“Yea, it kinda started out with babbling, you know: “Yep… Yep? Yep! I'm just going to jump in, yes, just jump in hah.. A-aand then… And then swim over, maybe punch a shark or two if I'm lucky! Who knows? Hah, this will be… easy peasy. Simple even. A child could do it, and I'm not a child anymore, so it's going to be totally fiiiiine. I’ll definitely be fine.” I barely believed the words as they dribbled hysterically from my mouth. I felt my tongue shrivel up as I dragged myself back and forth across the surf smoothed rocks of that ratty excuse for a beach. Logically, I knew my pacing and ceaseless drivel was just a product of my body fighting to regain control of all the nervous energy and magic coursing under my skin, but all the logic in the world wouldn't stop me from continuing. Being overwhelmed was exhausting, but being anxious was down right torturous, especially with so many eyes watching from the cliff top above.”
“The worst part was that I didn't… really feel all that anxious? At least, not in my head anyway. Despite how I must have looked, ranting and raving at the ocean whilst working myself up to a lather, I was much more focused on gathering data from the waves crashing into the pebbles around me than whatever nonsense I was spilling from my mouth across them. Today was far too important to get lost in a panic, but I would have been hard pressed to stop any mesures my body needed to take to keep my brain focused on the water. Blessedly, the water was cold enough, and the currents were strong enough today, that even touching the water should have shocked me into a bit of silence.”
“That being said, I most definitely was not looking forward to it. I managed to force myself to look away from the water long enough to catch sight at what waited for me at the top of the white stone cliffs. The mottled color of Valentine was just about visible against the scrub grass growing over the top of the cliff. I swear, he was practically lounging halfway off the clifftop, the madman. Just behind him I could make out some of the rest of the pack as well, I'm sure Valentine wouldn't let anyone in front of him. I knew they must have been jeering at me, or calling me a coward for taking so long to jump in despite how much I begged to be able to do this today. I didn’t maintain eye contact long.”
“I turned my back to the cliffs and took the last few steps into the ice cold surf, right as my brother’s poor excuse for advice rattled back into my mind: ‘One quick sprint to get as far into the water as you can, and make sure to duck under the waves, you don't want them breaking on your head’ I wasn't a fool Valentine, but… thank you.”
“I had to psyche myself up of course, It was bloody cold after all! “Well Sonnet, it's now or never. Get your tail in the water.” I took a running start, jumping over the first break of waves when it reached me. I don't think anyone can ever truly explain what that first splash of water feels like, it's almost as if the voice in your head completely stops, like a book being slammed closed. I ran along on instinct and magic alone for a while, before I managed to open my thoughts back up.”
“I was a lot farther into the swim than I thought I would be, my legs and tail working overtime, the world stained purple and green from the sea and my magic. It honestly… was fine? I wasn't entirely sure what everyone always complained about- at least at first. Getting under the waves wasn't particularly hard, it was more to do with the… well the current got me at some point, and I truthfully have very very little memory of what exactly happened.”
“One second, I was swimming along, marveling at how fast I was going, and then I was tail over teakettle, spinning and being ripped back and forth by what felt like both nothing and everything around me. I nearly lost control of my magic, but I was found by something and pushed out of it. Yea I know, I know, I wasn't supposed to get any help, but you already made it official, so you can't take it back now!”
“There were suddenly ten or so of these dark grey things, pushing me sideways through the water. I have no idea how they cut across the current like that, but they were kind of… tube shaped with a rounded head. I had to ask someone once I got back what they were, and their guess was a harbor porpoise, or a pod of them? Regardless of what they were, I was just grateful for their help. They managed to get me out of the current, and I was able to stabilize and finish the swim to the other side without any issues. They actually swam with me most of the way, but I only needed their help the one time. I know it wasn't as impressive as punching a shark or anything, but it was still one of the coolest things I've ever done.”
