Completed Tumbling Troubles (Savio)

[Jabari Dreamchaser]

- 18th of Summer, 513 AV -

Thud!

"Owww"

Laying on his back and looking up at the afternoon sun, Jabari wondered what exactly he was doing, outside the relative safety of the city gates and collecting bruises and sand alike along the white dunes south of the Nykan docks. He thought that the softness of the sand might help to lessen the impact of failed attempts. He thought wrong.

Earlier in the day, Jabari had witnessed a pair of Nykan monks sparring. In truth, the two looked more like dancers than fighters. The way they moved about the yard using spins, flips and leaps mesmerized the Chaser of Dreams. It was as if the aesthetics of the competition were more important than it's actual outcome.

Jabari had no interest in violence, none at all. But he did relish the idea of being able to move like the robed warriors. If nothing else, it would be another skill to develop. And more knowledge brought the Vantha closer to realizing his goal. Or at least, that was the way he saw it.

Oh get up already. You're not gonna get any better sitting on your bum all day. Slowly standing, the teenager brushed himself off and gathered the resolve to continue his "training." Alright. Let's just start with a handstand and go from there.

Raising his arms to the sky and flattening out his palms, Jabari allowed the lower half of his body to fall forward, kicking his feet out shortly after in a much too enthusiastic effort to complete the process.

I've got this!

Thump!

Or not.

[Savio]

The sun burned hot in the sky above as Savio finally reached the docks. Having left his cotton tunic back at the Safehaven Hostel due to the heat, Savio was currently only dressed in his loose cotton pants, knee high leather boots and a loose white undershirt. He had come to the docks in hope of gleaning information on the mysterious Master name Ximal. But such hopes were dashed away as he received glares and threats from the working men. The people here were so much more hostile to strangers than those back home!

After several hours of failed attempts, Savio groaned as he leaned against a secluded dock pole at the most southern end of the docks. He pulled out a small loaf of dry bread from his belt pouch and began munching on it, all the while taking small sips from his water sack that he kept on his person at all times. He felt discouraged at not being able to learn anything new since coming to the city eight days ago. And to be honest, he felt a little home sick.

That was when he heard grunts coming from the sand dunes further south. Savio turned his head in the direction of the strange sounds, his natural curiosity was caught. He had heard warnings about the areas away from the city, that they were dangerous and needed to be avoided. Perhaps someone was in trouble? Savio quickly tucked away his bread and took off towards the sounds, keeping his stance low so to hide his presence until he was sure it was safe.

What he came upon as he reached the top of a rather high dune was not a person in distress. Or at least, not in the way Savio had thought they would be. Below was a boy attempting to…What was he doing?? Savio tried to bite back a chuckle as he sat down on the hot sand with one knee bent up, and his elbow resting on the bent knee; while he watched the amusing site. It took a moment, but Savio finally understood what exactly the boy was doing; he was attempting to do acrobatics. And he was going to get himself hurt if he continued on like he was.

“Keep your arms close to your ears and try not to move your head. If you are trying to look forward, you will lose your balance, it is best to look at your hand to create a center of balance.” Savio called out to the boy, a slight smirk on his lips as he rested his chin on his upturned hand.

[Jabari Dreamchaser]

While dusting himself off from the most recent attempt at acrobatics, Jabari caught the sound of suggestions. Oh no, was someone watching? Turning to track down the origin of his tutor, the teenager took Savio in. Well he would have, if not for the bit of distance between them and the sun shining above. Squinting, the Chaser of Dreams lifted a hand to shield his eyes somewhat. The stranger appeared to have taken a relaxed posture while watching. Had he been there long?

"O... Ok."

He called back a little awkwardly, though in a thankful tone. Maybe the fates had intervened and sent Jabari an instructor. Not wanting to let any of the man's advice slip his mind, the adopted son of The White Isle went about preparations for another go. He raised his arms up again, though this time keeping them close to his ears. Locking his head in place, Jabari reviewed. Don't move your head, look at your hands. You can do this.

