6404/The Art of the Lasso

The Art of the Lasso
Date of Scene:	01 June 2021
Location:	Courtyard and Arena
Synopsis:	Donna does lasso training at the Themysciran Arts Center. Cassie turns this fact into a ploy to convince Diana to agree to embark on a noble quest for Big Gay Ice Creams.
Cast of Characters:	Donna Troy, Diana Prince, Cassie Sandsmark

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Donna Troy has posed:
    Finally, everything is pretty much ready. In reality work has gone fast on constructing the Themysciran Arts Center really, but to those involved it feels like it has been an age. Now though, the building work is complete, the exhibits filled, and the cadre of Amazons staying in Man's World has grown as a few more Themyscirans join Galatea and Adrastea on Diana's permanent staff to help run the place. The center is due to open in just a couple more weeks, and although there are still a few details to knock in place, people are starting to relax.

    Among the Amazons who have made the trip to Man's World to help spread knowledge of the Themysciran fighting arts is Asterope, one of Philippus' most trusted captains. Notable amongst Asterope's skills is that she is very talented with the lasso.

    To the outside world, the lasso has become synonymous with Themysciran combat techniques. Diana had made it iconic, and when Cassie and the returning Troia started fighting with their own lassos, it became established in the public mind that Amazons fight with lassos. It's actually a rather rare skill and not too many Amazons specialize in it. Hippolyta is, of course, the great Amazon lassoist, and responsible for her daughters, born or adopted, being initiated in the art.

    The upshot of all this is that it's not that easy to get really good lasso practise in, simply because there aren't a lot of people to practise with. The arrival of Asterope in Man's World will be a blessing for Cassie, Diana and Donna, who generally have only been able to train with each other.

    It's inevitable that Donna would take the opportunity to avail herself of Asterope's skills as soon as practical, because she's Donna. Thus it is that while the Amazons, and a number of American workers, are casually going about finalizing arrangements for the opening, the arena rings out with the calls of Asterope and Donna as they circle each other on the sandy floor, lassos curving sinuously in the air accompanied by good-natured taunts as each tries to encourage the other into some over-bold move.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana was very pleased to have even more of their Sister's here in the mortal world. It made her seem all the more happy on a day ot day basis to see more of her loved ones here with them in the little niche that they've been cutting out for themselves as a people in New York.

Truth be told, Diana's been in talks for setting up a Consulate in Europe too, but those are plans much further down the line from now.

In the now, the Princess was overseeing some of the final arrangements and finds herself walking in from the courtyard area to watch the two competing with one another. She's wearing a long sleeved blue sweater that is tight to her body and has a slit up the front of her chest and the back of her spine, revealing a bit of skin. The top is tucked in to a pair fo loose fit black slacks and her hair is tied back in a ponytail that is loose behind her shoulders.

She pauses near the archway entrance and smiles at Asterope and Donna's displays. The lasso had been her favorite weapon, though she'd never really classified it as such, it was more a hobby that turned in to a weapon after leaving Themyscira. Seeing it evolve in to something others were taking seriously as a weapon now, was very amusing to the Princess

She keeps her eyes on them as an assistant approaches her to ask her a few questions, but Diana's focus remains on the two in the arena.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
Of course, Cassie had her own suggestions for ways of bringing in extra lasso talent and broadening the degree of cultural outreach and appeal: "Invite some cowboys!"

...

No, this was, in fact, a totally serious suggestion on her part, that among the many various sorts of events, guests, and programs they'd no doubt be putting on, that they invite some "top Rodeo talent." Exactly who counts as "top Rodeo talent" proves to be a mystery to Cassie, but one she assures them google will solve! But it was an argument she made rather seriously, despite the strangeness of it. "That part of the country is probably some of the... well, sorts who might not entirely trust our mission, or take us seriously, or however you want to put it. But I'm sure you could get some performers and competitive types to show up, cuz they basically always want to show off, and maybe it would help 'sell' our deal to their audience, you know?"

It's been an ongoing conversation when she visits, let's just put it that way.

Speaking of which, Cassie has certainly been taking advantage of the fact that her classes are finally done, her exams passed with various colors, flying and otherwise, and she is "free, bitches!" Again, to quote. And freedom means a variety of things for Cassie, taking advantage of having one less huge thing demanding time of her very hectic schedule. And while a lot of this free time is happily put toward exciting summer activities, presumably at least some goes to more meaningful things, like extra monitor room shifts at Titans Tower and, naturally, more Amazon training! (The fact that this doubles as 'beach readiness' training is just a bonus.)

