6242/Climb to the Top

Climb to the Top
Date of Scene:	16 May 2021
Location:	Rock Wallz Gym
Synopsis:	Doreen goes rock climbing, Gwendolyn goes grappling hooking. And it all leads to a beautiful friendship! And future smoothies! I.e. Smoothies will be gotten, they don't come back from the future.
Cast of Characters:	Doreen Green, Gwendolyn Poole

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Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen Green is, perhaps, not the most avid fitness nut. At least insofar as she doesn't typically hit up the gym. Because the active life of a superheroine is enough exercise, even if her dayjob does involve a lot of computer use. She got a standing desk! It's just good sense!

But when she saw an ad for Rock Wallz on the subway, she just couldn't resist trying out their special one day trial price! It's climbing! She's -great- at climbing! And isn't a rock wall really just a tree made of stone?

And so Doreen, who is definitely not Squirrel Girl, climbing heroine with the powers of both Squirrel and Girl, is currently halfway up the intermediate wall, puffing a little... because she's been throwing herself into precarious postures now and then, so no one will suspect that she is in fact preternaturally, almost Squirrelishly good at climbing.

She's choosing not to dwell on how someone might think it's because she's a little soft, and because the back of her leggings are clinging in a way that would best be described as 'Totally ridic' to her hips and backside. Her totally normal backside.

And so she clings for now, just huffing a little, puffing a bit, and loudly exclaiming "Wow, this intermediate wall is exceptionally in the middle! I feel properly challenged!"

No one can see through this disguise. Surely. She is such a natural.

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
"Um, miss? Miss, you can't...miss, put that down..."

Gwen wanders out to the base of the climbing wall and peers up it, brushing off the worried looking attendant chasing after her. The blonde teen (With pink tips!) is dressed for the gym in a pair of tight work-out shorts, athletic shoes, and a baggy t-shirt with the sleeves cut-off. The shirt reads 'MAGNETO WAS RIGHT.' She's also carrying what appears to be a grappel launcher. "It's fine, bro. I'm a professional. Besides, I figured this'd be the best place to test it out. Just picked it up on the totally-not-black-market."

She flashes the man a lopsided grin and then presses the butt of the 'rifle' to her shoulder and aims up. Doreen and her padded rear come into her sights first, and she's a bit caught-off guard. She then adjusts her aim and pulls the trigger. The grappling hook and rope shoots past Squirrel Girl and hooks into the top of the wall.

"YES! Who's numer one? GWEN'S NUMBER ONE! You people climbing normally are suckers. What do I look like, Spider-Girl? Please. I'm way less socially awkward." She then grabs the rope and begins to make her way up the side.

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen takes the grappling hook flying past her head in stride, despite not taking any strides! "I... wait, do you guys offer grappling hooks?! Is that the premium membership they tried to sell me? You could lead with the grappling hook!!"

Doreen hufs a little, simply -stunned- she has missed out on grappling hook membership! At least until the -mysterious blonde stranger- is climbing her rope! She's so much faster than the people on the wall!

Oh no, Doreen can't lose! She climbs! It's one of her -things-!

And so she begins to spring from handhold to handhold with shocking agility, humming a little tune to herself, "Oh... that's it... it's on, mysterious stranger! Your upper middle class exercise plan will not triumph today! Skills over bills!!"

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
"Hey!" Gwen begins pulling herself, hand over hand, up the rope. She has surprising core strength! Chopping people in half with katanas takes a lot more strength then folks giver her credit for!

She huffs as she hauls herself up the rope, while the worried and confused onlookers stare from below. "Hey! Cutie with the booty! No fair! I'm cheating, so I should totally win! That's how it works!"

Up and up she goes, a bead of sweat appearing on her tanned brow. They're both almost there!

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen keeps on going, putting her own core strength to the test! Unfortunately, her own core strength is -compromised-! Because along with treating herself to checking out the gym, the whole point she was on the subway was to treat herself to French Toast! And it was cheaper than the gym and they had real maple syrup and they -warmed it up-.

It must have been some fiendish plot by an unknown villain, because she finally reaches the top just a split second after Gwen, dragging herself up onto the top platform with a gasping huff, "It's... I... trees are easier to climb! You can jump from branch to branch! Whiiiiich... I did... uhhh... as a kid! In... Canada! Yeah! I'm Canadian! We do that there!"

She peers up at Gwen with a bright, ever so noticeably slightly bucktoothed smile, "Wait, did you say I'm a cutie? I'm pretty sure that's you! You've got a -wicked- case of protagonist hair!"

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
"Canada, huh? I always knew things were weird up there." She perches on the edge of the top of the wall, letting her legs dangle. She peers down at everyone below, smirking a bit before she turns her attention fully to Doreen.

"Well, can't we both be cuties?," she asks with a lopsided grin. "Pretty sure that's allowed." She offers a hand. "I'm Gwen!"

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen sticks her hand out and grins brightly, "Well, I mean, we're both cute! The question's -who is the main character-!" She frowns thoughtfully, "Or it's a crossover and we both are, but those usually start with a fight... but... maybe climbing -is- a fight? A fight against gravity! And brunch!"

Doreen gingerly rolls over onto her back, arms stretching above her head with a dramatic huff for breath, "Oh, but I'm not really Canadian! I'm just me! I mean, I like maple syrup, so that's almost Canadian."

