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Post by Bixir on Nov 4, 2023 9:02:51 GMT
The Arc was a vast and confusing place. Many of its corridors and chambers were bright dulls, shimmering with a cold design that was at odds with the welcoming atmosphere it was supposed to provide for its tenants. Too often it presented reminders of what she had run away from all those years ago. This was not the fault of the architects, or Doctor Tesla, or anyone. It was one difference - among many - that could only be accommodated over time. It had been some time. At least a year. The blank walls and pattern glass was not so different from the compound. Compounds. Recalling that time was not productive. Being here now was what mattered. Here in the arboretum. Like the other facilities of the Arc, the arboretum was a sprawling place, with not just one garden or treetop to occupy your relaxation. For Cassandra's purposes, she had settled on a clearing by a series of cascading pools. Though this too reminded her of a time best left behind, it also resembled a rare tranquility from that time. It had followed her on her journey, keeping with the tradition of what these scenes ought to impart: Peace. Tranquility. Focus. Cassandra was wearing a black crop top that covered two-thirds of her upper torso, with slim-fitting black exercise pants. Her bare feet pressed upon the grass, pausing with each step to take in the sensation of the earth. None of the Arc's fauna was artificial. It was all grown in-house, though how, or by who, Cassandra had never bothered to ask. She took a deep breath, two deep breaths... and began to stretch. For most people, Cassandra's body would appear to move like a contortionist, a gymnast, and a dancer all wrapped up into one. Olympian athletes would risk their career moving their body like this for more than a few seconds, let alone a sustained position. For Cassandra, this was a warmup. |
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 4, 2023 18:29:21 GMT
For Gwen, the Arc was incredible. Even in her own universe, she had never encountered anything like this. Okay, sure, she had only spent two years as Spiderwoman, but in that time she had fought countless villains, stopped a dozen catastrophes and saved many, many lives. On top of that, she could count on her hand the amount of secret lairs she had snuck into. Even Doc Ock's lab was half as insane as the Arc!
Gwen was trying to spend more time with the other Champions. She already felt lost, out of place and lonely. Her whole family was gone, all of her friends left behind, and only a few names in this universe who she had started to talk to. Among them, she couldn't even tell Black Canary the whole truth about where she had come from. So she was pushing herself to leave New York often, and spend more time with the group that she had been recommended into by her benefactor.
Things, she hoped, were going well.
Gwen wasn't looking for anyone in particular as she wandered the Arc, finding herself in the arboretum. She was just wandering, hoping for something to come to her. She was dressed in her Ghost-Spider outfit with her mask off and her hood down. She had one headphone in, playing some of her favourite tunes from this world. It was different than her universe, in a slight but jarring way. Slightly different bands, slightly different music. Yet, somehow, still the same version of Baby Shark.
She paused as her eyes landed on the figure before her, a good sixty or seventy feet through the trees in a clearing. Batgirl. Gwen bit her lip. Darn! Out of all of them, she struggled with the quiet, serious types. The other girl seemed to be in a state of zen training, side-on to where Gwen was approaching, silently and cautiously. She didn't know why, but it felt like even this girl would help her feel a little less lonely right now.
Gwen didn't do much to hide her approach, though she did tread lightly. If Batgirl was deep in concentration, she didn't want to upset her. She reached the treeline, feeling the noise of the water rush over her. Gwen closed her eyes for a moment, letting tension and worry escape her in this calm place. Then she opened them, and stepped forward into the clearing.
"Hey, Batsy. Fancy meeting you out here?"
Gwen cursed herself under her breath. It sounded like a cheeky pick-up line! She put a hand on her hips, staring around the clearing to try and hide the sudden redness to her cheeks.
"It's a nice little place for a bit of zen... stuff. I like the water features. Very, uh... zen."
Gwen cursed herself again. Why was this so hard?
