Morning Dip

Writers: Mirren, Yvonne
Date Posted: 20th January 2016

Characters: Jaffra, Ricker
Description: They go for a swim.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 5 of Turn 8

Ricker was out by the rock early to wait for Jaffra. The early morning light was clear and the seas were calm and endlessly blue. He did a few stretches to warm up, then got bored and sat on the sand to stare at the ocean.

Usually he didn't show up to things early, but he found himself thinking out his odd encounter with the Journeyman Tailor the night before. She was a funny woman, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of her. Obsessed with her work, brusque and sometimes rude, but still somehow fascinating. He was looking forward to seeing what she was like outside of her workroom. **If she shows up.** It was just as likely that she'd brush him off and go work instead.

She almost did. Work was more important than swimming. For some reason, which she couldn't fathom, she dressed in swimming clothes and went down to find him already waiting.

"Hello," she said, looking uncomfortable.

"Good morning!" Ricker stood to greet her. "Great morning for a swim, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," she replied. Although why the weather made much difference was beyond her. People seemed to avoid swimming in the rain, which was totally illogical.

Her dubious response made him smile. Jaffra was a funny one. He inclined his head toward the water in an invitation, then headed down the beach. "Usually I do lap between here and the edge of the cove, but you said that you're not a strong swimmer... why don't we head to the buoy and back? Is that far enough? Too far?"

"I think I can manage." She felt terribly selfconscious for some reason. Perhaps because she was used to wearing more clothes. Not that she had a problem with nudity, or wearing little, she just didn't do it very often. She waded into the water, wincing at the initial coldness.

It was chill, but bracing. Ricker waded in until it was safe enough to dive in before taking the plunge. The water was a shock against his sun-warmed skin, but when he rose for air, he was grinning. He wiped the water from his eyes and turned to face Jaffra, treading water even though he could easily touch the bottom. Swimming was the point. "Feels great! You should get your hair wet."

"I don't like getting it wet unless I'm washing it." She stood and pulled a few wet strands from her face. "It looks too messy." And of course she hated being messy.

Ricker shrugged and ran his hands over his bald scalp. "Guess I can't argue there. You could always cut it. I bet it would look good short."

She frowned at him. "I'd look like a greenrider." Apparently that would be a bad thing in her eyes.

The Technician laughed. **She's not from here... is she?** Only Weyr-bred women Crafted, and Jaffra didn't have the air of a Northern woman about her. Or maybe she just didn't think highly of greenriders. "I hear that hair grows back, although that is not one of my skills."

She shrugged. "It's only hair on men. On women it's a part of their style, and I happen to like mine as it is. It's functional but stylish." That pretty much summed her up too.

**Except when swimming.** The water was deep enough now that it was more comfortable to swim than walk. "When trade-offs have to be made, do you lean to form over function, or function over form?"

"Form first, always. Functionality is for when someone is working or riding. Most of what I make is for wearing during pleasure times. People want to look their best then." Except her. She wanted to look her best all the time.

"Hmm." Ricker swam a few strokes, then paused and readjusted his pace to match Jaffra's. He'd never given much thought to what he wore, and he'd always viewed those who did with a slightly indulgent bafflement. The Technician's Craft was all about function; a thing had to work efficiently and effectively then you could think about what it looked like. After a moment he asked, "Why?"

"Why what?" Jaffra wiped water off her face and frowned at him.

"Why do people care so much about how they look? I mean, I understand you-- you're advertising your skill. And at Gathers or special occasions, people dress to celebrate. But I don't understand why people care so much ordinarily."

Jaffra pursed her lips. "I don't understand why people don't. It doesn't take that much time to choose garments which fit properly or match. Why not look good when you have to get dressed anyway?"

"I think it can be a distraction," Ricker said after a moment. "People focus so much on how people present themselves without bothering to assess what they really bring to the table-- or don't. Don't you think?"

"No," she replied bluntly. "It would be distracting if everyone looked a mess. Imagine if no one cleaned the dining cavern, but decided it was a waste of time. It'd look terrible."

"Ah, see, but not cleaning the dining cavern is an issue of hygiene and health moreso than looks. We'd be overrun with vermin. I'm certainly not advocating for a stop to bathing." By that time they were a few strokes away from the buoy. Ricker paused to tread water. "How're you doing? Do you need to pause at the buoy?"

"Yes," she replied. "I'm not as fit as I thought I was." Which wasn't surprising since she didn't really exercise, as such.

He smiled and floated on his back, taking the opportunity to stare up into the blue morning sky. It was a perfect day for a swim. After a moment he began to tread water again; you couldn't talk when your ears were full of water. "What led you to the Weavercraft?"

"My father is a weaver," she replied. "I grew up tailoring." While other girls were flirting with boys, she was making patterns, cutting and sewing. And hoping her father might notice her.

**So did you choose it, or just went along with it because it was the easier choice?** Ricker didn't dare ask the question but it was on the tip of his tongue. He suspected the former, given Jaffra's obsession with work. But you never knew. "Here or at a different Weyr?"

"Here," she replied. "The water is nice." The comment was so inane, it was obviously an attempt to change the subject.

"So is the water at Dolphin Cove... or so I hear." He glanced at Jaffra, who had a hand on the buoy to rest. "I've never been. Have you?"

"Once, a long time ago," she replied. "With someone I worked with. They didn't want to go alone." Of course; few people sought to be in her company for pleasure.

"What was it like?" he asked curiously.

"Like swimming with noisy fish," she replied. It was hard for anyone, even her, to avoid having a soft spot for dolphins. Not that she'd admit to having a soft spot at all.

That surprised a laugh out of him. "Noisy fish?!" he repeated. "I wonder what the dolphins would think about that!"

"They'd probably agree," she replied easily. "Have you heard them talk? They're worse than apprentices."

"No, I never have," he said, still laughing. "But now I want to. When I decide to coerce a dragonrider into taking me over, would you like to come along? You can show me around and introduce me to the noisy fish."

She frowned at him briefly and then shrugged. "Perhaps, depending on how busy I am." Plans made in advance were often thwarted by work. Or that was her excuse anyway.

Ricker felt a small pang of disappointment. "Shall we head back?"

"If you wish," she replied. It was the longest non-work related conversation she'd had in a while. She'd actually found herself enjoying it. Of course it had to end, they both had work to do.

Ricker nodded. "I finally have an idea for how to fix that converter for the turbine. I thought the problem was the gearbox but I think that it's more to do with the generator bridge, which is handy because that should be just rewiring and I shouldn't have to re-machine anything. If I'm lucky." Gears were finicky.

She blinked at him. "I have no idea what you just said," she admitted. "It sounds like you solved your problem."

The Technician grinned. "Maybe. If I'm lucky."

Her mouth twitched in almost a smile. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"You never know until you try. It's the Technician's unofficial motto." He turned back toward the shore. "It's not a bad life motto either."

"I'm sure," she replied. Faranth knows she'd spent her whole life trying.

Last updated on the January 27th 2016

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Morning Dip