15121/Burning Off Energy

Burning Off Energy
Date of Scene:	23 May 2023
Location:	RockWallz Gym - Manhattan
Synopsis:	Nick goes for a climb, when things appear to take a turn he is visited by Lucifer and Sinister. Nick provides valuable information in their quest to find a juice bar
Cast of Characters:	Phantasm (Drago), Sinister, Lucifer

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Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The weekends are wonderful things for most people. It's a time to rest up, go out burn some energy, have fun, get drunk, get hungover, and recover the tail end of Sunday aannnnnnd possibly the beginning of Monday depending on how effective you with your time.

But this is not the weekend. It is MONDAY.

A time of work, headaches, and a general sense of exhaustion after dealing with the eighth email received from the same person within the span of hour, most of them asking why you haven't answered the email they sent twenty minutes ago.

One would think that would be the perfect day for someone to go to the gym but- while there's a respectable gathering in the front part of Rock Wallz utilizing the traditional exercise equipment there's oddly not much of a pull to the back room.

And maybe that's why Nick chose today to come to the gym. There was NO line to use the equipment and so, once he put on the safety equipment that was required for the gigantic rock wall. He was already making his way up the Red path.

Considering the circumstances, Nick's attire is different than his day to day outside wear, nothing more than a pair of athletic pants and a worn tee wi-

Fine.

It's not THAT different.

Sinister has posed:
Oh, how quaint, there's a climbing wall -- in the world where free climbs are a common thing, this does seem like the nanny state has taken over. Well, it does if you come from an era when 'safety equipment' involved miners wearing a hard hat, IF they were lucky.

But why are they here again? It surely isn't to actually -join- a gym, they're not exactly hard up or strapped for cash, they could /own/ their own gym. Maybe they came looking?

With Sinister and the devil, it's always a possibility.

Sauntering into the back area, Nathaniel eyes the membership card trial subscription that he -had- to take to gain access to the facility, muttering as he does so. "This is probably a money making scheme, which I have to applaud. I doubt that most people that sign up for these things even know how to use the equipment properly or are liable to put it all off..." he comments.

Lucifer has posed:
"You would think the entire world a villain if you didn't know the truth..." Lucifer comments in jest as they enter the establishment. "I could argue the semantics, like how this is at least environmentally controlled. There's no chance you'll suddenly be trying to climb Mount Everest here. People who are learning can come with no real threat of fatal injury.." The list could go on, but Lucifer just shrugs, feeling his point has been made.

Safety equipment? No. He'll pass. He's likely not even going to climb anything - and instead just watch anyone who is around. Though there seems to be no one around. That is until he spots someone climbing...wait how are the levels split up again? Red. Most difficult. He glances back over and then shrugs. "It doesn't look -that- difficult to be honest..."

A tilt of head and then a smirk. "I think we have a friend here. How...coincidental..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Opinons might vary depending on who is being asked in regards to the difficulty of the course. Nick, being much younger, would probably lean towards it being a bit difficult. As he reaches a section of overhang, he glances around. There are a couple of orange grips nearby but they are ignored as he spots the next red one. An outstretched arm guages the distance before he brings his arm back.

Giving up?

With a swing, Nick brings his momentum forward right hand extending outwards. When it looks like the sheer distance is too far, the left hand lets go of its own hold, separating Nick from the wall for moment that likely doesn't seem long down below.

But for the one who let go? Oh the brain is working overtime, processing the grip, locking on and latching while the body pulls the rest of itself over to also bring left to that grip. Toes find a foot hold. Soon after, the right hand is on the move again, grabbing onto a red grip that is a bit closer than the last.

It appears part of the difficulty of the red course is there are fewer grips rated for the course. Or for the more observant, the pock marks in the structure indicate that the grips get moved around.

Well, if there was one perk to him having to stay at the Trisk while they tracked down those responsible for Groundbreaker and Wayward Son, it was that he had plenty of time to use their rock wall and go up the levels a bit quicker than intended.

He starts moving forward. Which coincidentally seems almost downward as his path briefly inverts him on an outcropping before he can get to the other side. An inversion that brings a certain pair into sight.

Blink. bl-FINISH THE MOVE.

Pulling himself upright on the other side of the outcropping, he glances down to the others. "Hey guys! What brings you here?"

