[M] SeaWorld: The Revolution IC (Breggo, Eli and Nara)

[Breggo13]

Read the OOC here!

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Skye bit her lip as she followed the small group of trainees towards the large Shamu training stadium, her shades reflecting the early sun’s rays. She was excited, there was no denying that. Last night, she tossed and turned trying to persuade herself that she should get at least some sleep but her mind had refused to obey, running through all the scenarios of this morning and barely allowing her to breathe. Eventually, she drifted off into a light sleep only to be awaken by her alarm. The second her eyes flew open, she was a whirlwind of activity, running to get into the shower, brush out her hair and slip into a pair of shorts and a SeaWorld: Pacific t-shirt, her mind racing on pure adrenaline.

Now, as she followed the group, some of the young people chatting among themselves, she couldn’t wait. Yesterday, they had tried on their new wetsuits, black and blue things that fit like a second skin, the SeaWorld Pacific logo proudly displayed on the front in white. Skye couldn’t help taking a few pictures to send to her friends in Australia as well as some acquaintances in the States, grinning as Hillary, one of the senior trainers, mockingly waved her finger at her. Today, they would finally try them out in the water while interacting with their new charges.

The group walked into the huge aquarium, a tank in the middle larger than the main stage one but otherwise, the overall layout seemed to be like the Shamu stadium in San Diego. As required, she had spent the last three months living in San Diego and working at the original SeaWorld Park, completing the mandatory safety and regulations program there. Each day, she tried to watch at least one show at the Stadium, her eyes never leaving the whales as they performed. The power and agility of the animals took her breath away. She had felt light headed and giddy as she realized that soon she would be performing for the public. Three days ago, they all had moved in to the Shamu Pacific Orca house, a sturdy structure on premises for all the trainees but the senior trainers have been running them so hard, she barely could remember the names of the other girls she lived on the third floor with, the boys living on the floor below.

“Come on guys, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” the sharp call, almost whistle like, of the head senior trainer Daniel Collasaw made them all pick up their pace, gathering around the group of older trainers, all grinning. “We have a lot to cover today and you have a lot to learn. So listen up, and no chitchat!”

The group of trainees quickly grew quiet, listening to what the man before them was about to say. Some looked nervous, others pensive, a few confident. Skye just felt excited, her eyes turning towards the coaches. Daniel glanced over them, evaluating each and every one, pursing his lips as he glanced over a few. She felt her stomach drop when he gave her the same disapproving gaze as the past three days but like before said nothing.

“Today is the beginning of your true journey,” he began, hands clasped behind his back, his posture confident. “Today, you begin your training and it will be more rigorous and more demanding than any other SeaWorld trainers ever had to go through or will. We have mentioned this to you before but I will stress it once again – you have the chance to bring waterworks back, the chance to swim with the whales and to interact in a way that we weren’t able to the past few years. But that means work, work and more work. It means building a bond and finding a language with an individual animal. It means taking risks and facing fear with calmness. This is your chance to change the world.”

Daniel paused before looking over his shoulder at his coworkers, seeming to have a silent conversation of eyes and subtle movements. Skye dared to take this moment to look around the group of trainees beside her, most older by at least a few years and many already experienced with marine mammals. She wondered if eventually she would be able to form bonds with them the way that Daniel had with his team.

“We know you have all completed your three month safety programs at one of the three parks and we have your grades,” behind the head coach, Annabelle waved a navy blue folder with a grin. “Frankly, I don’t care. Those who taught you haven’t been swimming in the waters for years. Today, we start with basics. Basics in waterworks. But first, the feeding. Each day has a structure and a good way to keep these animals happy and engaged is to ensure the structure of the day remains. And the first thing we do is feed them. Today, we have prepared the buckets, tomorrow we will guide you but afterwards, it will be your responsibility to prepare food for your animals each day. Right now, we will begin by assigning you with your own animal. So suit up kids.”

It was a dismissal and immediately the group headed off to the change rooms, chattering in excitement among themselves. Skye didn’t say much as everyone changed into their swimsuits, the wetsuits of blue, black and grey slipping on afterwards. Someone helped her zip it all the way up before she returned the favor, careful not to catch the other girl’s hair in the zipper. Grinning in the mirror, Skye quickly pulled her own dirty blonde locks back into a high ponytail, securing it with two elastics just in case.

By the time the group was out near the tank, eight distinct dorsal fins cut through the water, some playing with each other, others calling out to the senior trainers who cooed at them, talking among themselves.

“Come on Skye, stop staring,” someone called out but she didn’t care who, mesmerized by the killer whales swimming before her. She followed along the group, her eyes never leaving the action before her as she froze before the head trainer, waiting to hear what he had to say.

[Naraness]

The zipper ran up his back, pulling the wetsuit snugly against Owen's skin. It banished the chill of the air completely, giving him an extra layer against the cold. He imagined that this was what it felt to be a seal with a layer of blubber as insulation. Of course, seals didn't look quite as colorful and high-tech as he did. Owen swept a hand through his messy blond hair, glancing at himself in a nearby mirror. The suit was black and blue, with the classic SeaWorld logo on the front. He ran a hand over it, smiling. It felt so good to be wearing that logo... His dreams were coming true.

