Balance Isn't Everything [Selina]

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Gymnastics has been... not what Charlotte expected. Of course, that's almost by default - she didn't know what to expect. At first it was very boring though, but then again that's only because it all seemed so simple. Still, even though she'd mastered things like somersaults and cartwheels when she was a kid, just for fun, she hadn't tried either in years so the muscle memory was only sort of still there. Well, and hitting puberty and everything since then means that her balance is way off. But having to go back and remaster such simple things was boring, even if the only response she could get to that complaint was that you needed to get the basics down solidly. At least it was just a matter of a couple of weeks before she was mercifully allowed to move on to trickier things - things she didn't do when she was a kid.

And some things are certainly easier than others. On the floor exercises, headstands are easy. Handstands, not so much. Bridges are really hard too. And it's all very frustrating to her because she knows exactly how to accomplish these moves in her head, but her body just won't obey. They should be easy. Especially since her balance in a headstand is perfect, so her handstand shouldn't be so wobbly, right? Especially since she can already do a few supposedly harder skills already without much trouble - the ones that don't involve a handstand or a bridge.

Of course, what Charlotte doesn't know, being so new to all of this, is that the problem is that her natural talent can only take her so far before she runs into another limiting factor. Just because you have the body awareness and control required to put yourself in the right position doesn't mean that you have the strength and flexibility to do it. To make it worse, it also doesn't mean that you have the stamina to keep trying it over and over again - which is irritating to Charlotte because she gets only so many tries before she needs a break. Of course, all of this will get resolved if she just keeps trying and lets her body work up to it, but after quickly making it through the very basics, suddenly finding herself stalling on things that are still so fundamental to the 'funner' stuff she sees some of the more advanced girls at school doing from time to time is kind of hard on her. (Especially the ones that inform her that they mastered what she's been doing when they were half her age - ugh!)

The only thing that keeps her sane is that she's started on learning the basics of the equipment now, and going through the drills with those is a nice break from the reminders of all the things that she can't do. Right now she's working on the balance beam, which is what she's best at right now. She can walk along it with ease, balance on one foot, pivot, and even perform some basic jumps without worrying about falling. She does need more practice before she can reliably do all the pivots and jumps without wobbling too much, but that's exactly what she's working on now. Though a really trained eye would note that her real problem isn't balance - when she starts to throw her weight around with such a narrow base of support, her core strength just isn't enough to keep her steady. That doesn't mean that she's not going to try, though...

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She wasn't that late. And she was glad to see Charlotte had been able to navigate the way to class on her own. Not that there had been doubts, but she does wonder, and worry sometimes. It's new territory for her in a multitude of ways, and it seems they're both doing...better.

So as she climbs into the standard bleachers that are set up for friends, and family to observe, encourage, and whatever else, she has to admit it's all fascinating to her. Once she herself had done floor practice, the bars-all of it. And thanks to her extracurricular adventures, she is still in damn good shape. At this point, she is curious if the parents, and/or coaches will use the same equipment. Then again, if she's noticed at having skill, and good skill, at that, if she'll be asked to help more.

Can she make time for that?

Possibly.

This, she could make time for. So as she finds her spot in the bleachers, her eyes follow this girl, to that girl, back to Charlotte as she notes she is good, but struggling a bit. 99% there. And that's not a bad thing, considering it will provide the motivation. And the opening for more 'training' per se. Phone is taken from her bag and set beside her, as she'd had the decency to change into something less 'office' and more 'going to see the kid's mat practice.' Not quite mom-chic, but it's jeans, boots, and a sweater, which is her go-to non 'suit' look. And it's comfy.

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Just because the balance beam is what she's best at right now doesn't mean that it doesn't take Charlotte quite a bit of concentration, so she doesn't notice when Selina arrives to watch her practice. That's another thing that she tends to have going for her: concentration. The gym is full of the sounds of chattering girls (and occasional boy), the occasional loud command from one of the instructors, and the clatter of this or that piece of equipment taking a pounding. But focus is key to what she's doing if she doesn't want to make a misstep, so she tunes all of that out and concentrates on herself.

Especially since she's not using the floor beam and is working alone - she doesn't have anyone spotting her. Which is fine, since she knows exactly what she's working on and she's not doing anything right now that she's likely to fall off about, and even then the short drop onto padding isn't bad from the height she is reaching during her little basic jumps. But it's more psychological than anything - she knows that if anything goes bad there will be a little fall and it's all on her. This simply prompts her to be that much more careful as she practices.

Leg up, arms forward, forward leap onto the other leg, wobble, Arabesque, Coupé step, repeat to the other end of the beam, pivot turn, wobble, repeat going the other way

Each time she wobbles, her forehead wrinkles in frustration. She should be able to do this and remain steady - this is an easy one. What doesn't help is that she knows that even if she got her pivots and jumps more steady, she's not going to be able to progress that much further on even the balance beam until she gets her handstands on the ground down solidly. But in spite of her obvious frustration, she manages to shake it off each time and regain focus for the rest of the movements in the drill. As Selina well knows, Charlotte has a bit of a stubborn streak, and in this case it's causing her to keep at it. She will get this down. She will!

