3nanashi | (no subject)

X, all the way across the wire, stifles a laugh.

She is not very practiced at it.

(And it startles her every time.)

Trowa notes X's evident hearing abilities.

Also, that she's picked something reasonably amusing to laugh at! (Also, the startlement, but he politely ignores that. Which is not to say it doesn't go into the mental dossier.)

Quizzically unhelpful deadpan is a lot harder to effectively do over a voice-only phone. (This is one of the reasons Trowa doesn't like voice-only phones all that well.) Giving it a go anyway is always an option, but he opts for: "Mm?"

"When did the two of you become good enough friends for you to invite her for a visit?"

It's obviously not just because Duo is friends with her. Sure, Trowa trusts his judgement, but that's different than bringing someone 'home' to meet Cathy and his co-workers.

"We've talked some."

Or, more relevantly, companionably failed to talk a lot.

"And she was interested."

Trowa doesn't shrug, because: phone. He doesn't believe in pointless gestures. "A while."

There, Duo. An extra-long answer, just for you.

X, while paying attention to Trowa and Duo's conversation, has also begun making her way along the wire.

Carefully, if not particularly slowly.

Just to get the feel of it.

"I need new friends," Duo says in a mournful tone. "But I'll come supervise you anyway. It'll have to be after work. When should I show up?"

"The show's at 1800."

So . . . whenever he wants! And whenever his shift allows.

That does mean that X is going to be on her own from about 1715 on, but Trowa suspects she's pretty good at keeping herself occupied. Boredom is kind of silly.

"I'll find you when I can. Don't let the lions eat X, she'll give them indigestion."

He hangs up.

"I am faster than the lions," X observes, once Duo has stopped talking.

And, presumably, once Trowa has put away his phone.

"You do not have to worry."

"I wasn't."

Truth!

Though it's useful information about her reflexes.

X almost smiles, but not quite.

"I know."

Then they are in accord!

(Trowa's not smiling either, as such. But he's pretty relaxed; it maybe almost counts.)

He doesn't say okay, because there's no need. Just lapses back into silence, and lets X continue to explore the tightrope.

Either she's been on one before, or she's got excellent balance. Trowa didn't learn this fast, and he had Catherine assuming from day one that he'd learned the basics before.

Excellent balance comes with the territory. That and ruthless training.

It makes her adaptable. (And she's run across similarly narrow things before, if ones with a bit less give. It helps.)

She crosses over to Trowa's side of things, stepping carefully off the wire and onto the platform. Then she tilts her head a bit, looking up at him.

He would like to show her some things now?

Sure.

He sets the phone down again on the platform -- X can be trusted not to step on it, and there's no particular reason to hang onto it for this -- and steps out onto the wire.

There's always a certain amount of care involved in crossing a wire. But this has been Trowa's day job for the past seven years, and it's always come naturally to him; there's none of the caution X employed.

Trowa's never particularly cared about showing off. He's not opposed, but he feels no drive to do so for its own sake. Doing acts for an audience is different; that's a performance and a job, not personal.

However, he's fine with providing an example for X of what can be done on a low wire, and what his job entails.

Accordingly, when he reaches the middle of the wire, he sets himself briefly (very briefly) and does a simple flip.

Less simple ones will follow.

X studies Trowa's movements with a gimlet eye, making note of his technique as well as his timing.

And the amount of force he exerts on the wire.

And how he determines where his feet will land.

It is interesting.

And when he is done --

Maybe she will see her way to trying a simple flip.

Just because.

That may have been part of Trowa's intention in starting with a simple move.

Learning, and teaching, through observation has always been the most intuitive to him.

He follows it with a couple of variations -- a one-footed start, a layout, a roll along the wire into a double flip. He keeps the pace deliberate for X, although to be honest the tightrope necessitates a certain amount of that anyway.

X labels the roll into the double flip as a bit advanced for her current abilities. But maybe, if the simple flip goes well, she will try the layout.

It is not very different from some of what she has done in actual combat.

This always helps.

A few more tricks, and then five tidy steps backward take him to the far platform. He doesn't need to look back to step onto it with assurance; he got a look before he landed the last one, and in any case he could cross this wire blindfolded by now. (And has.) He's still breathing easily. This is much easier than a full routine, and between shows and practice sessions he does those multiple times a day.

X gets a glance. Does she want to try some more?

X meets Trowa's look, then steps back out onto the wire.

Nodding would be superfluous.

A few steps takes her away from the platform -- and she mimics the initial distance Trowa maintained before starting his series of maneuvers.

It seems like a sensible precaution.

She holds herself very still for one breath, two, and then launches the flip.

Her landing is wobbly, and she holds her arms out sharply (and awkwardly) for balance, brow furrowing.

It stays that way through the next flip, and the next --

But not the one after that.

Huh.

Trowa gives her time to work through it.

It takes some trial and error to get the feel for it. And she doesn't need any help.

(Plus, he's a sucky teacher. Although X is the kind of student he does best with: already good at the subject.)

X works through a few more, until she has the feeling down.

There's something significantly more relaxed about her shoulders afterward -- and the set of the rest of her body, as well.

Even if she is not smiling.

It is comfortable to do the things you are good at.

Especially when it does not involve killing anyone.

Yeah.

It is.

(Maybe some other time she can try the high wire, if she wants. And if the ringmaster okays it.

Or if the ringmaster isn't looking. Whatever.)

With most people he wouldn't do this, but X has the right kind of experimental mindset, and has the basics down. He sets a foot lightly on the wire, gives her a moment to adjust to the feel, and then steps onto it.

There's a flicker of startlement in her expression, but it doesn't last.

She gets focused, instead. And she does not bother to hide it.

The slight tilt of her head, once her balance has been regained, asks 'what next?'

It's a genuine question.

Trowa doesn't shrug, mostly because he doesn't need to.

It's a different challenge to maintain your balance with another variable added. That's all.

If she wants to try a flip again, or to stay on the wire while he does, they can do that. (This is communicated by infinitesimal shifts of the head and eyes. Friendship with Cass and X has not helped Trowa's tendency to neglect to use his words.) Otherwise, it's pretty much more of the same until she wants to move on.

He figures that there's no real reason to branch out into double tricks. Especially since that's harder to teach solo, and there's no performance goal for it.

There's a momentary flicker in the set of X's body as she thinks over the offer.

Then she tilts her chin at Trowa. Fractionally.

He can go first. So she will know what to compensate for.

Better than she does now, anyway.