16183/Down the Halfpipe

Down the Halfpipe
Date of Scene:	26 October 2023
Location:	Underground Skatepark
Synopsis:	Joshua and Gabby finally have that skating date, which turns out to the last date.
Cast of Characters:	Joshua Foley, Gabby Kinney

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Joshua Foley has posed:
While the underground skatepark in Brooklyn is a well-kept secret by those in the know -- there are only certain times when it's open. It had been a few days since the last rainstorms came through New York, and finally the park was cleared on it's secret Facebook page to be open again.

Joshua had sent Gabby a line that it was open, as well as the GPS coordinates on how to find it. The trash has long since been cleared, but it holds that 'just washed' musk scent to it. Most of the group was already going to play on the various tricks and turns of the park.

Josh is waiting at the top of the half-pipe. Dressed in a pair of board shorts, an open flannel shirt with a t-shirt beneath, he does have on elbow pads and fingerless gloves as he takes his turn. Launching off the edge, he picks up speed with a kick of his foot and when he slides up the other side, he grabs the concrete, pulling himself back down and gathers more speed.

He repeats the motion on the other side, before he grits his teeth and tries to launch himself. One rotation in the air, followed by a second. It's in the midsts of the third he feels the board slip and he has to twist out of his turn to land on his kneepads and slide down the concrete pipe. "Crap!" he grumps, pushing himself to his feet to dust off. "I'll hit it next try!" he promises, fistbumping another skater that came to check on him and gives a thumbs up to clear the next skater in the pipe.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Safety gear? Unlike some of her siblings she actually usually used it. Sure she could heal but not HAVING to in the first place? That was prime. She shows up in jeggings (jean look alike leggings that are skin tight but allow awesome mobility) in black, kneepads, some comfy high-top sneakers with multi colored laces (man she loved those shoes) and a dark blue hoodie with yellow 'slash' stripes over the shoulders where the fabric had been literally cut to reveal the yellow fabric beneath. She even had gloves! Though they were the odd low-cut over the back of her hand sort, they were gloves. They just allowed her claws to come out without running them. Clearly a custom job of some sort, and fancy looking if one didn't know.

That and a board that she had gotten on suggestion of one of the guys that worked at the shop she owned in Gotham. Of course most of the street artists there were into skating so when she mentioned a skateboard date and asked recommendations they were more than geeked to help make suggestions and even decorate her own deck.

It wasn't top of the line, but it was sure as hell better than a totally 'newb' board.

She arrives carring it slung over her shoulder until she spots the golden Josh having just gotten up from a fall. Lifting a hand to wave she calls out, "Hey! Goldie!" in a cheerfully teasing tone.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Perking up when Gabby calls out to him, Joshua laughs as he sees her. "Hey, Gabs!" he calls out, skating over to join her as he kicks the back of it to catch the head of the board in his hand. "You made it."

A gesture of his hand around him. "This place doesn't officially exist, and if the cops show we are totally to run because this is a city flush out zone and we might be trespassing." A smirk at that. "But they shouldn't have made it so skate friendly if that was there case." There's a mix of people here. Mutants, humans, all mixing and migling under their mutual love of skating.

"Nice board!" He announces when he sees Gabby's ride. "I thought you'd have pair of skates, like Bunny used." he admits. "How much expecience do you have on it?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"So, the usual for fun places," Gabby reasons with a quickly flashed grin. It was nice to see so many mixed faces here, she had to admit. The skater community was usually pretty cool with such things though. Even the rollerskating ones were better than like, tennis players.

At the question she nods, "Oh I do have skates like her," she admits before swinging the board around off her shoulder to hold up showing off the underside and it's completely pristine, unscuffed wheels.

"Absolutely zero. No time like the present to learn though, right?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
"You can at least roller skate, so that is something!" Joshua encourages as he looks at the bottom of the baord and his lips split into a toothy grin. "Hope you didn't buy it for the artwork." he offers with a lift of his own board. The artwork is all but gone and nigh-impossible what it was once upon a time. "Hoping to make enough to replace it by Christmas." he admits.

So, since she's new, Joshua gestures to a smaller area. "Bunny hills!" he quips, measuring it against the same hills in ski resorts for beginning riders. As they head over, he drops his board to casually swing his feet back and forth on it to move it.

"So, what is something you would like to learn today?" he asks her. "And something you may want to build on for next time."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Nah, I mean, Pedro did the design up when I asked about it but I'm not expecting it to last. He's one of the guys that does the designs at the clothing shop I own," Gabby adimts. She'd never outright given the NAME of the shop because... well, she pretty much let them run it themselves. Giving artists free reign on designs was a great way to get them to be creative!

A longing glance is cast toward the steeper hills but she does turn to follow to the smaller areas. "Honestly should just try riding to begin with. I know the balance is going to be different, after that, probably just manuevering, maybe a turn on a hill?" She's ... trying to be reasonable about it instead of saying 'PUT ME IN COACH' and leaping off a tall hill. Even if that's what she might actually WANT.

