Wiki source for CelesteLearnsToSwim
=====Celeste Learns to Swim=====
Date: 1867.05.12
It's an absolutely gorgeous Sunday in mid-May, and as soon as the kids are free of church **Cal proclaims, "TO THE SWIMMING HOLE!"**. Soon, a gaggle of the kids are walking along the river where it's cooler, throwing rocks into the water. They come across a spot where the water is shallow, and Ollie and Jeanne don't hesitate before jumping in and splashing around. (Feel free to add details here. Do they take their clothes off? How much clothes?)
<#court: Jeanne pulls off her dress but keeps her underclothes on. She ducks underwater to the murkiest areas, alternately swimming and wading, exploring the mossy areas and reveling in the freedom of the water. #>
<#bill: Cole takes off his socks and shoes and then his shirt. He then removes his harmonica and wraps it in his shirt, and stuffs the shirt into one his shoes - placing the hole pile in a secure spot on land. He then wades into the shallow area and splashes down. #>
Not sure if Cole or the NPCs who have tagged along know how to swim.
**Erin would go - but does not know how to Swim and shows no interest in learning, she dips her foot in, maybe.
Shawn stays on the shore with Erin.
Jefferson and Deco splash around in the shallow area, showing no desire or skill. (Cal sometimes drags them in, they can both kinda doggy paddle enough to get back to shore.)
Minnie does not go to this event, she sometimes comes swimming but like Erin stays on the shore.
Cal is like a fish.**
Celeste hangs back when they call to her to join them. She admits that she doesn't know how to swim, so they convince her to try. She's reluctant at first. The water is murky and that frightens her a little, but she doesn't want to look like a scaredy cat, so she uses the excuse that her white chemise will get all dirty. There is a lot teasing about this.
<#court: Jeanne splashes her so she can no longer use that as an excuse, and when Celeste is still reluctant, Jeanne looks apologetic; it had never occurred to her that someone could not swim. She comes up onto shore, apologizes and wheedles, and offers to show Celeste how, so she can join the fun. #>
<#bill: Cole cheers her on from where he is in the shallows. "Come on. You can stand here!" He drops under the water, but kicks off the bottom hard and bursts through the service again. "Ce-leste....Ce-leste..."#>
Eventually she reluctantly takes her outer clothes off, and cautiously wades into the water in her underthings. When splashing around on the edges turns out to be a lot of fun, she gets more confident and even lets Jeanne and Ollie and whoever else start showing her how to swim a little.
**Cal would totally drag her in from the shallows. He does it in a rough housing way, but stays close, not allowing her to get into trouble.**
<#jonah: Ollie and Jeanne show Celeste "Marco Polo", and pretty soon Celeste is laughing and having a great time with the rest of the kids. (It's not clear if that game was around at that time, so let's say it was.) #>
**Also chicken (the game where you stand on someones shoulders)**
<#bill: Cole asks Celeste if she'll go on his shoulders against Ollie and Jeanne.#>
<#court: Ollie, being smaller, hops on Jeanne's shoulders, and they face off! There is much splashing, and although Ollie and Jeanne prevail several times, being very comfortable and mobile in the water, there is much shrieking and laughter by all. (seem okay?)#> <#bill: Yep.#>
<#bill: Over the course of the day it is clear that Cole, while has probably been in the water before, doesn't really know how to swim well. He stays largely in the shallows thrashing about, but occasionally will move off to the side. Then he pushes himself to make little forays into the deeper water before turning around to swim back to where he can stand. Every time he gets back to where he can stand he looks visibly relieved. #>
**Cal enjoys dragging Cole past his comfort zone and roughhousing with him. Cole is physically larger than Cal, and easily able to take him but Cal's joy in the water gives him advantage here.**<#bill: Cole looks a little panicked every time Cal pulls him out. He seems to try to hide his fear, but it's there. He does, however, seem more comfortable by the end of the day. The next time they go swimming and Cal doesn't try to pull him out Cole says something like, "Aren't you going to try to pull me out?" Cal obliges him... #>
<#ann: Celeste keeps an eye out for Cole. She's still a little nervous in the water, so she knows how he feels. There's a difference between "this is scary, but sort of thrilling too" and "I am truly frightened". If he starts to edge into truly frightened territory, she is going to intervene. #>
