"It's going to break!" Shenzi's desperate voice fought against the wind just to be heard. Lightning struck hard, the flash revealing a wooden raft with the three Xiunari clinging. Quirk held onto the mast as hard as she could, green paws clutching tight. The winds whipped down on the sail, ripping it from the post and yanking it high into the darkness. The wood howled from the crushing weight being exerted against it, and could break at any moment.
"Hold on!" Akira called out, his long prehensile body grabbing the dark-pelted tsabhua, and then the green tark'ee. Rain poured on the three, and an ear splitting crack–not thunder–but the raft, echoed for miles. The wood was split down the center, and the xiunari were thrown into the water, fighting to keep their heads above the surface. Rolling waves covered them, pushing their forms into the darkness of the sea.
And yet, a few hours later, they came-to. "I had such an awful nightmare," Quirk shook her head and slowly opened her verdant eyes. Shenzi was already awake, pacing up and down the long body of the draconian in a fury. "It was no nightmare," Akira pointed out, his voice a sigh. "I just didn't know that I was buoyant. Who would've guessed?"
The waters around them had calmed down–hiding the fury of last night, almost as if they were tentatively asking for forgiveness. The sky, too, was that bright and happy blue, with a golden sun smiling down on the newfound castaways. Still, evidence of last night floated–literally–all around them, broken bits of string, food provisions, and logs bobbing in the tides.
"Look, I know that I can float, but this is kinda a pain in my back," Akira rubbed his sore spine, giving a pathetic look at the green tark'ee and giant tsabhua. "Well," Quirk sighed, "I guess we can try to make a new raft, for the time being?" Shenzi couldn't think of any better solution. "Sure," Akira responded, flipping over his long body in the water so that he could extend his neck further. He reached out to a bundle of rope floating in the whitecrested waves, and caught it in his beak. "We can use this."
"Alright Quirk, are you ready to swim?" Shenzi asked, hoping that the tark'ee's paddling abilities were as strong as their species' hunger for sugar. In actuality though, her words were pushed by deflection; she felt as though her bulky body might risk sinking like a rock. "It's no problem," the green tark'ee responded with a smile, and eagerly swam around in a short circle. Then, spotting a long plank floating nearby, she paddled across the waves for it.
Shenzi gave a brief glance back at Akira. His soft blue eyes were more eager than their usual harshness, as though he felt useful here in his knowledge of shipbuilding. "And to think, Skritch chastised me so for having a shelf of books purely on historical watercraft–" he quipped. She stared down nervously at the water, and then at a barrel bobbing up and down in the waves. And with a heavy heart, she began paddling, holding her breath tightly with anticipation.
And it was surprisingly–not so bad. When the waves came upon Akira, Quirk, or Shenzi, they raised the xiunari with them. When their crests were too high, they crashed over the head–but weren't enough to bring you down, as long as you simply held your breath for a quick moment. Quirk's koi marking re-emerged as she pulled the first plank towards Akira, and he eagerly reached out his long tail to accept it.
Shenzi surprised herself with her own tenacity when she was able to toss her arms around the barrel. She tightly clutched to it, dragging her heavy body over the top and using it as a floatie. With a higher range of sight, she easily saw across the shifting blue where Akira and Quirk were, and kicked her back feet as she steered back towards them. The two had managed to collect about three planks now, and were busy fashioning them together with the rope.
"How's it coming along?" Shenzi called, just as a wave–unfortunately–hit her from behind. It blotted out her vision, just for a moment, and made her eyes sting. "Quite well!" Akira called out, feeling rather proud of himself. "Just a few more and we'll be able to have a little raft going!" Quirk gave an enthusiastic shout as she tried to balance on the two tied-together beams. Shenzi nodded, turned towards another plank–about 5 meters away, give or take, and forced her bravery to push her onwards.
Shenzi: 2 mentions
Akira: 2 mentions
Shenzi: 2 mentions
Akira: 2 mentions
Shenzi: 2 mentions
Akira: 3 mentions
Shenzi: 3 mentions
Akira: 2 mentions

Bobbin For Boats
Prompt: Crucible Of Strength -- Ocean: Floating structures sent debris everywhere in the storm; time to collect the rubbish from the ocean.
Focus Colonist/s: Shenzi 2279 , Akira 2292, Quirk 1593
Relevant Research: Research Plus
Experience Breakdown:
Akira
800 Words: 8
Environment: +2
Prime Friend (Quirk, Shenzi): +2
Total: 11
Shenzi
800 Words: 8
Environment: +2
Prime Friend (Quirk): +1
Total: 11
Quirk
800 Words: 8
Environment: +2
Prime Friend (Shenzi): +1
Total: 11
Research Points Breakdown:
Base RP: 11 + 11 + 12 = 34
Research Plus: +34 RP
Benefit of Age: +11 RP
Scholar: +5 RP
Total: 84 RP
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