Frame up! (Khaat)

OOC: Hope you don't if I post with this profile. My comps laggin all to hell.


BIC: Gaurlia shook his head. "Not really. But I finished the rock wall at a muggle fair in half the time everyone else did and won a hundred muggle dollars, if that counts for anything? That's about ten galleons, in case you don't know the conversion."

After this short exchange between Khaat and Michael, he took the membership card and smiled. "Thanks, Khaat." Slipping it into his pocket, he gave Khaat a big hug. "I'll keep him out of trouble, don't you worry," he whispered loudly so it turned into a joke. "It's really good to be back, though. I misssed you."

"Come on, Boy. You can see her later. We have work to do," Michael said. "I presume you will need some help apparating?" Michael knew the ministry didn't generally teach youngsters Gar's age to apparate. It was normally 7th years who learned that and, hopefully, portkeying. He didn't expect, even as skilled and sure of himself as Gar was to have the clearance to apparate, even if he did know how. And the last thing Gar seemed to need at this point in his life was Khaat's father breathing down his neck about breaking more wizarding laws. And underage magic was one that was always taken very seriously.

"We do need to go into London,and its quite a distance. I would prefer you not end up going sideways someplace," Michael said. "That can get rather unpleasant. So, take my arm, if you would, and lets leave your mother to finish her tea."

Garulia shook his head. "Nope, I've never apparated before." He gave his adoptive mother one last squeeze and a good bye kiss on the cheek like he thought would happen if he ever had a real parent. "Love you, later." Apparating was something he dearly wished to learn. He'd have to find out how to apply later on.

He gripped Michael's arm.

"Ready?" he asked, grinning. "Let's get the show on the road!" He waved at Khaat and smiled at some of the lingering crowed, who all nodded back at him simultaneously.

Michael apparated the boy to just outside of St. Mungos. "Alright, Lad," he grinned, eager to be able to have a chance to climb with anyone. "You show me yours and I'll show you mine. This way." He led Gar downstairs to the fitness center in the basement of the hospital. There wasn't much of anyone working out there at this hour, and certainly no one working on the climbing wall. He showed them his gold pass and the attendant showed them to the locker rooms and rented them workout clothes and equipment. "I'll meet you in five," Michael said.

He changed quickly, and went out and found a place on a bench just out side of the locker room and began checking the equipment--the harnesses, the ropes, the clips, all of it. He was adjusting some of the knots and tying them in much better knots. Whoever had used some of this stuff last hadn't known as much about climbing as they thought they did. He wanted no accidents. He had no desire to hear Khaat's infernal lecturing. He had every intention of returning the boy in one piece.

Garulia nodded and followed him, the apparation making him feel a little woozy. Maybe he didn't want to be able to do that so much anymore. As he put on his harnesses and equipment, he looked in the mirror and laughed a little at himself. Too much like one of those TV mountain climbers, he thought to himself.

As he finished he went outside to Mr. Tremaine. "Did I do it right? Like I said I've only done this once and even then there was someone to do the harness for me. But I watched and I think I got it all right."

He shuffled his feet a little as he looked at the older man.

"Well done, Lad," Michael smiled. "Except that if you don't tighten it up, you'll find you may well fall on your arse, and I don't want to have to explain that to Khaat. Her maternal instincts are indeed a formidable force. Allow me," he said. He went over to Gar and adjusted the harness quite a bit tighter so that it would keep him secure during the climb. He now had three coils of rope laying on a weight lifting bench. "I apparated home and got my own rope while you were changing," he said to Gar. "You'll find him to be quite useful. This way, then."

He picked up the ropes and the rest of the gear and led Gar to a training room down. It was enchanted to be a lot bigger than it actually had been originally created to be. The ceiling now easily was a 30 foot ceiling, and in the center of the room was a four sided obelisk that was a 20 foot climbing tower. The front side was easy, and as one travelled around the obelisk in a clockwise manner, the climbing challenges got progressively more difficult. Michael tossed the ropes on the floor and looked down at them.

