Third Date: Falling

Posted on Wednesday, 12 August 2020 - 1:53pm by Crewman Leopold Eberhardt & Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt

Mission: Operation: Jabberwocky
Location: Ba'ku

It has been an amazing few days, filled with adventure and flirting. The couple had learned plenty about each other and had shared plenty of kisses and long walks. Today though, they'd opted to try to climb a cliff face. The views had promise of a spectacular nature and it would be a shame to not try.

Adrianna had not been climbing like this before, but she had been assured by Leopold that it was safe and had even triple checked the ropes. She found footholds and grip points with ease and kept within sight of her 'trainer'. They were on the same level, encouraging each other. This was not a race, instead an experience worth sharing. They were already quite high, but nowhere near the top. "The view already is beautiful," she commented, finding a sturdy foothole.

"I told you it would be," replied Leopold playfully. "Just wait until we actually get up on top. Ba'Ku has some lovely sights. The villagers say this mountain range in particular is gorgeous at sunrise and at sunset" he added. He was a bit more experienced than Adrianna, having learned from an early age.

"I'm glad we brought the tents then," she replied, "remind me to ask for your advice on holidaying more often." Adrianna put her hand in a free hole but quickly retracted it upon feeling a nest, "aww, they look like umm... America bird."

"Best avoid disturbing the nest or touching it," he advised, not that he expected her to bother with them. "I heard mother birds can be pretty aggressive if their nests are attacked or disturbed. Unfortunately, I also know that in some avian species, a nest with an unfamiliar scent causes the mother to abandon it" he noted. "Though I am sure that will not be the case. Just be careful where you place your hands and feet. I was not able to look through every animal species on Ba'Ku. I do not know if they have anything venomous."

Adrianna chuckled, working round the nest, "mister optimist!" That said, he may have been right. No sooner had she left the nest a few feet mummy bird returned and took quite the dislike to the Italian. The bird dove straight into Adrianna as if trying to knock her away. Between feathers flying in her face and deafening caws, Adrianna could barely see, and they weren't far from the top. She called out for Leopold, that and cussing in Italian.

Then, disaster. The Eagle like creatures talons locked onto her rope, slicing it with ease and Adrianna lost her grip. Her body hurtled down a few feet, the bird flying away feeling somewhat proud of its achievements. Scrambling for a hold, Adrianna soon stopped dead as her fingers caught a rock, albeit it loose one. She'd felt the stop as if whiplash to her shoulder. Her other hand searched for something more stable, as adrenaline overtook logic and sense. Deer in headlights.

"Uh...you are supposed to marry me before you die. That's how it works, and then I collect whatever wealth your family has," Leopold said nervously using humor to mask his concern as he started to make his way back down and over to where she was. "Are you still alive?" he asked. He was still quite a way from her. "Just...hang there and try not to move too much. I don't know how stable that hold is" he added.

Adrianna clung close to the cliff face trying to concentrate on (a) not looking down and (b) not hyperventilating. His humour oddly helped and she opened her eys and looked mock offended to him, "I knew you were only in it for the money." The rock moved a little and Adrianna yelped, "if I make it to the top, and not fall to my death, I swear to hell I'm going to shoot that bird and eat it for dinner, maybe with eggs!"

He could not help but chuckle if only for a second. "You were the one invading its space and posed a threat to her young. What was she supposed to do ignore you?" he countered. "Don't go committing avian genocide on me. You can eat what we packed when you get your ass up to the top safely" he added as he reached out for her.

Adrianna stared at his hand. Internally debating the idea of trust, "I can't. You'll drop me." She clung to the rock more, but it moved a little again, "I didn't do anything! I just grazed the damn twigs. She's overreacting."

Leopold let out a groan of frustration. "Woman, take my damn hand or you will fall" he said bluntly. "I'm not about to lose you now. I am stronger than I look. If you fall, I fall, and I have no plans on dying here right now" he added.

Adrianna seemed taken back by what he said. A second later she grabbed his hand as the rock she was holding on to fell away from the cliff face. She watched it fall, gulping. It fell for a long time. She looked back to Leopold, "no dying."

"Change of plan," he stated. "See that area up there" he said pointing to large protruding ledge. "It looks stable enough and wide enough to hold us for a bit of a rest. Let's get up there and we can grab some spare rigging from the backpack. I'll tether you to me. That way we're both screwed if either of us falls."

Adrianna looked to the ledge then back to him. "How do you propose we get there? "she asked finding a hold to give his wrist a break."Also, at least we're close to the top so I only have a few meters of promises of not killing you- or you falling and killing me."

He scoffed. "You are going to have to trust me and yourself" replied Leopold. "You are going to have to free climb it, Adrianna" added Leopold.

Adrianna felt a nervous whine fall from her lips. She reluctantly and overcautiously did as told though managing to get to the ledge without any more incidents. She sat on the ledge and closed her eyes a moment trying to regain composure.

Leopold joined her on the ledge and observed her posture and the action of her eyes closing momentarily. He reached out and placed a hand upon her shoulder. "Relationships are often about exploration, risk, and trust," he said to her with a small smile. "Ba'Ku has certainly pushed us to explore, we sought an adventure up this mountainside and it was definitely risky. You also just had to allow yourself to trust me back there. You may not be too keen on doing rock climbing again anytime soon, but you are not going to forget this day" he teased.

Adrianna couldn't help but chuckle, "really? You made this into a philosophical moment?" Adrianna raised a brow at Leopold playfully and teasing him. She leant over to him and kissed him softly as a thank you for the events just transpired, "you are wrong about one thing though."

"That you are not going to forget today," he replied with a smile after they kissed. "I know. That was one thing that I wanted to ensure happened today, but I was not planning on your potential death. Fortunately, that was not the case" he added. He secured their equipment, tethering the two climbers together. "There," he added. "Now if either of us falls we will fall together. We just have a small bit to go, once on the top we will set up our tents and make camp."

She watched him and listened before finally saying, "no, you're wrong about me not wanting to climb. Best way to get over a fall is to just get back up." She started climbing again, a little more wary than when they had first started, feeling the weight of 'I fall you fall' on her shoulders. "Maybe just the one tent tonight?" she asked quietly, as if talking to herself.

Leopold blushed a little knowing how close they'd be under one tent. "One tent sounds cozy. I think that's a brilliant idea, it can get a little cold up on the mountains at night this time of year. We may have to keep one another warm, but we've both taken some sort of survival class during our training. I'm sure we can make it through a Ba'Ku night together."

Adrianna looked down to him and raised a brow. Did that really go over his head. It couldn't have, he was blushing. She smiled and continued to the top, grabbing the ledge and pulling herself up, glad to be at the top. Her eyes widened and she looked around, "holy--wow." The view was spectacular. The sun was getting lower though sunset wasn't quite there yet. Its beams hit the water with such grace and artistic perfection. The water seemed to just go on for miles and then fall off the edge of the horizon with sweet blissful silence.

Leopold followed and pulled himself up onto the top. When he stood he could see the view and he admired it briefly before admiring the woman who had taken this journey with him. He moved closer to her and took wrapped his arms around her from behind. "This. This was exactly what I was hoping for when I selected Ba'ku as a destination" he commented. He stood there with her for a few minutes more, not really saying anything and letting his warm embrace do all the talking. He just wanted to take the moment in. "We should get the tent started. It may take us a bit of time, but time well spent with you" he added.

"Perfect end to a perfect date three," she put her hands on his, "thank you for this."

"Always," he replied kissing her head.