Callie and Jean-Paul - Backdated to the evening of the 4th.

[x-cynosure.livejournal.com]

Callie gets an assist with her climb training.



Plastering oneself to the side of a mountain (or in this case a wall) with only a dinky little harness and rope was not for everyone, but it was something Callie enjoyed. Despite the fact that her body ached from various attempts to scale the course, and her hands were dry from the chalk, she was determined to make it to the top. The wall, it seemed, had other plans. The next hold was just out of her reach, and no matter how much she reached and stretched, it remained firmly elusive.

"Mister Beaubier," she called down, her eyes still on the wall. "I'm stuck. Can I rappel?"

"Go ahead." Jean-Paul released the rope slowly, keeping an eye on the girl as she drifted toward the ground. "You did better this try. Rest up and we will go again."

"It's the same problem I keep having." Now that her feet were on solid ground her legs felt like jelly. She grabbed her left leg with her right hand, and braced herself against the wall as she stretched. "The holds are too widely spaced for me to reach." She switched legs. "I don't think my arm's long enough."

"It's a bit early in training to be putting students on the rack. Or dismantling the gym equipment." Jean-Paul turned his gaze upward, considering, then went to fetch the girl a bottled water. "Try a different path when you go back up."

Callie graciously accepted the water and took small sips as she surveyed the wall, trying to plan her route. "Are you sure you don't want to climb," she asked, turning back to her spotter. "I mean I can totally belay you. I've done it for my dad before and stuff."

"I know how to climb," Jean-Paul pointed out, leaning against the wall. "You requested the assistance, and so I am assisting."

Sigh. Making sure the top was securely fastened, she set the bottle down on the ground. It was frustrating to not be able to this. A year ago she probably would have been able to. But not now. Callie adjusted her harness quickly to make sure that it wouldn't ride up more and approached the wall. "Belay on?"

Jean-Paul took up his position. "On belay. Same rules as before -- go as you like, but don't make me come up there." He waited until Callie had gotten secure holds and was a few feet off the ground before speaking again. "So why the urgency?"

"Dad decided that we're going to go to Croatia over my break and do some climbing." Callie had stopped to apply some more chalk to keep from slipping. She continued her ascent, using her feet to push up, reaching for a higher handhold. "And I haven't really been in practice, so I kinda need to get back in shape?" She paused for a moment, and looked down at the man who was holding her life in his hands. "When you were training for the Olympics did you ever get like you know what your body should be able to do but it won't do it?"

"That depends. What my body should be able to do and what I wanted it to do then were often very different. I think I am closer to what you're speaking of now that I'm trying to get back into condition."

"Tension. But like stuff that used to come, you know fairly easily your body now tells you it can't and won't do? You know?"

"You are far too young to be giving me talks on how creaky and uncooperative you are getting," he called up after her.

"I didn't mean it like that," she giggled. "But it used to be like I was kinda like that guy. You know? Who could like climb up buildings and stuff. I forget his name, but he was this character. What's his name?"

"Bond? MacGuyver?" He was not quite that out of touch, but he'd noticed that the more the girl talked, the better she climbed.

"No. He wore a red suit? And shot stuff from his hands?" The top of the wall was getting closer with each pull and push she made. But Callie's attention remained on the spot in front of her, as well as the conversation. "He was a super hero?"

"Oh, yes. He was a roach, wasn't he?" Five feet.

Push through the pain, Callie reminded herself. "No. Not a roach. A human. That guy played him. Why can't I remember his name?"

Jean-Paul was about to quip back when he noticed Callie's right leg quivering. He tightened his hold on the rope. "All right up there?"

As she shifted her weight to the other leg, Callie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She could feel her body telling her it was time to stop, but she was so close, maybe about three or four more movements from the top. It was the furthest she had gone that day, and she wanted to finish. Mind over matter. "I'm fine," she called back as she continued to breathe deeply. "Lactic acid build up that's all. I just need a moment."

Jean-Paul's teasing mood had evaporated. He wouldn't call her down if she thought she could finish the climb, but he was ready if things should go badly.

Not tonight, she thought, shaking her head. "Ready to lower," came her call, her voice hinting at the defeat she felt.

A moment later, she was face-to-face with her spotter. "I've got you. Go ahead and let go."

Callie let go of the wall and fell back into Jean-Paul's arms. "I'm sorry," she said as she pulled off her helmet. "My body decided it didn't want to go any more. Next time I'll totally make it to the top."

"You don't need to apologize. You've been up and down that wall all evening." He descended carefully to avoid tangling them in the line. "You didn't hit the top, but I can't fault your persistence."

"Thanks. It would have been nice to though, you know? But there's always next time." As the two landed, Callie was able to release her harness from the belay rope and sit down with her bottle of water. "Mister Beaubier? Thank you."

"Pas de quoi." He took up his station against the wall again. "Again tomorrow?"

Callie smiled. "I'll be here."