1343/SPORTS!

SPORTS!
Date of Scene:	24 April 2020
Location:	Gymnasium - Happy Harbor High School
Synopsis:	Gymastics meet.
Cast of Characters:	Stephanie Brown, Alexander Aaron

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Stephanie Brown has posed:
Bristol High School's gymnastics team makes a few trips to large tournaments each year, and this year they had travelled up to New York for a tournament being held at Happy Harbor. Six different schools were competing in the gymnastics meet.

The gym has been set up for the event, with the traditional gymnastics equipment set out. Stephanie's team is good, good enough to compete for the title, though they face some stiff competition. The Bristol team comes out of the locker room, the girls all wearing matching warmups, and gymnastics outfits beneath.

They go over to their section of the gym and begin stretching. Stephanie takes a seat a little distance away from the bulk of the team, who seem to be congregating around a beautiful raven-haired girl. She's one of those stunning types who either had plastic surgery already, or never had a need for it. The rest of the team talk and laugh while Stephanie begins stretching a little by herself, sitting on the floor with her legs making a right angle and then leaning down, body laying basically flat along a leg. Stretch. Then move to the other leg.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Sitting in the bleachers, one of the /few/ actual students who have come to cheer on their team, Alexander Aaron is settled on the sixth seat up, with his white sneakers up on the seat in front of him, his backpack set down upon the seat below. He's wearing his typical fare of jeans and a t-shirt, but for the moment he seems to be sporting a Happy Harbor pennant in hand, as well as a small bullhorn made out of a piece of construction paper.
    And it is from there, that perch, that Stephanie likely gets her first introduction to the youth as he lifts his voice and calls out from the stands,
    "Yay Happy Harbor. Yay for us. I go here and thus you are superior. Yay!"
    "Boo Bristol. I do not go to your school so I have no emotional attachment. So boo!"
    Yet as he offers those insights, somewhat animatedly and with a wry smile, his tone is light and amused even as he offers harsh critique to the raven-haired girl that perhaps has earned some small amount of Steph's ire.
    "You there, with your hair and face. You are probably a perfectly decent gymnast, but I side against you because I don't know you! Boo!"
    And then poor Steph gets singled out, "Hey stretching girl! I applaud your preparedness and thoughtful exercise regimen. But I do not wish for your success because I do not know you. Boo!"
    And meanwhile around him some of the few other Happy Harbor kids sort of giggle and snicker at the lone fan in the bleachers. But he doesn't seem to mind.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie lays flat along her leg. Stretch, two, three, four. And then to the other leg. She hears the extra loud voice calling from up in the stands though, the girl's blue eyes drawn up there to find the source.

The gymnast from the Bristol team ends up chuckling softly to herself. She's not the only one. The beautiful raven-haired girl spots Alexander as well. Though the look she gives him, she's less focused on what he's saying, than on the boy himself.

She says something softly to one of her friends and then gets up to wander up into the stands while the rest of the team stretches. "Well then, how about if I introduce myself," she says. "I'm Tinsley Reagan. Captain of our team. So now you know me, you can cheer for me instead of booing me, right?" she asks, fluttering her eyelashes slightly as she smiles at Alexander. She has a beautiful smile. Beautiful eyes too.

Stephanie's eyes follow Tinsley's progress up into the stands and she lets out a soft sigh to herself.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    And, to be fair, Alexander is kind of cute, when one gets past the baggy clothes and the mop of blond hair. He's got those vibrant strange eyes, and that wry smile and full mouth. There's definitely something there that might well be considered handsome. And when Tinsley Reagan makes her approach he smiles wry, head tilting to the side curiously.
    "Possibly Tinsley, entirely possible." The young Olympian waves his little pennant a bit and then tells her, "But I still know my friends on the Triple H team a smidge bit more than I know you. And also I still don't go to your school so you'll always be a leg down."
    So then he grins and lifts his voice, "Boo Bristol High, but perhaps Tinsley Reagan slightly less of a boo because I just met her. But still boo!"
    He crinkles his nose back at her, curious if she'll take it well, or poorly. Since in truth... that's half the fun.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Tinsley breaks out in a beautiful sounding laugh, and a warm smile with shining white teeth. "Well, just means you need to spend more time getting to know me. After the meet, we could go hang out somewhere. I came up on my own, don't have to ride back with the team down the HyperLoop," she tells him. "Maybe we can go for a drive and you can show me Happy Harbor? Or the city?"