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Post by Bixir on Nov 4, 2023 19:21:31 GMT
Cassandra went through the motions of her routine. Today was Tuesday, which focused on white tantric practices. Breath control, trance states. Though each day's practices helped Cassandra center herself, today's rituals were where she was at her most calm. A crease formed on her brow. Her thoughts refused to remain still. They drifted to home. Her other home. Her other, other... she had had many homes. Few of them had- The girl did not stop her breath exercise. From afar, the girl did not look to be breathing at all while her arms and legs slowly, sharply cut through the air. After finishing her current repetition, Cassandra lowered her feet to the ground and placed her hands at the center of her core, firmly pressed against one another in a meditative gesture. She turned to face Gwen with a posture that belied a keen awareness. She was not surprised to be joined by someone, nor that it was Ghost-Spider who had joined her. The expression on Cassandra's face, while flat, showed more interest than not. The two of them had worked together in the past, on team missions. Cassandra had not interacted with most of the team in a casual setting. A beat passed, and Cassandra folded her hands outwards to point at Gwen with her right hand, then inwards to point at herself. After this, she formed an upwards gesture with her right hand that moved to catch within her left hand. She looked at Gwen, unblinking, waiting for her response. |
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 4, 2023 19:37:02 GMT
Well, it wasn't a negative response. Gwen grinned. Batgirl sure was full of surprises. She had been expecting a different response, but perhaps that was just a latent anxiety in her mind. This was good. This was... progress? It was certainly a step up from their team missions. One-on-one exercises, and of course, Batgirl was a do-er, not a thinker. Gwen placed her hands together too, mimicking the girl. While she didn't follow sign language, she was intuitive enough to follow what the other girl was silently asking.
"Okay. I could do with switching my mind off for a bit. It seems to constantly want to go a million miles a second. Sometimes, I can't shut it off, y'know?"
Gwen took a deep breath, filling her chest with the artificial, yet seemingly so natural, air of the arboretum. It was crisp, like vegetation and vapour. She closed her eyes, stretched her arms up above her.
"It's nice to find some time to relax... I feel like if I'm not working, then I'm here, and if I'm not here, I'm at the laboratory... sometimes, I wonder what the normal seventeen year old girls out there are up to."
She brought her arms down to her side, watching Batgirl with a smile, head cocked. Then, she nodded, grinning a bit bashfully, placing her hands back together and pushing her feet apart.
"Sorry. Shutting up, and following your lead!"
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Post by Bixir on Nov 4, 2023 22:11:27 GMT
The girl smiled warmly. Gwen's gesture meant more than she realized. The effort of the thing meant more than what it was supposed to communicate. More than that, Gwen's aura reminded her of another someone. It was not the first time that this had happened. Perhaps there was something to it, after all.
As if in answer to Gwen's pondering on normalcy, Cassandra glanced around them. Her eyes lingered on the trees, the pools, the lilies... and then Gwen's face. Was that too subtle? Perhaps. Her nerves were incredibly busy. How many things were causing her discomfort? When Gwen was ready, Cassandra nodded.
She started by bringing her feet together, facing forward parallel. Her legs adjusted, just enough for her knees to remain unlocked, positioning her waist directly above where her ankles were resting. Cassandra's back was perfectly straight, flexed as high as her body permitted. She had already been doing this, but now that Gwen was closer she could see what difference it was making. Her shoulders gently retracted, enough to open her chest and permit her surroundings to take her in, rather than the other way around. Her arms rested at her side, rotated to allow her palms to face outward, to feel those very surroundings.
The tadasana was the foundation of all things. The principle of freeing oneself came before everything else. Soaring through a city skyline was one thing. How did a spider-woman fare being at rest? Cassandra watched Gwen carefully. There was no judgment or pride in those eyes, though perhaps curiosity. Just as Cassandra was an enigma to most of the team, she did not know anything about Gwen either. It was time for both of them to learn.
