16698/Abandoned Park Parkour Practice

Abandoned Park Parkour Practice
Date of Scene:	28 December 2023
Location:	Abandoned Amusement Park - Amusement Mile
Synopsis:	Charta goes to the old Carson's Wonderland theme park for exercise. She meets Rook and Oriole who try to explain a few rules to her. Charta fails to make new friends. It didn't go well.
Cast of Characters:	Clara Jennings, Damian Wayne, Phoebe Beacon

---

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Evening in Gotham. Charta is odd by super hero standards in that she has a curfew and a bedtime. Still, it is a lovely night, the sky is clear, and even over the light pollution of Gotham a few stars can be made out.

    It is important to note, however, that Charta is here with permission from her governess. This is a special training allowance. She read of this place in the newspaper and was very curious. Not only is it a kind of three dimensional playground for those who want to train, it's also got an interesting history. A rather tragic one from Clara's perspective.

    She does not simply swing about. Charta is casing the place, seeing if it is clear of trouble for the evening. She begins with the perimeter, but of course gets rather distracted. The "Cat House"? How curious... A few minutes later and she is back to work, making sure she is alone.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Charta may have sought the permission of her governess, but that really means very little when it comes to the protectors of the city. Carson's Wonderland is one of those places that is kept on the radar of the vigilantes of the city, because one can never tell when some villain is going to decide that this is the prime location to set up their base of operations to try to take over the world.

Seriously, Professor Pyg was just here a few weeks ago.

So when the sensors that were left are triggered by someone's presence, it's not the local police department that arrives. Having been the closest Bat on patrol, Rook had sent out a message that he was checking out the disturbance. If backup wants to show, it's fine, but really he could handle it! Except he never minds the extra help.

The firing of a grappling line yanks Rook from the rooftops that he was on and into the amusement park. He stays high in the air, easier to look down as his shadow is smaller on the moonlit night as he lands on the apex of the roller coaster in a crouch, eyes narrowing behind domino mask as he starts to scan about for the disturbance.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    And where you can find one Bat, often you can often find another.

    Who also sometimes have curfews and bedtimes, and were supposed to be on light duty until cleared by Penny-One. AKA Mother Hen.

    Rook's domino might alert to Oriole's nearby as the gray-and-orange form of the Bats' dark sister swings up to land on a similar perch to Rook.

    <<Wasn't Pyg here a couple of weeks ago?>> she asks facetiously.

    HEr friend spent Christmas in the hospital recovering. She's still carrying a bit of rage on that.

    She leans herself over one of the railings on the high crest of the roller coaster casually, hood drawn over her face to protect it from the wind.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta is looking for more mundane company, not the kind that might be coming from above. She is not used to Gotham yet. In the future she will have to add that to her list of concerns. As things are, though, she slowly makes her circuit. She is not attempting to draw attention to herself, of course, nor is she moving with great stealth. One might say she is "sneaking casually".

    With her circuit complete, she is satisfied. But still there is one thing. She retrieves a brief case she had stowed near the "Cat House" and opens it. Inside is... paper. Or is it? Some of it appears to just leap out and flow around her. A moment later and she vaults over the low fence that once served as the barrier between patrons and a roller coaster. She hasn't a clue, of course, that others might be enjoying the park tonight. She races along the normal path of the ride, which will eventually carry her towards Oriole. Or would, if Charta did not have other ideas.

    She reaches the first bend, still unaware, it seems, of others, and without a sound she leaps off the tracks into the cool, inky air. She twists in her flight and her right arm is flung forward. A line of paper then connects her to her former perch. She swings on the line towards the roller coaster once more.

Damian Wayne has posed:
<<Aren't you supposed to be on light duty?>> Rook asks in Arabic as Oriole joins him near by, the two birds taking up the high point of the park. It's not like he's going to tattle, after all, he can't even count how many times he's broken that rule. <<Hope you liked your Christmas present.>> What was it?

A framed large piece of mummy wrappings from Egypt's Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXI-XXV, 1077-664 BC. Time of pharaohs Smendes, Shoshenq, and Taharqa. Tan to brown color, with dark stains from the resins and oils used during the mummification practice.

