6162/Ice Skating in Central Park

Ice Skating in Central Park
Date of Scene:	11 January 2019
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	Bobby goes to do a little early morning skating - and gets some unexpected 'wonder'ful company.
Cast of Characters:	Iceman, Wonder Girl

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Iceman has posed:
The best thing about early mornings is that it gives one a chance to get out into the city and do some things before the day gets going and the world becomes a very crowded place. Out and about this morning, Bobby is dressed in a warm leather bomber jacket, blue jeans and sneakers. Over his shoulder he carries a pair of ice skates. His destination? One of the small lakes that dot Central Park.

In the early morning light, before others can notice, he wants to carry out what he believes is a grand plan in the whole scheme of things. The temperature is cold outside - but Mother Nature could always use a little assist in the name of entertainment.

Wonder Girl has posed:
Having grown up essentially in various archeological sites around the world, as well as living part-time on Themyscira, Cassie Sandsmark loves winter and especially snow. It's still something different for her, and brings out an almost child-like sense of wonder.

She's out walking in New York, wearing a long coat with scarf and mittens mainly for show. With her enhanced physique Cassie hardly needs protection from the cold, but wearing short-shorts and a tanktop would draw unnecessary attention at this point.

Iceman has posed:
That's the thing about having powers. After all, Bobby could walk out in the cold in his starkers and not feel a thing - and probably not draw as much attention as Cassie, admittedly. But not drawing attention is like 'Mutant 101' at this point. Arriving at the small lake that he had picked out, Bobby glances aside at a goose that's giving him an odd look. "Shouldn't you be heading south already?"

The goose hisses angrilly at the young man before waddling off, tail up in the air.

"Yeah, good morning to New York to you too, buddy!" he calls after the creature with a smirk. And not checking to see if his outburst had drawn any attention, he slips his hand into the cold water. There's a small smile as he feels the temperature. "Perfect." he offers, and then from around his fingers and spreading out, the water starts to freeze - crackling and spreading, reaching out to take hold, the layer of ice forming across the top causing the top layer to turn white as he starts to deepen the layer of the ice.

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark hears the argument with the goose and it catches her attention. The blonde wanders slowly closer. She's approaching the lake just as the ice begins forming, watching for a moment before she speaks. "I'd say you should be careful about 'disturbing' the geese in the city, but this time of year they're almost as thick as pigeons." she offers.

Gesturing with a mitten-wrapped hand towards the spreading ice, she offers. "That's a nice trick. And don't stop on my account; I'm not a 'hater'."

Iceman has posed:
Bobby startles, nearly falling forward from his crouching position and falls forward - thankfully, the ice here is already thick enough that he doesn't fall though, and instead he gives a little oof. "Uh. Whoops." he responds, reaching out of the water to shake out his hand to dispatch any remaining water from his fingers.

"I don't know. Could just be the cold." It's lame, but Bobby does have the look of someone with his hand caught in a proverbal cookie jar as he turns his attention to the blonde, and he wipes his fingers off on his jean leg. "Seemed like a good day to go skating."

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark smirks at the suggestion. "Yeah, the wind can be pretty tricky around here sometimes, too. It's been know to just -lift- people up..." She raises her right foot, then, and just hovers a couple feet off of the ground. For waaay too long to be 'just the wind'.

Easing closer as she descends, Cassie flashes a knowing grin. "It's been a very long time since I've been skating."

Iceman has posed:
"Well. I'd say get your skates, but I don't know how far away you live.." Bobby starts to say when he notices Cassie starts to rise off the ground, and his cheeks darken with a small smirk. "Was I supposed to notice that you were floating or your legs?" he asks in mild amusement before he pats the skates over his shoulder. "I think there's a place you can rent them from in the park - I own mine - I mean, considering everything, why wouldn't I like skating?"

"Sounds cliche, right?" he says with a smirk. "Next thing you know, I'll be making cold puns and telling you to be chill about powers." Yes. He just did.

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark gestures vaguely and gives a little shrug. "I'm living at Titans Tower right now." she offers, as if that explanation should cover more than a few questions. "And yeah, that's part of the package with me. I'm very gravity-resistant when I want to be. I'm Cassie Sandsmark."

It's only *just* occurred to her that he might be looking at her legs, and the blonde returns the grin. "Well at least you're not looking at my butt in this long coat." she quips back, immediately adding. "Not... that I'm accusing you of looking at my but. Or that I'd even mind, or... crap. So. They rent ice skates around here somewhere?"

Iceman has posed:
There's a laugh at that. "I mean, that would just be rude, looking at your butt, minding or not." Bobby responds with amusement before he catches on. "Ah. A Titan. That's cool. I live over at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters as a teacher." he explains. And since she made a greeting, he decides to offer his own. "Jack Frost."