Today it's not even something one has to presume or wonder, because she is here, in her usual modern workout duds. The lasso arena wasn't Cassie's original destination, but she's since wandered over after hearing that Donna and Diana were here. With a towel around her neck, she's already a little sweaty like she's been at it, and comes to stand beside Di while observing Donna and her partner. "I say she gets Donna. We can bet ice cream."

Donna Troy has posed:
    When it comes to lassoing villains, it tends to be a fairly quick thing. People generally aren't very good at knowing how to react to being lassoed, and if Diana, Donna or Cassie get in range and in position for a good throw, the chances are high that their target is going to end up lassoed. Two Amazon lassoists competing is really a very different activity.

    The battle between Asterope and Donna is graceful, and very fast. In some ways it looks more like an elaborate dance than a battle. The pair leap and gyrate to avoid each other's ropes, bodies twisting to dodge and strike at the same time. The ropes arc and curve, sudden shifts in the hand's momentum sending ripples that change the direction of the tip one way, while the held end of the rope is already swinging another.

     There's a considerable art in understanding the way space is being used in a battle such as this; not just being aware of the position of the opponent's rope now, but understanding where it will be. Not just of how one's opponent must move their body to avoid your attack, but how you must use yours to both avoid their next attack and be in position to redeploy your own lasso a moment later.

    Asterope is the better lassoist; that's no surprise, as she's been training with the lasso for a very long time, and it becomes clear quite a short way into the battle. Donna, however, is faster. She rarely takes too much of an advantage of her speed when sparring with other Amazons, but with the lasso it's almost a necessity especially against an opponent as talented as Asterope is. Asterope's lasso is dominating the space, but time and time again Donna slips under its path in a low sliding crouch that Diana will remember having taught Donna herself, or she leaps over it to make her own attacks from high, and drive Asterope back again.

    It's not looking all that good for Cassie's bet, but on the other hand, Donna's having trouble beating Asterope's anticipation of her attacks. It could be a long battle.

    Donna's really /good/ at dodging. Sparring with Diana has ensured that. But it looks like Donna is making her normal mistake. Whether with a lasso, a sword, or on the /petteia/ board, she tends to be over-aggressive with her attacks. Hippolyta, Philippus and Diana have warned her about this many times. It's not that she isn't aware, it's just that her instincts in combat are aggressive. She doesn't always seem to realize she's doing it. Frustration is beginning to show on Asterope's face, and if Donna were to fight less aggressively and play to her defensive advantage more, Asterope might be increasingly tempted into making a rash attack that Donna could take advantage of.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's expression on her sculptured features are kind of intense and focused on the fight, like she's taking it very seriously for some reason. At least until Cassie shows up and garners the Princess' attention. She hears Cassie, she looks over at her, smiles softly, looks back to Donna and Aster, then looks back to Cassie to release a soft and amused laugh. "Oh stop." Diana says to the other, playfully.

Her eyes go back to Donna and she waits a moment before she speaks up again. "Asterope is waiting for Donna to make a mistake." The Princess says softly. "She's lulling her in to a pattern, or trying to..."

Diana nods at something she sees Donna doing, then inahels deeply as she sees Aster's response. "She is one of our best lasso trainers, so to have her here now is... invaluable."

Diana looks back over to Cassie then. "It should really help draw in more interested onlookers too. And not just because they might be competing against 'cowboys'." Yes, she's well aware of Cassie's suggestion, and she's signed off on it. Making the events here both educational about Themyscira, and fun for the audience is very important.

Diana notes the towel on Cassie's shoulders. "What have you been up to today?" She asks of the young blond Amazon as her eyes go back to Aster and Donna.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"Hahaha, c'moooooon. It's just for ice cream! What's the harm in making it interesting?" One might imagine that even in a loss, Cassie would be pretty happy roping (lasso pun day!) Diana into a date out for a sweet treat, regardless of who was paying. She can be a tricksy one, sometimes... Then she shouts with excitement at a particular exchange of near-ropings between the pair. "Ooh, close!"

Then she turns her head from briefly from her intense scrutiny of the match to grin at Diana. "But see? It's more exciting if you've got someone to root for, y'know? That's why people show up to watch any kind of sports thing. Or go to sports bars. Or riot and burn down Philadelphia. You know! It's -team spirit-!" There is no doubt that in her long time among them, Diana has had plenty of time to learn about human sporting passtimes, yet Cassie still has more of that cultural penchant for rabid fandom.