But his attention returns to the scene below when Oriole brings up the Pyg issue. "Yeah. The whole poisioned gyro thing. Thought it might be one of his associates." that, in English as he concentrates on the surroundings below. When the figure makes her debut, Rook's eyes narrow behind his mask.

The briefcase draws his attention and when the papers come out and she starts to practice, one of Rook's eyes go up. He reaches into a pouch and pulls out a small sliver of paper, showing it to Oriole. "This was at the museum a few nights ago. A mystery person prevented an arson. This was the only clue to it." His head turns to watch Charta as she goes through her motions. "You're the mage, what do you make of it? Magic? Mutant?" Friend? Foe?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <<I'm not the one whose artery was nicked, little brother.>> Phoebe replies in Arabic. And she gives a grin of her matte black lips <<It was satisfactory>>

    Did you know the reason why mummies are relatively rare is because Victorians ATE THEM?

    There's a reason why Phoebe's family's necropolis is hidden. Not even Damian's been to see it.

    <It is totally weird to get dead people's clothing, but then again I love thrift shoppin--> she cuts off suddenly, and she catches the fifgure as well. She crouches down, and she draws over the piece of paper, taking a look at it, and then to the young woman.

    <<Definitely magical in origin. But I'm wearing the wrong costume for magic investigation.> she explains quietly, looking over to Rook.

    <<So don't tell Batman.>>

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta shortens the line as she swings and manages to accelerate. Now naturally there is a considerable amount of supporting beams... trellis? Charta makes a note to determine which word best applies to this scenario. Regardless, she is soon climbing back to her former position, making a point to swiftly weave through the maze of steel she encounters on the way up.

    Once she is back in her original position, she pauses, referring to her mental checklist. She even talks to herself.

    "Simple ascent and rope use are completed. Make a note to better study the structures common to theme parks. Our vocabulary is clearly deficient. Next up... well... the best part of all!"

    She runs again towards the edge and leaps even farther than last time. This time, though, there is no rope, no twisting. Instead, the paper races out from both sides of her. Wings? They catch the air and she turns tight to the left, heading for the ferris wheel. Wings! She weaves through the spokes of the wheel and is that.. is that a woo? Someone is clearly enjoying themselves.

    Yet she does not leave the bounds of the park, nor come near them. She promised. Instead, she does a few more maneuvers and again returns to that same spot on the roller coaster. Her wings are then gone. At her side, a brick of paper sits instead, waiting on her creativity to give it a form.

    "Let's see... what comes next, my friends." She hesitates, letting out a sigh.

    "Friends. Yes. I will have to work on that, too, won't I?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
<<I assumed it was not someone's dinner napkin.>> Rook responds dryly, a smirk pulling on his features. What, it's not like he would eat Phoebe's ancestors! He's not that much of a ghoul. But he can appreciate it, he knew what it meant when Gabby took him to Zelda's grave beneath New York. He'll have to go check on that and clean it up a little.

<<You didn't tell him about my run-in with Flatline. I will consider the ledger even.>> Rook responds. Even if it is /heavily/ leaned towards him needing to pay things back. <<And it was totally not thrift shopping. I just... I am not good with thoughtful gifts.>> Awkward Rook is awkward.

As the mystery figure makes her way towards the roller coaster that they are on, he heeds Phoebe's comments on the magical part of it. <<Want to be the one to make the contact then?>> he asks her.

<<I can remain here on standby, or if you want me to join you? She seems very talented with her papermancy.>> He just made up that word. His eyes narrow, but more thoughful than anything else as he watches her movements.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <<Little Brother, it *was* a thoughtful gift. I have it on my study wall -- and it's chartamancy. Magic of paper.>> Oriole states, and as the figure makes their way to the roller coaster, Phoebe does expend a bit of her own magic, briefly making the two invisible -- it involves holding her breath. As the person passes, she releases her breath, and then she looks to Damian as the girl lets out the comment about 'friends', and gives a 'that's our cue' motion.

    A pop of her grapple, and The Oriole drops down.

