Closed It's as cold as ice! [Baelin]

[Kai']

34th of Fall 515av
The Great Harbour
Late Morning

　

　　　The sound of the softly lapping Suvan sea against the hull of his personal casinor, was the first thing the young Svefra's senses awoke to. Syna's gleam, although late in the morn, was faded. Her vibrance failing with the progression of the colder snaps of Fall. As Kai flipped over in his hammock, his blanket suddenly slipped from his groggy, loose grip to the floor. His whole body was instantly shocked awake as the chillier morning air shivered over his bare skin. Gooseflesh prickled his arms and legs as he lay on his side convulsing in the morning chill, refusing to get up. Alas though he could stomach the cold no longer and groaned as he rolled from his bed - the battle lost.
　　　Hair a mess, strewn in all ways, the young Svefra wrapped his prickled arms around his bare torso as he stumbled to the storage chest at the foot of his swinging hammock. A sharp gasp escaped him, more shivers were sent in waves down his spine as he pulled on his simple white shirt and navy trousers - which were colder than he was! Despite his assigned date of birth being given to him in winter, Kai was definitely not a fan of the Season nor of the one leading up to it. He loved to bask in Syna's warm summer rays and sail with spring breezes in his stubbly face. The one thing Kai missed more than anything in the briskier months, though, was not being able to feel the smooth waters of the Suvan glide over his skin.
　　　A true child of Laviku, Kai relished his time spent breaking through the salty waters of his cherished God. The tranquil sensations across his body as he swam was something he struggled to go without and was perhaps what contributed most to his distaste for the colder seasons. However, Fall was only just beginning to encroach into its more frigid weather. Perhaps the Suvan would not yet be too unbearable to take one last swim before it would become too dangerous.
　　　Excited like a giddy child, the young Svefra decided to chance a brisk morning swim. Ruffling through his chest, Kai pulled free one of his cleaner ramie towels. Racing up the stairs to the deck of the Puer Lavinium, he quickly undressed down to his underwear, piling his towel and clothes in a heap next to the ship's helm.
　　　The crisp fall breeze bit in painful tugs at the young male's bare skin, but he didn't care. He prepared himself for the ice-cold shock that would envelope him once he broke into the Suvan sea. Leaping up onto the wooden side of his casinor, Kai placed the palm of one hand on top of his other and stretched his arms out straight before his head. With a little leap and lurch of his torso the young Svefra launched himself into the arctic icebox of the undulating sea - head first!
　　　As soon as his body crashed through the water, the breath he had held was stolen from his lungs. Kicking upward Kai breached the surface, gasping for a new breath. His body convulsing, his chest heaving, struggling for breath as the cold constricted his muscles. The young Svefra forced his screaming body to calm. Stretching his legs and arms in and out, in a scissor motion as he treaded water for a moment catching his breath and allowing his body to adjust. He could feel his heart hammering against his rib cage, but the feel of the water like liquid ice running smoothly across his skin was a thrill and elation that was well worth the pain his body felt.
　　　Pushing his chattering mind and body to the task at hand, the young Svefra lurched his body forwards and began kicking wildly. Swimming away from the safety of his ship, the comforts of the harbour, the young Svefra began to swim further out into the sea.

　

[Baelin Holt]

Baelin’s arms burned and trembled as he lowered himself slowly. Down. The half-Dhani paused for a moment to see if it felt like his body was still straight. Confirming that yes, his back and legs were still more or less lined up, Baelin pushed himself back up. Up. Fourty eight. His bare toes slipped slightly on the cold stone floor as he slowly bent his elbows to lower himself. Down. He glanced quickly at his elbow to see if it looked like it was roughly a right angle, then swung his gaze back straight ahead. Again satisfied that he was straight, Baelin pushed back up. Up. Fourty nine.

So close, he thought, feeling a rush of energy with the end in sight. His core shuddered with the effort of holding himself straight and when he lowered himself back down his arms joined in with their own trembling. Baelin struggled to maintain steady breathing as he hissed aloud, “Down.”

His toes slipped further and Baelin wondered for the fiftieth time why he didn’t start with his toes up against the wall. He knew better. But it was no matter. He was nearly done. With a final, triumphant push he lifted his bulk back up. “Up. Fifty.” Baelin dropped and rolled onto his back, exhaling harshly.

The chimes ticked by while Baelin recovered from the exertion, his breathing becoming less strained. As his arms and core ceased their trembling, boredom slowly began to trickle back into his mind. The apprentice armorer was always at a bit of a loss for what to do on his days off. He had already spent over a bell working out in his apartment. Now what?

Usually he’d head out for a swim. The feel of saltwater rushing past as he propelled himself through waves sometimes let him forget, even if it was only for a second, that he was so far from home. There were few things that let him feel like that here in Syliras.