Stephanie rises from where she's stretching, glancing up to see how Tinsley is doing in picking up the super hot boy up in the stands. "Why couldn't it be after the meet?" she mutters to herself. "Can't even hope she breaks a leg coming down the steps if it's before."

Stephanie removes her warmups and goes over to the vault, getting in line with the girls taking practice runs.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The young man gives a small grin and then tells her with an easy smile, "M'sorry, Tins. I sorta have a girlfriend. But I will totally cheer for you ever so slightly more because you seem so nice." There, such a nice thing for him to say, and yet entirely neutral and wry.
    "But hey." He rolls to his feet and stands up to tower above her mainly by the nature of her being a gymnast as well as him being up a seat on the bleachers, "If you guys win I'll applaud, cool?"
    And as easy as that, the /perfect/ Tinsley finds herself without a boy saying yes to her. Without telling her that he would totally do anything for her. And then he's thumping and hopping down those bleachers to land on the gym floor with a /thump/. Then starts walking, leaving the Ms. Reagan behind him and his footsteps carrying him right toward the vault that Stephanie finds herself making a few passes on.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Tinsley looks around the stands pointedly as if noting Alexander is there by himself. "Hmmm," she says thoughtfully, and one could get the impression something insignificant like a girlfriend wouldn't necessarily stop her.

"I'll hold you to that," she says with a smile as she turns to make her way back down from the bleachers. Moving slowly as if to give Alexander time to observer her as she does.

It's the slowness that does her in. The Bristol coach comes over and says, "Shouldn't you be warming up?" Tinsley just gives her a smile and then once she's past mimes saying those words with a sarcastic expression on her face.

Stephanie gets to the front of the line, though glances over towards the stands as she starts her run. She lands it but then takes a long step before she gets her feet planted to do the normal arms up finish. The blond gets a slight frown and shakes her head at herself. "Get your head in the game, Steph," she says loud enough that Alexander can hear her as she moves out of the way of the next girl.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The lone cheering fan strolls by where the Bristol girls are warming up, stepping to the water fountain that's in the wall and he leans there, pushing the metal bar to key the spigot into firing, he takes a few swallows then straightens up. A forearm is brushed over his lips and that's when he'll catch Steph's run and approach, that leap as she flips in the air and the landing...
    Which gets her a critique from her coach that might likely have her kicking herself internally. And damn that Tinsley girl seems entirely not too upset with that kid she was talking to, maybe she did get his number. Or a date. Or worse.
    But when she's close enough she'll see Alex smile and he offers lightly, almost conspiratorially, "The third spring on the left is sorta busted, they haven't fixed it. You'll get a better push off if you hedge your approach to the right a little."
    As he says that he hops back up onto the first seat of the bleachers, but pauses there to watch if Steph takes his advice.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie handles the criticism from her coach a little better than Tinsley. Listening quietly and then moving away when the woman is done, a chagrined look on the blond's face.

She looks over as Alexander moves nearer and makes the quiet comment. "Yeah?" she asks, glancing back over towards the vault and then back at him. "This isn't a reverse psychology thing to help Happy Harbor, is it?" she asks Alexander while giving him a soft, crooked grin. Not sounding like she thinks it is, more teasing than anything else in her tone. She moves over to get into line for the vault again, glancing back to him. Tinsley is over warming up on the balance beam. She glances across the floor towards the stands, brow furrowing as she looks for someone who isn't there.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "No this is my cunning plan to trick you," Is the young man's rejoinder as he settles back down and continues to tepidly wave his little Happy Harbor High banner, even as he chats with Steph while she goes through the line, occasionally sparing a glance for her coach who might have annoyed him with her criticism.
    But then he looks back at her and says, "Though really I sorta think if you're competing all things shoulda kinda be even and whatnot. Otherwise totally doesn't count."
    And then he ever so nicely adds, "By the way, my name's Alex. Hi." A step that even the famous Tinsley did not get to, the young man's name!