All around him, the other male trainees were dressed too. This was the first day he would begin official training... There were no more safety programs, no more boring lectures to sit through... No more feeding the turtles and monitoring the alkaline levels of their water every single day. Today, he could focus on the real goal here: killer whales. But not just any killer whale; his. The one that he would be working with for the next ten to twenty years if he was that fortunate. Excitement charged through his veins.

Once everyone had returned to the aquarium, they could all see the pod of orcas swimming together, playing, interacting... They knew something was happening, and they were excited for it. His eyes scanned the group of trainees, locking on his sister Natalie. She stood near the edge of the water, arms folded, looking down with mild interest. Oh can't she see how wonderful this is? He wondered. How can she not be grinning ear to ear?

Natalie was also dressed in a wetsuit which complimented her slim frame very nicely. Her long hair was pulled back in a tight braid which paralleled her spine from top to bottom. She glanced around at the other trainers, all of whom looked thrilled. She should have been thrilled too. Sighing, she mustered up a smile and shifted her stance, turning her eyes to the senior trainers for instruction. "Well, no turning back now." She murmured to herself.

It still surprised her that she had even gotten into this program, let alone made it this far. Her degree wasn't even remotely related to marine life, and her experience caring for sea life ended at feeding her gold fish every day. Still, while her heart was back in the San Francisco zoo with owls, eagles, and falcons... There was something about all of this that intrigued her. This was a chance to bond more closely with an animal than she ever would have imagined before. Even if it was a fish.

Fish, mammal, whatever.

If there was one thing that had pulled her through the training, the pain of leaving home, and leaving her dreams behind... It was the curiosity. The question lingering in the back of her mind... Who will I be paired with? She had already spent some time getting to 'know' these orcas from behind the glass. She knew their names, their ages, and their back stories. But which one would it be?

She looked over at Skye, a girl who she knew fairly well as an acquaintance. She was the same person who had helped her zip up her wetsuit just a few moments ago. Smiling to relieve her own nerves, Nat leaned over. "Nervous? Who do you think you'll be paired with?" Her eyes flicked from the blonde to the water. Black fins sliced through the water, and white 'eyes' occasionally breached the surface. Little spurts of air and water shot up from a blowhole every now and then.

They are beautiful. Natalie admitted to herself.

[Elizabeth16]

The orca candidate trainers had the best house in the entire facility. It was absolutely revolutionary, like the rest of the park, this new Seaworld that had opened only just a few days ago. The house was situated not a stone's throw from the orca's free roam lagoon where they spent every night. Their house, one of the five houses for trainers and animal teams (Orca, dolphin, beluga/penguin/polar bear, and the Seal/sea lion/otter), was, much like the others, close to and easily accessible to the main animal areas. The new seaworld wasn't full of back-cages and gates into large arenas... this was open water. Two large containing areas for the orcas split by a land road, several acres of deep water on either side where the two pods (one permanent to the park, the other visiting; the areas would be combined if needed) could be seen above land, from the beach like-viewing area, or from the large glass windows and walkways lining the tank. The orca candidate house overlooked the bay containing the permanent pod. The house had immediate access to the food prep rooms, the trainer's lockers, the four individual lagoons that could be sealed for working with an orca individually, and was literally right behind the stadium. They were told that they had access to the entire park 24/7, to their animals only, but... "If you make a mistake, we can promise you will never touch a marine animal again."

This was the orca candidate program. The first people to be back in the water with orcas since the accident. The first people who would interact with the orcas on a personal basis. They wouldn't have off days, or be able to have 'lives' outside of work. This was it. This was everything. The six candidates had spent the past six months rotating between parks in the united states, learning how to train dolphins, to interact with the killer whales, even to perform in shows and dive into tanks with sharks to scrape poop off the glass. It was hardly rewarding in pay, and they never second-guessed if they would ever stop smelling like fish, but this was the day that had wanted to get to. To the six orcas who were young, new, hardly worked with. Who would be as the wind is to birds for the very top of the top new trainers. They would grow old together, and change the view of the world. It was new, dangerous, and absolutely fantastic.

"It's fantastic," Elizabeth had said to herself, over and over, absolutely stunned as she leaned over the balcony of the yellow house from her second story room, seeing the dorsal fins of a dozen orca's break the surface of the clear water as the sun rose, pink and gold and the color of dreams. When the alarm went off behind her already made bed (because who could sleep when something as wonderful as this was actually about to happen?), she was already down the stairs, making coffee. They would like coffee, right? Maybe? What if they didn't have sugar and cream? Ellie clicked the off button while running her hand through her brunette hair. After a concerned, over-thinking second, she turned it back on and bounced to the fridge, looking for breakfast. She wore only her bikini-type bottoms and a wet suit shirt, bright blues and corals that were her favorite colors. It never occurred to her that wearing basically a long sleeve shirt and underwear while bouncing through the kitchen of a house belong the half a dozen near strangers would be not entirely appropriate; she had been in jobs where everyone wore that and little more 24/7 too long. For her, long tanned legs flashing in happy, bubbly strides, was absolutely normal.

