9630/Cats Catching Up

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Cats Catching Up
Date of Scene: 14 January 2022
Location: Avengers Mansion - Training Facility
Synopsis: T'Challa encounters Greer in the Avengers training facility and attempts to help with a few insecurities of hers.
Cast of Characters: T'Challa, Greer Grant




T'Challa has posed:
Some know this, and some aren't as aware, but the Avengers Mansion has a full training facility built into its layout, where any member of the team can make use of weights, treadmills, a complete gymnasium with a focus on acrobatics or otherwise, and when enough people are around, pick-up games of basketball can be had. It also allows for a more technological way of training, if desired.

Today, after meeting with some of the team, T'Challa has chosen to make use of the setup, planning to go through a gymnastics set and work up a bit of an ache before mealtime. Rather than simply coming down in basic gymnast attire, or a tank top and shorts, it's the full costume today. Fighting in it may be second nature, but repetition makes the difficult seem natural later on.

Entering, he finds he is not the only one who had a workout in mind.

Greer Grant has posed:
Tigra hates exercise, not because it's hard but because it goes against her increasingly predatory instincts. You don't train yourself by pretending; you train yourself by doing. Flipping around the uneven bars or whatever is a waste of time because only hunting and fighting train you to hunt and fight, at least according to the inarticulate but inarguable voice in her head.

Weight lifting is fine, though. It does build some strength, at least unless her strength has some magical cap to it, which she's not totally sure it doesn't. Whatever. Not important.

That's why Tigra is standing under a metal yoke attached to a multi-ton weight machine, straining to go from a squat to a press with an eight-ton weight working against her.

T'Challa has posed:
The Black Panther carries a way about him that underlines his regal nature, yet he moves with a languid, natural grace that underlines the feline Wakandan royalty take inspiration from. He may not /be/ a cat, but certain mannerisms fit.

The man centers his attention on the weights that are set up, the person making use of them, and it is a reminder that for some here, they need much more than the basics in order to put themselves through a test.

The gymnastics take a back seat for the moment, his path shifting to approach her instead. "Hello, Greer. To state the obvious, I see I am not the only one here for exercise. You have been well? Certain duties have left me with occasionally less time around here than I would prefer." The mask hides all expression, but the tone is cordial, respectful, kindly.

Greer Grant has posed:
The effort of her exercise has Tigra making straining noises like a Simpsons character who is battling constipation as she grunts, "'m fine. What duties?" She sounds annoyed as she asks it, which she probably is. She's changed out of her usual bikini and into a sports bra and bike shorts combo that makes her look like she stole a track uniform from a local high school, and she's always snippy when she has to wear more clothes. Unfortunately, them's the rules after one particularly hard workout caused a strategically important string in her outfit to snap, and some people got all human and prudish about it, blah blah blah, so, now she's required to wear more durable textiles in the gym.

T'Challa has posed:
Black Panther begins with stretching the arms and legs, indicating intent to actually use the facilities rather than just chit-chat the whole time. He shows politeness in neither staring nor making any remarks about the sounds coming from the tiger woman. Instead, he simply answers her question.

"Meetings with my council, with others in the region and beyond, efforts to aid communities in need, trying to determine which of my sister's new inventions might be a practical joke and which are not." Here he pauses, palms up in the showing of a shrug. "The usual things. It is a pleasure to see you again, by the way."

His head tilts in the direction of a pair of rings hanging from the ceiling, and rather than doing the cat thing and batting at them, he centers himself beneath, jumps, and grabs them before drawing himself up to hold steady with them at waist level, doing an impression of a statue.

Greer Grant has posed:
Tigra's legs are straight by now, and her palms are slightly above shoulder level. Her elbows are quivering with effort if not outright exhaustion as she pushes against the yoke, but it is slowly rising. "You too," she says through her teeth; her perfectly human-looking teeth. "Doesn't your suit give you strength or something?"

That's a big topic change, but she's obviously distracted, so cut her some slack.

T'Challa has posed:
The King of Wakanda gradually lowers his position relative to the rings until he is at a low point with them above, still held in both hands. It looks like a good way to stretch certain muscles further, before he pulls himself back higher again over the span of about ten seconds.

"No. It helps protect and enhance, but my..gifts come from a different source. Bast herself has blessed each who takes the mantle of the Black Panther with abilities that are..not unlike yours, I suspect." Any pauses come from him focusing on regulating his breathing.

Greer Grant has posed:
Tigra's palms are at ear level now. She has to pause to gather her strength several times, but is at least managing not to lower her arms. She growls through her teeth at Black Panther, her cadence broken by her own heavy breathing, "Okay. Thought I saw you kick a car once. Not sure. Can't really focus on that right now."

T'Challa has posed:
Finishing his reps with the rings, Black Panther drops back to the mat below and gives himself a short period of rest. It also makes it easier to talk, and while he understands someone in the middle of lifting a few tons of weight might not be exceptionally chatty, that doesn't apply to him.

"I have tested myself up to lifting around two tons before, but there are a few tricks the suit allows. It can absorb momentum and impact, and allow me to redirect it in different ways. It is often a surprise to someone unprepared for it," he explains, striding back over with silent steps - even to enhanced hearing.

He seats himself upon a nearby bench, a barbell with a wide variety of weights stacked nearby. "Have things been well with you? I can wait until you have completed your reps."