    There's a swing, a flip, and a three-point landing on the ground a good ten feet from Clara, the hooded Batling's orange lenses fixed on the magician as she draws to a stand. She's wearing armor easily identified as being Bat-like, with a little symbol of a songbird in flight inside an O. The design of her armor is vaguely steampunk-like, including a hood that covers her hair and helps obscure her features.

    "Hello!" she greets, friendly-like, her voice altered by the electronics in her communication array.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta, quite unaware of this discussion (she would positively beg to see that gift, by the way), is rather distracted. She is just drawing the paper she left below to her and starting to form what looks like a mix between dog and warthog in paper form. That operation is understandably stopped once she becomes aware of another's presence. She is far from expert in this, however, as it is barely before the greeting.

    "Good evening," comes the response. Charta has no fancy electronics, so her voice is what it is. That is a great idea. She will have to take it up with her governess. Her accent is British. She is a Londoner and there is no effort to hide it.

    "I am sorry, have I intruded?" There is little pause between the greeting and apology. It seems she, like Rook, is also awkward.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Rook is always appreciative of Oriole's spells. Especially the lifesaving ones that keep him from dying. Those are great.

But when the new person makes the mention of meeting new friends and he gets prompted by the other Bat, Rook draws in a breath. Social interaction. Perhaps Rook's weakest link.

And he /almost/ stays on the roller coaster as Oriole makes her approach. Instead, he dives off the edge of the roller coaster and plummets.

No grapple is used, instead, he flares out the inside of his cape, the bright yellow of it accenting his form. It allows him to glide and drift to the ground, a bird of prey on the strike approach before he releases the edges of the cape and drops to the ground in a tumble and drops into a crouch near Oriole.

Dressed in the greys, blacks, and reds of his costume, the black 'R' in the midsts of a red circle on his left pec and the presence of a utility belt may hint at exactly who it is. Even if the colors are far more darker than that of the Boy Wonder.

When Charta speaks, she sounds... he can't place a finger on it, but it's familiar. Time to put some of that time he had with the Titans into practice. Nightwing is always pushing him to do so. "You are only intruding if you have ill intent." comes the comment, the voice youthful, slightly growled. But he does not have his dad's gravitas when it comes to the guttural growl. "I am Rook. This is Oriole. Welcome to Gotham. I assume you are from out of town... south London?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe is also awkward. Ask Roy.

    But this funny thing happens when three awkward people meet, inevitably one mysteriously becomes competent.

    "We more wanted to take a look at some unusual readings in the area," Oriole explains, her lips curling into a friendly smile. "And introduce ourselves. Not often we come across powered individuals who aren't also causing trouble."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta is startled by Rook's appearance. Outnumbered. It makes her nervous. One bat means a conversation, does two then mean a confrontation? She does nothing with her paper, but she does keep it in the back of her mind. If she is quick enough, she can possibly form wings and fly away. But not without a running start and a suitable height to leap from. A wall? Perhaps that would buy her time to escape. The house of mirrors? No, she would just get lost. In short, her mind is racing and quite distracted.

    Rook sounds so unfriendly, as well. The growl may not be on the par of Batman himself, but then again, Charta has never met him. She is quite adequately nervous by this reception. Thank goodness for Oriole.

    "I am sorry if I was damaging the structure. You see, I was looking for a place I might exercise. I had struggled to find a suitable area where the public would not be alarmed. This seemed like a good option."

    Charta addresses the earlier question with accidental honesty. A flaw, to be sure. But these are bats! You can be honest with the good guys, right? "Wandsworth, to be precise. You are very good at this. I think I have read about you in the paper." Yes, she does like physical newspapers. "But it seems impolite to guess at names."

    She reaches down to grip a skirt that isn't there. That is unusual. This suit makes curtseys absurd. She simply bends her knee anyway and rises.

    "May name is..." You know, as it happens she really had not settled on one just yet. How embarrassing! "... Charta." She reaches into a pocket and draws out a piece of paper. As she presents it, the formless blob of ink on it weaves itself into an elegant script. It is her heroic name, of course. Thank goodness she can do that or this would be even more embarrassing!

Damian Wayne has posed:
That's why Oriole's here. She's the friendly one! But, for what it's worth, if Rook was worried about her being a threat, he'd probably never shown - and would most likely already be on the attack. "Need to work on the secret identity thing a bit." he offers to her dryly, brows rising as she moves into an awkward curtsey.

