aquata-the-champ - Tumblr blog

[aquata-the-champ]

"That's a good point. I know she doesn't speak for all the fairies, but clearly her point of view resonates with a lot of people. So I think it's worth trying," Aquata agreed.

She was still annoyed with Vidia and her flair for the dramatic, but the longer Aquata thought about it, the more merit she saw in taking her seriously. After all, this wouldn't have happened in the first place if relations between Swynlake and the Hollow were better.

"We don't have to figure it all out tonight," Aquata added. "I mean, we should talk about it. We should keep talking about it. But don't put too much pressure on yourself. We'll get there. One thing at a time."

@jameshawks

Rain Check {Water Wings}

[aquata-the-champ]

Aquata also preferred cardio, but she'd learned through her Swynlake Secondary swim career that strengthening her arms and legs through lifting only made her more powerful in the water. It also helped her avoid injury, though she could recover from those more quickly than her Mundus teammates. As time had gone on, she'd even found that more than being useful, strength training was kind of fun. It made her feel powerful in a different way.

Amity's form was good. She wasn't using the shortcuts that people sometimes used with these exercises— though Aquata thought it would be useful to remind her of proper form as she approached the point of fatigue. That was when you were in most danger of losing it.

"Make sure you're keeping your core engaged on those low rows. It's gonna get harder to as you go on. You want to lift with your triceps, not your back, lifting with your back is how you hurt yourself," Aquata explained. That was something she was very conscious of, coaching someone who wasn't a mermaid.

@blight-magic

Eye on the Prize | Aquity

[aquata-the-champ]

Aquata was on this run trying to clear her head. Georgette's words echoed in her mind, and Boo's too.

So casual, Boo had smirked. You must have real issues, Georgette had observed.

God, why couldn't she just be normal about this? Aquata wished she could just squash the feelings, push them away and focus on her work. She had other things going on in her life! A job! A political career! What gave this guy any right to take over?

And then she thought about him and she felt all gooey inside and the only cure was to run harder.

Aquata stopped short when some girl yelled to her. "Huh?" Aquata said breathlessly. "I don't have any money on me." She assumed that was what this was, like the buskers on the pier in Bournemouth.

@euterpe-of-hesiod

The Universal Sound || OPEN

[aquata-the-champ]

Aquata smiled back, but there was fear in her eyes as Georgette pulled out the color-coded folder. Amenities? What did that mean?

For a moment, Aquata feared that Georgette was going to propose some competitor to the gym, like a trendy fitness fad or something. SoulCycle or barre or CrossFit or something like that. But that probably wouldn't go through, right...?

"Okay..." Aquata replied, still trying to sound supportive despite her suspicion. "Can I take a look?" she asked, eyeing the folder.

@perfectisgeorgette

you will vote yes right? | aquette

[aquata-the-champ]

Finding the crown. The real one. Now that was an undertaking. Aquata didn't even know where she would start. After all, what if the real crown didn't even exist anymore? What if the fake had been placed there because the original was stolen or destroyed? The thought was kind of dizzying.

But she had to try to help in some way. For James, and for the sake of everyone in Swynlake and everyone in the Hollow. Maybe she could reach out to Elinor or something— wasn't that kind of her job at InterPride? (Yes, Aquata had done some Googling on all of the new Board members).

"I'll look into it. Maybe there's something the Board can do. I mean, there has to be. We can't just sit back and do nothing."

@jameshawks

Rain Check {Water Wings}

[aquata-the-champ]

"It's not all about re-election," Aquata argued, although she did see his point. She'd spent a lot of this past term just trying to keep the Board above water. She didn't have a lot to put her name on.

Which didn't mean she hadn't accomplished anything over the past two years. But the more she thought about it, the less of it had happened here, in this office...

Obviously, she was running for reelection, though.

Right?

She shook the thought away. Not the time. "I'm here for the good of Swynlake, not my own personal campaign."

@dr-drckken

Professional Courtesy || Blues

[aquata-the-champ]

Aquata knew the answer to that. She just didn't want to say it. Because it made her feel really childish. That was what she was being though, wasn't it? Childish.

"...Maybe," she grumbled. She hated that Boo was right about this. As if Boo's love life was in any better shape! "Look, I'm happy with things the way they are. I don't see the point in, like, potentially messing anything up, you know?"

Okay, maybe she saw the point. The point was that you had to take risks and do scary things if you wanted to be happy or whatever. But things were fine the way they were. Right?

@boointhenight

Girl Dinner | Quoo

[aquata-the-champ]

"Yup!" Aquata also would have expected Amity to take another few minutes, but if she said she was good, Aquata wasn't going to hold her back.

She bounced over to the weights floor and selected two twelve-pound weights. "Okay, so I'm going to walk you through the circuit we're doing today. Light to medium weights, I'm going with twelve, but you can go down to ten or up to fifteen if you need. You should comfortably be able to do ten reps before hitting point of fatigue, so keep that in mind."

Aquata demonstrated the exercises— first, a set of alternating lunge squats with low rows, then a high plank with alternating arm raises using the dumbbells, then a set of burpees with the dumbbells as well. "Got it?" she asked once she'd demonstrated each exercise. Maybe Amity was already familiar with them, but Aquata didn't want to assume.

