Frame up! (Khaat)

"Um, alright, but I think I can handle it," Garulia said as he stretched his arms and attached himself back to Hiss and checked the rest of his gear. Gazing up at the wall, he judged the handholds and footholds and tried to gauge the best way to go. In the end, he decided on going a little bit to the right, between the edge and the middle. The way was simple, and he only met trouble a few times. When he did, he backtracked one or two holds and tried another way. After maybe two minutes he hit the top. This one didn't offer much of a challenge, but it was still kinda difficult for someone more accustomed to trees and acrobatics.

Bounding backwards off the wall, he landed and looked towards Michael. "Alright, let's try the next level."

"Oh, well done," Michael laughed, approving. "You really do have potential. You clearly aren't using it in the way that you could be, because you could have one hell of a good career. I'm not saying you're not a good street performer, but you have great potential to be so much more than that. With some training, you could have a career that you never thought of. I do have a few worthwhile connections. You let me know if you're interested in discussing it. We'll try the next wall, but it is designed to be double the trouble of this one. So far, you do impress me with your skills. There aren't a lot of wizards who believe anymore that there is any need for them to be able to use their body if they can use a wand instead. Personally, I see there is a use for both.

"Hiss! Go around to the next wall and check it out," MIchael ordered. He picked up a bottle of water and took a drink out of it. "Alright, Son. Lets see how you do with wall number three."

The third wall was designed with a lot more uneven surfaces, oddly spaced handholds, and a few slippery surfaces that were just impossible to get any sort of foot bracing or to hang onto the handholds. To make matters worse, there was a steady trickle of water down the wall in order to make things more challenging."

Michael went around to the wall and looked at it. He knew how he was going to approach it. "This wall is far more difficult than most tree climbing. If you make this, then you will indeed exceed anything I have seen anyone your age do."

Garulia shrugged. "What kind of career, exactly?" he asked curiously. "And my need for a fit body was always survival. Nothing else, really," he said smiling. He looked up at the new wall and shrugged. "I don't know yet. We'll see. It looks doable... If I simply.. Yes, this should be fine."

Gar attached himself to the rope and began his ascent. He avoided the slippery surfaces but one evaded his initial look-over and he nearly fell, just grabbing onto the handhold below it. After that he went a bit more cautiously. He met a jutting wall and couldn't get but one hand on a handhold on said jutting wall. To his left, he saw one on the same level that his hand was currently on.

But it was just out of reach.This just happened to be the obstacle right in front of the top. Steeling himself, he attempted to swing towards the second handhold. His fingers just brushed it and he got a grip... When a particularly large burst of water hit him and knocked him off.

Growling with frustration, he grabbed his rope and steadied himself in order to stop spinning and slowly fell to the ground. "That was so not cool!" he said, more surprised than angry.


OOC: Again, sorry for late reply. Been working on my own novel.

Michael rapelled down the wall in about three long leaps and went over to Gar. "You alright?" he asked. "I'm proud of you. I don't know of anyone else your age who could even begin to find a way to start up the surface of this side. And I've seen several professionals with a lot more experience than you have get hurt on this wall. Your adoptive mother won't forgive me if I bang you up too badly." Then he looked at Gar. He was glad that, so far, the young man didn't have much of a clue about what he did. "You know your 'mom' works for the Ministry. In a way, so do I. On a mission by mission basis. It pays very well indeed. But it relies on your physical skills as well as your magic. How would you like to work for your, well, 'grandfather'--Khaat's father--at the Ministry? That is, if you're willing to put up with me and some rather unconventional training?"

"I'm just fine," Gar said, shrugging and wiping a strand of his much longer hair out of his eyes. He looked over himself and noticed a few small bruises from where he slipped a few times, but nothing major. "Now, before I answer, what would this job include? And, what would the training include? Before I start any of this, though, I'd like to get a haircut. I haven't had one since I got imprisoned and could only get a little bit off with prison plastic-ware."

