7874/The Man On The Flying Trapeze

The Man On The Flying Trapeze
Date of Scene:	18 September 2021
Location:	The Danger Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	A cat goes to a funambulist so he can learn to keep things in balance.
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Kurt Wagner

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Terry O'Neil has posed:
For their fist lesson, it had made sense for Terry to offer the Titans' training room (their Danger Room, so to speak), since Terry may be an ally, but taking up school resources and rooms was a faux pas he was not going to be guilty of!

So the training room was it. It had been programmed to mimic a massive jungle gym- at least, for starters. He had no idea what else Kurt might want, but it was good to be prepared with the basics, anyways. "And this is ours-" he says, stepping into the room and gesturing with a hand. "Probably not as fancy as the one you guys have, but it serves us well." He is wearing the best gear he could scrunch up for a gymnastics session: tank top and bike shorts, and protective bandages on hands and feet. The feline grins at Kurt, "This is my first official class of this type, so please be patient with me. Everything I've done has been on instinct alone."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
To be safe, it was a good idea for Kurt to visit the Titans training area rather than Terry or Vorpal going to the sublevels of Xaviers. Easier to do that now and figure out more later on with clearance and all.

He arrived in his own costume as Nightcrawler, which he explained was essentially what he also wore during his days in the circus across the pond. It fit well, ensuring a level of efficiency in motion that would lend itself well to this kind of activity.

"So you will be doing this in your cat form, ja?" he asks, tail weaving side to side briefly behind him as he stands with arms crossed. Then he gestures toward the apparatus set up around the room, adding, "Our place has a similar setup to this, but we can adjust it to be as simple or as challenging as we wish. Shall we start you with something basic, then? Und how do you want to use all of this? What did you have in mind?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I thought we could start with cat form. My human form is trained well and I've done parkour with it, but it's still human and nowhere near as flexible as I am in this," he gestures to himself. He had found the design of the uniform fascinating- being, as he always is, constantly rethinking his uniform design. The fact that Kurt had been in the circus only makes it even more interesting. The two greatest acrobats he knew, Dick and Kurt, had been trained in the circus! Of course, he couldn't confide that.

"Well, I generated a more or less randomized obstacle course. There will be some gizmos that will get in the way when the program activates, I figured you might want to test me." He grins, "But I'm down for starting with something basic." He spreads his arms, "I'm your willing clay. Mold me as you wish, my ultimate goal is to walk in your foosteps. Or tumble in your somersaults, as it were."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Encountering Nightwing could lead to interesting conversations about being an acrobat, no doubt. Both do have strong ties to that life.

"You have a unique situation, though perhaps not entirely abnormal. I know someone who can shapeshift into a more animal form, und she has had to practice things before from different perspectives. The same may be true for you, but I would expect this form to include certain feline abilities," Kurt explains, walking over toward one of the bars overhead. There are a lot of them, and rings, and even vaults one could spring from.

The blue elf adds, "I do not know about molding clay, but be careful about wishing to walk in the steps of another. You must find your own path in this. I can show you a few things, but you will have your own ways of doing this. Shall I try the room first, to warm up und let you watch?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"A chance to see you in action?" The Cheshire cat exclaims, and crosses his arms over his chest, "Please! I'd love to see it!" He glances at the control panel, but then decides against it. He wants to see a 'clean room' run without artificial obstacles, it'll let him be able to see Kurt's uninhibited, maybe even learn something from watching.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Without thinking about how it might be taken by someone he does not know well yet, Kurt's tail curls around so the spaded tip 'lifts' at Vorpal's chin. "Be careful your jaw does not hit the floor," he jokes, before slipping away to consider where and how to begin.

First, he stretches to loosen up all the necessary muscles. "Do not forget this part, hmm?" he reminds, adding a few squats and bends to further loosen up the limbs and more. "Nobody wants to tighten up or pull something in the middle of it all."

Once that's done, he chooses a pair of rings that hang from the ceiling, hopping up to grasp them with both hands before he holds himself no differently than an Olympic gymnast would. Rather than going into a routine, he swings back and forth until he's built up enough momentum, letting go to leap out at one of the high bars...which he lands atop with his feet, crouching as he sends a playful grin down toward the cat of the Titans.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal's jaw does hang open at that leap, but then he reminds himself of the spaded tail touch and he closes it with a hand, eyes wide. He was a cat, he was capable of judging some dicey leaps, but the precision -that- leap took? That was definitely training. A lot of it. And talent.

"... whoa," is the only thing he can think of after watching Kurt's body sail across the air like that. And this was just the start.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Nightcrawler's unique feet, clad in white like his hands, are able to grip the bar in an almost bird-like way, his tail dancing behind him as he notes the reaction. Showing off? Of course. He would do things daily in the circus that were intended to capture the crowd's attention, especially if he could make it look dangerous when, for him, it wasn't.

On he goes, slipping off to use his hands instead, swinging ahead to twist and flip his way through a series of uneven and parallel bars, doing so without so much as scraping a single one in error or a misplaced leap.

Then comes an apparent mistake, a hand seemingly missing its target only for his tail to wind around the bar just in time to allow him to hang from it. "That was a close one!" he claims.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I don't believe it. You did that on purpose!" Vorpal calls up from the floor below. "I can't do /that/ with my tail!" the Cheshire cat laughs, watching Kurt hanging there like a pinata. A dashing pinata, at that, with aspirations of piracy.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
From this perspective, Nightcrawler crosses his arms and puts on a look of mock disbelief. "I could have fallen und broken my neck, und you say I meant it? Ah, perhaps you have seen mein act before..."