Sinister has posed:
"Oh, hush you..." Sinister murmurs, sliding eyes and a flicker of a smile to the devil and back to the rock wall. He's assessing it and the climber at the same time and truth, there was a wince at the almost loss of grip. "You might be right..." he takes a deep breath of air-conditioned gym and nods, beaming all smiles. "Imagine that!"

With the almost disasterous doubletake, he waves a fingerwave to Nick. "POpping on by, seeing if pilates was an option or you know, soccer mum aerobics, in spandex leotards and leg warmers. Alas, it seems here people take it seriously--" again, he slides eyes to the devil and back, then to the wall. "I think difficulty is on a sliding scale my dear. It helps when falling is optional though." Pause, beat. "Is it time for a break, or ahhh... are we in for some more entertainment up there, in the stratosphere?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer just keeps grinning and gives a slight chuckle before lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "Don't be upset just because you know I'm right." Eyes twinkling as he continues in and then walks over to part of the wall and reaches to tug on a grip or two. "Interesting... seem to be solidly in place but it also appears in some spots that they can be moved around."

Then Nick is adress them and he looks back to Sinister who answers and provides a nod of agreement. "I'm just here for the show." He says this and then steps back a bit to join Sinister's side again. Not much more to ask that's already been asked so he's simply there for moral support.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick glances up, determining the distance between where he was and then down to the others. Sure he was close but-

Nick reaches and arm back to grab the rope seemingly hitting something on the harness. The rope seems to give a momentary bit shift. And then-

He drops.

After a moment it becomes apparent that it is a controlled fall as his hands control the amount of slack in the ropes, slowing at points as he essentially rappels down the side of the wall before his feet hit the floor.

Apparently there was another feature to the safety equipment.

So much for moral suport.

"The wall will still be there in a few." Nick explains, glancing down to the harness. "So," He looks between the two, before settling on Sinister "You said you're looking for pilates?"

Sinister has posed:
"I was mostly joking. I ... don't do public gyms, it can get a bit intimidating." For whom, exactly? But then, again... comes from a different era. You would think he'd be right into all the fancy machinery that measure all kinds of things, but noooooooo. "Does this training come in useful in the field? I suppose if you have to scale a building on the outside..." he muses.

There's that smile again. "I don't suppose you're a fan of swordplay are you? Nevermind, it wasn't a particularly serious question." Another pause, another beat. "Is there anything in here that might be challenging?"

He gestures open palmed toward Lucifer. "For us, that is. I'm game for a laugh."

Lucifer has posed:
"From the looks of this place all they have are the rock walls, and from the looks of those Nick was climbing the hardest one." Lucifer offers while looking back over to the walls again. "Also, did you mean fencing or like, 14th century swordplay? Maybe jousting? If you wanted all that, we could have gone to a Ren Festival..."

Still, he shrugs and looks everything over again. "I mean I bet I could do any of these, easy. Without cheating. And without safety equipment..." A little glance over to Sinister then before looking to Nick. "You can tell him no, everything is too easy for us. It'll be fine."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
With Sinister stating his reason was a joke, he glances over to Lucifer to see if he might have been the cause for the trip over.

Sinister's question about training gives Mike a chance to consider the words. Pale eyes glance to the doorway that leads into the rockwall area. "Well, I have had to climb a tree to hide from gunmen at a point." He admits, "I haven't had a chance to rappel outside of film shoots though. But it's mainly just a very good core workout. I could either wait in line up front or just knock out several exercises in one go back here."

He starts to undo his safety gear. "The equipment is required due to the fear of lawsuits, but at the very least when you get close to the top, you get some practice rappelling, which is kind of fun."

He looks over to Lucifer, "Any of the climbing courses, no cheating...I'm curious. What is your idea of cheating?"

Sinister has posed:
"Wings," Sinister states, rather simply. "Or you know, levitation. He can do that if he wants, time to time." He looks up at the wall, glances at the door and exhales, then with a little running jump, leaps a good twelve foot up the wall and essentially scales it handhold by handhold all the way up, mostly on the red handholds, but occasionally futher than he should -- kicking off with feet also, in the necessary toeholds. He ends up dangling from the overhang by the power of gripping fingertips then hauls himself up one armed to sit on the top of the wall.