Leaning forward again, Jabari planted his hands and immediately went to focus on them, head and arms locked into position. With a bit less intensity than his last effort, the Vantha kicked his feet out and up.

It's wor... working.

The wobbly amount of time spent with boots in the air at awkward angles couldn't have been more than a tick or two, but it felt amazing! Managing to stumble back to a standing position, Jabari didn't even notice the huge grin that had formed on his face. I did it! Eyes turning violet, the Vantha returned his attention to the unknown teacher and began a slow jog towards his location atop the dune.

"That was... *huff* much better. Thanks!

Once he had time to calm down about avoiding the collection of yet another bruise, Jabari would probably piece together just how trivial of a success it really was. A toddler would easily rival him. But for now, he lived in the moment of achievement.

"I am lucky you came when you did."

[Savio]

Savio grinned as he watched the boy heed his advice and actually hold a semi decent handstand for a few seconds. It was clear that the boy’s talents laid elsewhere but Savio had to hand it to him, he had determination. When the kid lowered himself back to standing, he then started to head in Savio’s direction. As the boy got closer, the young man was able to get a better look at him. The boy was a little gangly, perhaps because he was in the early stages of puberty. And he was a bit shorter than Savio by a couple of inches, but it wasn’t his slight build or height that caught Savio’s full attention; it was his eyes. They were a bright shade of violet, and Savio had never seen the like before.

Just as the kid reached Sav, he stood up and dusted the back of his pants off. He gave Savio his thanks with slightly labored breath, but the expression of accomplishment was clear as day on the boy’s face. It made Savio return an equally glad expression as he offered his hand to the young boy.

“It’s no big deal. With all the noise you were making, I thought you were being attacked. I am glad you are okay… Save for a few self-inflicted bruises here and there. But what were you doing out here? Don’t you know it’s dangerous outside the city gates? Oh, by the way, my name is Savio Cazzola. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

[Jabari Dreamchaser]

"Yeah... *pant* I know it's not that... *pant* safe.

Jabari held up a hand to diplomatically excuse his labored breathing. Taking a handful of ticks to compose himself, the youth eventually continued.

"I just thought the sand might make for a softer surface than the streets of Nyka. And, I was keeping an eye out for trouble."

The last he said in an almost embarrassed form of self-defense while looking Savio over. Taller and older than the Chaser of Dreams, Savio appeared the athlete. Tanned skin and lean muscle spoke of someone who had at least a decent understanding of their body. It was much more than Jabari could say for himself. He was comfortable enough on a horse, or in the ocean, but still had much to learn about mastering his own form. Still, there was time.

"Nice to meet you Savio Cazzola. I'm Jabari Dreamchaser."

Wiping both palms along the sides of his simple white pants, Jabari offered a somewhat sandy handshake to his mystery instructor.

"Are you an acrobat?"

A subconscious chuckled at the question, and obvious observations were made. Surely he was an acrobat of some skill level. What else would explain being able to call out a handful of instructions to Jabari, and turn his otherwise bumbling efforts at balance into a somewhat believable floor exercise.

[Savio]

Savio couldn’t hide his chuckles anymore. The boy was amusing and the first friendly face Savio had meet since coming to this damnable city. Savio even waved his hand in front of Jabari’s face in hopes to cool the boy down. It was clear as day that the boy was not accustomed to too much strenuous exercises. Savio had always been an active person, having worked on a farm all of his life and then training with his acrobatic friends back in Syliras has given him a decent bit of endurance.

“A flat surface would have been more helpful. Sand can throw off your balance because it’s not stable, and you would be more likely to hurt yourself if you landed wrong. As for keeping an eye out for trouble, you obviously didn’t see me. Did you?” Savio’s tone was light hearted, but what he said was truth. Savio could have just as easily been a group of thugs or gods forbid, Slavers.

The boy then went one to accept Savio’s hand and shook it as he introduced himself. Jabari Dreamchaser. It was an interesting name, and it seemed to really fit the boy. Jabari had a look in his eyes that spoke of innocent wonder and curiosity, and perhaps Savio saw a little bit of himself in that.