Greer Grant has posed:
Scalp level, now. Tigra pushes slowly. "Won't be getting many reps. 'm fine. Some personal stuff." Her eyes are squeezed to slits but not quite closed, keeping Black Panther in view despite her desire to shut out the world and focus.

T'Challa has posed:
"Fair. I am not one to pry into personal matters, as long as your health and safety are not in danger," Black Panther adds, and with a subtle touch to his left wrist, the mask peels away and seems to either disappear or retract into the neckline of the suit, leaving his head free.

He says, "If you feel a change of pace is needed, I would invite you for a tour of Wakanda. Few people, Avengers or otherwise, have seen the real Wakanda, but that may be changing sooner rather than later. It is something I have been debating for some time. Of course, I would ask you to keep things you might see private in the meantime."

A hand tipped with claws at each finger lifts as he adds, "It is merely an offer, one you are under no obligation to accept."

Greer Grant has posed:
Tigra's knees bend as if to give out, but she arrests herself. Her feet spread and she pushes with her whole body, finally lifting her arms all the way, elbows straight. She then releases the weight and dives forward, rolling as if to avoid the harness smashing down on her, which of course was never a danger: the machine's hydraulics or pneumatics or whatever powers its safety features leave the harness in midair. She probably just did that for the practice. Or maybe that's Tigra's version of the zoomies, who knows. She twists as she rolls so that when she rises, she's facing Black Panther, and she offers, "Sure. I don't speak Xhosa, though, so be ready to be embarrassed by the ignorant American."

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa rises on impulse when it just looks like Tigra might have an incident with the apparatus. Yes, it is easy to forget safeguards are built in with something like that. Not so with other types of weights where a spotter is more important. So, watching her roll forward and come up out of that draws a brief half-smile.

"Have no fear. English is an officially taught language of Wakanda, though I would be happy to help you learn a few words in Xhosa. It is a very particular language, but it has a certain feel to it that I am particular to," he explains, before he leans toward one side for a better look at the weights. "Was that eight tons? I am but a weakling compared to you," he quips.

Greer Grant has posed:
Tigra scoffs and waves an irritable hand. "It's just a number. People aren't impressive because of how many zeroes they can put at the end of a thing, and they aren't deficient because their number of zeroes is lower than someone else's."

T'Challa has posed:
"You are correct, but in certain cases it is extremely valuable information to know," T'Challa remarks, glancing down at his fingers. The claws are retracted, hidden within a portion of the gloves, slightly thicker than the typical finger. "If I do not need to fight, or throw things, or do some other thing of that nature, I will gladly find a different method. When it is time to fight, it is important to know each of our capabilities."

Gesturing her way, he adds, "Of course I know many of yours already. We are similar in that way. But if I may ask, is there something that has got under your skin?" He uses that word to describe it, rather than playing on her appearance and using 'fur' instead.

Greer Grant has posed:
Tigra shrugs. "Lots of things. That's the world." She looks like she's about to leave it there, but then realizes that sounds like macho BS, so she sighs. "I just feel like a freak. I'm not human any more, and I'm not a cat person because they were all born that way. I'm the only one of me. No one gets on my shit about it except for internet incels, but being accepted isn't the same thing as being understood or sharing experiences."

T'Challa has posed:
After a look in the direction of the gymnastics mat again, T'Challa returns his focus toward his fellow Avenger and counterpart with more feline traits than his. Hers are real. "Is this a recent development for you? I had been under the impression you'd embraced who you are. There are times people question themselves, but is this more than that?"

A sense of recollection shows in his features before he gestures toward the amulet that makes up part of her attire. "I remember you sharing what you knew at the time of that, the Cat People, and being an avatar to them. It is natural to feel stuck between two sides sooner or later when such a change happens. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Greer Grant has posed:
The first questions get rolled over before Tigra can answer it, so she leaves them behind and shrugs at the third. "Dunno what there is to do." She almost smirks. "TikTok has not prepared me for this."

Whatever THAT means.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa's brows scrunch together, evidence of an attempt to follow what she's getting at. Not working, so far. "TikTok? I have heard of it. Shuri talks about it sometimes, but I do not use it. In fact, I am rarely on social media unless it is to announce something. Can you explain?"

His hands meet at his lap as he gives her his full attention. His offer to try to listen and provide assistance is genuine.

Greer Grant has posed:
"You might have to be there to get it. There's a bunch of gay stuff, trans stuff, all that kind of thing. People telling their stories in sixty seconds or less." She smiles a little. "Coming out isn't one hundred percent analogous to what I'm going through, but there are bits and pieces that resonate."

T'Challa has posed:
"You may be right," T'Challa admits. "When it comes to that sort of thing, memes, and so on, I am not exactly up on the trends. As much as the world might like to know more, I must be careful with what I allow them to see. As for you?"

He spreads his hands apart. "I am not so sheltered that I do not know about things like 'ceiling cat,' or 'grumpy cat,' or the one that looks disgusted at the food on the plate before it. But what it is that resonates with you about those stories? Is it something you are thinking of using social media to talk about?"

Greer Grant has posed:
Tigra thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. Point is, there's stuff out there that hits you when you didn't expect it because you recognize something you didn't realize was a thing to begin with."

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa only takes a few moments before he has a response, another question. "Fair. In that case, what now? What do you do about it? Is this the place you are feeling stuck?"

He is probing, and he certainly does not sound like he's trying to poke and prod, rather get to more of the root of the problem and see what Tigra might be feeling about it all. It is not a perspective he can speak from, particularly.