And still, it's all in fun, and as she looks back toward the match, she nods along with Diana, grinning with a bit of encouragement that her idea has found purchase. "I'm sure it'll draw some crowds! New Yorkers don't have cowboys showing up to rope things that often anyway, so there's novelty already, and then throw in some Amazon Warriors... you'll sell out fast!" Do they even sell tickets? Not the point!

Finally, she arches her back somewhat and flexes back with her shoulders as if the question about what she's been up to reminds her of how sore her previous excercise has left her. "Oh just doing basics, you know, some cardio and resistance stuff." Which nonetheless might look pretty intense with whatever training regimens and equipment they have HERE. "Gotta look good for the beach!" It is a somewhat comical notion, although it's hard to tell if she's actually being serious or lampooning her own culture in that particular moment. Obviously she doesn't really NEED to do anything and would be perfectly beach-presentable as-is!

Donna Troy has posed:
    It's a wonder that Cassie would rely on the training facilities here rather than the truly impressive gym that Titans Tower boasts, but it's less of a wonder when you know Wonder Woman is here. How else do you trick her into a trip for ice cream, unless you are where she is? And as for the question of who's going to pay, it looks like that's about to be settled...

    Asterope leaps nimbly to the side to avoid one of Donna's high leaping attacks, spins, and plants her feet. Her lasso lashes out towards where Donna is about to land, and Donna is forced to duck. Asterope had aimed high, but it would take an expert eye to spot that. The range was just a little too long not get a strong grip, but aiming a little high helped force Donna into a rushed landing. Asterope whips the rope back quickly; the blow had never been intended to land.

    She brings the rope back around in a rapid arc, arm raised high to bring the end of the lasso down. Already on her heels, Donna is forced to fall backwards under the rope to avoid it, but again Asterope pulls back early, bringing the rope away from the contact it seemed to be aimed for as she uses the fraction of a second earned to ready the next lash.

    It takes less of an expert eye to know what is coming next, the low sweep. Falling backwards, Donna won't be able to leap it. It's the obvious move, and it shoud be the winning move. But something's wrong with that theory, and perhaps only Diana's eye is expert enough to spot it as it's happening. Donna isn't falling back, she's /springing/ back.

     There's a bunching of the muscles in her legs that starts before that second whip of the lasso had been aimed; she had anticipated the move. When the rope moves back from that second whip, Donna's feet are off the ground, while her free hand is stretching out to meet it. By the time the rope starts on the course of that low sweep, Donna is half way through her backspring, balanced on one hand and bringing her own lasso around as she drops flat.

    Asterope's lasso whistles over Donna's prone form. Donna's lasso tangles Asterope's legs. Donna yanks, and Asterope stumbles. Donna leaps forwards into a kneeling crouch, and as the other woman spreads her arms to steady herself, Donna flicks the end of her lasso up to hook and arm, and bring her down.

    "Cheat!" Asterope calls out with an amused laugh. "I never taught you that! Is that one of Diana's tricks?"

    Donna offers her a hand up, also laughing. "You'll have to ask her that yourself!" she replies. The two combatants separate, salute each other with clashing bracers, then turn to their audience to repeat the salute.

    "You trained your little sister well, Princess!" Asterope calls out.

Diana Prince has posed:
As Cassie speaks, Diana's assistant approaches her to get her to sign a few morew things on a tablet offered to the Princess. A few more orders for the grand opening gala. "Mmmhmm>' The Princess distractedly says to Cassie before she hands the tablet computer back. She looks up to Cassie and smiles at her, she heard her, even if she may get questioned about it.

"What if I am rooting for both of them?" She asks the youngest Amazon in return. Her eyes dance back to the spar and she's witnessing the final moments of it. It causes her to slowly smile at the results and she softly shakes her head. "Dramatic." The Princess softly says before she offers some applause along with the onlookers who got to witness this duel prior to the place even being open to the public.

"Did I win?" Diana asks, looking back to Cassie. "I won, didn't I?" She grins playfully. "I would like... strawberry ice cream please. Ooo! With a banana. Yes. Banana..." She grins to Cassie then before she looks toward Donna and Aster as they approach.