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie watches the other gymnasts, and notes how the girls from Happy Harbor favor the side that Alexander said. "Thanks for the tip, Alex," she tells him, flashing a small smile over to him. "Stephanie," she adds. "Not too many people come out to watch the gymnastics teams. Normally brothers, boyfriends, or would be boyfriends," she says with a chuckle. She glances towards Tinsley and sees the other girl watching them like a hawk, having spotted Alexander again.

Stephanie turns back as she gets to the front of the line and does another vault. Much better result this time. A small step on the landing, but it would be a little above average vault at this level.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Yeah?" Alexander says once she gets through her vault and then strolls back into the line, it's while she's waiting for her next turn that the blond youth chats with her amiably. "To be honest I usually sort of kill some time in here because the trains don't run back to my home until later. And then I was lying there," He gestures toward the other end of the bleachers, "And I saw our team filing in and asked what was up..."
    He sort of smiles and shrugs, "Figured while I was here I should cheer and be all, you know, school spirity. Right?" And as he says that when he catches Tinsley looking over at them he'll ever so cheerfully lift a hand to wave in her direction, then waggles his little pennant as he shouts.
    "Yay Tinsley!" But then he turns back and continues his conversation with Steph as if naught else was of any concern to him. "Figured I could spread some good will maybe. Why not?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Tinsley flashes Alexander a beautiful smile while he's looking. One that turns to a suspicious stare towards Stephanie once he turns back to the blond gymnast. Stephanie says, "Well, if you've never seen it before, definitely stick around. And by the way I thought the whole cheer thing was pretty cute." She flashes Alexander a grin and says, "Need to go practice the uneven bars. It's my best event," she tells him.

"I hope you get a chance to watch, before your train leaves and all," she tells him, flashing the boy a friendly smile before moving over to the next apparatus. She gets some chalk on her hands and waits for the girl warming up on it to finish, though glancing back to Alexander now and then.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Sure thing," The blond senior answers with that casual half-smile, his own expression an open and friendly thing even as he follows her glance off toward the apparatus in question. His head bobs a few times, "See you say that now about my cheering. But you wait until we're in the fourth quarter? Does gymnastics have quarters? Third period? Overtime? Well just wait until I give the perfect neutral and yet positive messaged cheer in that particular period of time if I recognize it. You'll be all... oh no, we are not winning. And then bam. Victory Happy Harbor."
    That said he grins after her as she wanders off toward the other side of the gym. And, to be fair, when she looks back she'll see him offering a wave as well.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie smiles and laughs softly. "No, just different events that we rotate through as a team," she tells him. "Well, Happy Harbor is pretty good. There's another school to watch out for too," she says, motioning over to a private school from in the city.

After she's over to the next area, Steph waves back, and then gets ready to use the uneven bars and begin her warmup. She's swinging around on there like a champ. Definitely better than the girl was before her, not just for how well she's doing, but for the increased difficulty of her moves.

Tinsley goes over to the vault, practicing there. She's quite good actually, though doesn't realize the thing about the bad spring.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Settled there on the edge of the bleachers, Alexander lifts his voice to call out to Tinsley, "Hey, Ms. Reagan. There's a bad spring on the left side of the vault if you... wanna compensate a little." That said the young man smiles and nods, seemingly content to just chat with whomsoever passes on by.
    But then one of the Happy Harbor High gals rolls her eyes and calls out to Alexander, "Alex! Stop giving them advice!"
    To which he answers with feigned anger, "I'll do what I want, Britney!" He says her name emphasizing the latter syllable for meanness' sake, but it causes her to laugh when he makes a funky face at her with one nostril flared and the opposite eye all bugged out.
    But then he looks back to Tinsley and says, "But yeah, totally broke."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Tinsley gives Alexander a big smile for the advice. She goes to tell her teammates as well. Stephanie finishes her floor routine. If anyone is paying attention, they might spot her stop next to a girl from another team, and motion towards the vault while saying something. She does that with someone from still another team, before rejoining her own squad.