"Good morning!" She practically chirped to everyone who came downstairs, flashing a smile and bouncy hair. Some of them weren't very good morning people, she noted; to these, she lowered her volume ever so slightly. If coffee was a success of failure, she couldn't tell.

"We have almond and vanilla creamer," she said to the first one to take her up on her offer, a very tall older man she knew to be Tuck. She had run into him during training. Heck, they all had run into each other during training. During the 6 months they "trained", there were over thirty candidates. They were the ones who showed promise, who had enough potential to be basically handed the keys to the Pacific Orcas... Except for this one last test.

"They thought of everything, didn't they?" Tuck smiled. He had one of those charismatic grins that actors had, that made everyone feel like they were the most lovely and fasinating things in the world. And he just looked like he should be a comedian slash male model too. She had seen his performances when they were at Seaworld Orlando together; the man knew how to put on a show.

They headed over mostly as a group to the locker rooms, where their assignments for the day would be posted, as well as six individual lockers, with their show suits and several training suits. She helped the blonde next to her zip her suit up and grateful thanked Skyy when she returned the favor. Why didn't they have wet suit strings here? That was something she needed to add tomorrow, she noted. Opting for no booties, she wiggled her bare toes against the faux-sand concrete surface of the staff entrance to the Orca Main Lagoon. The babies (though all grown up) were squirming at the surface, already smelling fish and waiting for their daily routine.

"Today, we are feeding the whales, scrubbing the decks, and we will be going over every whale in detail as you clean," Daniel said once they were on the deck. "After that, we will go to the dolphin arena, where you each receive two Dolphins to work with. You will be expected to perform in every show your assigned dolphin is scheduled for. One is new to the shows, one is experienced. Learn from both. There is room for mistakes with dolphins; the room for mistakes with orcas is as small as you can imagine. You will have time today to practice what you learned at your training sessions with your Dolphins today, under supervision of a trainer, and in the public pools. This means you'll have an audience. You will always have an audience, remember. "

Nothing about orcas. Maybe today wasn't the day. Ellie shifted, moving her hands behind her back. She accidently touched someone, a tall man, and mumbled an apology, casting her Amber eyes back to the water before back to the trainer.

"You'll have no time for lunch today, eat on the go. You'll be taking your orca pairing examination and interviews today."

[Breggo13]

Thud, thud, thud. His sneakers hit the wooden boards in a rhythmic way, barely staying there for a second as he continued to run down the long walkway, water splashing gently against the thick concrete posts supporting the structure, the early morning sun rays hitting his shades. It was a habit he adopted from his father, something that had become a tradition, a sign, and the only truly decent way to start any morning. While most people drank coffee and checked their mass media, Jim went for a perimeter run around the orca enclosure. His shirt, tucked to the back of body hugging wetsuit shorts, trailed behind like a red tail, allowing him to catch some of the early warmth on his skin without the fear of burning into a hot red tomato.

The enclosure was large, much larger than any in the world and more impressive. The run wasn’t challenging really, not if he ran it with his usual pace but he had been aiming to make the run within the same time as he did in San Antonio. So, he pushed himself for speed, concentrating on breathing deeply and placing one foot after another, his body sleeked slightly with sweat as the temperature steadily increased, the cool breeze sending shivers up his exposed spine. But that was still better than thinking about today, about any day. He had sensed the excitement the second he entered the house three days ago, five other young people unable to contain their anxiety to finally meet the whales. For him, it was just another reminder of a ticking clock.

Jimmy. Jim. Jimbo. Jimmy Boy. Jerry. Jerimiah when his father was angry. JubJub. Jay Jay. Jimbio. He had been called many names throughout his life by many people but now, he seemed only to be called “Shamu Trainer 2.0” or “Shamu Baby Generation” or some other flashy marketing slogan that SeaWorld came up with. That was all he had become half a year ago when he submitted his papers – a walking, talking, breathing marketing campaign for the company, much like Kalina had been the Baby Shamu years ago. He was the new, unique thing. The first son to follow in his father’s steps. And the first to perform in a father – son act in a month for his exam.

The past few months have been spent not only going through the safety regulations program (that he barely passed with scrapping marks) but also learning his father’s signature gestures, rehearsing with him, perfecting the swim motions and the signs. SeaWorld wanted a perfect match and that is what he was to give them. The pressure seemed to constantly press down onto his shoulders, making it hard to breathe sometimes, harder to keep calm, harder to sleep.

