[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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His first swimming lesson had gone well, and he had learned enough to know the basics. However, he still wasn't a strong swimmer, as proven when he nearly drowned at the beach and had to be saved. It was embarrassing for him, as he preferred to do things on his own and disliked depending on others.
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The near drowning incident made him realize that one swimming lesson wasn't enough. It was like a band playing a gig after only one practice session; it wouldn't work. He should have realized that, especially with his eidetic memory. But having a good memory didn't help with muscle memory.
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Even when swimming at the beach, he felt awkward and unsure of his abilities. He should have listened to his instincts that day. However, growing up in isolation had made him rash at times, which was a bad thing. Acting rashly meant acting without thinking, and the consequences could be significant.
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The near drowning had been a wake-up call, and he had scheduled another swimming lesson. This time, he would be learning from a young woman he had never met before. She was known for helping kids learn how to swim, although he supposed most of her students were younger than him. Weren't swimming lessons usually reserved for toddlers?
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Upon arriving, he was greeted by a young woman around Josh Devlin's age. The introductions were brief, and they finally began the swimming lesson. Mirage, the Hisuian Zoroark, was there for moral support, watching from a safe distance near the wall.
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Absalom was too focused on Cassandra's instructions to pay much attention to Mirage. When she mentioned not being shy, he huffed but eventually got into the water. "That's easy for you to say. You're so good at swimming, and here I am, thirteen years old and still struggling," he pointed out, but he did get in the water.
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It was a sore spot for Axel that swimming was challenging for him at thirteen, and the young woman should be able to tell. He didn't try to hide it, after all.[break] Cassandra Mishra

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + he's wearing gray swimming trunks

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Cassandra really wished that she could say that she was no better when she was thirteen, but that would just be a lie – and an obvious one at that, even to a kid his age. So, her eyebrow twitching slightly, she just smiled. “Aw, come on, champ. Don’t be like that!” she said. “Everyone starts out a beginner.”

That also wasn’t exactly true – at least not for someone like her, who had been practically raised with the waves. But again, she was not flexing that fact on this sickly kid.

“Come on. Just give it a chance.” Her smile turned more sincere.



absalom steel