And he gives her about three seconds before he grins. "Okay, that's not my name. It's Bobby. Bobby Drake. As far as skate rental? Yeah, there's a little souvenier shop. They have the skates and those little Statues of Liberty and I heart New York mugs."

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark nods slowly to that. "Okay, resume's exchanged." she offers, laughing at his introduction. "Bobby Drake, or Bobby... Frost? Better than Jack Drake. We'll just stick with first names. Better than calling me 'Wonder Girl', too."

She looks over to where he's pointing, giving a nod. "You finish up with the lake, and I'll go see about renting a pair. Isn't Xavier's School farther North, out in the country or something?" The young woman turns and starts briskly over towards the shop, not really giving him time to answer.

Iceman has posed:
"Yeah, it is but I like to get..." And she's gone. Glancing over at the goose, that had taken a perch some distance away, Bobby offers a chagrined smile. "You were paying attention though, right?" Hisses follow again. And the mutant gives a roll of his eyes. "Sounds like I'm going to be binging Game of Thrones. Again."

With that, his hand is plunged back into the water. And the ice process continues, freezing the first foot of the lake water into place. He goes slow, he doesn't want to flash freeze any fish, and once it's done, he's shaking out his hand and slides along his shoes as he makes his way towards a spot to form a small bench made of ice to settle upon and reaches down to start to remove his shoes to put on his skates.

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark returns soon enough, with a brand new pair of rented (and used) skates over her shoulder. Yes, the girl moves fast when she wants to. Watching him make the bench, she settles beside him and starts pulling off her boots. "And yes, *I* was paying attention. Sorry about that. I need to work on being a bit less impulsive, or so I'm told."

"What do you mean, you'll be binging Game of Thrones again?" Yeah, there's nothing wrong with Cassie's hearing. "So you're a teacher there? What subjects, if you don't mind?"

Iceman has posed:
Super-hearing. Put that on the list, Bobby. So - she could be alien. Kryptonian? She does have the proper physique. Amazonian? Could be that too. And super speed is added to the list as well. "Oh! Was just going over my weekend plans. I can be a little boring sometimes." he offers in response as she makes her grand reappearance. There's a smile towards Cassie as she settles down. "And there is nothing wrong with being impulsive." he points out to her.

At the question, his attention returns to her and he smiles. "Math. Some elementary for younger students. Mostly secondary." After all, most mutants are teenagers. And you? In college? Or I mean, doing the whole heroing thing full time?"

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark starts pulling on her skates and lacing them up. The girl knows enough to make them snug, at least. Setting the blade on the ice, she runs it back and forth to test before starting on the other one. "Yeah, mine can too. A lot of training... we have a really nice simulation room... but a lot of waiting for bad things to happen."

She nose-wrinkles at the mention of math. "See? This is why I'm *not* in a hurry to go to college. My mom's an archeologist, but she barely knows enough math to balance a checkbook. I spend most of my time with the Titans, though. Diana keeps telling me that I should get more education, but I have plenty of time."

Iceman has posed:
Diana. Another clue added to the list. Of course, she's already said that she's Wonder Girl. There's a playful smirk at Cassie. "Was that an invitation to come see your training room?" Bobby asks in amusement as he finishes pulling on his skates. Tightening them up, he pushes himself to his feet and then turns around to offer his hands to the blonde.

"You mean you can stand up to villains, other worldly threats, and scenarios that could end the universe, but you're scared of a little Please Excuse my dear Aunt Sally?" he asks, amusement jumping into his eyes with warm mirth.

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark looks over at him, and there's a playful challenge in the blonde's smile. "Maybe. Although I'll have to check on the guest policy. Our chief of security is a bit of a snit sometimes." Finishing up with her second skate, Cassie steadies herself and leans forward a bit as she rises. The skates slip, her hands immediately finding his own.

"Thanks." Superhuman speed, strength, and reflexes doesn't mean you DON'T lose your balance, only that you recover it quickly. So maybe she needs his help and maybe she doesn't.

"It's really more that I didn't have an easy time in high school. It's a long story, but before I got my powers I was something of a wallflower. And when I -got- my powers I had to hide them. Kinda difficult to watch other people do things in sports and cheerleading that I -knew- I could do, but wasn't allowed to. Y'know?"

Iceman has posed:
"I understand the whole hiding powers part." Of course Bobby would know that one. Their hands meet for a moment and he braces her forearms. "So how long has it been since you've been skating?" he asks curiously. There's no immediate move to skate back. Instead, he's taking baby steps, sliding backwards as he keeps her upright.

