Nothing fancy. Just a random girl soaking it up under the sea.
I was never this brave around water and probably never will be; I've always been a little aquaphobic. But I've always enjoyed underwater stuff and I have plenty of characters who soak it up at every possible opportunity. If Hayao Miyazaki's trademark was flying, mine will most likely be swimming.
I do like dolphins, too.
When Reid's not splashing about above, he's taking it nice and easy below.
No one to disturb him, nothing else to occupy his mind, so this is his ideal place for thinking things through or simply daydreaming.
No one can say how long you can last underwater with that magic shell. It gives you pretty much all the oxygen you need, provided it stays in your mouth and you're on your own when it comes to eye protection. So, it's a great benefit in some ways and not so great in others.
He'll often do this in his own bathtub. By the time he's done, he's about as clean and soaking wet as it's possible to get.
One of the great things about owning an indoor pool is Reid can swim anytime he likes, whatever the weather.
While he loves swimming outdoors best, he'll take any form of water that's big enough to cover him up.
And he finds something rather comforting about swimming in a somewhat warm pool in the middle of the night or the middle of a terrible storm. Don't worry, that part of the castle is in a sheltered area and that glass is super thick, though it still grants an awesome view.
That pool is just big enough to share with the public. But anyone who's not family or a close friend must pay a small fee to use it, and there are lifeguards on hand at all times as well as bodyguards. No one is ever left totally alone in the pool or the lake, least of all the kids. Pretty much the only ones who don't have to pay up are the Wiles, the Windwillows, the Byrnes, and Kaylee Drummond.
Swim times vary as far as Reid's concerned. Sometimes he'll swim for an early morning workout, sometimes he'll swim when he has a hard time sleeping, and many times he'll swim just because he's in the mood and he's got a little time to spare. But there's not a single week in which he does not take at least one big dip and none of those dips last less than an hour.
Even his own bathtub is deep enough to totally submerge himself, so he can still relax underwater. To him, it's absolute heaven to lie at the bottom of the tub, surrounded by hot water (but not hot enough to scald him) with a thick quilt of bubble bath on top, and if he has a shell with him, he doesn't have to worry about coming up for air anytime soon. He has to pretty much make himself get out.
He learns to love swimming so well for three reasons. One: he learned to not be afraid of the water after he almost drowned when he was five. That would be a traumatic experience for anyone of any age and no one would have held it against him if he never wanted to go anywhere near deep water again. It takes several decades for his uncle to conquer his own crippling aquaphobia.
Since Romulus is a pretty good swimmer, the reason he's so terrified is because he lost several loved ones to drowning, so he can still go in the water; he just doesn't want to if he can help it. That proves not to be the case for Reid, although he understands how his uncle feels and Romulus won't forbid him or any of his own children from swimming, just as long as they're careful. But Romulus does ask Reid not to use the shell too much in the indoor pool, because he just about had a heart attack when he found his nephew way down at the bottom.
Tallis is somewhere in the middle. He doesn't get wet nearly as often as Reid does, but he's less afraid of the water than Romulus is and he'll often join Kyla or Malachi in a swim. Sometimes he'll play with his nieces when they're taking a dip and they always have some fun with Uncle Tallis, a lot more fun than they would ever have with Aunt Ann.
Reason number two why Reid is such a dedicated swimmer: it's one of the few places where he can totally escape Tyrell, because Tyrell can't stand getting wet outside a shower and he'd sink like a rock if he tried. So, the water becomes Reid's personal haven.
And reason number three: he just loves it. It feels like he simply belongs there, so even after he and Tyrell finally make up, he still takes advantage of any opportunity to get good and soaked. It relaxes him so and provides wonderful exercise at the same time.
Later, all three of his kids learn to swim just as well, although Troy is the most devoted to the wet sport. And, of course, Kaylee Drummond learns to swim so well because of Troy and Reid, among several others. Despite Kaylee's mother and sisters frequently denouncing the sport as unladylike, Reid just tells her that's pure nonsense and she sees for herself how well many of the ladies in Reid's special circle fare in the water: Lara, Angela, Anna, Grace, Sara, Joanna, Mara, Tracy, Opal, even Cecily. Because Cecily and her family spent so many years next to the ocean and are so big about sailing, they saw the practicality in learning how to swim, too. "One way or another, it couldn't hurt," both Cecily's parents said.
While Reid has many other interests and passions, it's safe to say swimming tops the whole list.
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Something a bit more uplifting. In my world, fauns are fabulous swimmers (as are centaurs and unicorns, although dwarves are prone to sinking like stones) and Malachi is as fabulous a swimmer as any.
There are a few ponds not far from his home, and he's got free access to the giant lake by the castle as well as the big indoor pool; he's permanently exempt from the little usage fee. Once in a blue moon, he's lucky enough to visit the ocean itself.
All his life, Malachi was never afraid of the water. He was always careful, of course, but his face spent more time below the surface than above it, and he can beat all the Lactantiuses at holding his breath.
It's because of him that Romulus, Tallis, Kyla, Reid, and Mason have all learned to swim so well. And yes, all of his children are skilled swimmers, too, as is his wife. When it came to training for the Royal Army, knowing how to swim was a must, so Jonathan, Sam, and Fritz all passed that part with flying colors. Even Caleb and Mara would do well in a race or could save someone from drowning.
Sometimes Joanna will get good and soaked alongside her husband, and sometimes he prefers a private dip.
For a while, he was resistant to the idea of a water mask. He claimed he didn't really need to see where he was going and that keeping his eyes closed kept him more relaxed and focused anyway, and Kyla used to agree with him. But when at last they donned a mask, they took everything they'd said back.
Either way, just like Reid, whenever Malachi goes into the water, he takes his sweet time to climb out and every centimeter of him will be sopping afterward.
Happy Summer Solstice, Happy Birthday to my second nephew Spencer, and Happy Father's Day to Dad, Grandpa Dahl, and Grandpa Mather.