When the boy asked if Savio was an acrobat, he merely chuckled and shook his head. “Well, not completely. I could be one if I wanted to but as a profession, no. Right now, I am just a courier until I find the Master of Unarmed Combat, Ximal. Then I want to become one of his students. “

[Jabari Dreamchaser]

Feeling the soft breeze brought on by Savio's fanning hands, Jabari began to join in the laughter. He made a mental note of the suggestion to use flat surfaces in the future, verbally acknowledging understanding. "Flat surfaces are safer. Right, I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Thank you Savio."

The teenager had to admit his impromptu tutor was right about not noticing he was being watched, and decided it would be in his best interest to begin working on attention to details. Speaking of which, Jabari regarded Savio's stone gray eyes and dark brown hair. That would be a good start the youth thought, remembering eye and hair colors of new acquaintances.

"The master of unarmed combat, Ximal." Jabari repeated reflecting on the weight of the words. THE master? Is there only one? He thought that such a title was either self appointed or quite ominous. Not wanting to offend a potential student of this Ximal individual, the Chaser of Dreams kept the observation to himself.

"I admire anyone looking to learn and grow. I hope you are able to find Ximal soon so that you may begin your studies." Jabari spoke sincerely. Savio had been kind enough to offer him advice when most would have left him to the task of self-inflicted harm. A thought occurred to the Vantha. "I could help you keep an eye out for this man if you like. Four eyes are better than two and all that." Adding almost as an afterthought. "Would that maybe free you up to give me some more tumbling tips?"

Jabari's tone suggested that he was willing to help out Savio regardless and considered both comments made as separate entities. Still though, the lingering signs of enthusiasm from earlier remained on his face, as the adopted son of The White Isle stood before Savio, hopeful.

[Savio]

Savio couldn’t help but smile at the Jabari’s eagerness to learn. And just as eager to help Savio on his small pursuit, if only to learn more. Savio found himself liking the boy more and more. “It would be very helpful if you did help me, since no one else here seems inclined to lend a helping hand to foreigners. And I will be more than glad to help teach you in between my job and looking for Master Ximal.”

Savio placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and lead him away from the dunes and towards the more populated area. Since coming to Nyka, Savio had learned that paranoia is the key to survival here. “Where are you staying at? At the Safehaven Hostel? If so, that is where I am staying too. How about we head back that way so not to earn the ire of the monks?”

[Jabari Dreamchaser]

Walking back towards the sounds of ocean and dockworkers, Jabari was upbeat. Things could have gone poorly for the novice if he had continued to learn the art of tumbling through trial and error. Now, with someone willing to show him a thing or two, the learning curve might be climbable.

Ximal. It shouldn't' be too difficult to find a man considered THE master of unarmed combat. Making note to be on the lookout for the teacher Savio sought, Jabari went to work formulating his first handful of questions on gymnastics. "What is the most important thing for an acrobat: speed, strength, balance? How often should I train? What should I learn first?"

And eventually, as their conversation grew quiet, the Chaser of Dreams began to mentally repeat his first lesson, hoping to ingrain the knowledge for future reference. Arms close to ears, head straight, look at hands. Arms close to ears, head straight, look at hands. Arms close to ears...

[Balderdash]

Delicious rewards! Happy days and jubilation!

Jabari :

Skill	XP Awarded
Acrobatics	3
Interrogation	1
Persuasion	1

Lores: Sand Is Mean, Fighting Monks Can Be Pretty, How To Do A Proper Handstand, Savio Cazzola: Mystery Instructor!, Flat Surfaces Are Safer

Items and Consequences: Some minor bruises on the back, and scraped elbows.

You! You're a talented writer, you!

Savio :

Skill	XP Awarded
Running	1
Observation	3
Persuasion	1
Teaching	2
Interrogation	1

Lores: Dock Workers Are Mean, Small Children Can't Handstand, Jabari the Dreamchaser

Items and Consequences: Repute: Southern Quarter 1

D'aaaaaawww!!! That is all.

If you have any questions or concerns about this grade, please PM me. A happy you is a happy Balderdash!