Splash. Splash. Splash. From the corner of his eye, Jim could see a black dorsal fin, slightly tipped right, following his run. Every now and again, the fin would sink a bit deeper then expose a bit more of the large black hide, the white of his eye patches giving the whale away. Jim grinned, unable to help it and whistling, picked up the speed. Makaio whistled back before following easily, seeming to get just in front of Jim, but keeping the young man company. After a few minutes, the lone whale gave one more whistle before bounding out of the water in a graceful jump and disappearing somewhere he thought to be. Smirking, Jim continued at the faster pace, finally reaching the house out of breathe but rather happy.

That is, until he saw the excitement bubbling around. Some were grabbing coffee, other talking. The twins seemed to be polar opposites as they talked, the boy excited and the girl distant. Skye grinned at him as he passed her on the stairs, ruffling his hair. The past few months in San Diego, out of the ten there, only they made it here. She was the youngest of all applicants to begin with and being here in the final six was something to be proud of. If he didn’t have his own worries to think about, Jim would have been happy for her.

With a quick shower and slipping into a similar outfit as for the run, feet in flip flops, Jim barely had time for a banana and some peanut butter before the group headed out. He ended up in the front, his long strides easily carrying him across the short distance towards the training center. He grunted a hello to Owen as the two ended up side by side, barely listening to what Daniel had to say. It wasn’t disrespect, it was that he had heard something similar from the head trainer a few times already. With the dismissal, he followed the other two men into the change room, all of them slipping into wetsuits.

Within 10 minutes, Daniel was once again instructing them, Annabelle and Haily bringing a few buckets closer to the group, each marked with a name and number. Clasping his arms behind his back, Jim watched the orca adolescences call out for breakfast, curiously eyeing the group. Makaio seemed to be coming close but each time, Sakari seemed to nip at him, threatening to rake. So the big male would immediately turn around and retreat, huffing.

Out of the blue, one of the girls seemed to brush her hands across his side, bringing his attention to her. Blushing, Ellie turned away, looking down. Jim raised an eyebrow before shrugging and looking at Daniel.

“Not nervous, excited,” he heard Skye’s theatrical whisper as she stood beside Natalie, the tall blonde seeming to be anything but what her friend was. It seemed strange how those two bonded – Skye was perhaps most comfortable with the surfer but the second Owen stepped into the scene, out came the thick Sydney accent and incomprehensible slang, the young girl getting frustrated. It seemed like the blonde that that effect on everyone – with his killer looks, Jim didn’t doubt that he would shine on stage. As would Tucker. Older and more experienced, the guy listened with the closest attention as the head coach continued.

“Now, today’s order of feeding will be as follows. Note that just because you are feeding them today, that doesn’t mean they will be yours. We will pair you up officially after today,” as the group nodded, Daniel pulled out a short list. “Tucker – Makaio,” the tall guy nodded, hands crossed on his chest. “Owen – Haku, Jimbo – Moana and the baby,” there was a collective ‘aww’ from all the adult female trainers as Jim scowled. “Natalie – Makani, Elizabeth – Sakari and Skye – Canere. Buckets are here as are we trainers. You have watched this the past two days so show me what you learned. We will observe but if there is any problems, our word is law. Now, off you go.”

The chatter resumed as the group moved forward towards the bucket of fish. Jim waved to his father, getting a curt nod in acknowledgement, the senior trainer already scolding Ellie for not wearing shoes when working with the animals. Skye seemed to be enjoying whistling with Canere, the whale responding as the girl created a short tune from one musical or another, staying on key.

“Come on Jimbo,” Annabelle laughed as she handed him one of the heaviest buckets, receiving an unamused glare. “Baby Jim.”

“Careful else I will start calling you Grandma Anne,” Jim responded as the woman laughed before moving towards the platform, the water reaching just past his ankles. Setting the bucket beside him, Jim whistled, seeing as two shadows approached him, one large and the other small.

“Morning ladies,” he smiled, reaching out to pet Moana, the female nudging his hand in a way as to demand more food than attention. Grinning, he stuck his hands into the ice, grabbing a mountain of fish and tossing it her way. Immediately, the big load disappeared in a gulp and the whale opened her mouth for more. Laughing, he repeated the action, until the bucket was gone faster than anyone else. With a fart-like blow from her blowhole, Moana disappeared, the little baby following her like a puppy.

Shaking his hands off, Jim looked to his left. Tucker seemed to be finishing up with Makaio, the large whale seeming to enjoy the interaction. Natalie seemed to be doing well, Hailey helping her with something. To the right, in the far corner, Skye grinned in a silly way as she and her whale seemed to copy each other. Owen was more quiet, working with Haku carefully, his motions smooth. Ellie, after apparently getting shoes, didn’t seem to be catching Sakari’s attention. The young female splashed and dived, not seeming to be interested in the food and paying no mind to the young trainer with the pail. Coming closer, his own bucket in hand, Jim shook his head.

“You have to relax – slow your actions down. Right now, she’s thinking you want to play.” He didn’t mean for it to sound cold but it was as though that was the only tone he had recently unless he was on stage. Plus, he’d look like an outright idiot if he apologized for it now.