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
"Well, we totally competed. And I'm pretty sure I'm the main character." She says that with a good bit of confidence, winking. "But, y'know, comics these days are pretty equal and stuff. So, the leading lady could have a cute, adorably-toothed girlfriend."

Gwen shrugs non-chalantly. "Well, Canadian or not!" She leans in and pokes the other girl lightly in the tummy. "And that's not a name! What can I call you?," she asks.

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen tries to hold back from making a Pilsbury Dough Boy 'heehee' at the poke, but instead she just lets out an even cuter little snortwhine! She offers her hand up with a snicker, "Oh! I'm Doreen! And... wait, comics? No no, they write comics about super heroes! I'm just a totally normal computer technician! I do beeps and boops!"

Her brow furrows thoughtfully, "Wait, what? You need a girlfriend? Well! I mean, I bet we can find you one for sure! I mean, you've got style, and cool hair -and- a grappling hook! Like, even superheroes only usually have two of the three!"

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
She grins and shakes that hand. "Not into girls?," she asks curiously. No judgement in her tone. She turns to look out over the gym from their perch, kicking her legs a bit. "And, well, I'm a super hero. Kinda. I used to be a merc, but I'm trying harder to be a goody goody now." Well, she just straight-up admitted that, unless she's joking.

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen sputters -so- adorably that the answer's out before she can speak, her head shaking wildly, cheeks practically glowing, "Oh! I uhh.. umm... I didn't mean I couldn't... you couldn't... -we- couldn't... I mean, I totally like... I just... you're all... cute and jeeze... ah..."

Her eyebrows so so high, eyes wide like dinner plates, "Wait, you are? We're bo... uhh... I mean... I've... uhh... seen a super hero before! From... afar! Yeah!" Eyes narrow as she glances around, no one -else- is up on the wall, but still she hisses, "I don't think we're supposed to talk about this in public! It's a -private- thing!"

She clears her throat and speaks loudly, for maximum inconspicuous effect, "I think we have earned... smoothies! For our climbing! We should go, new friend! To... smoothies!"

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
Gwen grins mischeviously as she watches the other girl get all flustered. She brushes her fingers back through her hair and nods. "Sure. Smoothies. It's a date!" She winks at that and then slips over the edge of the wall.

She catches the rope and slides down it like in a movie or something, zooming down the side. She lands with a soft 'oof'. The alarmed employee hurries over. "Miss! Miss, you need to leave! My manager says you can't come back!" She sighs long-sufferingly and glances up towards Gwen. "Well, I'm gonna hang out long enough to grab a smoothie or something. Do something about it." His mouth opens and closes, and he scurries away.

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen can't resist it... she -breaks the rules-! Or at least she -also- slides down the line with a little 'wheeeee!' and a surprisingly nimble landing, before she shakes her head quickly, "Oh! No no! It's okay! We can get our smoothies somewhere else! Your wall is very nice! Really, ten out of ten! Impressively vertical!"

She sprints after Gwen and grabs her hand, hissing out, "C'mon! This is the part where the plucky heroines run away and everyone forgets about them and they hide out and get smoothies somewhere else!"

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
Gwen laughs and takes Doreen's hand in turn. She nods and hurries along with. She also turns and offers a middle-finger over her shoulder, though, with a wink to the poor employee in question. Soon enough the two are in the parking lot outside, and the blonde flashes Doreen a wide grin.

"So, what's a good place to grab some smoothies or whatever and talk all in private-like?" She tucks a locke of blonde and pink hair behind her ear, cocking her head to the side.

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen chews her lower lip thoughtfully as she slowly turns in the parking lot, "Uhhh... jeeze, that's a real good question! I mean, I've got some of those frozen smoothie pucks you blend with milk at my place! That could... wait, is that... I mean, I'm not saying like -come back- to my place or anything! It's just... you know... there's smoothies and privacy!"

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
"Ooooh, cool. That works." She keeps holding Doreen's hand as she flashes her a smile. "Do we need to take my motorcycle? Or do you live close?," she asks curiously. She glances about the parking lot and then looks back to her.

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen smiles and shakes her head, "Oh no, it's not that close! It's uhh, a little off-campus house. Well, okay, it's like, the top floor of it! But it's nice! It's kinda... loft-y? Because it's a loft. And it's near a nice little park with the friendliest squirrels! We get along great!"

She pauses for a long moment, "But... yeah! Your motorcycle! We can totally take it! I'll just point the way! It's not -that- far, but you shouldn't leave your bike in a random parking lot! Did you know New York has a shockingly high rate of vehicle theft for being so full of heroes?"

Gwendolyn Poole has posed:
"It's 'cause most heroes are busy fighting supervillains and not shutting down chopshops or crackheads. Come on!"

Gwen leads the way over to a white and pink motorcycle. It's quite the vehicle. She swings a leg over and climbs on, flashing a grin. "Hold on tight." She starts the bike and revs it a few times, bringing it to life with a roar.

Doreen Green has posed:
Doreen's nothing if not a rule-follower most of the time! Her lease says no pets, but is it -really- rule breaking if they're not pets, but valued friends? But riding a motorcycle without a helmet? That's totally rule breaking! She'll grapple with this decision later. Right now she grapples with Gwen.

Okay, she more -hangs on- to Gwen and lets out a wild shout as the bike kicks into gear and roars off. She just hopes they're an actual blur and no one notices her tail billowing out behind her.

Squirrel Girl says obey the speed limit, kids! And tune in next time, same Squirrel channel, possibly a different Squirrel time!