[PP-F11] Soaring High <Itzal and Birdie>

[Itzal 0]

A few days ago, Itzal took one of his apprentices to several sights in order to cure her of her fear of heights.  They started by sitting together in a fairly tall tree on floor one.  Then a small cliff between the forest and village.  It was actually the cliff where Kasier and Itzal fought... And then kissed.  Then brought her to a cave which came out pretty high but still midway through the mountainside.  Finally he took her to the mountain peak.  Those events had each taken up a day.  Now however it was time for the highest one.  Itzal's personal favorite and most peaceful spot he could find.  He awaited Birdie at the teleport section in Taft, floor 11.  He was waiting on a beam between two buildings about ten feet in the air.  He had begun questioning himself on why he had been doing so but eventually submitted to the idea that it was probably habit by this point.  Hopefully Birdie would be cured of her fears today.  If she was then the three could at last begin their training in earnest.

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

"Teleport <<Taft>>", her calm voice spoke, causing Starting City's teleport gate to whirr and light up. In a flash, her body dissipated from the first floor's plaza, the girl's vision turning hazy as her data was relocated to eleventh floor's main settlement.

Upon arrival, a familiar air washed over the bluenette. She immediately recalled the sights and sounds- they were the first thing she'd seen during her first time in Taft, where her first date with Arc had taken place. To hear the shouts of the nearby market and chatter of crowds in passing was a grin-inducing experience, and as her eyes waned through the busy streets of Taft, she had to wonder where Itzal was waiting to meet up.

After an NPC bumped into her from behind, she yelped and apologised, and sought to move away from the bustling crowd. Rather than wait around the central plaza, she moved off to the side and stood by a pile of crates, whipping up her menu to send Itzal a quick message.

Quote

To: Itzal

Message: It's so busy, had to move to some crates left of the gates. Are you here yet?

 

Edited November 4, 2016 by Birdie

[Itzal 0]

He heard the familiar sound of the teleporter and watched as Birdie emerged onto the floor.  He smiled and waved at her but she didn't seem to notice him.  He sighed as she walked into the crowd.  With training she'd be able to notice nearly anyone.  And his first lesson would be to teach her how to look in every direction.  He tracked her through the crowd with his eyes until she finally escaped the carnage and emerged beside some crates.  She opened her menu and he received a message.  Itzal sighed and began to type out his reply.

Quote

To Birdie:

Before moving into the crowd you should have scanned the area.  Where would I wait for you?  Think about it.

Hopefully she'd put two and realize he was somewhere above the crowd for her to spot quickly.  Eventually she spotted him and he nodded and pointed to a building not far off.  He leaped off the beam and made his way over.  He saw Birdie emerge behind him and when she caught up he nodded.  "Well, I guess we'll need to work on observance and detection soon.  For now however I think you know why we're here."  He smiled comfortably to Birdie.  Hopefully this wouldn't be too hard for her.

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

'Where would I wait for you?' she repeated in thought, tracing her eyes across the vastness of Taft's central plaza. Crowds were bustling and loud- no way he'd choose to meet up in a place where hundreds of NPCs and players could hear them. Humming a curious sound, she moved her eyes up a little, scanning higher ground where a scout might be found spying, and eventually came across her mentor perched upon a small beam. With a nod, she watched him drop to the ground, and the girl trailed him all the way to their destination.

One hand reached across to the other arm's elbow, Birdie nodding as if she were a child being scolded. "S-sorry.. but yes, I think I know why you called me here. It's about my fear of heights, isn't it?" Her curious tone was accompanied by a intrigued stare, and she turned her eyes up to the tall structure ahead of them. "And we'll be climbing up this building,.." She let her sight rest on the structure, taking it in for as long as she could before creating an uncomfortable silence. "I... I dunno if I can do this, Itzal. That's... insanely high."

Edited November 5, 2016 by Birdie

[Itzal 0]

Itzal noticed the manner in which Birdie nodded and he shook his head with a soft smile.  "Don't be upset about it Birdie.  I'm just trying to get a feel for where we should start is all.  It's good to know where you're weak in so that you know where to work in.  As for the height don't worry.  I've done nothing to put you in danger, I won't do anything to put you in danger, and I will do nothing to put you in danger.  There's a railing at the top and it's not like I'm going to leap off of the top."  While he was sure he could possibly survive by grabbing a rope or banner to slow his fall, there was always that small percent chance that he might fail and he wanted to take no chances.  Still he had found a way to practice mastering those falls and survive without making risks by leaping off a cliff over a large lake with many vines hanging down.  He turned to her again.  "And don't worry, I'll be with you every step of the way.  You need to get over seeing things from high up.  Again, that fear drags you down and makes it easier to make mistakes.  And mistakes in parkour can be devastating.  So we'll clear you of your fear and we'll take parkour one step at a time ok?"