******

Skye grinned as the last of her fish disappeared in Canere’s mouth and whistling one last time, picked up the bucket, grinning to herself. She felt like she was floating, a child who had been given her birthday presents early. By a year. Or two. Although it was just feeding, she couldn’t help the wonder of the young orca before her, responding to her and practically begging for more food.

A part of her felt slightly disappointed – they wouldn’t be swimming with these whales today. But she could understand the head trainer’s decision, his hesitations. And for now, being even this close to such extraordinary animals made her feel elated. The closest she ever gotten to such a feeling was when she was finally allowed to ride her father’s seventeen hands high gelding. Frankly, the animal was so calm that it took all her eight year old strength to get it to move but she had never been prouder. Until today.

“Like I’m the only girl in the world, like I’m the only that you’ll ever know,” she sang, stopping before the trolley and placing her empty bucket with the others, once again coming close to the pool edge and sitting cross legged, simply watching the orcas before her.

[Naraness]

The moment Owen heard his name, followed by Haku's, he barely resisted stepping out to grab his bucket before the trainees were officially released to do so. The moment Daniel said the word, his hand was already on the bucket handle. Ice and chilled fish sloshed against each other as he moved to the edge of the deck where the orcas waited eagerly. The bucket's metallic thud as it hit the planks seemed to draw the attention of more than one orca.

Chuckling, Owen whistled and waved to the whales, communicating with them flawlessly that this food was not for them. They dispersed, only to find their respective trainees. His eyes locked on Haku a little ways under the water. The assertive male was easy to spot due to his size. Owen glanced around at the other trainees, smiling when he saw Skye to his left, feeding the ever curious and sweet Canere. Just past her, Natalie was calling Makani in. He knew that she would do well.

With a swift snap, whistle, and a motion across his chest (which was unique to Haku), he watched, waiting for a response. There was none for a moment, and Owen frowned, remembering that the whale had some problems hearing. Rolling his sleeves up tanned arms, Owen reached down and dipped his hand into the water, tapping his palm against one of the thick wooden beams that held the deck up. That got the male's attention, and Owen proceeded to motion the orca's name; calling him.

As he emerged, Haku sprayed a mist of water into the air. It coated Owen's face, but he just grinned, running a hand through his blond hair to swipe it out of the way. "Hey pal." He smiled, fishing around the bucket for some food. Owen knew it was dangerous to be casual around the whales... especially one like Haku that was big and strong enough to cause some real damage in the event of a mistake. Still, how could Owen ruin a perfectly good chance to enjoy himself? He was being careful. That didn't mean he had to be boring.

Holding up a limp fish, Owen waved it at Haku expectantly. The enormous creature nudged the deck with his nose like a pushy child. The deck creaked from his strength. His stubbornness gave in, however, and he opened his mouth, closing it in satisfaction when a pair of fish landed on his tongue. "Thatta boy." Owen reached down, lightly touching Haku's ebony skin just a few inches from his blowhole. A rush of excitement channeled through him as he felt the steady draw of air into Haku's huge lungs.

One after another, fish travelled down the beautiful monster's throat. Owen was ever careful, alert, and steady. Once the bucket was empty, he stood up and set it by the other empty ones. He made his way over to Nat, watching his twin from behind.

Despite her lack of enthusiasm, Natalie was really quite good at what she did. She was steady, good at communicating, and efficient. She finished feeding Makani fairly quickly, only having slight trouble, which Hailey helped her resolve rather quickly. It was something about eye contact, or empathy... One of those things she had never understood with whales. It was something that was apparently key to communication. "Why is that so vital?" She murmured to herself. "I can make all the same motions, whistle at the same pitch, say the same ques... Why can't I connect." Nat sighed.

She watched Makani swallow the last of his fish, and open his mouth in a toothy grin. "There's no more, Mac." She showed him the empty bucket, dumping a few pieces of ice into the water. The orca played with the cubes on his tongue, apparently having fun with the little floating chunks of frozen water. "You're awful cute for a fish." Nat chuckled, putting her bucket back with the others. She glanced over at Jim and Ellie, who were working together to catch Sakari's attention.

He would know what I'm doing wrong. She thought, watching Jeremiah work with the other trainee. Forget it, he knows everything. Nat reminded herself, looking away. She folded her arms and watched the orcas indifferently; objectively. As annoying as it was to see someone whose skills came so easily to him, there was an undeniable nagging voice in the back of her head that whispered teasingly... You like poster boy and you know it.

"Shaddup." She said to herself under her breath.

Owen chuckled at his sister, patting her back with one hand. "You did good." He smiled, grinning when Nat rolled her eyes and playfully pushed him away. Laughing softly, the brother wandered over to where Skye and Tucker were just finishing up. These were the mornings he loved more than anything else... They were beautiful. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the ocean air that he had become so accustomed to. There used to be a time when he longed for any moment he could get a lungful of that sweet scent. Now he lived in it... "This is beautiful." He said, half to himself and half to anyone listening. "This life... it's just beautiful." He shifted his weight from his right foot to his left, crossing his arms in a relaxed fashion as he stared out across the open blue waters.

