out... but Gwen she had already pretty heavily implied to Robin that she was somewhat stuck 'in', previously. If forcing herself to explain clearly would set him at ease and possibly plant the seed with him that it was possible to get out of seemingly insurmountable situations, it was worth the effort. She... trusted him, not to spread this around, and after her conversation with Makhaira trusted that it wouldn't place her in peril if word got out some other way. But she did hesitate for a fraction of a second at Robin's question. "I haven't fully decided yet. But I could update you when that changes. If you don't mind staying in touch... as a friend?" She braced herself for him to not be interested in that.

#robinastrea #robin005

laurie-vexen

Laurie looked at Gwen, clearly impressed by her answer. That was so cool - kind of like Aquaman. She'd never been in the situation of swimming through a natural disaster, but sometimes she did wonder how she would fare. "That's awesome. I mean, hopefully swimming through things like floods and tsunamis never becomes a common occurrence for you, but it's cool you're able to do it if you can. I have no idea if I'd be able to. I definitely couldn't swim as fast as you. I can take a few hits and maybe I have a chance against some currents, but I can only hold my breath for so long." Longer than the average Erkuss, definitely, but she knew she could still drown if she was underwater long enough. "I'm content with never needing to find out, though."