As for himself, on the ice, he seems to be completely in his element - despite that inital fall earlier when she surprised him. "Puberty can do some strange things to you. Though I doubt you had the same issues that I would have had - but I can imagine the difficulties."

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark's grip is strong through the mittens, and although he can feel the minor corrections she's making for balance she at least looks pretty stable. "Um... a few years?" she offers, looking down at her skates. Like it will help, of course.

Cassie makes small movements with her ankles, figuring out how to move forward slowly. "Yeah? Oh! Yeah, I've heard that a lot of mutants get their powers in puberty. My case was a bit... different." She pauses, then, looking a bit sheepish before elaborating. "I *asked* for mine when I met my father."

Iceman has posed:
"Asked your father? Wait. You said you were Wonder Girl, right?" Bobby asks. As he continues to move backwards, he keeps pace with Cassie and ready grab her in case she starts to fall again. There's a chuckle. "Anyway - I do this sometimes at the School - but if I were to make a skating rink in the middle of summer, I'd raise some eyebrows." he points out.

And then his attention returns back to his current dance partner. "I thought that Amazonians didn't have fathers - that they're all.. you know.. born of clay and perfect in every way type things?" he asks curiously. "All women, no boys allowed type stuff."

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark's grin becomes a bit more sheepish as Bobby starts to get... something. She finds her balance pretty quickly, but the mechanics of actual skating are another matter entirely. "But at the school it's not a problem, right? I mean everybody *knows* that everybody has powers."

"And I'm not really sure how that works with the Amazons, aside from the obvious. Diana was made of clay or something. But I'm not really an Amazon; at least I wasn't born one." She lets that sink in a moment before clarifying. "My mom's an archeologist, like I said. My dad is..." Cassie hesitates for a moment, then adds in a softer voice. "... Zeus."

Iceman has posed:
"Yeah. Kind of the point of the school. All birds of a feather and all that." Bobby responds, "It's about teaching them what they need to be in society as well as helping learn to use their powers responsibly..." As Cassie starts to gain her balance. "See, like riding a bike. Ready to take the training wheels off?" he asks, squeezing her hands.

And just as he starts to release her. "So you weren't born but.." Then the bombshell hits - bombshell being appropriate, because that's what she is. "Zeus?" he echoes, and in his surprise, he starts to fall over this time towards the ice knocked off balance at the thought.

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark lets out a soft sigh, shaking her head. "Oh I was born normal enough, really. And I do mean 'normal' in every sense of the word. Then Diana lived with us for a while, working with my mom. I... helped her. With hero-things. And when the Amazons got called up to Olympus I offered testimony on their behalf."

She squeezes his hands right back, letting the grip relax to start moving on her own.

"I pulled Zeus aside and asked him for real superpowers. That's when he admitted that he's my da-..." Bobby starts to fall over, then, and Cassie's close enough to go down with him. Except neither one actually falls. Her skates leave the ice and she catches him, the pair hovering inches off the frozen surface.

Iceman has posed:
Having expected to hit the ice fully, it's not a human that Cassie finds in her arms, but a man fully encased in a layer of ice. "Sorry, defensive mechanism." Bobby offers with a chuff of laughter before he starts to bring the ice back down around him, and he considers. "So you like have Fates and Helen of Troy and Muses and Ares and all that mythological stuff as brothers and sisters. That must make Thanksgiving dinners /really/ awkward." There's a laugh at that as he glances behind him.

"You know, usually it's the guy dipping the girl." he points out to her playfully. "Okay. So I have so many questions. But.. I don't want to go all prying. Anyway, let's concentrate on the skating."

Wonder Girl has posed:
Cassie Sandsmark manages not to drop him, all the same. Chuckling, the hovering young woman hols the ice-encased young man. She's incredibly strong, as well. He can feel that much through the coat. Carefully, Cassie sets him down and alights on her skates as well. "Reflexes. Sorry." she murmurs, with a small grin.

"And I'm sure you do. Same with me. I've never seen... you know." She waves to all of him in general. "But no, to answer your question. I'm hardly mythological or anything. Although technically speaking, Ares IS my cousin. He lives on the East Coast, even, but that's all I'm allowed to say."

On the subject of skating, she laughs softly and reaches out to grip his hand firmly. "You lead."

Iceman has posed:
"Total control of ice." Bobby offers as he finds himself settled back up fully onto his feet, and then chuckles. "In the summer, I'm the most popular guy at school." There's a teasing tone at that. "Every family has secrets. And the bigger the family, the bigger the secrets." comes the offer. He's not going to go prying, especially when there's better things to do. Like skating.

With his hand settled into hers, he returns the grip and then starts to take off across the ice, keeping up pace, but starting to show more confidence - now that he's sure that even if Cassie falls, she won't land on her face.