therookery | crystal;

Entry tags:

crystal;

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Araceli Bonaventura
RECIPIENT: Everyone
WHAT: Offering advanced parkour lessons and trying to organise a shindig
WHEN: Now
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: Threadjacking encouraged. A few notices have been left around the Gallows to sign-up for lessons.

Inquisition, now that we're settled in Kirkwall I come to you with two very exciting propositions. As some of you know, I taught how to climb and run the walls and battlements of Skyhold, how to fall from such heights safely but alas this was not as it was at home when Skyhold was so contained. But here we are in Kirkwall! I can truly teach you how to leap from building to building if your desire and to dive into the waters from buildings and from the rigging of a ship. Of course, we start small so as not to injure your good self but if that prospect sounds intriguing, please come find me. I am Araceli Bonaventura, at your service. I'm either working at the Gallows or by the docks or you might happen to look up.

The second is a thing to celebrate and I could say that I do it as leader of the naval projects but truly? I do it as someone who loves cooking and seafood, to finally be back by the water after so long removed from it. Tell me, Inquisition, what are your favourite seafood dishes? Your favourite meals from Antiva or Rivain or places such as that? Because I thought it might be an idea to have a cookout by the waves towards the end of the month, say, the twenty-second? Everyone is welcome if they are a fan of good food and good times among friends.

[Also it's her birthday but since they don't really do birthdays that way back home, what better thing to do than have a fun time with people that have all certainly earned it?]

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Not dangerous exactly [a huff as she climbs further then back down to stay in sight and so she won't need to raise her voice more than she wants to] since this is the sort of thing where you should have caution. Sometimes it's stonework, a loose tile, sometimes it's a hand in the dark grabbing you or a person shooting.

[Carefully not specifying what they'd be shooting, she can't remember what she's talked about with everyone after a long day so best to just shade it careful and let it fall where it may.]

Yes, yes, up you come, if you need it I can help. Just remember to breathe, to allow yourself a moment to think but don't overthink. Listen to your body most of all as you move, I'm here to help and teach you something new and fun and exciting.

God willing, there will be absolutely no shooting at any point when I deploy this skill.

[But causes of death later, learning now. Waver takes a long, deep breath, looks at where he needs to begin, and gets ready.

Then he begins. Waver moves slowly, tracing Araceli's path precisely. Foothold, handhold, everything he could remember. He tries to ignore the fact that his limbs are shaking, be it from nerves or else from the muscles not being used to moving in this particular way - both, most likely. He manages to get a few feet up and off the ground, then frowns.]

Shit. Do I move left or right?

No one has said anything about returning to the Winter Palace but they haven't said that we aren't returning either.

[The Winter Palace was a marvellous night enjoyed by all and Araceli absolutely loved leading civilians around and having to parkour in a ballgown to kill a Red Templar archer before she could get shot at.

Glancing down as she goes, moving out of Waver's path but never so far as to be out of reach, Araceli pauses to assess where Waver is, one hand outstretched to point.] If you move left, do you see that little ledge there? Move towards that, it's wider, better for your feet and fingers and you might feel more secure moving up that way. You can feel with your fingers too, don't be afraid to move down and then back up if you need to or to keep moving to the side before you move up.

I never went--

[He had lingered back, still trying to get comfortable with the reality of well, everything. And spending time with Iskandar, which was much more important in Waver's book than anything related to the Inquisition. In truth, Waver hadn't felt any true sense of duty until coming to Kirkwall.

Neither here nor there. He listened, looking left. That ledge was good, and waver began to move towards it. Confident when he got there, Waver continued to move upward at his slow and steady pace.]

I got it!

[Duty is--

Araceli follows her heart, a thing that's easy to do when your queen is easy to love after all but she knows where she stands and how to live her life here. The idea of rifters together might have worked but it was a foolish girl's idea and she can't afford that.

So she has this instead, living and breathing the Inquisition and when she has her free time still doing things to help it in some way.]

Que bueno, this is taller than Skyhold was but not so cold. Or broken. You'll need to push a little harder when you get to the part where stonework sticks out more but it's not much, just to keep it in mind.

Okay.

[Waver manages until he gets to the stonework. He pauses when he gets there, trying to map out the best route before moving through it. There are a few false starts and back tracks, but he manages.

With that though is a shorter breath, which he prays can't be heard too easily.]

[Araceli keeps climbing up until she reaches the top because if she needs to, she knows she can get back down and realistically there's only so much she'd be able to do if he lost his grip now. It's not too far, this isn't the highest section but higher than Skyhold's walls.

Life is different, the challenges ahead are greater, thus the training has to reflect that and she scaled just as tall (if not taller) when she was younger. Pulling herself up and over the edge, she remains on her knees to peer down with a smile.]

You're doing well, not long, keep breathing and think how good it will feel to see it all from up here.

Breathing! [pant] Right!

[Waver takes his time getting to the top, and he swings his leg up and over once he gets there. It isn't very charming to more or less collapse after getting to the top, but Waver isn't the most in-shape man in Kirkwall.]

Made...it....

[Style can come after getting a hang of the basics when there's still a very vital step to come after all this.]

