but i abhor the dull routine of existence (closed)

[ratiocinations]

Who: Holmes and Sprezzatura
When: 9/10 9/15 gently nudges this forward a little
Where: The school exterior
What: Trying to climb the school with rather mixed results.
Warnings: None! Will add if needed.

Comments

[velluminous]

[ the ivy. ]

What do you suppose?

[ratiocinations]

[They've not reached the origin point yet, but Holmes stops briefly to reach out and tug at a cord of ivy which clings to the walls.]

...Campsis radicans. Very... [tugs at it again] ...thick, too.

[Hm. Not ideal, but none of it seems to be.]

It may be our best option. On my side, I had seen only a few loose bricks which would act as footholds, and the rest we would need to rely on the sturdiness of old windowsills. At least this could provide a path all the way up.

[How far up does it grow?]

[velluminous]

[ far enough, it would seem, to get them most of the way. she feels a churning in her stomach. ]

Windowsills... Nyet. There will be broken glass.

[ratiocinations]

[But at least the windowsill is least likely to detach itself from the wall, though given the state of the building... maybe even that is not so certain.]

...

You are willing to try it, then? To climb up the ivy and hope it holds?

[At least they will get a good sense of its strength just a few feet up; were it to fall from a short distance, there is no inherent danger.]

[velluminous]

[ she is wary to climb at all, without the safety of, and confidence in, her own magic. there is nothing to say the building itself won't rebel against them. ]

Better than free climbing upon loose bricks. We must be... incredibly careful, either way.

[ratiocinations]

Very well. We will be.

[Without preamble, then, he is retreating to where they left the mattress and dragging it back this direction. If they've decided, then why waste time?]

[velluminous]

[ citation needed.

Severine, on the other hand, remains where she is—still her face tipped upwards, following the wending path of the ivy. there are footholds, she's sure, among the vines. and the building has collapsed in places; a spot to rest. ]

[ratiocinations]

[The sound of the mattress scraping along the ground heralds Holmes' return. Here he is, hair falling into his eyes, as he finally releases it next to Ms Fairplay.

Straightens, catching his breath.]

There, now. [Looking up, extending a hand to follow the vines as though to test at the angle, the way an artist might do so to check perspective.] If you tumble, as long as you do not twist your body unduly... [Points directly down to the mattress.] This should break your fall.

[velluminous]

[ yeah, it'll sure break something. ]

My fall? [ but she's clearly not actually hung up on this, because she moves swiftly to: ] We go slow, and test each foothold thoroughly before depending upon it. If we can go no further, we return down. If we can not go down, we endeavour for one of those openings... there, or there.

[ pointing to each ]

Where we may get through and inside.

[ratiocinations]

[All a fair assessment to him.]

Noted. And I will take the lead, if that is agreeable to you.

[velluminous]

Haaau. If it pleases you.

[ratiocinations]

[It makes sense that he goes first. He is the heaviest, and where he climbs, the sturdiness of the vines are sure to follow. Where he might fall, she would know, then, not to continue.

He walks up to the ivy, tests it. Pulls and tugs. At its base, it does seem sturdy enough.]

Pulled up by nothing but our arms at first… this will be a test of strength as much as one of courage.

[velluminous]

Ugh. [ watching him... she bends down and dusts her palms with some soil. ] Do not call it that.

[ she's had enough tests of courage with the one. besides; ] Heights do not scare me. We wizards thrive in towers.

[ratiocinations]

[This will be a innocuous test of courage, comparatively.]

It is different, is it not? Gazing out from atop a high tower, versus climbing one.

[Anyway, he starts clambering up. He is not superhuman, of course, and will not move with blazing speed, and he takes it purposefully slow at first, but... He is?? Surprisingly?? Adept at this??]

[velluminous]

Depends on tower.

[ sometimes ascending still requires a trip about the outside. if the wizard is particularly spiteful.

she trails off as he takes that first straining step up against the wall......

no. he doesn't strain. he climbs as though he has done it before, just as he said.

do the vines strain? Severine moves forward to squint up at them while he moves upward. ]

[ratiocinations]

[Like someone who's done it before. But not like someone who is souped up on primate gland juices-

Anyway.

The vines rustle and their leaves shiver with Holmes' effort. They do pull against the building with his added weight, but there is such a thickness of them that they remain clinging vigilantly.

He is about a body length high when he peers down at her. Oh, he's going to be so sweaty by the end of this, but it'll be worth it.(??)]

Well?

[velluminous]

[ they are woven practically through the building itself. so long as they take great care, the vines should bear their weight. she tells herself this over and over as he hefts himself up above her, and once he's accomplished that body-length, she shifts her weight and reaches for the ivy herself.

gaze up on him.

...gaze up higher, following his trajectory. ]

Move five inches to your left. Better we climb side-by-side than in tandem.

[ if the vines begin to tear away from his weight, after all, it would be just as dangerous for her to be clinging to those same vines lower down. ]

[ratiocinations]

[Looks up at the vines, looks back down at her.]

And double the weight ["double" is hyperbole please don't take it the wrong way madam] the vines must hold in a single area? No. You should follow several feet below where I am.

[His logic is that if the vines fail, they will fail him first. Then she will know to abort the whole venture.]

[velluminous]

Yes. [ slowly, as though she finds him to be lagging behind in this conversation. ] I am not meaning side-by-side vertically. Is this what you thought?

[ratiocinations]

[VISUALIZING………]

You mean you wish to lag behind slightly adjacent to me. Why didn’t you say so?

[A rhetorical question as he shuffles a few inches to the side as instructed.]

[velluminous]

[ twitches her hands like a woman desperately tempted to yank him off the vines ]

[ratiocinations]

[i fucking dare u]

[velluminous]

[ she allows the urge to pass over and through her, and grasps the vines in front of her instead. ]

Still holding?

[ratiocinations]

[HE LIVES FOR ONE MORE DAY

Rustling, rustling, as he begins climbing upwards.]

Steadfast. Take it slowly.

[velluminous]

[ she waits for a moment or two longer, then with a grunt, hefts herself up the first step off the ground.

and hesitates. and drops back down, bends over the mattress, and tugs it more squarely into the space below them both.

and up again. when she looks skyward... oh, it's a long way. ]