"Place has been condemned for years. Not sure you can do anything to it that wasn't done during the tidal wave, the closing of the island, and who knows how many attacks."

A pause. He's doing this all wrong. Which is progress, because normally, he'd not notice that he was being a bit of a jerk. "You should be careful here, though. More than one villain has decided that this is the perfect location for a secret lair. Which is why it's monitored." he explains.

He watches the young woman as she goes through her tricks and he gets an even more curious look. "...is your costume made out of the same ink you just used?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Charta. An excellent choice." Oriole replies and gives a small smile. "I generally find, when lacking the appropriate wear, that a bow suffices in all manners, but you don't need to curtsey or bow to us." she points out, "We're just vigilantes."

    She takes a moment. "Wandsworth isn't a bad area. I've eaten at a couple of pubs in the area while I was on business to London. Ended up staying in an Air B&B flat in the Toast Racks." she states thoughtfully. "Very pricy area of town, but I had my reasons to be there."

    SOmeone needed a flat exorcised. Horrible business. All she could smell was sea water for two days. She looks over to Rook, and then she gives a nod. "I was curious to the same. Your abilities seem beyond the normal metahuman set."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta nods thoughtfully. She is clearly accepting the feedback. She would take notes, but mental ones will have to do. Fortunately she has a remarkable memory for instruction. She is regularly lectured.
    "Oh, and thank you! I rather like the name. And I will try to be careful of the worse elements. I had taken a walk around to make sure no one was around, which is clearly inadequate. I will need to learn to look up in the future." Even if she had, she doubts she would have noticed them before they saw her.

    The question about her suit draws a tilt of her head. "That would be wonderful, really, but it is just a suit." She offers her arm to Rook for inspection. "It is very well made and it can keep me safe from the little things I tend to run into. Mostly it is excellent for avoiding notice."

    She finds herself looking between the two, doing her best to keep up. "Oh, and while I agree about Wandsworth, I must disagree about the manners. I most certainly should show respect to my hosts. I am the outsider. Besides, I always find that demonstrating good manners has kept me from offending when I otherwise might have." She loses herself in thought for just a moment. Something about that tickled a memory.

    "Apologies, I was trying to place something, but it just is not fitting into its proper spot yet." A pause as she considers, "So are you two... friends?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
Sorry Clara, you don't get to know that secret.

"We work together under the supervision of Batman." Rook explains as he straightens up, not quite to his full height. The slouch helps him move faster in case of danger.

With Charta offering an inspection of her costume, he does step a little closer to the young woman. It's clearly expertly made. She either comes from money, or has a sponsor or backer that does.

Oriole totally seems to have the interaction well in hand though. And it's magic, so that is totally her area and it allows Rook to kinda stay abreast of the conversation, without having to actively make said conversation.

"Noone's offended. Like I said, just a sensor went off, and new players in the city would have gotten you a visit eventually. Just be glad it wasn't Red Hood. He's grumpy." More grumpy than Rook.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Technically we're criminals, vigilantism is illegal in Gotham. We're just so good at it that they let us keep going." Oriole adds on, and then she gives a soft sound at the idea of Red Hood being the first on-site.

    Working together under supervision of Batman is the best and simplest way to put it. Accidental adopted siblings out of concern for Red Robin's mental health would be more realistic, but Oriole gives a small smile. "We're hardly hosts. We just patrol the area and make sure all is well. We also give warning to people who operate in Gotham though, that the Bats in general... don't like competition." she admits with a slight wince to her voice. "So practicing your powers in Gotham is just fine. You don't want to have The Batman come up on you though and ask you to leave."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    The explanation from Rook is helpful. And evasive. Charta will not pry at that, however. He seems very much to the point. Which is, admittedly, not terribly fun from her perspective.

    "Oh, but I have a tendency to gravitate to the grumpy ones! And hopefully make them smile. Or at least cure their boredom. It is the loquacious that I tend to struggle with." She has a playful streak in her awkward. "Rook, are you also a grumpy one? Your voice makes me feel nervous."

    Perhaps she is getting too comfortable, considering things.