But being reasonable about learning meant she also didn't have to broach the topic she ought to be right now.

Joshua Foley has posed:
To be fair, Joshua is surprised that Gabby let him bring her over here instead of right up onto the half-pipe. "I want to make sure you can balance on the board and then I'll totally turn you loose on the big stuff." he promises with a laugh, perhaps compromising -- or at least recognizing she could take care of herself.

"It took me months to get decent at it. Still have accidents." His smile weakens. "With your abilities and such, I'm sure you have a much better learning curve."

So as he gets on the hill, he turns to wait on her, trying to give his smile a hint of encouragement.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Nah, I don't know about learning curve. Better recovery though. What might take others awhile to heal up and recover from I can bounce back and get right back to it so... Probably would be about the same otherwise," Gabby has to admit she knew where her skills were. Sure she had better balance than most, probably, but recovery? That was the ticket.

The board is placed down and she plants a foot on it to push it back and forth a minute before starting out. Thankfully she realizes that having her weight solidly on the grounded foot meat that was a prat-fall about to happen! Instead she stops her testing of the board to hold it steady, putting her weight on that, and pushes off.

It's a bit wobbly as it does shift side to side and she soon learns leaning one way or the other will cause the board to drift side to side. "Okay. Okay this is ... yeah," she utters with hands out to the side for balance.

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Yeah, we both have really good recovery times when it comes to setbacks." Joshua has to admit as he steps off of his board to watch Gabby get all set up and when she takes her place and settles, he claps for her. "Not bad!" he comments, walking around the board. "Right now, you're airplaning. Meaning you think you need your arms to keep you balanced. You don't."

His hands close on her hips for a moment. "This is your center of gravity. "You want to hold to it as much as possible. Let your feet and legs handle the steering and speed. Let your upper body serve as a counterweight." he explains.

His hands release her and he chews on his lip. "You do really well at getting people back into things. I mean, you helped me after everything that happened, and I appreciated it." he bites down on his lip in thought, shaking it off. "Now, use your left leg and give yourself a push off. You don't have to rush your leg to the board, take the time you need.:

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney takes a slow, deep breath as he advises her to focus her gravity THERE. Of course she knew that. She KNEW that. It was just so instinctive to do the arm thing. Her arms drop trying to keep them loose and trying to imagine 'not there' which... which earns a small tweak from one eye as a particular haunting mental image rushes forth from the back of her mind of her 'other' self that had lost a limb.

So easy enough to imagine.

A quick shake of her head comes to focus back on the moment. "Right. Thanks. Just hard not to I guess," she admits with a laugh as she starts coasting as guided.

"You did the climbing out of that hole you were in, Josh. Nettie and I just gave you a ladder. That's what friends do."

Here she pauses allowing her toe to point so it scuffs across the ground as she coasts on the board. "Speaking of... Josh." Here she pauses, dropping her eyes a bit looking guilty.

Joshua Foley has posed:
"It's really easy to flail your arms. I did a lot when I was young and lost control." Joshua admits. "A ladder that noone else was offering, I'll point out. Which is why..."

Then she adds more and whatever he was about to say is set aside for the moment. He can come back to it later. He comes to a halt to turn to face Gabby, his grey eyes lifting to search her face. "What's up?" he asks her curiously.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney chews on her lower lip a moment before risking looking back to Josh. "Would it be okay if we were just friends? I know I said I'd try dating. And I know our luck trying has been kind of sucky and neither of our fault," she hastens to add in case he thought it was his. "I feel guilty about everything. I should have done more to help you in the first place before things got this bad, and... I also worry I might screw up the JLD by making things complicated. That's what my sister did."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua was worried it was something serious! And it is, but it makes sense. He can heal a lot of things, but there are some things. "Oh." His expression flounders. "Yeah. No. That makes sense. It tracks. The team comes first." he closes his eyes.

He just got a family, he's not about to give it up on something that did not look like it was playing out right. He reaches up and presses thumb and forefinger against his eyes to stop them from what they're doing.

"Friends is good." he offers to her, his voice carrying almost none of that optimism he tries to show - it's much closer to the Josh Nettie found. "Look, all the same to you, I had a thing... right about now. I should go to it. If you want to try again later, I can show you some more stuff."

And before she can stop him, he's throwing down the skateboard to give himself a push and heading off. He'll be okay.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney didn't mention the other tidbit that had come up in her life. That would just be crueler than this already was. These were doubts she already had, and had been having, in the first place. She stands there while Josh goes through the emotions that her words bring up, feeling guilty and bad over it herself that it had come to this.

"Yeah, of course. I'll see you around," she assures with a quick attempt at a smile that... didn't seem as cheery as SHE usually was, either. Even the thought of yeeting herself off the edge of that larger hill right now didn't seem right. Let him work things out in his place at his pace. That was the best she could do.

While he heads off she steps off her board, scoops it up, and heads out.