@blight-magic

Eye on the Prize | Aquity

[aquata-the-champ]

ZENDAYA as Tashi Duncan in Challengers (2024)

[aquata-the-champ]

Aquata looked up from the petition she was reviewing to see Georgette standing there, and her heart jumped in her chest. Considering Aquata hadn't noticed any difference in James, she assumed Georgette still hadn't shown him the DMs. But that was almost worse— it meant that she still could.

"Oh- yeah, of course," Aquata said, sitting up a bit straighter and swallowing down her nerves. It was so pathetic, how she considered herself so fearless and yet one person with an embarrassing digital footprint of her could scare her like this. "Have a seat. What, um, what can I help you with?"

@perfectisgeorgette

[outfit]

you will vote yes right? | aquette

[aquata-the-champ]

Aquata knew how Amity felt right now. It was the best kind of agony, active recovery. The brief sense of accomplishment you got from having finished the interval, but also the work that was left to do, still looming ahead. You could never really relax, but that was why it was called active recovery. You kept moving.

"Take your time," she said, glancing at the clock. There was still plenty of time. "This is why I like to start with cardio, gets your heart rate up and all. Just gotta be careful not to overdo it. We're heading to the weight floor next, but don't rush it."

@blight-magic

Eye on the Prize | Aquity

[aquata-the-champ]

Aquata did her best to suppress an eye-roll. She was pretty sure this was just a power play on Georgette's part. Now that she knew she had something on Aquata, she was going to dangle it over her head, just to make her squirm. Why else would she be so vague about it? Aquata almost wished she would just do it, so that she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

But she couldn't. That was so embarrassing. James would be totally freaked out, and that would be the end of all of it. Which... could be for the best, maybe he deserved someone more normal, but Aquata just couldn't let it happen.

"Okay," Aquata said, her voice uncharacteristically weak. "Have a good workout and let me know if you need anything."

@perfectisgeorgette

Slide Out Of My DMs | Aquette

[aquata-the-champ]

And there it was, the big green monster rearing its ugly head. Almost choking Aquata, like she wouldn't be able to say anything until she swallowed it back down. Yes, he was a sweet guy. Maybe too sweet for Aquata, too normal and funny and laid-back, meanwhile Aquata was a total mess. Maybe it was better to—

She couldn't, though. The thought of telling Georgette fine, whatever, she didn't want him anyway, she just couldn't do it. It was too heartbreaking.

"Georgette, please," Aquata pleaded. "It was a stupid thing to do. But it's not me, or, like, at least, it's not how I wanna be. Can't I do something to make it up to you? Do you have a favorite treadmill? I can reserve it for you."

Not something Aquata was technically allowed to do, but she was getting desperate.

@perfectisgeorgette

Slide Out Of My DMs | Aquette

[aquata-the-champ]

That was a good point. This went deeper than the flotilla. It went deeper than a stolen crown, even. Something was broken in the relationship between Swynlake and Pixie Hollow, and if they ever wanted to repair that relationship, they were going to have to do a little more than a festival.

"You're right," Aquata agreed. "I just wish I knew how we could fix things. I mean, it's not like there's going to be one simple, easy fix, but we can't just let things stay like this. Swynlake wouldn't be Swynlake without the fairies. We need to figure something out."

@jameshawks

Rain Check {Water Wings}

[aquata-the-champ]

"We didn't even go to Cornwall, 'cause of the fairy crown thing," Aquata grumbled, and then looked up at Boo's expression to realize that didn't help her case. She groaned. "Okay. Let's say, hypothetically, that I do want it to be something more than that. What is the point if he doesn't?"

Not that he'd said that in so many words, but... Aquata didn't want to jinx it. She was scared. And she was never going to admit that, because nothing scared Aquata Triton.

@boointhenight

Girl Dinner | Quoo

[aquata-the-champ]

If Aquata zoomed out of her own feelings toward Drakken and toward this conversation, she would probably see that she and Drakken actually agreed on a lot of fundamental things. But it was the way he was talking to her that pissed her off. How dare he say that she was just fighting for the sake of it? That her causes weren't worthy and important?

"Well, I don't vote for stuff because I made some deal, I do it because it's a cause I care about, and I expect people to do the same with my initiatives," Aquata replied stubbornly. "I might be a politician, but I still have some principles. So yeah, I'll work with you. But I'll only vote for your stuff if it actually appeals to me. No promises."

@dr-drckken

Professional Courtesy || Blues

[aquata-the-champ]

This was the last interval on the treadmill, but the next portion of the workout would reveal whether Amity really was that powerful or if she'd just failed to pace herself. Aquata hoped it was the former. She wanted to see how far Amity could go, how intensely she could train. It was a different kind of challenge, designing a workout for someone who was already so conditioned.

"And... time!" Aquata called, clicking her stopwatch. "Walk it off. No higher than three miles per hour, catch your breath. How's it feeling?"

@blight-magic

Eye on the Prize | Aquity