He shuddered at the thought.

"The results of that are obvious. And I would like to sleep at Khaat's house soon; I'm getting tired," he said, yawning. He had, of course, been awake for nigh on twenty four hours now, and a few hours sleep sounded nice.

"This is not for open ears. But the training would be much as what we did tonight. With my teaching you how to survive things such as that wall. I'll make sure you get a haircut in the morning. That's not an issue. Let's return the climbing gear and then head for home. You can stay in your old room in Khaat's cottage in Hogsmeade tonight. I'm sure you remember where it is. That's where I'm staying. That will give me time to talk to you more about what I had in mind, but we'll do that in the morning. I think I've bruised you up and worn you out enough for one day. Hiss--time to pack it in for one night!"

The obedient rope slithered up Michael's shoulder and coiled neatly around his arm for him to carry. Michael took off the climbing harness and headed back to the attendant to turn in his gear. Hiss made a motion, as Michael walked ahead, towards Gar to signal Gar to follow.

"Okay," Garulia said, shrugging and a little happy that he'd be getting a haircut that he sorely needed. "I wanna hear more about this in the morning." He was bouncing a little on his feet, happy again that he was finally going back to Khaat's. He was going home.

He waved a little to Hiss, chuckling at the rope's gesture. Finally out of the climbing gear, he turned it in and made to follow Michael. Yes! Khaat's house! Finally!

"So, I'm guessing we're apparating back to Hogsmede?"

"Yes. And then sometime tomorrow I will take you to Khaat and Brian's place. The cottage you're used to would fit about six times inside the place she lives now. But for tonight, let's go home." He turned in the equipment and then laid his hand on Gar's shoulder. He apparated them to the doorstep of the cottage that Michael now rented from Khaat.

"I believe you will find much of it as you left it. And, yes, the furniture is still enchanted. Come on in." He unlocked the door and went in. The hat rack dashed over to Michael, swiped Hiss from Michael and dashed off upstairs. Michael rolled his eyes. "Snidely! Bring Hiss back, or I'll have him tie you up, you overgrown matchstick!" Otto scampered over, barking and growling with one of Michael's socks hanging out of his mouth. Michael reached down and petted the enchanted footstool. The second footstool, the dainty pink brocade one, sashayed over to greet Michael more quietly.

"And this is Faline. She's Otto's...um...girlfriend...as if a footstool can have a girlfriend."

Garulia closed his eyes shut tight and waited for the sensation to end. Then he was home. His first real home had been his tent, then here. Khaat's house. Some part of him wondered: Is my tent still with Khaat?

He went in quickly and laughed at the hat rack. "Come on, now. Give us back the only sentient rope I've ever seen."

Gar laughed harder than ever. "I really, really don't want to know, Mr. Tremaine. Let's just give them some privacy." The pink one seemed to gain a sort of red blush on the seat. Otto growled at Gar who pat it's top gently, calming it down. "Alright, so I just go ahead to my room?"

Michael heard what sounded like a barroom brawl erupting from upstairs.

"Never mind them," he waved the noise away. "Its just Hiss making sure Snidely gets his just desserts. Snidely has less trouble when he steals things that aren't enchanted. The enchanted ones tend to fight back. It'll end sooner or later. Oh, and yes, your room should be the same way you left it, except for your personal belongings. I believe Brian moved all of whatever personal belongings he found to his place when he moved Khaat to his place right after Abbey was born. Just make yourself at home. I'm sure you know where everything is. And call me Michael. We are, in Khaat's way of thinking, family anyway. And most of the time, I like the way she thinks.

" There is a potion upstairs in the bathroom to ward off bruising. Its in the cabinet above the sink. Help yourself. Its labelled. Don't drink it. Just apply it to the bruise. It won't harm you if you drink it, but it might change you into some awkward colors for a few days. I put it in Robert's tea one time, and he was green for about five days. That was when we were in school, though. I'd be hard pressed to get away with that now with him, I think."