"Hiss! Time for work, you sluggard," he commanded. His own rope snapped to attention and began wagging it's "head" at Michael in a rather angry fashion. "None of your backtalk. I won't have it," Michael said. "We have a new friend. Go and introduce yourself. Gar, this is Hiss, my only ally in a great deal of my work. He is a sentient climbing rope. Don't ask me where one finds a climbing rope that can think for itself. Thank God this one does not talk. He is a rather long rope with a short wick. He has a rather short temper. You really don't want to know. Hiss, this is Gar. Treat him well, or Khaat will be using you as a clothesline. You understand me?" The rope nodded and slithered over to Gar, rose up with a stance like a cobra and nodded respectfully to Gar.

Garulia laughed a little. "They're not Khaat's maternal instincts," he jibed. "Khaat is THEIR person." Nodding as he tightened the harness, he stretched. "Alright! Let's do this!" As he walked into the wall climb area, he gasped at how awesome the climbing tower was. Not that it looked difficult, just awesome. As soon as the rope moved, Gar shot about a foot in the air, turning white. "Oh...it's just a rope. Sorry, this many years in the magical world and I'm still not used to inanimate objects moving."

He nodded at the rope. "I apologize for the rude greeting, Hiss. I'm sure you're a very nice, er, rope." At this last bit he had to keep himself from laughing. Was he REALLY talking to a rope? "Can we get started now?"

Hiss nodded in prompt attention to Gar and slithered up through his harness and attached himself to Gar and slithered up the wall, and attached itself through some of the carabiners and then anchored itself to the top of the wall.

Michael decided to use on of the existing ropes on the climbing wall, and he checked it himself to be sure he was satisfied with it.

"Hiss," Michael called, "Watch that 5th carabiner. Its not in good shape. I can see it from here. Keep the lad from breaking something, won't you?" The rope simply wiggled its agreement to Michael. "That's a good boy. Steady then. And off you go, Junior. I'll meet you at the top."

Michael loved climbing more than just about anything else in the world. He took hold of the very nonmagical rope and started a calm steady stance at climbing up the wall. This was the easy side. With all his years of experience, he had often been accused off being half spider. On this side of the climbing wall, Michael could almost walk up the side of the wall by merely holding onto the rope. He wanted to start simply. But if the lad did well, then Michael would work him around to the fourth side of the wall--the one he had designed with Khaat to only be able to be scaled by the best of the experts. There were precious few who had even tried to go partway up--other than MIchael himself. Precious few indeed.

Garulia watched in amazement as the rope climbed up the wall. "I really need a rope like that," he decided aloud. "Don't worry, Mr. Tremaine, I won't break anything TOO expensive," he assured with a laugh. There were so many hand holds and crannies in the wall that it was like crawling on a floor instead of climbing a wall. As soon as he felt the rope try to help him, he shook his head. "No thanks, Hiss. I wanna do it on my own."

It was too easy. He touched top within a minute and slid down the rope back down, grinning ear to ear. "That was a fun warm up! Now, where's the wall?"

OOC: Sorry for the late reply.

OOC: NP.

MIchael knew he could have perhaps scaled the wall faster, but he didn't intend to outstride the boy. He kept stride with him to reach the top at the same time. One or two quick bounces rapelled him down the wall again.

"Well done, Lad," Michael grinned. "Alright, Hiss. Come on down." The rope unknotted itself and slinked down into a coil at Michael's feet. "Good boy, Hiss. Okay, Junior. You can handle the beginner's course, Well done. Lets see how you do on the next level. It is the intermediate level. There are also advanced and expert levels. I designed each level to be double the difficulty of the last. Let's see if you can deal with the next challenge. Hiss, wall two please. Don't help him this time." Michael walked around the corner to the second wall. Michael studied the handholds and the carabiner clips in the wall. These looked to be in much better shape. "Remind me to replace that carabiner on that basic wall. You're on your own this time. You take Hiss with you. I have my own way to challenge myself on this. I believe we should all continually challenge ourselves. You don't have to do anything here but be yourself. I would much rather you show me where you need a bit of mentoring than to take a challenge that you aren't sure of. I have seen some fine climbers break a lot of bones on these walls. Be careful." The second wall wasn't usually a problem for Michael's collegues, but very few could even make the third wall completely. He was interested in seeing what he could offer this young man towards their common interest.