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 4, 2023 23:03:25 GMT
Gwen followed Batgirl's movements. Feet together, knees unlocked, waist and ankles positioned perfectly. Years of ballet had perfected her form, and her spider-powers meant that her balance was supernaturally perfect. Retracted her shoulders, arms by her side, palms outward. Gwen watches Batgirl for a second through one eye, then closed it.
She found herself not able to shut everything off. Her senses flared and danced in her mind, following the movement of leaves, the water, Batgirl's own breathing and movement. Gwen concentrated. Switch off, darn it! She frowned, deep breathing, but couldn't find that point of zen.
Gwen cracked open an eye, seeing Batgirl watching her. She grinned, shrugged slightly and took a deep breath.
"It's hard to switch off. My power... it gives me some super-honed senses, y'know? I can feel... like, everything."
She sighed, but kept her pose. Perfectly straight back and all.
"Which is fine in New York, but in a place as calm and quiet as this... it's like I can hear every movement. Every breath, every minor gust of air."
Gwen took another deep breath, fixing her eyes on Batgirl again. Watching her with a waiting stare.
"I want to try. I want to switch off once in a while. I don't get the chance often, so I won't stop now. Show me what's next?"
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Post by Bixir on Nov 4, 2023 23:20:08 GMT
This was a person who knew their body. Understood it. Understood that the physical self was more than a vessel of flesh and bone. So it was not only her superpowers that allowed Gwen to be this graceful. She was almost as graceful as her. Almost. This was useful information to have. Cassandra had suspected this from how the Ghost-Spider moved in combat, though she had not seen her body move like this.
Cassandra went through the same breathing exercises. For her, there was peace. Nothing. But Gwen had something. It was screaming to be let out. It was unclear how aware she was of that fact. Cassandra gave her partner a sympathetic smile. That feeling was the point of the exercise. Feeling civilization and feeling nature were indeed two distinctly separate experiences, but the latter was a matter of healing. Self-care. Of course, Cassandra could only communicate so much through a smile.
Next, Cassandra spread her feet apart, only just. She raised her right leg, placing that foot against the mid-section of her left leg. Her hands moved to meet at her core, her fingers pressed flatly against one another. It was a simple pose, and one that, technically, both of them had graduated a long time ago. To be like a tree was one of the caricatures of yoga, and for good reason. Meditation did not need to be complicated. If anything, it would be easier for Gwen if it wasn't.
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 4, 2023 23:47:45 GMT
Gwen took the sympathetic smile with a sigh. Sympathy? She was Ghost-Spider! She shouldn't need sympathy! Though it was certainly nice to have someone give her a look like that. It made her feel a bit more human. So she smiled back after a second, her leg raising up, foot pressing against the inside of her other with a perfect sense of balance.
"You don't talk much, huh?"
Gwen took a deep breath, pressing her hands together. She wasn't used to yoga as a concept. Ballet and gymnastics, sure. But the whole spiritual thing had never really crossed her path. So she wasn't imagining her core, or allowing herself to become one with the world around her. Yet there was something happening to her. She took another deep breath.
"It's fine. I guess that makes a change from everyone else in my life. It's, like, a sense of calm. Silence and all that, right? I just thought you didn't really like me, but you're just the quiet type, I guess! Funny, right?"
Gwen seemed quite comfortable just talking at Batgirl, giving her a grin.
"I don't know you're actual name, though, you know? I just keep calling you Batgirl. I kinda like the mystery, and I don't mind if you want me to keep going! It's all still fine, Batsy!"
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Post by Bixir on Nov 5, 2023 0:39:11 GMT
Perhaps there was miscommunication. It would be surprising if there wasn't. They came from very different lives... did they? Cassandra did not know. Their chakras were opposites in nature. That much was clear. Perhaps that was what had drawn them together, here in the arboretum. The picture was slowly coming into focus. She lacked connection.