The meet begins in earnest, the girls rotating through the different events. It's easy to tell the difference in quality, a half-dozen girls that stand above the others and will be the ones competing for the individual awards, plus their contributions to their teams. Stephanie is one, Tinsley is another.

Stephanie does a tremendous uneven bars routine, swinging around with velocity and energy, and then dismounting in a twisting flip which she sticks the landing of!

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    For a fan with an utter and complete ignorance as to the flow or the composition of what goes into a gymnastics meet, Alexander is no less an enthusiastic fan. For he stays there in the bleachers, on the side of the gym meant for the Happy Harbor team, still holding up his little pennant and giving it a wave now and again. But when he lifts his voice his cheers are often tinged with the names of the people, so well informed of the athletes. And they also tend to be at times worthy of a giggle or two.
    "Woo, Britney! The floor in your floor exercise is the best and most level without deviation!"
    "Hey Tinsley! I know we are technically enemies but you are not doing poorly enough to insure my home team's victory!"
    "Stephanie! That uneven bars routine was too good! You should be disqualified for heightened levels of awesome!"
    All the shouts hollared with such an utter lack of self-consciousness and an almost joyful embracing of his lack of understanding about the scoring system lends a sort of a mirthful dissonance to the sincerity of his cheers.
    And, to be fair, his goofiness does at times draw glowers and glares from the other few fans there. Maybe boyfriends or dads of the teams. But still. Grrr, glare.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie appears to be in a good mood after the performance on the uneven bars. Each school moves as a group through each of the different events. The Happy Harbor team is good, the scores seem to be a ten point scale though there's some degree of difficulty included. Happy Harbor, Gotham-Bristol and a Manhattan team are all vying for the top spot.

The commentary from Alexander gets mixed reactions. Tinsley gives him a charming smile that would be called private even though everyone else in the gym can see it too. Stephanie just gives a big toothy grin and laughs, giving a little wave towards Alexander.

Soon it comes down to the final set of events. The three teams are neck and neck. The Happy Harbor team has been happy have Alexander there cheering for them. The final events start up, with Bristol on the vault, Happy Harbor on the even bars and Manhattan on the floor routine.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    When the Manhattan team comes up and starts to work on the floor exercise in front of him, they are not spared the attention nor wrath of the young Alexander Aaron. "Boo, Manhattan. Your geographic place of residence is not the same as mine! At least not for another month. Boo!" But he can't help himself when he gets a glance and a grin from the other contestants there he'll smile and reply in a conversational tone, "Hi, my name's Alex."
    Perhaps at this point in the rotation they've heard of him.
    But his hazel eyes gleam with amusement as he watches the teams go through their routines, always mindful of the young women he actually knows, which does end up as more attention for Happy Harbor, as is proper! But once the scores are being tallied and he sees people being sad his tone changes.
    "Hey, you guys did great. But because I know you all more now when you're playing against people I don't know, I'll cheer you on more!"
    Until, eventually, a group of other fans finally has had enough. In a group of three young men, likely boyfriends of the Manhattan academy gals, one of them stands up and yells down the way.
    "Hey Man! Shut the /fuck/ up!"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The Gotham team has a disappointing turn on the vaults, with one of the girls falling completely. When she gets back to the team, Tinsley talks to her. The words are quietly spoken, but the angry expression from Tinsley, and the other girl looking like she wishes she was anywhere other than right there at that moment, it's not a very uplifting conversation apparently.

The girls begin to get their warmups back on and gather for the awarding of the team trophy plus some medals and ribbons for the top teams. Stephanie goes over to the girl who got berated, hand on her back gently and saying something that garnered a grateful look from the teammate.

