Ossus Roller Coaster

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She let herself float over the top of the water in the bay, bringing all of the feelings she could from the fish and crabs and every other living creatures that called below-the-waters their home. She was in their world now, arms out, legs out, entire body relaxed as she felt her being become one with the waves. She was as the gentle tides, rolling over the top of everything below, including the metal skeleton of the Dauntless. She remembered when she had once called the cruiser her home. In fact, she could remember so many wonderful memories on that ship that now rested below the waters below.

Her first real kiss with Wyl. Sharing lunch with Uncle Samus. Telling silly stories to Uncle Marlon. Ice cream with her father. Watching the pilots as they poked fun at one another...

A flash of green and blue, and Teagan let herself focus on the little fish that was now darting away into a coral. It was a smallish fish, with a penchant for the mostly regular offerings that she brought it. As such, it had full cheeks and a small barrel trunk.

Reaching to the small pouch at the small of her back, the young Lupine pulled out a handful of kasha fruit slices. These she methodically wedged into the coral outcroppings, making sure to avoid the durasteel rods that poked out from the seabed.

A smile, followed by a thin stream of bubbles as she let out the slightest of exhales, and Teagan propelled herself once more to the surface.

She broke above the waves with a gasp, and blinking furiously, the young Lupine let her gaze track to the shoreline. There was a body on the beach waiting for her, and she hesitated for a moment. Steeling herself though, she began to let the waves take her towards the shore, only making an effort to 'swim' when necessary.

Not exactly sure who it was, she took her time in returning to dry land. After all, she wasn't late for anything; no class tardiness to account for. It was the weekend, after all. No study halls or anything like that. Of course, it was entirely possible that it was Zem, making sure that she wasn't doing whatever sort of dastardly endeavor that he seemed to sometimes think that she was up to. However, by that same token, the body on the shoreline very well could've been her mother's, and that thought made her pour more energy into leaving the waters.

Her feet found purchase in the sand below, and she stood up straighter, her oversized shirt sopping and draping over her scrawny form as she slogged further out of the surf.

One hand came up to scratch at the side of her head, and she still hadn't gotten a good look at her guest. Still though, it didn't stop her from making her normal excuses, just in case it was Zem or any of her teachers.

"I've got my home studies done, I promise."

It was the default start of so many of her explanations.

"I... I was just checking on the fishes in the Dauntless Reef, is all... "

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was easy to tell that Teagan had seen her, but the girl was taking her time in returning to the shore and the elder Lupine suspected that she wasn't entirely sure who it was waiting on her. Even as she'd trudged out of the surf, she didn't exactly look up; instead focusing on the sand below her bare feet, an itch on the side of her head, wringing out the water from her oversized shirt. Words were thrown her way, assurances that she'd finished her study work, and then a bizarre admission that s'Il had not exactly expected.

Checking... on the fishes?

Was this some new thing that was being taught by the Masters? It was certainly not what she'd expected to hear.

Sitting comfortably enough in the sand (and most assuredly out of the way of any lapping waves), Lok s'Ilancy idly reached up to brush away an unseen spec of sand from her duty jacket.

"Well. That's awful kind of you to do that," she grinned.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The voice was one that made her finally snap her head upwards, and Teagan instantly beamed wide.

She'd not expected her mother to really be there, and the actual chances for that were incredibly small, but that small chance had prevailed. The young Lupine bounded forward, propelled by excitement and a sudden-onset of utter happiness. Her bare feet pushing into the sand to propel her on a trajectory to her mother, she didn't even bother to say anything; no words of greeting, not excited chirp... there was no need for that. The distance between the two was closed with a quickness, and she slid to her knees in the sand while in the same motion throwing her arms around her mother's neck.

It didn't matter that she was still soaking wet, and it didn't matter that her mother was still in uniform.

She practically smothered Dama with affection, holding tight and not at all willing to let her go.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She met her daughter's exuberance with joy of her own, holding the girl tightly even as she herself was crushed close in a strong embrace.

It also didn't escape her notice that her uniform was absorbing the dampness from a body that'd just come from water. Carefully, she began to lean back, pushing Teagan back so that she could get a better look at the girl. She appeared healthy; no limbs in casts, no malnourishment, no look of discontent in her eyes... she looked happy and satisfied with her life on Ossus.

"You're looking healthy enough," she finally grinned, and reaching out, turned her daughter's head from side to side, continuing with further inspections.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Held at arm's length, Teagan knew the drill. It was something that her mother always did when visiting.

"I'm the same as when you were here last time, you know."

Words spoken with a grin, and she let herself flop down to sit cross-legged in the sand.

"Besides, I couldn't be sick here even if I tried. Zem makes sure that me an' Markos have all those food things that's grown here, and that we go to the medicenter anytime we feel even a little bit bad."

"Vegetables and fruits," came the correction she knew to expect.

"Yeah, those things. They're ok, and they're good in dishes, but I sometimes sneak to the sandwich shop and get food there when I have enough extra credits."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Is that so."

It was no surprise that there was a measure of culinary sneakery going on. After all, she could never forget the disasterpieces that her daughter and Cirr used to create in Layla's galley. Just the thought of those 'meals' was enough to make her inwardly shudder.

"Well. Either way, it's good to see you're doing well."

Rocking back slightly, the elder Lupine used the motion to help herself up to stand. Teagan was quick to follow, and with no small amount of visible dismay, Loklorien found herself at eye level with her child. Well, she would insist it was eye level, but there was the slightest of upward tilt to her head. The girl would have her father's height, without a shadow of a doubt.

A breezy smile banished the look she'd given, and she held out her hand.

"I'm on my way back home, if you'd like to keep me company... ?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan lightly shook her head. For as much as she was happy that her mother was here, there was still a few more things that needed to be done here. Well, in the water, that is. She did take the elder Lupine's hand though, giving it a squeeze.

"Not just yet. I have a few more things I want to do, but I promise that I'll be home in a few hours," there was clear disappointment on her mother's features, but it wasn't enough to guilt-trip her into leaving the beachfront.

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

A reassuring squeeze, and Teagan leaned forward then, to deliver a light kiss to her mother's cheek.

"Just a couple of hours, Dama."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Dama.

She'd not been called that by her eldest in a very long while, and it melted her heart to hear it now. She smiled in understanding then, and returned Teagan's little kiss with one of her own to the younger Lupine's cheek.

"If that's what you want."

Pulling away then, she let her hand slide from Teagan's as she half-turned to begin the trek back from where she'd come.

"I'll be waiting, though."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan smiled wide, giving an enthusiastic nod as she watched her mother head back to the treeline a distance away. She continued to watch, even as the elder Lupine disappeared along the path that would take her to Sanctuary.

A deep breath, and the girl once more turned to the waters. In the far distance she could see partly expose portions of Dauntless' hell. Most of it was submerged, having come to rest on the seabed, but the cruiser's bulk was still sizeable enough to allow portions to poke out from the waves like small metal islands.

From one of the pockets on her utility belt, she pulled out a rebreather, turning it over in her hands.

Feeding fruit to the small fishes had only been the first part of her plan this day. She wanted to give them offerings in a show of superstition. Good luck was something she sorely needed right now, and while her mother arriving unexpectedly had certainly been taken as a sign, Teagan didn't want to squander any amount of goodwill she could get. And making sure that the fishes in the Dauntless Reef were fed had been the first part of her plan for appeasing the fates or gods or whatever else there was that determined what happened in life.