<#bill: It's a close call, Ann. I think it depends on how rough Cal is on him. Since Kel has given me the impression that Cal isn't really mean or a bully, I'm assuming he's pulling him a little bit - just a small bit past where his was going anyway and so I think it's scary/thrilling bit (though, truly scared). He does not, I'll note, run out of the water the first chance he gets.... #>
<#ann: That was the impression I got too. I just wanted to let you know that I had your back, just in case. :-} #>
<#jonah: Ollie, seeing the boys roughhousing, heads over in that direction, and starts splashing them while they're wrestling, just to add to the chaos. Jefferson comes over and starts splashing Ollie, and soon the two of them are splashing as hard as they can, alternating targets between each other and the pair of Cal and Cole. Jefferson bellows a war cry and Ollie squeals and only splashes harder. #>
<#bill: As soon as they get splashed, Cole and Cal look at each other and come to a silent agreement. Cal attacks immediately, and as soon as Cole reaches a depth he can stand in, he joins in the fray. Cal dives under the water and starts pulling people's legs out from under them. #>
<#court: Jeanne, not seeing this as a boys-only activity, slips underwater from where she is and pulls Cal's legs out from underneath him, surprising him. She gets splashed pretty well for that. #><#jonah: (Not least from Ollie, who starts yelling silly children's taunts in French at his sister as he splashes her.) #><#court: Jeanne sticks her tongue out and laughs as she splashes him back, eventually laughing so hard she is spitting water and has to go into shallower water for a moment, sides heaving, still giggling. #>
<#bill: Cole laughs at someone finally getting the better of Cal in the water. He continues splashing all around. #>
When they get back to the orphanage, Celeste is proved right when she (and anyone else who was wearing their underthings) gets into trouble for getting them wet and dirty. <#court: There are extra laundry shifts on top of regular work, and Jeanne and <#ann: Celeste #> volunteer to take the first one. #>That doesn't stop the group from returning to the river week after week as the summer heats up and they're desperate for something cool. It takes a few months, but eventually Celeste learns to swim and dive and have fun in the water, though she's never quite the fish that Ollie and Jeanne are.
NeedsKelly
Date: 1867.05.12
It's an absolutely gorgeous Sunday in mid-May, and as soon as the kids are free of church **Cal proclaims, "TO THE SWIMMING HOLE!"**. Soon, a gaggle of the kids are walking along the river where it's cooler, throwing rocks into the water. They come across a spot where the water is shallow, and Ollie and Jeanne don't hesitate before jumping in and splashing around. (Feel free to add details here. Do they take their clothes off? How much clothes?)
<#court: Jeanne pulls off her dress but keeps her underclothes on. She ducks underwater to the murkiest areas, alternately swimming and wading, exploring the mossy areas and reveling in the freedom of the water. #>
<#bill: Cole takes off his socks and shoes and then his shirt. He then removes his harmonica and wraps it in his shirt, and stuffs the shirt into one his shoes - placing the hole pile in a secure spot on land. He then wades into the shallow area and splashes down. #>
Not sure if Cole or the NPCs who have tagged along know how to swim.
**Erin would go - but does not know how to Swim and shows no interest in learning, she dips her foot in, maybe.
Shawn stays on the shore with Erin.
Jefferson and Deco splash around in the shallow area, showing no desire or skill. (Cal sometimes drags them in, they can both kinda doggy paddle enough to get back to shore.)
Minnie does not go to this event, she sometimes comes swimming but like Erin stays on the shore.
Cal is like a fish.**
Celeste hangs back when they call to her to join them. She admits that she doesn't know how to swim, so they convince her to try. She's reluctant at first. The water is murky and that frightens her a little, but she doesn't want to look like a scaredy cat, so she uses the excuse that her white chemise will get all dirty. There is a lot teasing about this.
<#court: Jeanne splashes her so she can no longer use that as an excuse, and when Celeste is still reluctant, Jeanne looks apologetic; it had never occurred to her that someone could not swim. She comes up onto shore, apologizes and wheedles, and offers to show Celeste how, so she can join the fun. #>
<#bill: Cole cheers her on from where he is in the shallows. "Come on. You can stand here!" He drops under the water, but kicks off the bottom hard and bursts through the service again. "Ce-leste....Ce-leste..."#>
Eventually she reluctantly takes her outer clothes off, and cautiously wades into the water in her underthings. When splashing around on the edges turns out to be a lot of fun, she gets more confident and even lets Jeanne and Ollie and whoever else start showing her how to swim a little.