Cassandra had to wait until she had finished her tree breathing. Then, she laughed. It was a small thing, like an evening bell. She shook her head. How could she ever dislike Gwen? She gestured her hands out to Gwen, palms facing towards her, then formed a heart against her own chest. She wanted Gwen to feel welcome. More importantly, she wanted her to feel comfortable talking, even if Cassandra didn't want to. She paused, studying Gwen's features. Perhaps...?
It was time for something intricate. Cassandra took a couple steps back, then quickly transitioned into acrobatic flip. She pulled her arms in against her chest, then pushed her hands outward. She crossed her legs, keeping them pointed upward and perpendicular. By the time she returned to the earth, Cassandra's hands were ready to catch the ground and prop herself up. The way she was hanging, it was like... well...
All the while, she was smiling, the kind that showed her teeth. While maintaing this semi-hanging pose, she quickly waved a hand to wave at Gwen, as if to say "Hey, look at me!" and then pointed at her response to say "Wow, look at you!"
Bats and spiders made for strange companions.
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 5, 2023 2:10:04 GMT
Well, it certainly made her feel better, even if Batgirl hadn't said a single word. Gwen blushed, then laughed. A true sound, perhaps one of the first proper laughs since she had come to this universe. Deep, pleasant, happy. She reciprocated. A heart shape from her fingers over her chest, a twinkle in her eye.
Gwen watched Batgirl's backwards acrobatic flip. She loosened her pose, and grinned.
"Oh, is that a challenge, Batsy?"
She took a few steps back, mimicking Batgirl's movement. She flipped herself backwards, spinning through the air as she pushed herself off the ground. Gwen caught herself on one hand, balancing perfectly, watching Batgirl upside-down.
Gwen watched her companion for a second, and then grinned. She mimicked her gesture - Look at me! Look at you! - before she let her body drop, elbow bent, and pushed off. Gwen spun again in the air, the opposite direction, and landed on one foot, the other pushed into the crook of her knee, arms out to either side. A perfect gymnastic finish.
Gwen held the post, then dropped herself into a relaxed pose. She placed a hand on her head, trying to breath deeply again, but looking frustrated for a moment, as if this minute of yoga would be able to fix all of her issues.
"Gah! This still isn't working. I'm still not all zen and stuff! How long does it take to switch all the thoughts from whizzing around?"
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Post by Bixir on Nov 5, 2023 2:37:50 GMT
It was as she feared. Cassandra's face fell. There was no disappointment there. She wanted to help her through this... but how? She thought back to a time when she helped her friend, who was quite like Gwen. She was her own person, yes, but Cassandra did not have many references to draw upon for this mission. She needed to use every resource available to her. Internally, she smirked. How like Him.
Cassandra flipped herself back to standing upwards, then lowered herself to the ground. She placed herself in the lotus position, slowly curling her legs in towards her body, again facing her palms outward. She waited for Gwen to do the same before beginning to take a few breaths. She looked into Gwen's eyes differently, now. Her intent became severe, watchful. This was the Batgirl that the team was familiar with. She formed a fist, except for the pinky finger, which jutted straight out. She pressed this hand against her chin, twice. During this motion, she spoke two words. They came out slow, clumsy, and thick with an accent.
"What... wrong?"
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 5, 2023 10:07:45 GMT
Gwen followed suit, curling her blue Chucks beneath her as she mimicked Batgirl's lotus. The words from the other girl's mouth almost made her jump. She had become accustomed to the one sided conversation! Gwen tilted her face upwards towards the artificial sky of the arboretum. Deep breath in, deep breath out.
"I could never truly switch off, even before my spider powers. Now I've got this... this spider-sense, that makes me alert to everything. All the little details, sounds and smells, vibrations. It's fine in New York, or when we're out fighting villains, but... in a place like this?"
Gwen gestured around with both arms before returning to the form, one eye closed, the other on Batgirl.
"I guess I'm just a bit envious that you can meditate and go all zen mode. You seem so calm and focused! I'm just, like, bleeeeh. All over the place."
