[Video Post] un:redbird

[timmers]

[Tim has finally decided to rekindle an old hobby and get himself a camera. The video opens to a medium-sized mirror, from which you can see Tim holding up an SLR, dressed casually with a warm jacket, like he might be about to go out.]

It's been a while since I held one of these. Hope I haven't gotten rusty. [Tim smiles a bit wryly, thinking about the last time he'd held a camera.]

More importantly, I'm thinking of shooting a calendar to raise some additional funds for a couple of community activities.  I'm open to theme suggestions, if anyone has any.

If you're feeling braver than that, I'm heading out now to get a feel of things if anyone wants to be a test subject.
Just make sure you're not afraid of heights. [A grin for that, but you've been warned.]

Comments

[Action!]

[timmers]

[Tim's sitting on the steps to the City Hall, waving to people he knows from community youth work when they pass him by and idly taking pictures of the foot traffic. Plenty of interesting-looking people in a place like this. He spots one particularly tall fellow and-- oh, that's him. Tim gets up to offer a hand.]

Hey, I'm Tim. We didn't get to introduce ourselves over the phone.

[coquere]

[though the Quarantine has proven to be a safe place, Ignis still brings his daggers along. One never knew when you'd need to defend yourself against daemons or wild beasts.

He politely takes Tim's hand]

Of course. Forgive me. I am Ignis Scientia.

[timmers]

Thanks for volunteering, Ignis. It's not exactly a standard gig. [Tim turns and points out one of the buildings nearby.] We'll start here- we can go upstairs as far as the veranda up there. After that, we'll see how far we can climb.

[It's almost refreshing to be doing the climbing on the inside of a building. For the most part, anyway. For the rest of it, he's brought his grapple gun and some equipment in a backpack.]

[coquere]

I have a friend who is a photographer. I imagine if he was here, he would think of something like this.

[timmers]

He must be better than me, then-- this is kind of a hobby I used to do as a kid. I was... really dedicated, but not exactly conventional. I never had time to pick it back up until---[Tim waves a bit at the city.] All this. It's a lot quieter here than it was back home. I'm not used to getting as much sleep as I am now.

So did you help him out, too? [Tim pauses to give the guard a piece of paper, then he waves them on.]

[coquere]

He does have a fair bit of skill. He's been asked on several occasions to take pictures with the promise of monetary compensation. Mostly he does it for the enjoyment, and of course to document the places and people we see along our journey.

My form of "help" was mostly to drive him to the locations people wanted in his photographs. I think his best shots were candids, personally, though I don't mind posing.

[timmers]

So he's a freelancer? What does he take pictures of, mostly?

You must drive a lot, then. [Tim leads them to an elevator, but it's only going to take them part of the way.] Or he's a really good friend.

[coquere]

Mostly he takes pictures of us. Sometimes landscapes. Sometimes I think his camera goes off accidentally; he's done a few shots of trees and such.

[Ignis smiles] He is a very good friend but yes, I also drive a lot.

[timmers]

Must've been a really nice tree. [Tim snorts a bit just imagining it.] I mostly took pictures of people, too, and the odd landscape. I'm a city boy, so that's most of what was around.

What do you drive? Or used to, I guess the car wouldn't make it here.

[coquere]

We all came from the city as well. It was quite the change when we moved beyond the walls.

It was a five-seat convertible. If Prompto does arrive, I'll have him show you a photograph we took with the car.

[timmers]

You mean like the walls here? [Tim leads the way to the Veranda- the wall is fairly visible from here. If Tim squinted enough he could almost imagine seeing the perimeter guard.]

Convertible and roomy? She sounds like a dream. [Athough...] You think he'll come here? [Then again, given that he's living with two of his three adoptive brothers, he supposes the portals may have certain tendencies.]

[coquere]

Similar, yes.

[he shrugs at that] Uncertain. Nothing wrong with making a plan for if he does arrive.

[timmers]

I'll look forward to it. [Tim can hardly disagree. Not with a cloud drive back home full of just that. Instead, he climbs on top of the railing that goes around the short balcony and balances there for a moment.]

Come on up, the wind's great. [It's cold, but fairly gentle for this high up.]

[coquere]

[Ignis follows him. The wind does feel great from up here, even if it isn't being kind to Ignis's hair. He takes a moment to survey the landscape. Being this high gives him an excellent vantage point.

He gets a sudden pang of homesickness. The Crown City had buildings that reached this high, but he never thought to climb up to the top. This is a poor substitute, but it does give him an idea of what it would've been like]

So we're here. What would you like me to do?

[timmers]

Actually. [Tim grins.] This is just the starting point.

[He shades his eyes a bit and points up towards the decorative spire. A narrow ledge just wide enough for a single person goes around its perimeter.] We're going up there. I did promise a climb.

[Crouching down, he takes out the grapple gun and some rope and hooks from his bag.] Have you done any wall climbing before? Rooftop jaunts?

[coquere]

[his eyes follow up to where Tim is pointing. Rather than be bothered by this added height, Ignis merely looks intrigued. Even more so when Tim takes out his supplies. Ignis knows how to use them but never had a need before]

I have some training, but I can't say I do it often.

[timmers]

Well, I could haul you up, but you are a capable guy. [Tim hands him the hooked rope first, taking out a set for his own use. Best leave the gun until he can be sure they need it.]

You just have to swing a bit to get momentum, then... [He demonstrates, throwing the hook overhead so it landed on the edge of the spire ledge, catching on it.] Make sure to give it a few tugs to check if it's secure.

[coquere]

I understand, thank you.

[he takes aim with his own rope, giving it a spin before throwing it. It catches and Ignis gives it a tug to be sure it's secure. If he brought his polearm he could've just vaulted up there, but climbing will do.

And when he gets up there he winds the rope back up so he can give it back to Tim]

[timmers]

[Tim whistles when Ignis pulls it off without a hitch on first try.] Well if you didn't have training, you're a natural.


I'll take a few shots from here before I climb up, sound okay? [He sets the rest of the equipment down carefully and finds a good spot, raising his camera up.] Do what you do naturally with your friend. Or do something new.

[coquere]

Normally I'm throwing daggers and polearms, so I suppose I did have training, in a way.

[he tries to imagine what he would do if he was with the others. Probably just sit and enjoy the view, unless Prompto gathered them together for a group photograph or asked him to pose. Since Tim did neither, Ignis is sitting and enjoying the view]

[timmers]

Polearms? [That's a new one. Tim takes a few shots from this angle, just scoping out how to frame things, so Ignis sitting around is mildly interesting against the backdrop.]

What kind of polearms are we talking about? [Not that he's got a personal interest or anything.]

Oh, and can you stand and just-- step on the spire? Right there.

[coquere]

Javelins, tridents. That sort of thing.

[he complies with the request, still sort of just looking at the view. It's not really in him to do something goofy without being asked or to show off, so that will have to come with direction]

[timmers]

Tridents? That's pretty... niche. Where'd you pick up something like that? Or is the better question: why?

Do any acrobatics?

[coquere]

I am caretaker to the crowned prince of my land, so it was necessary for me to learn fighting skills.

Usually only in battle scenarios.

[timmers]

A crown prince? [That must explain the Ignis' way of speaking. And the slightly stiff air of dignity that reminded him all too much of Alfred. In fact, he was starting to think they'd get on like a house on fire.] Hope they're okay without you back in your old world, then.

Sounds like guarding royalty is a high-spec job. You kind of struck me as an indoors type, at first, but there's more to you than meets the eye, huh?