"Tricks?" Diana asks their sister. "They are not tricks, they are well refined skills" She offers Asterope a laugh before she looks to Donna... Diana reaches out to put a hand on Donna's left elbow. "You caught what you were doing, didn't you?" She asks, her smile growing in to a grin for her sister as well. "Very well done. You adpated and changed."

Her eyes go in to the arena, the miniature version of their grand arena back home. "How do you like practicing here?" She asks then of, well, both of the combatants.

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
CASSIE CAN WORK OUT IN TWO PLACES OK?

And she does! But it's true that her coming here has to do with other factors than strictly what the facilities offer: Diana is here, or at least was going to be here today. And the other Amazons provide company she enjoys, with a different vibe than the Titans-brand of whackiness. There's also the fact that if she's in New York, it's a touch more convenient than going out to Metropolis, even if, technically, she can do so very quickly! There is also the less totally pleasant but equally valid reason that she has something of a part-time job here, under the supervision of none other than the elder Sandsmark, who handles quite a bit of the day-to-day business of setting up the place so that Diana doesn't have to. Even if she's not always fond of her daughter's heroing, she certainly respects Diana's, and how valuable her time is.

So there are lots of reasons for a Cassie!

"Nooooo, you gotta pick a side, Di. People who just say 'I want everyone to have a good time and try their best'" -which is very much the kind of thing Diana would say- "are suuuuuper lame and no fun when you're watching something like that. You gotta have a team, so that when they score, you can get up and do a victory dance to assert dominance over anyone rooting for the other team, see?" None of this sounds particularly noble, yet Cassie frames it as a very important element of local cultural etiquette.

And then, as if to demonstrate this and with rather convenient timing, Asterope falls and Cassie flings up her hands to the sides of her head, clutching her hair like she's about to pull it out. "Nooooo!" Then she looks over and grins. "See? Like that. And then maybe you throw an 'in yo face!' at me. Cuz yeah, looks like Donna got it, haha. Guess I owe you an ice cream." Oh no! The horror! Whatever will she do but take Diana out for delicious treats?!

Now she looks toward the arena and the former combatants with a grin. "The Pats get away with worse, so I think it's legal." She really hammers in that she speaks a different language than these people, in more ways than one!

Donna Troy has posed:
    Asterope gives her answer in the form of a wide grin and a nod. The new Amazons had a serious case of culture shock to overcome on arriving in America, but one of the unforseen advantages to the replica arena is that it feels so much like home.

    "It's great," Donna answers, equally enthusiastic. "I made a replica of the arena for the Danger Room at the Tower a few years ago, but I couldn't tell the other Titans it was a real place obviously. Caitlin was very amused when she first saw the real thing. I'd bet that I'll get the same reaction from one or two of the old guard when they get to see this place.

    Donna puts her hand briefly onto the back of Diana's, and gives a musical laugh. "Yes sister, I know. Too aggressive. Always on the attack, not thinking things through. I can hear mother's words in my head right now. But you know, I do believe that I have you all well trained into believing I'm always too aggressive and always on the attack now, and can start to take advantage of your assumptions."




    Donna gives Diana a little wink, but there is an element of truth in her words. She's still over-aggressive, but she's learning she is and she's getting better at countering it when she realizes. A few times just lately she has taken to continuing her over-aggressive stance just a little longer to fool her opponent into not knowing she's started to think further ahead, and a few times it has paid off. She almost beat Hippolyta at /petteia/ during the last trip home.

    "As for you, Cassie..." Donna 'hmph's dramatically and tosses her head. "Imagine rooting against me. I feel betrayed. After all I have done for you, I am shocked." Just to prove her status as no longer being the baby of the Amazons and someone who should be taken seriously as an adult, she sticks her tongue out at Cassie.

Diana Prince has posed:
Yes, watching the new Amazons always look up in to the sky when a jet or helicopter passes over the area has been a renewed amusement for everyone, especially the likes of Gala and Adra who have gotten used to that sort of thing now.

Diana sends a look from Donna to Cassie, who gets a long drawn-out nod. "I have to agree. I think you owe Donna ice cream now, rather than me." She says with another growing grin upon hre red painted lips. She glances to Donna, and then back to Cassie. "Perhaps that lovely shop we went to the day that dear Donna came back tous from her adventure in the far beyond." The BIG GAY ICE CREAM STORE.

Asterope is quick to ask about the ice cream store and Diana smiles to her and offers a moment of explanation, including. "We will go there ourselves."