She really was envious, too. Batgirl could switch on and off, it seemed, as she liked. One moment badass crime-fighting whirlwind, the next... this. Quiet, thoughtful. At peace. Gwen took another deep breath, filling her whole chest, and let it out in a meaningful sigh.
"Y'know, sometimes I wish I'd been bitten by something that wasn't so highly strung. Like a radioactive capybara. At least I could get some peace sometimes."
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Post by Bixir on Nov 5, 2023 17:34:42 GMT
Cassandra nodded, seeming to understand at first. This special sense was familiar to her. Cassandra was not superhuman herself, but many believed her to be. It was difficult to describe. Then, she shook her head. It was not the "sense" she was talking about.
Cassandra quickly tapped the left and right side of her upper torso with her respective hands, then moved to do the same with her lower torso. She pointed at Gwen, and then replicated the gesture she had just spoken a moment ago. This time, words did not escape Cassandra's lips, but she mouthed the words all the same. Gwen's obstacles ran deeper than her abilities.
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Post by Beriadan on Nov 5, 2023 22:29:00 GMT
The same question. Gwen cocked her head as Batgirl asked her. Didn't she just say? Well, of she was truthful with herself, no. The problem wasn't meditation. It was the whole messed up web of compilations that she found herself trapped in. She sighed again, shoulders slumping, a gesture that seemed to be her sign of defeat. How much could she delve into? With Batgirl, or any of the other Champions? Heck, even Black Canary didn't know the fullest extent, and she was the closest thing that Gwen had to a friend in this universe. Except maybe... she focused on Batgirl, placing her hands gently on her own knees.
"Well... I've just got a lot on my mind, y'know? Spider-Girl at fifteen, a Champion two years later. No... no real family to speak of. Friends left behind in a different... City. There's nobody I can really talk to, outside of Superhero stuff. Like, you're the first person I've really, properly spoken to!"
Gwen inhaled deep, released it from the bottom of her chest again.
"Thing is, I feel so... so... out of place! No matter where I find myself. Oh, there's already a Spiderman saving people in New York. Oh, there's already a team of young superheroes saving the day. Oh, Gwen Stacy..."
She trailed off here, suddenly aware she was going further than she should. Gwen Stacy wasn't something she should discuss with anyone.
"...Gwen Stacy has no place anywhere. Hey, Batsy, what have you got me saying?"
Gwen squinted at the other girl, then laughed. It was a bit forced, trying to purge the rancid feelings that bubbled away in her stomach.
"Darn, you really got me going all dark and gloomy. That's not me at all! Just talking about myself this whole time... but I guess you don't have much to talk about with me, huh?"
Gwen placed her arms behind her, leaning backwards and staring up again at the sky. She closed her eyes slowly.
"It's fine. You're a good listener, so that makes up for it."
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Post by Bixir on Nov 5, 2023 22:45:17 GMT
While Gwen spoke, Cassandra did not move. She did not nod, or blink. If Gwen could not see the girl in front of her, it would have been easy to think that she was talking to a ghost. However, her attention was fixed, taking in everything that Gwen had to say; and more importantly, what she had to feel. Her troubles were not so unique, but they were troubles. That experience was not unique to Gwen, either.
When Gwen was finished, Cassandra did not change her response, either. She watched Gwen relax herself, looking up at the skybox generated by the arboretum. While it was afternoon outside, here it was a glittering twilight sea of stars hanging overhead. It was Cassandra's favorite time to be.
Suddenly, Gwen's senses warned her of sudden movement, nearly as fast as she was. Before she knew what was happening, wiry arms were wrapped around her collarbone, holding tight against her back to pull her in. There was no escape. A soft whisper entered Gwen's ear, breath hot.
"Cassandra."
Cassandra withdrew from hugging Gwen, nearly as quickly as she had struck. She was smiling widely, with her index finger pressed against her lips. Now she knew something about her.
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