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Birdie listened to Itzal, her eyes dropping away from the imposing tower that stood before them. His words brought her comfort, even if she still held some restrained fear for the tasks ahead, and her arms dropped to her sides as she gave a jittery nod. "O-okay.. thank you for understanding." Beyond all, she was grateful that he sympathised with the fear that she felt. It made it easier for her to comprehend what he wanted her to do, and there was already a spark brewing inside that would motivate her to keep moving forwards.

She discerned the height of the building from where she stood- although lost for numbers, it was definitely a big one. "I'll try my best, I-I promise... how are we getting up there by the way? Stairs, or..?" She didn't finish her sentence off, fearing the idea traversing the tower from the outside. Neither option seemed appealing- god knows how many steps they'd have to take- but climbing up a stairwell seemed a lot more convenient.

[Itzal 0]

He noticed that although she seemed to calm down a little more she was still a bit nervous.  This was expected however, and hopefully she wouldn't have this later on.  When she asked how they were getting up, and didn't finish her second but made it obvious what she meant, he shook his head.  "No no no, we'll be taking the stairs.  Not only are you not ready to do that sort of climbing yet whatsoever, neither is Aereth, but it would be good exercise for the both of us to just walk up the stairs.  Come on, I'll be with you every step of the way."  Itzal placed a comforting hand on her shoulder until she was ready to go and they began to walk to the tower.  As they walked he planned on talking with her to keep her as calm as possible.  When they reached the top he would do his best to help her shake off the heights enough for her to naturally look at the scenery and notice what he saw at such a height:  Beauty and peace.  It was a beautiful sight at the top and nearly silent save for small sounds that made it up there from the town as well as the gentle breeze that flowed through.  Indeed, the top of the tower had become Itzal's own little sanctuary besides his shop.

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

"O-oh, sorry, right.." As her eyes fell to the floor, she felt stupid for even assuming he'd take her on such a dangerous endeavour. The nerves left as soon as she felt a hand on her shoulder, offering a smile in place of the frown she'd adopted. Making small talk, she almost lost track of the fact that they were ascending one of the tallest towers in the city of Taft, and she managed to avoid thinking about how high up they were until reaching the top of the stairs.

Initially wanting to drop to the floor and stay as grounded as possible, her mentor managed to sooth any qualms she had with being up so high, and she eventually allowed herself to look out to the horizon (albeit reluctantly). Complete serenity. No invasion of privacy nor harsh sounds were had nor heard atop the tower. She eased into a light smile, and although reluctant to approach the rail, found herself inching towards it. "It's... it's an impressive sight," she admitted, turning to Itzal. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified by this, but I think... I respect the peace up here, maybe more than I respect a lot of things on the ground." She held her gaze on Itzal to avoid looking out into the distance, but eventually found her eyes naturally admiring the scenery.

"I don't think there's a way I'll ever sit on the edge of a tower like this, though.."

Edited November 7, 2016 by Birdie

[Itzal 0]

When they reached the top he helped Birdie do her best to look up and when she did he could see that the scenery took her breath away.  Itzal gave off a relaxed sigh as he leaned against the immovable railing.  After her comment he nodded and closed his eyes as the breeze kicked up a bit.  "It is indeed impressive.  Beautiful sight, peaceful and calming.  Away from the toils and the dangers, the hate and the betrayal, the pain and the fear.  Just to get up here and be still..."  He opened his eyes and turned to Birdie with a chuckle at her last comment.  Of course she would be a bit nervous still.  "Don't worry, it gets easier each time you do it...  I never really told anyone how I got good at parkour did I?  Would you like to hear?"  This was somewhat true.  He told people the reason but never mentioned that it was related to him and parkour at all.  And those individual people were very very few.  If she wanted to hear it he would tell her.  However if she didn't she needed to accept the fact that she would need to approach her fear continuously until she realized there really wasn't anything to fear...  Unless you stood on top of the railing and jumped that was.

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

She nodded. "It's almost like something taken straight from a dream. A very high, scary dream..." She went to peer over the edge of the tower, though her eyes refused to look any lower than the tops of some houses in the distance. Birdie backed a few feet away and stood properly, allowing herself to stand straight and enjoy the view for what it was worth. With Itzal's help, the girl was slowly overcoming her fear, albeit it would be a while before her acrophobia disappeared completely.

An interesting proposal, her head tilted slightly as she considered the offer. "H-how you got good at it? It would be useful for my training..." Looking across the sky, she eventually brought her head into a nod. "Sure thing, I'd love to hear the story." 

She tried to listen for any strays sounds. Truly, nothing could be heard other than her voice, Itzal's, and the occasional flapping of a tower-dwelling bird flying past. 'I could get used to this,' she mused, smiling as her eyes fell back onto her mentor once more.