Another smile is offered to Donna as the Princess drops her hand back to her side. "Well, it is coming along nicely and I am glad it's being well recieved." She looks up at the arena... still large, even if it is a smaller version of the real one. "I was worried it might be a bit much... perhaps it is. Still, I want the Queen to see it and feel connected to this place some. Let alone the rest of us."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"No one else would! I was hoping it would stir Di up to cheer you on or something, but she doesn't exactly have the proper TEAM SPIRIT," Cassie explains to Donna, as if this is all some terribly important cultural experiment and not just her being a goof. So there is more dramatic sighing at the the whole thing, before she has to whirl back on Diana.

"That's not how bets work!" she then objects, a bit more strennuously, since it seems like Diana is trying to wriggle out of things. Nevermind that HER way is also not how bets work, in that you're able to use them to make people do things for you! "But maybe we could all go?" Since Asterope is curious, too! "It's really great," she tacks on to Diana's explanation, albeit with the caveat: "Even if the names of the food sound kind of shady."

Salty pimps for all!

"I think it's great," Cassie continues, pivoting to talk of the arena, with her hands placed as her hips as she looks about, as if surveying it. "Go big or go home, y'know? Plus it means we can put on some cool events. Like the Rodeo!"

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Cassie is right Diana," Donna says, her face a mask of seriousness. "Asterope cannot be excluded from the ice cream expedition, it would be a cruelty, especially now we have made her curious about it."

    "I was already curious," Asterope interjects. "When Diana first returned to Themyscira she told us all about ice cream, and I have been curious about it since. She asked Psala to try making it, but her description was vague, and you know what a disaster Diana is when she's allowed near food preparation. Psala did her best, but it was not right. Diana said it was much better in America, so now I am eager to try."

    "So you see, sister. This is how it will be in the future, this sharing of the cultures. We will bring them our arts and our fighting techniques, they will supply us with ice creams and rodeos. How about the four of us /all/ go?" Donna flashes Cassie a grin. It seems Donna is on the same ice-cream wavelength as Cassie.

    "No wriggling out of it Diana," Donna tells her sister with narrowed eyes. "Cassie owes you, and you owe Asterope." She breaks into a wide smile. "But I don't mind paying for all of you."

Diana Prince has posed:
The Princess wears a soft smile at the three of them around her, the look on Aster's fac eis priceless... watching her try to keep up with the conversation at-hand here. "Of course we'll all go." She says then with a little laugh.

"I mean, we have an entire freezer filled with ice cream here... but...." The Princess starts to turn and direct herself back toward the courtyard, but she pauses when her assistant approaches again. "Mm, more to sign, Gretta?" She asks with a grin to the flustered looking woman who hands the tablet over. "I'm afraid so." She replies to the Princess, smiling to the others then.

As Diana signs she speaks furhter. "You all go get cleaned up and meet me in the lobby?" She asks. "May as well see if the other swish to go too, I believe they are in the bath house overseeing the final touches there."

Bath house? Spare no expense!

Diana hands the computer back once more to Gretta who looks it over and turns to walk off again muttering about everything else she needs to do today. "I am excited, this place is finally almost ready." She says with a smile over to her sisters then. "Lets go."

Cassie Sandsmark has posed:
"The stuff she keeps around here or at the embassy is definitely no where near as good," Cassie asides to Asterope, on the off chance she might be tempted by Diana's attempted DISTRACTION of ice cream available closer to home. The easy road, if you will, rather than the grand quest. Hardly the Amazon way. "If you're going to try it for the first time, you should definitely go for the absolute best. And this place is top notch, and also hilarious." Again, due to the salty pimps, one might imagine.

So she's definitely down for Donna's plan. Off to the biggest and gayest of the ice cream!

With the provision: "Hey, fair's fair, I lost so I gotta treat her!" Cassie Sandsmark does not welch on her casually made, not-actually agreed-to bets! A punishment for wagering against the might of Troy! She also does not specify that Donna still can't buy HERS, which will at least keep the outing fiscally neutral for the less fantastically rich member of their assembly. Well, maybe she's not even technically the poorest since who knows if Asterope even has local currency yet!

"OK then, let's get this show on the road." With the decision made, she reaches to pull the towel from around her neck, then pauses, lifts up her arm and sniffs, and frowns. "Ok, shower first, and change, and then we get this show on the road!"