**Cal would totally drag her in from the shallows. He does it in a rough housing way, but stays close, not allowing her to get into trouble.**
<#jonah: Ollie and Jeanne show Celeste "Marco Polo", and pretty soon Celeste is laughing and having a great time with the rest of the kids. (It's not clear if that game was around at that time, so let's say it was.) #>
**Also chicken (the game where you stand on someones shoulders)**
<#bill: Cole asks Celeste if she'll go on his shoulders against Ollie and Jeanne.#>
<#court: Ollie, being smaller, hops on Jeanne's shoulders, and they face off! There is much splashing, and although Ollie and Jeanne prevail several times, being very comfortable and mobile in the water, there is much shrieking and laughter by all. (seem okay?)#> <#bill: Yep.#>
<#bill: Over the course of the day it is clear that Cole, while has probably been in the water before, doesn't really know how to swim well. He stays largely in the shallows thrashing about, but occasionally will move off to the side. Then he pushes himself to make little forays into the deeper water before turning around to swim back to where he can stand. Every time he gets back to where he can stand he looks visibly relieved. #>
**Cal enjoys dragging Cole past his comfort zone and roughhousing with him. Cole is physically larger than Cal, and easily able to take him but Cal's joy in the water gives him advantage here.**<#bill: Cole looks a little panicked every time Cal pulls him out. He seems to try to hide his fear, but it's there. He does, however, seem more comfortable by the end of the day. The next time they go swimming and Cal doesn't try to pull him out Cole says something like, "Aren't you going to try to pull me out?" Cal obliges him... #>
<#ann: Celeste keeps an eye out for Cole. She's still a little nervous in the water, so she knows how he feels. There's a difference between "this is scary, but sort of thrilling too" and "I am truly frightened". If he starts to edge into truly frightened territory, she is going to intervene. #>
<#bill: It's a close call, Ann. I think it depends on how rough Cal is on him. Since Kel has given me the impression that Cal isn't really mean or a bully, I'm assuming he's pulling him a little bit - just a small bit past where his was going anyway and so I think it's scary/thrilling bit (though, truly scared). He does not, I'll note, run out of the water the first chance he gets.... #>
<#ann: That was the impression I got too. I just wanted to let you know that I had your back, just in case. :-} #>
<#jonah: Ollie, seeing the boys roughhousing, heads over in that direction, and starts splashing them while they're wrestling, just to add to the chaos. Jefferson comes over and starts splashing Ollie, and soon the two of them are splashing as hard as they can, alternating targets between each other and the pair of Cal and Cole. Jefferson bellows a war cry and Ollie squeals and only splashes harder. #>
<#bill: As soon as they get splashed, Cole and Cal look at each other and come to a silent agreement. Cal attacks immediately, and as soon as Cole reaches a depth he can stand in, he joins in the fray. Cal dives under the water and starts pulling people's legs out from under them. #>
<#court: Jeanne, not seeing this as a boys-only activity, slips underwater from where she is and pulls Cal's legs out from underneath him, surprising him. She gets splashed pretty well for that. #><#jonah: (Not least from Ollie, who starts yelling silly children's taunts in French at his sister as he splashes her.) #><#court: Jeanne sticks her tongue out and laughs as she splashes him back, eventually laughing so hard she is spitting water and has to go into shallower water for a moment, sides heaving, still giggling. #>
<#bill: Cole laughs at someone finally getting the better of Cal in the water. He continues splashing all around. #>
When they get back to the orphanage, Celeste is proved right when she (and anyone else who was wearing their underthings) gets into trouble for getting them wet and dirty. <#court: There are extra laundry shifts on top of regular work, and Jeanne and <#ann: Celeste #> volunteer to take the first one. #>That doesn't stop the group from returning to the river week after week as the summer heats up and they're desperate for something cool. It takes a few months, but eventually Celeste learns to swim and dive and have fun in the water, though she's never quite the fish that Ollie and Jeanne are.
NeedsKelly