[Itzal 0]

Itzal heard her say she'd love to hear the story and he gave a sigh and turned to Birdie.  "Well first thing you need to know is that I was extremely into video games, math, technological advancements, science, anything of the sorts.  In fact, you might say I was the most into that sort of stuff in the entire school.  Heh.  Imagine what happened next...  I got the attention of the bullies in the school really early on, almost the day I joined public school for the first time.  At first it was normal bullying, but when they found out that I was adopted that's when their punishments became truly cruel.  They not only beat me but also used their words to destroy me every time they had the chance.  That's how it started.  At first it was just climbing trees and getting out of their reach but soon they were able to climb trees too.  So I needed a new method of escaping them.  I found a route that proved taxic on them due to their muscular bodies while I had a small and limber one.  Over time I learned how to improve, and even looked up videos, steps and tutorials.  Pretty soon I could escape them from anywhere."  He stopped, letting the breeze that kicked up cool off his face.  He gave a shaky chuckle.  "Even now it seems they get to me.  Jonathan and I had to fight this dungeon boss that changed forms to whoever we feared or hated, and it turned into the worst of them.  I thought nothing he said could effect me but...  What he said..."  He shook his head, keeping a single tear from falling.  "There's a difference between terror and fear Birdie...  Terror is when you are scared of something to the point where it controls you, and most of the time that terror is an illusion that can be overcome.  Fear is actually respecting the danger of something.  There's nothing wrong with fear.  My fear of the bullies pushed me to parkour.  If you want to do parkour you need your own drive.  If you don't want one that's ok, sometimes we aren't meant to.  Don't think I'm forcing you to do anything ok?"

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

The explanation caught Birdie by surprise; she knew he was a smart guy, so learning of his affinity for academics wasn't something she would bat an eye at, but to know he was bullied so monstrously? Her eyes fell to the floor of the roof as he continued, detailing his close encounters with the bullies and the narrow escapes, and even the game world's cruelty when he relived the memories in the depths of a dungeon.

"I'm sorry to hear all of that... but, please don't feel like you're forcing me into any of this," she reassured him, pausing as she moved her hand away from the rail. "I'm here on my own accord- if learning parkour didn't seem worth it when you first mentioned it, I wouldn't have said yes. It's not my aspiration to learn it for fun, but... it's so that I can play the role of a scout to a better degree, and maybe save my behind if I get myself into a sticky situation. God knows I've been in one before.." She stifled a frown at the many poor situations that had arisen in the past, and the many that would probably occur in the future.

"I want to learn the basics of parkour, then I'll know for sure if it's for me or not. Plus, with you giving me tips on how to cope with my acrophobia, and going to all of these high places... I think I'm ready to start my training." A partial smile broke out as she looked to Itzal assuredly.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Birdie

[Itzal 0]

Itzal looked at Birdie with a shaky gaze, his emotions still slowing down to a minimum, and when he heard her words he grinned.  "You sure about this?  I'll admit it's pretty freeing but it can also be a bit dangerous at times, especially if you lose focus.  If you want to learn then we can do that."  He smiled to her and looked back out to the horizon and the incredible view.  What lay beyond the next floor boss?  He knew the front liners were fighting a boss currently so certainly they would hold a meeting when the next boss room was found.  That meant Itzal would need to be a part of the next boss meeting.  He felt like he was finally ready.  He gave a sigh.  "If you think it's time then let's do it.  Tomorrow, my shop, morning just like we planned ok?  And whenever you get a chance let me know and we'll come back up here until heights are normal for you ok?  As long as you don't jump over the railing you should be good.  You want to head back downstairs or do you want a moment?"

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Hesitating, she bounced her head up and down in a nod, sure of her decision to follow through with the training. "I'm sure, the benefits are far better than the downsides." If Birdie came to regret her decision, she'd have to deal with it later on, but in that moment her mine was made up. She'd tackle the training as best she could, following his instructions and hopefully keeping up with Aereth.

She felt a smile appear as Itzal mentioned jumping over the rail- a mistake she'd be sure to not make. "Gotcha, I'll try not to." Stifling a laugh throughout her words, she nodded and stepped back. "Tomorrow morning sounds great- I think I'm ready to leave, yeah." Giving one last look to the open skies and distant tops of faraway buildings, she felt her spine shiver before finally turning around. "I'll try to make a habit of going to higher spaces when I can, maybe that'll help things move along." Letting Itzal make the first move down the stairs, she covered her mouth to hide a yawn and took a second to admire the building's architecture. "Arc's right, this place really does have an Italian Renaissance vibe to it... hey, are we even allowed to be up here?"