Owen glanced at the fully fledged trainers, looking for any further instruction.

[Elizabeth16]

The head trainer, David, had locked eyes with Ellie after he said the names of their orcas. Her brain was busy running over everything she knew about Sakari, and, had he not raised his hand and did the dreaded finger 'come hither', she might have skipped over to the buckets with the rest of the group. Instead, her carefully contained excitement dulled ever so slightly and narrowed eyebrows closed in 'what could I possibly have done? Its barely the first real day. Ellie, what are you doing now? Being the last candidate, she padded her soft footed way over to the trainer. "Yes sir?"

"What are you missing?" He had no play in his expression. Daniel never had any fun or lightness except when he was onstage. At least not when the candidates were around.

Ellie's amber eyes swept down across her outfit. Her whistle hung around her neck, suit was zipped, she had the proper uniform on underneath, no cell phone, hair secured... Shoes. Those were supposed to be optional. She stared at her toes for a moment before she looked back up, opening her mouth to defend herself.

"I don't care what you have to say. Don't let me see you without boots on my decks again. Someone thought you might be good enough to take over this park when we leave in a month. I don't agree. This is your one chance, Brown."

Elizabeth's lips narrowed deeply into a thin line and she raised her chin. "Yes sir." Turning on her heel, she walked with quickly strides back to the locker, wishing the damn suit had pockets to stuff her hands into as she moved out, knowing her bucket was sitting full, the last one, while the rest were interacting with orcas. When she slipped her feet into the matching booties, she immediately turned and went back to the feeding area, looking for the bounding Sakari, the only whale without an attentive candidate giving them complete attention. She grabbed the bucket, going to the corner, a little away from the other trainers, and squatted. The whale popped her head out of the water, making eye contact.

"Come on, pretty girl," Ellie said, brushing hair out of her eye with a fishy-hand and tapping the water with the other. Almost instantly, with a chirp, the whale was back underwater, and resurfaced a foot away with a splash before going backwards again. The pattern continued until Ellie was not only soaking wet, but disheartened by the lack of an empty bucket and a cooperative whale. A voice was a clear distraction.

She looked beside her to see Jeremiah (the one she had so conveniently bumped into earlier), the prodigal Seaworld son. She remembered him. She doubted he would remember her; they had a short time together when she did her tour in San Diego. He was the one that did perfectly, was perfect, and was all over the Seaworld Pacific advertisements. The smiling playboy-looking tanned Jimmy looked only like his very serious father now; it made her heart sink a little more, but her stubborn-reflex rode just as quickly. She sighed, relaxed her shoulders, and looked away from the man back to the water. She stopped moving herself, put one hand on the top of the water, and waited. A little splash later, and a sleek black nose was under her hand.

It was hard not to smile when that black nose turned into a very pink mouth begging like a small puppy. "Okay," she said, glancing once at Jimmy. She fed her fish quickly, noticing more and more candidates already done.

Tuck, for instance, had finished with Makaio and was rubbing his broad and high dorsal fin, waving off any whale who tried to get near him. The son of Tillikum was much like his father; big and misunderstood, and near the very bottom of the pod totem pole. After a few moments more, he focused on the task, which was getting through the rest of the supervised day. He picked up his bucket, dumping the ice and rinsing it before returning it to the cart and looking back to Daniel, who blew his whistle to the call the trainer candidates back. "Its seven am, folks. We have two hours to clean the entire orca area before park opens. Lets get moving. Teams of three, one team get the stadium ready, one team does the Orca Bay paths and shores areas, we will do inside the tank today. In the next few days, the entire area, including inside the tank, will be your job, cleaned twice a day. The Orca team will be the best in this park. Make your teams, your supplies are in your area. Get going."

Tucker looked to his right, at the blonde Australian girl who had fallen in next to him, a welcoming smile flashing against his tan, shadowed skin. "Team?" He offered, putting his arm on his hip, which nicely flexed the muscles underneath the clear suit.

[Breggo13]

Skye grinned as she heard a voice behind her comment on the beauty of life. Turning to give a smart retort, she shut her mouth the second she saw who was standing before her, blushing and dropping her gaze back to the water and the killer whales swimming there. Owen West simply left her mumbling and stumbling and looking like a silly blondie from down under. It frustrated her that the second he turned his gaze at her – even accidentally – her knees became slightly jello.

Stop it! Pull yourself together! You can’t let his presence do that to you, especially if there’s a chance that you will be performing together, her inner, rational voice kicked in, scolding her much like it did before every show. She gritted her teeth at her invisible counter-part.

