nexus_sages | (no subject)

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One of the doors leading into the Forum changes suddenly, raising up into the air, with a long staircase now leading down from the door. The door opens, and a young teenager on a skateboard is now sliding into the Forum, riding the edge of the rails of the staircase.

At the end of the staircase, he flips up into the air, doing a 360-spin before catching his skateboard and landing securely on his feet.

Drake takes a look around his surroundings, adjusting pretty quickly. "Figures, a trick like that, and none of my friends are around to see it."

"I am sure there are lots of interesting stuff that happens around here. Who wants to share one of their experiences?"

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An older man in a windbreaker pauses to applaud. "That was quite a trick, son. Is that what they call gleaming the cube?"

Someone gave Steve some wrong information at some point, and that someone is only sad that they're not here, now, to see their prank pay off.

Drake laughs gently. "It was a boardslide, and then a kickflip and a 360 degree shove-it."

"I'm afraid that someone gave you a fake skateboard trick."

The old man sighs, quietly muttering "Clint" to himself in an aggrieved tone, before he smiles. "Well, it was some good balance, in any case. Do you do that often?"

"Oh yeah, all the time. I enjoy learning a new trick at the skate park."

"I'll bet," the old man replies agreeably. "What's your latest?"

"I have been working on a Fakie Beta Flip. Hopefully I can master it before the competition."

"Fakie Beta Flip?" Steve may be an old fogey, but he can pick up and repeat terminology quickly.

"How do I describe it..." Drake doesn't want to use too many skater terms. "You are flipping your board at your heels, but then rotate it around your front foot at the last moment."

He nods thoughtfully. "Feel like showing off a few practice runs?"

"Sure."

Drake finds a good place to showcase a few of his tricks. He does some basic tricks, before going into a few heel flips. These, the board flips around his heels, before he lands on it again.

He also does a few fakie flips, where the board rotates around his front flip before he lands on it again.

It is much more difficult to put it all together.

"Mm. It looks like you've really got to get that twist going at the start, to get enough momentum for the full rotation." Steve may not know skateboards, but he knows a bit about momentum.

Just a bit.

"The other difficulty is that I am trying to do this without thinking about it too much."

"That's something that comes with practice; muscle memory. Take a deep breath, and let it out as you push--that'll help you keep yourself relaxed, and let you lock in how it feels to do it right."

Drake pushes a hand through his hair. "If I get too relaxed, I have these abilities that kick in."

He moves to drop his skateboard, but with brief concentration is able to stop the board in mid-air with his mind.

"And I just want to do this without them."

"That's an admirable goal. It sounds a little bit like learning to pull a punch in practice; you've got to be relaxed enough to let yourself move, but balance that with a very conscious control."

"Exactly. It is very hard to not use my abilities. But at the same time, look for ways to train them."

"What are you hoping to do with them?" the old man asks, politely curious.

"I would like to be a superhero when I get older, just like my dad is now."

"Well, not just like him. I don't have any of his abilities." Drake quickly clarifies.

"It's not the powers that make a hero," the old man observes, "but it sounds like your heart is headed the right way."

"My older brother is old enough to join the Justice League. So it will be pretty cool to see him in action."

The old man nods. "A team's a good way to get started. Better than running off alone, in most cases."

"I am lucky to have many role models. Both who either were part of the team, or were lone heroes."

"Then I'll wish you luck, young man. Tomorrow's hopes are with you."

"Thank you. I am Drake Kent, by the way." He offers his hand in introduction.

"Steve," the man offers, along with a firm but friendly handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Drake."

"Very nice to meet you."

"You have a good day, Drake," Steve tells him with a smile. "And keep practicing."

Frea's sitting someplace with a good view of the young skateboarder's impressive entrance. She's got a fox cub in her lap who is thoroughly enjoying the pets and scritches she's thoroughly enjoying giving them.

"I met this little guy. His mama went out hunting and he got lonely so we're hanging out until she gets back."

"That is pretty cool." Drake kneels close by, but not too close to scare off the fox club.

"Can you talk to animals, Miss?"

"I can, yeah. I'm Frea. This is, well, in English it'd be 'Swiftpaw'. Or so he says." She looks down at the cub with a dubious expression and is met with adorable foxiness. She never stood a chance.

"Hello Frea. Hello Swiftpaw. I am Drake." He introduces himself.

"Nice to meet you, Drake. So what was that stuff you were doing on the railing? Looked tricky." Swiftpaw thinks it didn't look bacony enough, which is odd, since he's a fox and doesn't know what bacon is.

"That was a boardslide and a kickflip." Drake grins. "It took me a long time to learn how to handle the board for that one."

She has no idea what he just said really. Context provides some clues, but still. Skateboarding is not her sport. "I bet. You like adventures, huh?"

"You bet. My parents had some amazing ones, when they were younger."

"Oh yeah? Hoping to follow in their footsteps?"

"Oh definitely. I know I can do some amazing things, once the opportunity arises."

"I'm sure you can." There isn't a drop of sarcasm in her tone, or possibly her entire body. "What kinds of adventures do you want to have?"

"I would like to be a superhero, and help others."

"A superhero? That sounds exciting. Are your parents teaching you how to do it?"

"Teaching by example, yes. Both my dad and mom have been in the superhero business. Dad still does it. Mom doesn't."

"Well, that's one way to learn. Maybe your dad'll take you adventuring with him some time."

"Maybe. He has been very supportive of my brother. I just think he wants me to get older."

"Yeah, that's fair. Heroing is a big responsibility and there's no rush."

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