    Then she gets the update from Phoebe on operating and competition. "I do not really see you as criminals. That ultimately is a police matter, however, and I try to avoid those situations."

    But then the topic turns to Batman, she must admit, "That is troubling. Well, I hope not to earn such a response from Batman. You must understand, however, that I also have my work as well. I do not think we precisely overlap, but we might meet again." It seems they are all grumpy now! What is a girl to do?

Damian Wayne has posed:
"Tt." Rook responds, not really sure exactly /how/ to react. Was she flirting? Or insulting him? Oriole may actually sense the confusion from her younger sibling as he grumps. "That is because the justice system of Gotham is woefully inadequate and does not understand it's job." Focus on that, it's easier to complain than to accept a would-be complement.

"The best way to avoid his ire is to share as much information as you can about yourself and whom you work for." See, she just has to be transparent about everything!

Meanwhile, they'll be as clear as mud.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Oriole glances over to Rook, her eyes unreadable beneath her lenses, but she does pick up on the confusion.

    "Unfortunately we're all rather a little grumpy by natural disposition." she explains gently, but she gives an upnod of agreement about needing more information.

    "I don't think you understand. If The Batman wants you out of Gotham, you leave. It's not a discussion of work to do; even if one of us is told to stop, we stop."

    Usually, anyway.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta is most certainly not insulting him! Her insults are vastly more impressive. However, she does have a way of puttings things.

    "To clarify, then, you are asking me to risk all the secrets of my organization to get approval to operate in Gotham by a group who professes to be criminals?" Her tone is not mocking. There's no sarcasm to be found. She is simply (and most drily) stating the facts as presented.

    "While I share your dim view of how society approachess the idea of law and justice, I do my best to find things to approve of. It helps me avoid the cynicism that would so easily come in the face of my daunting task. And that, I can share. It is my obligation and privilege to defend the history of humanity itself. When I do my job properly, the names of great men and women are kept alive and their contributions to society remain safe for generations to come. Perhaps it shall fall to me to ensure that some writing or art work that you have created lives on."

    She is proud of her purpose. But rather strikingly not proud of herself. "But then, it takes more than a grand mission to be worthwhile, and honestly, I have much yet to learn." She does not say it, but in that little intro, she has shared nearly every salient fact about the Conservatory that she knows.

    "I mean no disrespect. But if I am asked to die for my purpose, I will. But I will not harm you, nor others of good purpose who try to stop me." Which would admittedly make her rather easy to defeat. She is not good at this.

Damian Wayne has posed:
She's monologuing. Why is she monologuing? Villians are the ones that usually monologue! Rook draws in a breath to take it all in and glances aside to Oriole. <<You should introduce her to Red Robin.>> he comments dryly to Oriole in Arabic. <<She'd probably fit in with his merry little band. Not sure about the Titans.>>

At least he's weighing the options. Taking her to Titans tower would probably start the same rumors that happened when he took Honey Badger there. Not that it bothers him terribly.

He rubs his hand over his face and just considers the options. And then, he finally speaks. "I'll see what I can do. There may be more options than just..." A shrug of his shoulders as he is puzzling over it all. "However, Oriole is right. My suggestion would be to remain out of the radar of The Batman."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <<Oh, no. Not this again.>> Phoebe sub-vocalizes to Damian. There's a brief moment where Oriole appears uncomfortable as she regards her brother, and she visibly reaches up to scritch at the back of her neck through her hood.

    <<Well, that's up to Red Robin. We already had an issue the last few weeks with someone flipping the bird to authority though. Also how sure are you that she doesn't speak Arabic?>>

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta just looks between the two, who are saying nothing to her and speaking in another language. There are few ways to make Charta upset. Being rude, however, is a sure fire way achieve it.

    "You know, if you need to speak about someone privately, you could be more direct. It is most impolite to speak like this in front of me. Have I not been very direct with you?" She is generally not given to anger. It is an ugly emotion. It causes irrational behavior and so very rarely is wielded effectively.