But the sea was already feeling cold. The half-Dhani could combat that a bit by swimming harder and faster, but as the days continued further into fall it became increasingly harder to tolerate.

All the more reason to go today, he tried to convince himself. He might as well try to swim as many days while he still could. But the idea of immersing himself in the cold still left him feeling anxious. Baelin glanced at his left hand in recollection. His fingers still hadn’t completely healed from his unwise dip in the Suvan last winter. He doubted they ever would.

Baelin sucked in a long breath then quickly pushed himself up to his feet. He was going to do this. There was nothing else to do anyways. The armorer gave one last glance at his apartment to verify that he wasn’t leaving anything set up precariously before shutting his door and working his way out of Stormhold.

The chill that greeted him once he exited the Maiden District and stepped into the open-air lane was almost enough to convince Baelin to stop right there and turn back around. Almost. Stubborn pride urged him onwards to follow through on his decision. He would go in that water, cold be damned.

The half-Dhani moved with the other passersby through the lane, neither in a hurry to get to the docks nor letting himself walk slower in any kind of attempt to put it off. As the walls loomed closer Baelin could feel his self-doubt grow. It was already starting to feel chiller as he made his way to the exit.

A gust of cold wind welcomed him once he passed the walls. Baelin gritted his teeth tightly and wound his way through the traders and Sylirans until he was at a portion of the docks meant for smaller boats. He was less likely to run into any trouble here. The half-Dhani went to the very end of the dock and stripped his clothes off with very little consideration for modesty. His principle concern was that someone would nab them while he was away. The armorer gave the surrounding area a studious look. The only person in the immediate vicinity was a young man on a nearby casinor who didn’t appear to be paying him any mind.

With one more glance around, Baelin stuffed his clothes in the space between a plank in the dock and one of the logs that held it up from the water. Once satisfied that they were more or less secure and mostly out of sight, Baelin turned back to the sea just in time to see the young man dive into the water.

Baelin’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He certainly wouldn’t have risked a head first dive in the shallower waters on this end of the docks, but it was hardly his place to judge. It was entirely possible that the man was quite familiar with the depth in this particular spot.

As the other started to progress away from the docks, Baelin rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck in preparation for the likely cold plunge. Just get it over with, it’ll warm up, he reminded himself.

Allowing himself no more delay, Baelin sucked in a breath and jumped off of the dock into the icy waters below, a loud splash accompanying his graceless drop.

OOCAdded text below to try and close up the thread.

The water was biting. And oh how Baelin hated the cold. Kicking his legs, he swam back up and broke the water’s surface. Shyke, it was cold. Perhaps this little excursion had been a bad idea. His fingers on his left hand were throbbing with the chill, the flesh apparently having not forgotten the time they were frostbitten.

But he was already in the water. He should try to get something out of this, it may very well be a long time before he could swim again. Still treading water, Baelin angled his body and brought one arm up over his head before cutting it back through the water. He brought his other arm up and over, all the while pulling the first back. Within a few strokes, Baelin had managed a rough sort of rhythm and was steadily moving forwards.

Moving helped a bit with the cold….but by Dira, it was still petching cold. Baelin only managed a few chimes in the water – lifting his arms out of the water, plunging them back in, pulling himself forward – before he decided enough was enough. He was a madman to be out in the Suvan when it was this chilly. Not unless he wanted to worsen the evidently lingering effects of that frostbite he had gotten last winter. Paddling back over to the dock, Baelin gripped the edge of the wood with both hands and hefted himself up. When his arms were straight, he swung a leg up and onto the dock and pushed himself up the rest of the way. Retrieving his clothes (which had thankfully been undisturbed during his short swim) Baelin made his way back to Stormhold. Swimming would have to wait.

[Karyk]

 

Kai

As you are retired, I'm withholding your grade. If you unretire and update your CS, shoot me a PM and I'll release your grade.

 

Notes and Comments

CS Checkmarked: N/A due to retired
CS Reviewed by Me: N/A due to retired
Season Request was Submitted for Grade: N/A due to retired
Season Thread was Started (IC & OOC): N/A due to retired
Is that Season's expenses paid?: N/A due to retired
Eligible for grade? No

 

Baelin Holt

Skills
Bodybuilding: 1
Swimming: 1
Endurance: 1
Lores
Natives know what waters are safe to dive into
Miscellaneous

 

Notes and Comments

CS Checkmarked: ✓
CS Reviewed by Me: ✓
Season Request was Submitted for Grade: Spring 517
Season Thread was Started (IC & OOC): Fall 515 & Fall 515
Is that Season's expenses paid?: ✓
Eligible for grade? Yes

Always a shame to see a thread go unfinished.