As he lets go with that tail, he adds, "This is why I say you will need to find where your own talents lie, but I can help you with that." He drops into a forward roll, tucking his knees in against his chest, arms around them like a diver about to complete a routine, and when he comes out of it he hits a vault spot on and it carries him back toward Vorpal where he lands without so much as a bounce in any direction.

"That was just a brief demonstration. I will not expect the same from you right away, of course. Where would you like to begin?" he asks, following a deep bow.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire cat takes a quick breath. It takes a lot for his natural pride to admit that something other than /him/ is poetry in motion, but Kurt's routine definitely was it. He briefly laments that there were no circuses in Wonderland that could have given him the training earlier-- but, as the Duchess' cook used to say, that was sneezing over spilled milk.

"Well... tightening my form, I think," he says, walking towards the rings, "You can tell me everything I'm doing wrong, and how to fix it! After we work at it for a bit... we could try some of the obstacle course settings? You can see how I can improve my reaction and thinking on my feet..."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Kurt, as a showman, knows Vorpal's reaction well. It says he's still got it, and why wouldn't he? It wasn't even an exceptionally challenging effort, and that'd be something for the Titan to see.

"You are saying it is too loose, ja? Arms und legs in the wrong places, flailing rather than looking the proper ways as you swing?" he questions, to begin the process of analyzing and improving on technique.

"Why don't you begin with showing me your form on each thing?" He gestures toward the rings, then the bars of varying design. "See how well you can hold your balance und position. Und don't forget to stretch, no matter how flexible you are!"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Yessir!" the cat says, and goes through his regular stretching routine. It's a challenge sometimes, because he is tempted to curl up and nap after stretching. This time, however, he's too pumped up and in a short time, he is up on the rings.

"Right, then!"

His suspicions turn out to be right, as his movements are naturally graceful, but they luck the studied efficiency that generations of acrobats modifying technique and regiment can achieve. There is room for improvement, even if his balance is almost preternaturally good, his transitions are slapdash and probably spend more energy than they should.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Watching this, Kurt follows to a spot or two beneath Vorpal, using hands and occasionally tail to help steady things here and there.

"Not bad, but your core seems like it needs more practice, und if you continue like this, I don't know what kind of stamina you have but I could see you running low on it sooner than you should with the extra effort you are needing." None of it is said in a way meant to criticize, but rather to observe and point out things that can be improved.

"Your feline side will help you through some things, but there are ways you can lessen what will tire you out in case you need to do more for some reason," he explains.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire takes note and tries to apply corrections. Sometimes he succeeds. More often than not, muscle memory wins. "I'll make sure to practice it..." he says, trying to focus on his core more, until finally the time comes to take a breather.

Water bottles are offered, and Vorpal sips from his as he pants a little. It was intense. He glances at the blue elf, "My stamina's pretty good but... I can see what you mean. Should I try to do the bars by myself and you watch, or do we do a follow-the-leader?"

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Kurt grasps the bottle with his tail wrapped around it, sipping that way with his hands resting at his hips. He isn't winded in the least.

"Ja, these are things you can work on yourself, und if you need inspiration you can watch how gymnasts do it. It is much the same, really." He glances toward the bars again, then back at Vorpal.

"Which way do you think you would benefit from the most?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
He seems to think about it for a few seconds, taking the chance to finish his bottle.

"I'm thinking having a go myself. It'll be easier to catch my mistakes if you are watching instead of taking part... right?"

He glances over to Kurt for confirmation.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
With a gesture of the hand, Kurt beckons Vorpal to go ahead. "As you wish. I will follow from below und let you know of anything I see."

And there will be things to note, moments of telling the cat to hold where he is so he can adjust this or that, tighten up the form, and the like.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
And Vorpal does reasonably well. At first he is hesitant and checking in with Kurt as he navigates through the bars, but eventually he is moving with more confidence, taking the notes and observing them-

And then, inevitably, he becomes too cocky. The Cheshire Cat decides to give that leap, that wide-spanning leap a try. An attempt to impress teacher? Most likely! Choosing his destination, he maneuvers and soon he finds himself soaring through the intervening distance.

Clang. His feet hit the bar and his body compensates, his arms extending and his knees bending low... and it looks like he's got it! A wide grin and he exclaims "Aha! Loo-"

But he didn't take his time and the momentum eventually sends him over the edge, tumbling downwards, "-crap!"

Kurt Wagner has posed:
At which point Kurt is there to deftly catch Vorpal on the way down. "Ah, careful!" he voices, quick to set him back on his feet nearby.

"You were getting ahead of yourself before you were ready for it. It is natural at times. I have done the same, und fortunately the worst I had to suffer was a sprained ankle or wrist und no shortage of chiding." Hands stay to himself.

Then he suggests, "Let's have a break before we continue. It is not wise to push too far beyond your limits. Better to know where they are so you can poke und prod at them until you are ready to...hmm, I am not sure just where I was going with that, but I think you understand."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Being caught by Kurt, the Cheshire exhales. He would have gotten a Rabbit Hole out, but the fall had taken him by surprise, he was so sure he had gotten it!

"Alright, a quick break then... when we come back, maybe you can show me some more of your stuff? We've go the obstacle course..." he points to the control panel. "It usually has a few surprises, Hawkeye likes to keep us on our toes..."