Pool's Open

[soundsinsilence]

Who: Engineers and merpires and anyone curious
When: Day 126, afternoon
Where: 4th floor, east side—the abandoned swimming pool
What: The marvelous marvels of technology

[With the solar panels fully up and running, and the building's functions picking up (looks guys we have elevators!! don't get stuck) there's finally enough power flowing through the walls to siphon just a little off for a side project.

Those on the fourth floor might hear the definite put put put put vrrroooOOOOM of a motor starting up.

More surprising, though comparatively softer, is the hisssssss of moving water, the splash of it hitting dry, cleaned concrete. The smell of salted water, ever so faint, fills the empty pool room.]


Heeeeh . . . there really is enough pressure to get it all the way from outside.

I wonder what they'll think . . .

Comments

[soundsinsilence]

The wave, before . . . you can use magic, can't you? And you know how to fight . . .

I don't have any of those things. Just this.

[tothedepths]

[He huffs, and for a moment... it's almost reminiscent of a long-suffering parent chastising a troublesome child.]

Don't go looking for trouble, and your fighting prowess--or lack thereof--will be irrelevant.

[soundsinsilence]

You don't have to look for trouble for it to find you. Everything outside is trying to live the best way it knows how, and we made enemies of all of it just by coming here. Inside, there's people with old grudges, or those who just need to lose themselves a minute . . .

I lived too long with my safety being the only thing holding my team together to ignore the dangers here. Whether or not I'm looking for them.

[tothedepths]

And who is it that holds a grudge against someone like you?

[soundsinsilence]

[Rubs her shoulder.]

The people Mirror hurt. One or two, especially . . .

It should be okay, but it's a little hard to forget how quickly people can change, when they're not all themselves.

[tothedepths]

... Assuming I knew who Mirror is... [An edge enters his voice, just slightly] I do not see why the actions or reputation of another should have any bearing on yourself.

[soundsinsilence]

You wouldn't. She was a judge, and Surgeon's creation . . . a little like a daughter. Someone he made after they were underground.

She found the truth of her life and it drove her mad. Surgeon broke her to save her, but it just made it worse . . . she tried to put herself back together, then she'd remember, and beg him to break her again. Over and over, until our days.

She was my friend. Sometimes I was hers, too.

[tothedepths]

[Actually...

Actually, for a minute, he seems entirely at a loss for what to do with this information.]

[soundsinsilence]

But she did a lot of terrible things. She broke people. And I ruined everyone's one chance at vengeance to save her.

That's why someone would hold a grudge against someone like me.

[tothedepths]

. . .

Perhaps, at the least, you should learn the use of a knife.

[soundsinsilence]

Knives . . .

I'm not . . . so good with those. I'm a little bit better with blunt things?

[The metal shifts, flowing down her arm like a stream of water over sand, gathering between her fingers and solidifying to a handful of tools.]

[tothedepths]

[Wwwwhat the balls]

... That seems unlikely to help in battle.

[soundsinsilence]

[Hefts a wrench.]

Mm, they're not really designed for that. I did knock someone out before though . . .

[tothedepths]

[Takes a half-step back... 8|;;; stops.]

Then what are they for?

[soundsinsilence]

They're tools. Building tools, mechanical tools . . .

They're the things I know best, so it's easy to give them shape.

[tothedepths]

And with those tools, you build such things as water pumps?

[soundsinsilence]

Things like that.

It was really Chrys who made the water pump, though . . . it was a project when we were back in the jungle. I just modified it a bit and laid the pipe out to the water.

[tothedepths]

[Makes a... face...]

... Yes, that does sound like him.

[He turns away slightly, bending to pick up a handful of the steadily-rising water.]

[soundsinsilence]

[It's . . . wet. Wet and cool and fresh, and so very alive compared to the seaside of his nightmares.]

Do you two get along?

[tothedepths]

[He doesn't do much other than let it run through his fingers, inhaling deeply, gills flaring just slightly.

It's a moment before he responds.]

I saved his life when he was small and shipwrecked and utterly unable to look after himself.

... I am certain he never quite forgave me for that, even in all the years that followed.

[soundsinsilence]

You're kind of alike like that, aren't you . . .

Chrys's pride is a bit delicate.

[tothedepths]

[Actually, I don't like that comparison much...]

... He still presumes to have any?

[soundsinsilence]

[But you don't really forgive the people who help you either.]

Not really so much, any more. But we haven't really talked much, either . . . not since the first months.

[tothedepths]

Yes, well...

[The last of the water drains out of his fingers and he straightens up again.]

I hazard he would have a great many conflicted feelings about you.

[soundsinsilence]

You don't . . . even really need to guess that. I'm probably the worst person here, for him.

[Swirls the pool water with her foot, sending ripples circling out. The water would be halfway up her calf, now, at the pool's deepest part.]

Try lying down?