If I even get to perform, the thought sent shivers down her spine and involuntarily she shuddered, hoping no one would see. She had been doing so well, ignoring the fact that there would be a selection of the best in a month’s time. That today’s test was only the first step of a journey for some and a first step towards the end for others. She felt at a disadvantage, watching the others communicate with the whales. All her live, she had been involved with herbivore mammals whose first instinct was to flee from danger, who trusted you slowly and to whom you were a threat. The closest interaction she had to anything with fangs was the large family dog Mac. And now, she was thrown into a world of apex predators, animals with no equal, creatures who could kill her if they wanted. Even now, they were large and deadly.

You’re doing it again, the voice was less kind this time, harsher. Right. She really would do herself no good by brooding on things yet to come. She had done her research, she had just like the rest found time to learn about the animals within Pacific and she kept pushing. She was never one to give up easily.

Standing up with a sigh, Skye made her way towards the head coach as he called out in a sharp voice about chores and teams. She smiled inwardly – chores were good, chores she could easily do. In front of her, Tucker offered her a smile. Smiling back, she was about to nod when with a natural shift of her weight, she ended up slipping forward, desperately trying to regain control of her body but even after six months, still so unused to the slippery surface of the pools, it was impossible.

Impact happened. Not with the ground but from the pain her nose was now feeling, it may as well have been. Tucker’s body was all muscle which was great since at least the taller man wasn’t about to go down with her. But it also meant no fatty cushion so she had implanted her face smack in the middle of his chest, the wetsuit smelling salty water, fish and the faint scent of a musky aftershave. She felt her face become bright red as she stepped back, not daring to look at her fellow trainee.

“Can we count that as a yes?” she asked, her Sydney accent think in embarrassment. Grabbing the closest person to her, Skye pulled her over, trying to get over her slip up. Literally. “Now we’re three.”
“Let’s go kids,” Daniel’s voice started booming through the orca infested waters. Jim grinned as he watched the head coach magically find a headset. “Two hours may seem like a lot but it’s nothing. While you clean, I will go over the whales in more detail. Let’s get moving.”

“Jimmy,” Steve Aibel called, signaling his son over. Silently, the young man walked towards the small group of trainers, all waiting. “Have you heard the latest decision from head office?”

“What decision?” Jimmy raised an eyebrow. The trainers all frowned but it was Steve who replied.

“Your exam – they want a father and son show. It’ll be the evening one but exclusive only to sponsors and big name. The press. They want me to be paired up with Katina.”

“And me?” Jim asked, keeping his emotions under control. Barely under control. Underneath the surface, it all screamed terror. He wanted to run. He wanted to dive into a pool of sharks and hope that he was killed quickly. He wanted to scream out that he wasn’t ready, not just yet. But he couldn’t.

“Whoever you will be assigned with,” Annabelle replied, her face without its usual sunshine smile.

“We won’t have enough time to practice,” a feeble attempt, a whimper. They all knew that.

“They don’t expect some crazy miracle show. But they want to see identical father and son.”

“I’m working on that, okay?” he snapped. He simply couldn’t. He needed air. “I’m working on nailing all those motions, I’ll get it. But just…let me breathe or something!” Spinning on his heels, Jim moved past a slightly frowning Daniel, disappearing towards the walkboards. Exchanging looks, Natalie and Owen followed him.

“Guess that leaves us the stadium,” Skye tried to keep her voice light as she looked after the poster boy who had just snapped back at the senior trainers.

[Naraness]

Owen was still confused by the strange response he'd gotten from Skye. He'd been sure to get a reply from her when she shut down at the sight of him... Had he said something offensive? By the time he emerged from his thoughts, the teams were formed and duties assigned. He couldn't help but snicker when Skype collided with Tucker. It was wrong to laugh, really it was, but the look on her face was adorable.

Owen glanced about to see who he'd been teamed with, hoping momentarily to be paired with Eli and Tuck (What could he say? Sometimes his sister was a little too much, and he got on well with those two.), and realizing with disappointment that all the choosing had been done for him. He was with Nat and Jim, cleaning the Orca Bay paths and shores.

"Well that shouldn't take too long. What do you say, Nat?" His sister shrugged and nodded. "Jimmy-"

His relaxed demeanor was cut short when someone else called for the trainer; his father. Owen paused to watch the exchange. He didn't like to eavesdrop, but it wasn't like anything was being kept secret. This was being said out in the open, after all.

Snippets of conversation pieced together a general picture. Jim was getting another expectation placed on him; on top of the numerous ones he already had. Nat moved a little closer, falling into place beside her brother. She shook her head, her arms already folded. "Do they even know he's just one person?" She whispered to her brother, a little more loudly and harshly than she intended. Owen shushed her, an exasperated look on his face. At this Natalie threw her hands down in frustration. A very animated but quiet bickering bout broke out between them. They shot protests back and forth, each one trying to talk over the other while maintaining a hushed tone.

Both fell silent when Jeremiah snapped, and stormed down the walk boards. Owen and Nat glanced at the trainers, at each other, and then turned on their heels and followed Jim. It was partially out of concern for him, and partially because they needed him for their chores.

Once they were out of earshot, Owen started heading down the path for Orca Bay. "Where are you going?" Nat asked, her hands on her hips.

