Keep It Clean!

Writers: Allison, Patrick, Paula, Roxanne, Vix
Date Posted: 8th July 2007

Characters: Mahantan, Ednan, Laram, Kouna, Arathisa
Description: Mahantan confronts those apprentices who feel that their equipment is "clean enough"
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 4, day 24 of Turn 4

Ednan walked down to docks, giving his equipment a final check. He thanked the eggs he always took the time to clean them out properly.

Laram nodded over at Ednan as he joined him on the docks. "Is everyone else coming out here too?"

"Some seem to have problems with their driving equipment," Ednan replied.

"Yes, so I heard," Laram said and smiled to himself. "It doesn't look like you did though."

"I'm senior apprentice almost ready to walk tables. I better not have," Ednan snorted. He pulled last ones on and checked that the straps were tight enough. It would be really embarrassing to have ones goggles fell off mid swim.

"Alright, let's get started." Mahantan strode across the dock to the apprentices waiting there. "Who's first?"

Arathisa didn't immediately volunteer to be first as usual because she wasn't sure exactly what they were doing. She waited to see who would step up and be first.

Haruhi continued to rub spots off his gear. It wasn't like it was in bad shape, but he had been a bit sloppy the last few days. He spat into his goggles, wiping out the water stains and looking at them closely. Had that crack always been there?

Kouna turned against the door frame to face the other way, following the last apprentice to run to the docks with her eyes. She was liking Mahantan more and more, he knew how to strike fear into the apprentices.

Laram raised his hand. "I'll go first sir," he volunteered. He knew his gear was ok and was ready for anything that was going to happen.

"Alright, Laram." Mahantan stepped toward the senior apprentice and held out his hand. He stretched the treated wetsuit, looking carefully for cracks or dry spots, but found none. "The flippers look good, straps are supple but not wearing unevenly." He held the goggles upward, tilting them in the sunlight to check for scratches on the glass. All other equipment was checked with the same intense scrutiny before he handed it back to the apprentice. "Well done, Laram. Suppose that you check the next apprentice's equipment and tell me if it seems suitable."

"Thank you sir," Laram said as he turned to the person next to him, which happened to be Haruhi. He looked over the other apprentice's gear then turned to Mahantan. "Sir, it looks like there is some uneven wearing in the flipper straps. Also there are some cracks in the flippers themselves." Laram stepped back to his place in line.

Mahantan took the same equipment and inspected it. "You are correct, Laram." His eyes went to Haruhi. "You'd do well to rinse your gear more thoroughly and to oil it when it dries. In addition, it should be inspected for wear each time you remove it." He nodded to the next person in line. "Haruhi, you may examine the next apprentice's equipment before you join those who have been sent to my office."

Haruhi glanced at Ednan's equipment, and gulped. His eyes searched frantically for some flaw, even something minor to make him feel a bit bigger. But he found nothing. "It," Haruhi swallowed te lump of fear in his throat. "It seems that there's nothing wrong sir." Haruhi said in a very small, quiet voice.

Ednan actually felt sorry for Haruhi. The new Master of Apprentices seemed to be really strict and demanding. It wasn't necessary a bad thing, dolphineer's life depended on his equipment, but it didn't make apprentices life easy.

"Correct. Your equipment should be as well-kept as this." The Master turned his attention from Haruhi to the next apprentice and continued the inspection in the same way, having each inspect the equipment of the next. Some were passed while others were told that they needed to improve. Finally all of the apprentice dolphineers had been inspected.

"Alright," Mahantan turned to include all of them with his gaze. "This same time of inspection will be conducted periodically, both announced and unannounced. In the meantime, what have you all learned from this?"

"That you're never too careful? Always be prepared," Ednan said with almost shy voice. He was feeling very selfconcious. Praise was always nice but he felt uncomfortable under everyone's attention.

"That the equipment can never be cleaned too much." Arathisa volunteered determined to make sure she didn't miss any problems with her wetsuit again.

"No matter what, we must always put our equipment first," Laram quietly added.

"Remember to clean your gear." Haruhi muttered. More to himself than others as he gathered up the water stained and worn gear and headed in the direction of the Apprentice Master's office.

Kouna smiled once again as she watched a few of the apprentices walk back towards the storage shed with slow shuffling steps. She couldn't count the number of times she'd walked off to the Apprentice Master's office back in her days. But of course she'd never tell anyone, at least not apprentices anyways. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Via's golden head nudging her cheek. It was time to get back to work, a Hallsecond's day is rarely over by the 10th candlemark. She grinned as she turned to head back to her work.

Last updated on the July 8th 2007

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