    Rook speaking to her in English does quell some of that. Slightly. "I appreciate you trying to find a way to prevent needless disagreements. Truly I do. However, you work with Batman. Is it not dishonorable of you to hide me from him now that we have met? Would it not be better for me to understand his requirements and strive to meet them? I believe my own actions might help you and at least not interfere."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Rook gives a little wince at the scolding and he blows out a breath that comes out as a 'Tt' of exasperation. "If you would rather me speak to you directly, fine." the young man grouses out. "We are trying to figure out the best way to handle this situation. Becuase yes, I will be informing the others of your presence." he comments dryly.

"As for to handle things from here, as I said, if you cause no trouble, you will find not issue. However, there is a group that I am involved in that you might wish to speak with." he continues. "I am on the leadership council of the Titans, and could introduce you to Troia and Caitlin."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    There's a soft scoff sound from Oriole when the Titans get mentioned. "They have a tower, resources and training. And every once in a while they even throw pizza parties." Oriole states, though even her vocorder can't hide the little bit of something in her voice. Might even be hurt. She breathes out and gives a small shrug of her shoulders.

    "His requirements are 'don't work in Gotham'. It's dangerous. The rogues here do not care how many bystanders are hurt, and that's if you're very lucky, they won't be aiming for as much collateral damage as possible while not trying to hide their giggles. You Will Get Hurt. Possibly even killed working in Gotham City. And that's the same for the Kwik-Mart register clerk or Batman himself." Phoebe states very sternly. "Join the Titans and get training from them. That's probably the best route." she agrees with Rook.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta seems rather confused by at least part of this. At first she is nodding in agreement, though.

    "That is understandable. You certainly may do so. You do not have to conceal that from me. If you have secrets, you can certainly ask me to wait while you discuss things a ways away. I should warn you, though, that if I do not get back by midnight I will be in far more trouble than having Batman upset with me."

    Sure, Batman will probably growl, be mean, or even hurt her, but her governess knows her. More importantly, Charta would feel horrible if she broke a promise to her governess. A broken bone or two would be preferable to that!

    Now the confusion, part...

    "The Titans? They are superheroes." Charta explains, "I am not a superhero. I am just a woman doing her job. I would be rather bad at what you do, Rook. Fighting is not what I'm after. You are braver than I am. Besides, why would I go to them? You are right here."

    And then Oriole agrees with him, it seems. Charta sighs. This is not going nearly as well as she hoped. Even the good kids in Gotham seem a bit unfriendly! "I think I need to take this back to my organization for guidance. I am not permitted to make any commitments of this nature on my own." She clearly doubts that they will waver on account of her safety.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Because your powers are magical, and we don't deal in magic." Oriole states plainly. "And using magic tends to attract bigger and meaner bad guy types." she draws herself to her full height. "If you choose not to listen, that's on you Charta. We will still be around to pick up the pages that flutter out, but we're not here to babysit people. You have had your warning." Oriole states, in a voice that doesn't sound friendly, but is more 'stern' than mean.

    And she looks to Rook. "We have enough to compile a report." she state in English, as not to be rude.

Damian Wayne has posed:
"This is going nowhere." Rook gives a growl of frustration. "If you want to go solo, then as Oriole said and as someone said to me on the Titans once... do stupid things, win stupid prizes." He looks to Oriole. Did he do that right?

"If you change your mind..." Rook considers. "Show up at Titans Tower. They know how to get a hold of me." With that, he pulls out his grapple and fires a line. It yanks him up into the sky and away from the amusement park.

That... could have gone a lot better.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Oriole gives a small nod to Rook. He did it right.

    She does pause, and more gently adds: "Be careful out there, Charta."

    And then like Rook, she fires a grapple, and makes to follow the 'little brother'.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Charta feels rather helpless to meet their expectations. Rook's comment in particular hurts. It honestly hurts far more than it should, considering things.

    With a soft ruffling of paper, the form of that beast she made earlier returns. It is just a puppet, but it turns as if to look at Charta.

    "This is.. most unbecoming and childish," she says to it. "What precisely did I expect? And putting on airs like that. Naming myself Charta of all things" For the first time, there is a touch of spite in her voice. "Have I already taken my first misstep? Do you think they hate me?"

    Practice is forgotten, and soon she will return to her apartment, feeling rather defeated.

    It could have gone so much better, though she cannot see how.