"Uh, to do our chores." He said. "You can't go chasing after Jim, we have work to do. He'll join us when he's ready." Owen insisted, grabbing a few pairs of latex gloves from a small supply closet just off of the main path.

"Oh yes I can. We're a team and I'm not just letting you split us all up."

"Look, Nat." Owen shook his head. "He obviously needed his space, leave him be." It was remarkable to him that Natalie seemed to resist anything he told her to do.

"If you're so eager then go yourself, have fun with the seagull crap. But you can't tell me what to do, you aren't the boss of me. Haven't you controlled my life enough?" She asked, a dangerous lilt in her voice. "Get your own!" Nat shook him off and continued down the walk boards in the direction Jim had gone. She slowed her pace a little when Owen didn't follow her, and her shoulders relaxed in relief.

Well, now she'd gotten what she wanted. What was she going to do with it? Was she really going to go and try to cheer Jeremiah up? It sounded like a great idea in her head, but how did she plan on doing that? Frustrated, she balled her hands up. I don't know, I'll make something up. Maybe Owen was right... Maybe Jim needed his space. But the idea of accepting that she was wrong was ludicrous. Natalie continued down the walk ways until she spotted her fellow trainee up ahead, sitting by the edge of the water.

"Hey, uh..." Her mind threatened to go blank. "Jim, are you okay?" Well that's a start. She took a deep breath, stepping a little closer. "Look, I don't think they should expect so much of you either." Here I go, pretending I know what's going on. Dang it, shut up Natalie! She sighed and wrapped one arm around herself, clasping her hand around her elbow. "So yeah, anyway, I'll uh... Go. If you just wanna breathe. I have those days. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." She laughed softly, biting her lip nervously.

Who sounds like she has a big fat crush now? You do. Natalie silently begged that he would say something that erased that fear.

[Breggo13]

Jim was planning to get to work right away – after all, even scrubbing decks was a decent release of energy. But somehow, along the way, he found himself walking towards the left, towards the area reserved for the temporary orca pod. There were only three or so whales here but there were much larger than even Haku, the oldest of the Pacific pods. The sheer power was overwhelming and yet smoothening. And as he watched, he saw his temper slowly come under control, slowly molding back into the small cell within his mind. He was frustrated – not so much because of the added requirements as with the lack of progress he had made to copy his father. It seemed that he was constantly working and yet, instead of improving, he seemed to be taking three steps back.

In any case, when Natalie ended up behind him, he was able to keep himself calm, even smiling ever so slightly at her last words. Of all the trainees, perhaps she was the only one whose company he didn’t mind right now. She didn’t seem to drool over the whales at every second and although she was constantly subdued by her brother, there was some hidden fire within.

“I’m fine, just….lost my cool,” Jim sighed, standing up and turning to the girl, rather tall but it made conversation much more comfortable. “Pressure or no pressure, losing your composure with these animals is fatal. No matter what happens, no matter if you’re in pain or you are struggling, you must radiate a certain vibe, an energy. And if you can’t, you aren’t meant to work with orcas.” He paused, running a hand through his hair, before locking eyes with the girl before him, noting for a second the beautiful color of her eyes, “I always seemed to know that I was my father’s boy, that I had what it takes to work with these animals. And yet each day, I wonder if I truly am. I wonder if such a slip up will happen on deck or, what’s worse, in the water. I have nothing besides this and yet I don’t even have this.”

There was a splash and Jim turned to see one of the whales pass by the walkways, huffing out water and air from its blowhole in a cloud of mist. Shaking his head, he managed a smile.

“Come on, let’s go help your brother with the docs,” slipping his arm over Natalie’s shoulder in an easy way, Jim started back towards the actual walkways that needed cleaning, wishing he had his sunglasses with him. As they got closer, he distanced from the girl, giving the male twin a slightly apological grunt and grabbing a pale and brush.

“Enjoyed working with the animals today?” he asked no one in particular, starting on a part of the wood.

”Alright, while you work, you should listen and learn as well.” even here, the rolling voice of Daniel seemed to make them all jump, coming from the microphones around the enclosure. ”We’ll start by talking about the whales you will work with. I trust all of you have done your research and homework however, these whales have been in our care since their first breathe and if our knowledge can help you, it’s our duty to share. Now, let’s begin with Haku…”

There was some muffling as the microphone was passed to the trainer from the park the whale came from. Glancing up, Jim’s eyes fell on to Natalie, watching her for a second or so. It was interesting to see the way she moved, confident and flowing motions but at the same time, not entirely at ease. Why? That seemed to be a mystery – he had seen her briefly at one of the parks, probably the day when they were changing places and back then, she looked so sad to be leaving. Now…now there didn’t seem to be that much excitement.

[Elizabeth16]

Tucker's smile was darned flashing. So darn flashing, she fell right into his arms. Of course, that's not actually what happened nor even close to what he thought. Instead, his blue eyes lost their friendly tinge, swallowed