Isn't the view something? [Other people might sound more awed but appreciating parts of Kirkwall doesn't mean losing sight of where they stand now or that no one would ever have been allowed to do what they're doing here before.] If you sit and lean forward, head between your knees? It helps getting your breath back. We can run a little up here if you want or go straight to the fall.

[Falling is the most important lesson after all.]

[Waver takes in the view for about two seconds before shifting so he's sitting with his head between his knees. Frankly, he'd like to appreciate the view, but air? Way, way more important.

A few minutes pass before he's gotten everything back to normal, and when Waver does pick his head up, there's a soft little damn that affirms that yes, this is one hell of a view.

He then pauses to redo his hair. Too much of it has come loose, and so the ponytail is re-done.]

I think that, based on past performance, running might prevent me from having the wherewithall to fall properly and safely.

[Taking the opportunity to stretch, the silence is punctuated by a few popping sounds because this job involves too much sitting around at a desk for her liking.]

The fall then. [She sits opposite him, elbows on her knees, chin propped on her hand, features schooled into seriousness.] You'll want to tense. We do it all the time. Brace ourselves for a thing, thinking that being strong and hard will make it easier as if anticipating the pain will have done something to make it hurt less but it does the opposite; you feel it twice and worse. You have to relax. Allow your body to be loose when you fall through the air like this or you'll hurt yourself. Tense something and you break a bone. Allow your body to stay loose and some bruises, maybe a bit of stiffness.

When you dive into water, obviously that's different but there are things we must accept, and swallow, and allow to wash over us. Staying soft can be a shield. [Not just in this either but if there are words to live by, then those aren't bad ones.]

[Waver listens. Really listens, because not listening means say, falling to one's death and then putting Iskandar through dire straights. Unacceptable.

Fight the urge to tense up. That was the most important part. And later on in life, Waver would file away advice about staying soft as well, but he isn't quite there yet.

Actually, the whole thing is good life advice.]

I understand the theory. How do you determine the correct side to land on?

I'm going to have you stand at the edge. I'll fall first to show you then climb up [when she isn't demonstrating, it's faster, it's always faster] so you can look at me when you do it. Because for now, you'll have your heels at the edge and that's all you'll do. Just fall. In time you learn how to jump and turn in the air so you can fall safely on your back but this is how.

[A back might get hurt but who wants to land on their face or their ribs?]

Arms and legs a little apart, just natural, it'll happen when you go but not too far. Watch as I go.

[And Araceli does just that. Goes to the edge of the roof, checks to make sure she knows where her landing pad is then falls back over the edge.]

[Waver gives a nod to show that he's registered the whole thing, then moves to the edge to watch Araceli fall. It is more than a little terrifying to behold, in truth, but the logical side of Waver reminds him that this has been done time and again.

He stands there, balancing carefully, waiting for some kind of landing noise.]

[The hay rustles as Araceli gets to her feet, shaking it out of her hair as she rearranges the pile and waves up at Waver.

Now for the climb back up that's quicker because she's not watching or teaching, giddy from how good it feels to let go.]

Simple enough. You let go, you let your body go loose, you breathe out before you go.

[Under most circumstances, Waver would have at least attempted to undercut his own tension. Instead, when Araceli gets back up, his face betrays his nerves.]

Right. Time to ignore my brain tell me that this is how I'm going to die then.

[Waver turns around, then steps off of the building.

For the few few seconds, he does try and scramble, looking more like a cartoon than someone practicing a serious attempt at well, falling with style. But Araceli's right. Let go. Relax.

And one he manages that, the whole experience is far less terrifying. He lands with a solid FWUMP in the hay, the stuff then covering him entirely. It takes a few seconds for him to clear it out of his face and gently roll out of the pile.]

Nothing's broken!

[Which is his definition of success.]

You aren't going to die. You will be fine. I have faith in you.

[That doesn't stop her heart from leaping into her mouth because as much as she can sell this as a valuable skill to learn, as something that someone decided to learn of their own free will, if anyone gets injured or worse then that's always going to be on her.

But stare down a lot of bad things and you have a good poker face. Be a girl making your way in a world that wants to put your in your place and bravado is second nature.]

Bueno! See? Look at you go! [She'll follow him down, rolling out to bounce up next to him with a smile.] Like flying, no? The body and the mind are capable of things when we trust them like that.

[Waver stops picking straw out of his hair to watch her jump again. It is far, far more elegant than whatever he just did, and frankly, to make it look so effortless is the goal. Well, one of them. Among many.

But, straw.]

More like extremely well coordinated falling. [But Waver is grinning, a little breathless.] It is exhilarating though, once you figure out that you'll be fine. I. Well.

Thank you. Even just for this. I wouldn't have ever had the mind to do this on my own.

[Being just shy of ten years doing this makes all the difference when it comes to getting a job done and getting it done with style. But she never had her first students in Skyhold go off a building. The fence by the stables, the stable roof, or the wall at their own discretion, but never from this height and she's proud.]

You believed in yourself. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have gone. Whenever you want more lessons? Just leave me a message and you'll be racing me in no time.

[Waver smiles at that, his eyes flicking right back up to where he had jumped from.]

I almost want to go again, but I think my body strength will abandon me when I'm halfway up. No one needs to deal with that.

[But more importantly:]

You're an excellent teacher, by the way.

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