Stephanie jogs back over to her team area, in front of Alexander, to grab her jacket that she forgot. She glances up into the stands as she hears the guy addressing Alexander. "It's all fun guys, just glad to have people come out and cheer," she says, eyeing the three teens.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Yeah?" One of the teens says, snapping back to Spoiler, "Maybe if this idiot hadn't been yelling so much Tiffany wouldn't have fallen!" Which has the other two nodding and looking pretty sour, though Alexander isn't exactly looking to stir the pot as he lifts a hand to wave in the direction of the irate fans.
    "Hey man, s'no big deal. I probably won't even get down to one of these again." Sure Alexander is smiling and at ease, but there's no hint by his body language of being perturbed or afraid. Not one whit of it. But he does sling his backpack over his shoulder and keeps hold of his pennant, hopping down the bleachers a few at a time to land upon the gym floor in front of Stephanie.
    //WHAM!//
    And once there he gives a nod, "Good going though, you kicked butt." Even as he looks cross the gym to catch the eyes of others as they start to get ready to go, waving to a few people here and there.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown eyes the three boys still, as if concerned whether they mean to cause trouble. But the trophy ceremonies are starting and their girlfriends did win the meet after all. Stephanie glances over there. "Would have really liked to win this one," she says with a sigh.

"Oh well, There's some saying about losing building character, that people say at times like this to make people not feel like such a loser," she tells him. She pats her arm. "Thinking about getting it tattooed. Or maybe here on my side," she says, motioning towards the side of her torso.

The blond breaks out in a soft smile and shrugs. "Just kidding of course. Still planning to get the recipe for Big Belly Burger's cookies tattooed there." She glances over again and sees her team lining up to get their third place ribbons.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Hey," Alexander turns his head to look at Stephanie and tells her, "I'm not a gymnast, really." His tone of voice is perhaps less light-hearted, less the goofy teen that she had been seeing for the couple of hours, and it's more a warm thing and offered with a sincerity.
    "But I'm a decent judge of how someone moves. You have clean lines and a precision to you that's impressive. Also your muscle memory is very good, you can tell that while you're in motion you function on instinct and training. You don't force your mind into overthinking."
    The young man looks away, still hand tucked light under his backpack strap, then he murmurs. "So better get a tattoo that you kick ass. Since I figure you will in life. Ultimately." As if he had some insight.
    But then that youthful smile is back, those brilliant pale blue and jade green eyes meeting hers again as he murmurs, "But what the heck do I know?"
    And as he says that it's at that point that the three teens had already descended behind him and land on the floor of the gym with a triple set of /whabam!/ one hand going to his shoulder to grab and turn Alexander.
    "It's cuz of your bullshit we lost, dumbass. Get the fuck out of here."
    "Yeah, you made Josie cry!"
    To which Alexander asks blankly, "Which one is Josie?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown looks back towards the ceremony. One or two of her team are looking about for her and trying to wait, but Tinsley is pushing the rest of the girls towards the area where they are going to put the ribbons on the girls.

Steph turns back towards Alexander and the three boys, moving to interpose herself between one of them and Alexander, at least, even if she can't get in the way of all of them. "We're used to competing with a lot of people yelling. Just back off, he didn't do anything," the blond says, giving up quite a few inches to the youth she's staring at with a determined expression, if one short of angry.

She glances to Alexander, spotting his expression as the mention of someone crying comes up.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    One of the angry students gesture past Alexander, pointing to one a gymnast for the Happy Harbor team, who is indeed sniffling a bit and red-eyed, but who hadn't been part of any of Alexander's 'cheers'. But when Alex looks back he sort of keeps that blank look on his features for the other fellow, "I don't... think I know her?"
    But when Stephanie gets in the way, the others sort of scowl at her, glowering, and there's no win here for them, no real way to look good even as there is the temptation to wipe that look off Alex's face. So the ringleader grimaces and says, "Fuck this man, let's get outta here."
    And as easy as that the situation is defused for now, with those three boys heading for the swinging doors and leaving Alex there with Steph and him crinkling his nose a little.
    "Hey." He smiles at her, "You're missing your thing." And with that he nods to the ceremony and steps back so she can head on over.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown watches the boys retreat before looking back over to the ceremony. "Yeah, well, people like that get my dander up," she says. "That's going to be tattooed on the other side," she quips, before turning back and eeping at the glare from her coach. Stephanie jogs over, just in time to join her team in walking off from the match officials to make room for the second place Happy Harbor team.