"I suppose that's cheating too, but I didn't float at any point. No, that's not particularly challenging. I think perhaps taking New York as a giant parkour course might be something to get the blood pumping..." It's a fair height up there and he swings his legs a little.

"Beat my time." Is called with a cupped hand, "...truthfully, this is just us spending time out, not inside of our own heads and needing to do -something- novel. Otherwise, one or the other of us is going to clobber the other one upside the head and force an issue. In my case, that will mean time out in Hell."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer grins. "He's right. Also teleporting." Adding that to the list of things that should very well be considered cheating. Watching as Sinister effortlessly climbs up the wall, tilting his head while following each movement made by his lover fair. It's a quick calculation in his mind that when Sinister calls out for him to beat the time he runs and quickly begins to ascend the wall.

Grips and toe holds are used in tandem along with Lucifer taking advantage of being able to pull his own weight as he scales the wall until he's sitting by Sinister's side. "Yeah. Not really the heart thumping, blood pumping fear inducing climb it likely could be..." He considers. "You wanna go parkouring around New York?"

There's a glance down to Nick then. "Also, you know of a juice bar or something nearby? Always wanted to try one of those."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick watches as Sinister simply leaps up the wall. "...Yeah I guess when it comes to you guys, you can't just turn off your powers." Head tilted back, he does find the irony of the situation. He aborted his climb up to head down to talk to him and they just jumped up to the top of the rig. To add to this, it was more or less with the same aire as when they first saw his apartment. Why do they even keep him around?

Ah! That's why.

Juice Bar recomendations.

He points through the doorway. "The gym has one. You just head over towards the exit but before you leave the building, you turn left."

Sinister has posed:
"Well. It'd be a challenge, wouldn't it? Having to use entire buildings without use of the abilities we -can- turn off..." Sinister leans in, gives the devil a loud peck on the cheek, then looks down to the floor. "Allez-oop!" And he hops off, dropping the twenty odd feet to land into a springboard crouch and back up to neat and tidy. There's even a moment of thumbing his eyebrows and checking his hair in the inevitable mirror wall that these places have, so you can look at yourself in reflection as you struggle to reach the next hold.

"Juice bar. You know, they definitely don't lace the juice, right?" He looks at Nick, tipping his head with eyes a little narrowed. "They serve wheatgrass, don't they?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer follows suit only he stands and uses the air as a stair case to just sort of walk down to the ground. "Ah. Good. Figure if Sinister is going to drag me to a gym I could mark something off of my bucket list." Wait, the Devil has one of those?

"On a slightly more serious note. I'm trying to see when we can pen some time in with Doctor Strange to discuss things from the other evening. If possible, I'd like you to be there. Mostly because I like having an outsider's opinion on some things and perhaps have someone who can translate some of what Strange mumbles on about." He chuckles then before glancing to Sinister. "So juice bar then home I guess?|

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick arcs a brow, "It's like any other juice bar. There's a list of available ingredients, you pick your ingredients or you can pick a menu item with the ingredients already listed for it. And for extra you can add in a booster. Like added vitamins. Nothing illegal."

Nick glances up, watching as the devil does the invisible staircase trick.

Ok that is cheating for sure.

But the time of grumpiness is short lived as more serious matters are brought up. There's no need to specify the events, he's most certain which evening is being addressed. "...Just give me a call. If I'm able I'll come on over. Although somethings Strange does doesn't make sense to me either."

Sinister has posed:
"I also want him to take a look at the tissue samples I collected, it'll be a good idea to have a second set of scientific physician eyeballs on it, even if he was a clinical neurologist--" Apparently that's a different kettle of fish entirely though. "--Very well. we'll do that... rather than thinking at you, which I'm pretty sure is a faux pas, these days."

Looking to Lucifer, he inclines his head and gestures toward the door, the other hand tucking into the small of his back. "Well, having interrupted your wall-climbing exercise, we will bid you adieu, in favour of indulging the Celestial here. With added vitamins and minerals, for a shiny coat and gleaming feathers." Aaaaaaaaaaand he hustles out the door quite quickly at that, chuckling lowly as he does.

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer is only here to be the peanut galley at this point. He gives a wave bye to Nick before following Sinister out the door. "My feathers are PERFECTLY gleaming as they are I will have you know...." His voice fading as the door closes but he is apparently still griping at Sinister (playfully of course) as all goes quiet for Nck.