2015-06-15 - Training for Cardiac Victims

Cassie Lang, student of the Avengers, arrives in the gym again. She looks tired already but her ever-present smile is there for perusal and as beautiful as ever even if she isn't. Her hair is hanging limp from the hot sun and she looks more like she could use a shower than a training session. But she bounces a -little-, nevertheless. Got standards to keep up.

Cassandra Cain is hanging from the pole. The pole dancing instructor Tony is talking her through an Ayesha. Upside-down on the bar, she is using her hands to hold her and has her legs extended out to either side of the bar, her body jacknifed. She seems to be holding her highly unlikely position fairly easily, as Tony adjusts her body position. Don't worry, he's not interested in her. He's gay.

Cassie Lang bites her lower lip, signing in as she watches the athleticism being displayed over at the bar. Pole, whatever. It's all dangerous. She dusts off her shoes, digging training gear out of her bag, and vanishes into the back room to change.

When Cassie returns, Cassandra is simply spinning around the pole, holding onto it with her left hand which is extended high above her head. Her feet drift across the ground and she occasionally pushes gently with a toe to maintain momentum. Tony is getting a drink of water while Cassandra fiddles around, shaking his head. The pug dog has found a place near the bar, and is snoozing near Cassandra's feet.

She drops from the bar and proceeds to writhe her waist a little, hands over her head, then looks at the dog. She bends over, then drags it by the front paws out of the training area.

http://i.imgur.com/rcPWlrt.gif

Cassie blinks as she sees ....well, at least the dog's fairly tame with her? She wanders over and pokes at Tony a little, then sticks out a hand. "Hi! I need your student when she's available, is that okay? I'm Cassie Lang."

Tony shakes Cassie's hand. "She's just fiddling around now anyway, I think I can spare her. Cass, you've got a visitor! Work on looking sexy, it's part of the training. No, not like a soldier, relax your hips!"

Cassandra rolls her eyes, spinning around the pole once more and doing a full splits before coming out at a walk, heading toward Cassie. She thumbs toward the mats, walking thattaway and assuming that Cassie will be coming along. Lots to do.

Cassie Lang follows, giving Tony a nod and a smile. "What are we going to do today, Brain?" she asks Cass as she joins her on the mats. She throws a punch at the air, shadow-boxing, and does some steps to show a throw or two.

Cassandra Cain raises a hand to rub at her right temple, then just looks at Cassie. She shakes her head, then raises her hands to indicate that she touch wrists again. Butterfly dance.

Cassie Lang sighs. "Again? That's all we ever do."

Cassandra Cain raises an eyebrow in response. Keeps her hands raised. Nods. "Now." Then she raises her chin toward the door, showing the alternative. Then, without warning, she steps toward Cassie and engages her wrists, beginning the dance if she's ready or not. They touch wrists and Cassie is not allowed to let them stop touching. Or to touch too hard. Cass keeps them engaged until Cassie decides to play the game, one way or the other. Don't have time to dick around, kid.

Cassie blinks, stepping back in surprise, then finds her wrists caught in the butterfly dance posture. She frowns and intentionally tries to push against Cass' wrists. Teenager. Doesn't like being pushed into things. She has figured out that talking isn't the way to go with this person though.

Cass easily allows Cassie to push, not letting the imaginary butterfly die. "Breathe," she says even as she's basically not letting Cassie push by letting her push against nothing. The two dance around in circles, Cass giving way entirely to Cassie's temper until she's ready to do it right.

Grumble grumble. Well, alright then already. "Fine," Cassie says as she does a lifting high block and push, not losing the wrist to wrist contact. She ducks under her own arm, turning, and crosses arms to make maintaining contact impossible, but lets the wrists change hands without losing the butterfly!

Cass smiles. Good. Learning. She helps Cassie with the follow-through of that move, intentionally flipping over her arms to simulate being thrown by it, and lands gently on her toes without losing contact of the wrists. Her elbow taps against Cassie's chest at the end, suggesting a counter to the toss but actually just helping her to activate her heart a little more today. Training the girl's damaged organ over time, making it strong in the oldest, best way. Careful hard work.

Cassie Lang starts movign into it, happy to do actual moves again. "If I'd known this was acrobatic, I'd have done some of my own," she says as she watches Cass do a flip. She's getting her smile back, actually enjoying this this time. Since last time she mostly got confused and ended up feeling dumb and didn't sleep well that night. She'd felt awful for some reason.

She had better have felt awful, with all the work I put into making her internal organs sit up and yell at her. Cass is going a bit easier this time, since the girl already knows what they feel like, but she IS focusing some attention on the organs again. Cassie will sleep better tonight but she's going to have some odd aches and pains.

Cass guides Cassie through a few moves, helping her form new, better habits. Repetition, she does each one a minimum of 16 times to make just the simplest basic muscle memory start to form, but these moves are all designed to fit the student. Most martial arts use a mix of muscle power and skill, the amounts varying. Some are 50% skill, 50% power. Some use up to 85% power and 15% skill.

The moves she's teaching Cassie? These are special. Her eyes blaze with focus as she guides Cassie, without telling her a god damn thing, through some of the only moves in the world that WORK and use 1% power, 99% skill.

Cassie Lang is just having fun! She twirls and enjoys the movements, even if she can tell that she's doing the same things a few times, sometimes. She's not blind, but hell, this is play! She even gets her feet engaged with Cass' wrists once, even if she does get slapped down. Which she might.

Nah. Cass can use that, and she gets a grin reading the fun that Cassie's having out of her body language. Why not let her enjoy it? She's more likely to practice the moves if she's associated them with good memories. This...could really work out! She can tell that Cassie is used to using her powers to force people. Not a good plan with her limitations.

Cass catches Cassie's foot on her wrist, guiding it and letting Cassie feel what it's like to throw someone with her ankle instead of a hand.Rare that anyone would even try that, and it's damn hard to do, but if she's willing to give it a go, she'll teach it. And she rolls over the throw, letting it toss her. Then gets up to her feet. Points at the clock. 45 minutes have passed.

Cassie Lang blinks at the clock! "NO WAY." She blinks again, then checks herself. Breathing hard, but not...no heart problems. "I can NEVER do 45 minutes of anything! I get shakes doing 45 minutes in the shower!"

Cassandra Cain puts her right hand over her left fist, then bows to Cassie, eyes locked on the blonde's. Then she waits for a response. Which is rare, she usually just buggers off.

Uh. Okay. Cassie bows in the same way, fist in the hand. "What's that for? Japanese karate bow?"

Cassandra doesn't explain. She just turns and goes back to her own training. Not a talker.

Cassie Lang looks confused again, which is seeming to be her common state here. Then she goes to change.