Tinsley has Stephanie's third place ribbon, shoving it into her chest until the blond takes it from her, as if blaming Steph they came in third despite her doing as well as anyone on their team. The beautiful brunette walks off, surrounded by the other girls on the team and leaving Stephanie there holding her ribbon and shaking her head to try to keep a glare from coming to her eyes.

She lets out a sigh and goes back over to the team area, trailing the other girls. Tinsley spots Alexander and she walks over to him. "We should have done better. Disappointing," she says with a sigh. "You know, maybe going for a ride might help me get the bad taste out of it out of my mouth?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    From her place across the way, Steph might well see Alexander chatting amiably with Tinsley, his hands in his pockets and his expression a light casual thing. Tinsley, however, gets to see the curiousity in the young man's eyes as he tilts his head sideways and leans forward a little.
    "Oh you have some good people on your team though." A nod of his head is given, "I think that gal, Melissa?" He gestures with a nod to one of the others getting her things together, "She was good on the balance beam I thought."
    His head tilts to the side as he shifts his weight a little closer to her, but his eyes now on Steph as he waves a little. "Stephanie is a natural at the whole multiple bar thing?" Such an expert not even knowing the names of the events.
    Then back to Tinsley, "And you have a sort of effortless grace to you at times."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The total lack of reaction when Stephanie is praised is a long-mastered skill of Tinsley's. "There's some passable girls," she says as if that's complimentary of them. "But thank you for noticing. I'm hoping to make the gymnastics team at Gotham U next year," she tells him.

Stephanie changes shoes and glances up, seeing Alexander talking to Tinsley. "Figures," she mumbles to herself with a sigh. She looks over as the second place team get tiny trophies, and Stephanie takes a moment to clap as the awarding is done there. Time for the champions from Manhattan now.

Tinsley isn't paying attention to the awards ceremony now. "Shame Happy Harbor didn't do better. You were cheering so well, too. You should come down to Gotham for one of our meets sometimes," she tells Alexander, giving him such a beautiful smile.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There is a certain cultivated talent one can develop, to maintain a casual conversation, an ease of interaction while being entirely sincere and yet allowing oneself to casually ignore what could well be hints or innuendos. It's a talent that Alexander has mastered, and for a time he seems inclined to just let himself interact with her on that level. Without allowing a true contact or sharing of self or thoughts.
    But then he tilts his head to the side slightly, the faint golden irises deep in the depths of his hazel eyes glimmer even as he looks to her. And if she has had such success with that beautiful smile, if she was used to bending and manipulating wills with her beauty alone. She might find it a curious thing to find such turned back upon her.
    For when Alexander speaks to her next, it's with those devil's own eyes, and the curve to his lips is assuredly what could well cause the downfall of saints. "You should be friends with Steph, Tinsley. She's got a good heart. And I think you do too. But you're wrapped up in all of this..." Those eyes lift and look around lightly, then return to hers as he leans closer, as if sharing with her a conspiratorial secret.
    "But I would love to see you again. Come find me in ESU next year? I'd like to see your smile then."
    And as quick as that, as easy as that, the small spell breaks, and perhaps when she next looks over on Stephanie... she might not feel that small twinge of fear tinged with jealousy, might well not see her as a threat.
    Perhaps it will last, perhaps not.
    But then Alexander's stepping away and he says, "It was nice meeting you." His voice back a little more to that chipper tone, and then he's turning away.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Tinsley follows the gaze over to Stephanie, her expression suggesting how long-standing her view of the other girl is. It's anyone's guess whether the comments from Alexander will make a difference or not.

Stephanie finishes putting her things in her bag and zips it up, then tosses it over her shoulder. Tinsley heads off with her entourage after a disappointed look that Alexander isn't up for doing something now.

The blond wanders by past Alexander on her way out of the gym. "Hey, thanks for the awesome comment. And the others too. That was nice to hear," she says. She lifts a hand to give a little wave goodbye. "Take care of yourself," she says before heading out.