Edited November 9, 2016 by Birdie

[Itzal 0]

OOC- Just five posts to go XD

Itzal smiled to her as she talked and nodded.  "Alright then, let's head downstairs.  Come on then, I'll hold your hand again if you want."  Before they reached the doorway Itzal stopped and listened to her words before he turned to her with a puzzled look.  "You know I'm not sure...  The npc's tried stopping me at first but eventually they realized that it was hopeless and sort of stopped........  I, guess they just let me do what I wish as long as nobody gets hurt doing it?  And I mean, nobody uses this tower.  Why would they want to stop us?"  He was a little more cautious as the started for the stairs again of course, but he didn't let it show.  "So, do you plan on joining the front lines in the future or would you rather be a supporter player?  I think either way you'd be extremely useful, especially if you chose to take on an apprentice or two yourself.  Although someone told me that they need tanks in the frontlines more than ever.  We should probably scout out for those players."

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

She started down the stairs, exchanging brief glances with Itzal as they began their descent of the tower. "T-thanks. Mhm, I'd like to end up joining the Frontlines when I'm strong enough. I'm actually planning on Grandmastering my weapon and getting the Athletics mod, then I'll see what I need to do to sign up. As for apprentices...like you said, I think it's better to focus on finding willing fighters. At least that way we can help the Frontlines by training up some tanks- I'm not sure about mentoring people myself though... isn't it a pretty hard job?" Becoming a teacher was one of the many careers she'd considered in the real world. SAO was a whole different story though; incorrectly training someone meant they'd make more mistakes, indirectly leading to higher chances of a player's death. Almost like a light at the end of a tunnel, light began to appear around the corner, trickling in through the tower's front doors. 

@Itzal

Edited November 10, 2016 by Birdie

[Itzal 0]

As Birdie replied Itzal nodded, listening carefully.  "Yeeeaahhh, I probably should be getting that mod and grandmastering light armor, but I'm trying to master lock picking at the moment...  I really need to rack up my level grinding and fast.  Maybe a couple of quests would do the trick.  Anyways as far as training other's goes, you won't have to worry about that for a while.  First you have to master it yourself.  Once you do, don't worry about training others.  You're just teaching them the mechanics of scouting and how to get better in that area.  And don't worry about failing either.  I messed up a little with Alisa, my first apprentice, but I learned from my mistakes and she ended up becoming a good scout!...  Before she vanished, but that wasn't my fault.  I think it was something else bothering her.  It's a hard job and yet not hard at the same time."

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Birdie listened throughout, nodding at the insight on his intended skill path and giving a concerned frown at the mention of his first apprentice. "I hope she's not in any trouble, or.. worse." She moved her eyes away and watched the ground as they walked. "Thanks for all of the insight, I'll have to think hard about what I want to do once I've mastered what it means to be a scout... training is the number one thing on the agenda for now, anyway." It wasn't long before the entrance to the tower came into sight, and she swiftly passed through the doors to emerge on Taft's busy streets.

"Hey, thank you for taking me all the way up there and showing me that view. It's really nothing to be scared of, now I just need to get over heights on an instinctive level... my brain was screaming at me that being up there was all wrong." She forced a smile, and looked to the town's central plaza. "Was there anything else you needed to show me?"

@Itzal

Edited November 10, 2016 by Birdie

[Itzal 0]

Itzal listened to Birdie's concern and gave a gentle smile.  "I'm not worried.  Even though her training was a little shaky it worked out in the end.  She can handle herself."  There was no use fretting over what he could not help with, nor change.  He could only work on the now.  He smiled and looked at her with kindness.  "Keeping focused on your training is good, but don't forget to take breaks every now and then.  And if you're near any sort of breaking point let me know.  We can take a vacation or two and just spend time together as friends.  And no problem.  We'll get that fear out of you soon enough.  And no, there wasn't anything I planned to show you other than that, but we still have an hour or two before sunset.  Anything you'd like to check out in Taft?  I don't know how often you come to this floor but it always makes me feel like I'm in Assassin's Creed."

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Birdie's eyes lit up as mentioned taking vacations when the workload became too gruelling. "Awesome! I'll hold you to that," she commented with a laugh, approaching the town's central plaza that housed the teleport gate. Once asked if there was anything she'd like to see, she pondered visiting some of the city's famous landmarks, though most of them had shown up on her first date with Tobias. "I've only been here once, there's still quite a lot I haven't seen. Not to mention I haven't even set foot out of Taft before.. I don't think I could justify spending any more time away from the shop today though, I really need to get some orders made before I get my first complaint." She sighed, looking towards Itzal with regret in her eyes. "Maybe another day? B-but thanks for showing me around regardless, it's been a wake-up call. Maybe now I wont be such a hindrance to the training." Loosing a silent chuckle, she stepped forwards onto the gate. "See you tomorrow!" And with the words 'Teleport Starting City', Birdie was gone.