The people on the bleachers are an interesting mix of people - all the way from people who didn't have the decency to change since being at the office, to those that most definitely couldn't afford to have their child at the school without a scholarship if their clothing is any indication. Given the number of parents and others there and the number of girls practicing, the parental involvement here is... mixed. And among those present, some are more present than others - there's more than one who is far more absorbed in an electronic device than they are in keeping an eye on whichever gymnast they're here to watch, while on the other hand there's more than one so engaged that they're yelling out the occasional bit of encouragement. In fact, one mother down at the other end near a younger girl working on a floor exercise goes so far as to get up and 'assist' the instructor correcting her daughter's form - which obviously annoys the instructor, but he doesn't protest.

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If there is anything Selina has learned, is it's a subtle give and take with the teen. Right now as she's repeating a routine, there is no need for her to go running. And considering the girl's concentration and level of dedication to whatever she puts her mind to, there is no reason for her to interfere. So while she sips at her coffee now and again, her focus drifts from 'her' child, to others that are at quite varying levels of skill, practice, and expertise.

Just her being there is a form of support, and one of those non-intrusive, non-embarrassing ones. If anything, another father waves to her from a few rows back, and they make a bit of small talk about their respective children that are experimenting, or practicing.

After that conversation is done, one of Charlotte's teachers spots Selina as well, as she has children in the school as well. It's a lovely facility, one that enables creativity and focus on certain things, but still makes sure the basics are taken. But if a student shows a certain aptitude for one thing or the other, it's highly encouraged to explore it.

It's a freedom within walls, and Selina liked the idea, especially considering it's a bit more flexible than a normal private offering, but better than Gotham's public schools.

Better teachers, programs, and the parents are actually heard. As the teacher and Selina chatter about this and that, it's brought up how well Charlotte is getting along. Even if she is a bit quiet at times, she does show the sort of attitude that if she is behind, or not quite getting something, she -will- ask, or work at it until she understands the concept.

And for her going from the streets, to that, more than validate Selina's choice. And maybe even warms her heart a bit.

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Though she hadn't been at this for very long before Selina arrived, it takes Charlotte only one more trip down the beam before her legs are aching enough that she's sure that she deserves a break. So she turns a little and dismounts. The only dismounting move she knows so far is simply hopping off the side of the beam, but she sticks the landing - though she wobbles a lot again. Sigh.

Now that she doesn't have to concentrate, it's much easier to see how she feels about her practice - very, very frustrated. She was making so much good progress, but then... She walks over to the edge of the gym floor, scooping up a waterbottle she left there and sitting there to rest. After taking a sip from her waterbottle, she starts to fiddle with it while she stews.

It's not having to work hard that gets to her, it's that she's used to a better payoff than sore muscles and few signs of improvement. Well, that and the more experienced girls. It's not that they tease her - in fact, given the relaxed nature of the school it's actually quite surprising to some just how strict they are about teasing - but their idle comments about how long ago they mastered what and just the fact that they're around being so much better at all this than she is kind of rankles her. Especially when it looked like she'd have no trouble catching up to them in the beginning, but now?

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Watching Charlotte's progress makes her glad they both chose this class, instead of many of the others offered. The previous ones would have been too easy, and later ones would have been a bit more difficult. This one has enough of the basics that the teen can practice, but is still pushed a teeny bit beyond her current skillset. Which Selina is of course making notes on, considering there are a few areas that continue to crop up no matter what Charlotte attempts.

Perhaps a bit of one on one work at home can help. But for now, she's going to keep her seat where she is, instead of rushing down and making a scene. Charlotte knew she was going to be here for the practice, and will spot her sooner or later. It seems as it is, the students practicing are taking a small break, and then rotating equiptment. Interesting.

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As she's not necessarily in the rotation with the rest of the class, Charlotte doesn't pay much attention as the rest of the girls start to shift to different equipment - she still wants to practice more on the beam. And the reason for that it simple: it's much more pleasant to work on things you feel you're better at. However, the number of girls wanting to use the beams now is only equal to the number of beams available if the one Charlotte was using is included, so one of the instructors walks over to her and asks, "Charlotte, are you still using this beam?"

"I was just taking a break..." Charlotte says quickly, clearly reluctant to give it up.

"Well you've been here for awhile..." the instructor comments, clearly expecting her to give it up anyway.

"Amanda can't use the floor beam?" Charlotte tries, referring to the practice beam that the beginners use, which has no height whatsoever. But the instructor's shaking head destroys that idea.

"The vault is available..." the instructor notes, looking in the direction of the springboard and then giving Charlotte a significant look.

That suggestion prompts an immediate face from Charlotte. She really, really doesn't like practicing the vault and she's betting that the instructor knows it. Everyone probably knows it, actually. But after a moment she decides to take the suggestion as a challenge. "Fine," Charlotte says, as if the idea doesn't bother her in the least. Though once she leaves the balance beams behind, her body language tells a different story.

Especially when a random glance-around as she heads over there finally causes her to notice that Selina is on the bleachers. Oh, great, not only is she going from balance beam to vault, her audience is here. The timing... The smile she casts in Selina's direction is a bit... mixed - kind of a 'I'm glad you're here' but also a 'I don't really want to be watched just now...' Because she is quite happy to have Selina see how she's doing here, but on the other hand, there is that bit of extra nervousness, and the last thing she needs when she's vaulting is more nerves. So after letting Selina know that she's been noticed, she tries to put her presence out of her head.

First she goes over and checks the high mats past the springboard that serves as both vaulting table and landing mat - gymnasts at her level aren't expected to land a vault properly, instead focusing on learning to run, hurdle onto the springboard, and get their hands into position for what will become a proper vault once they reach a higher level. The 'landing' for them is more of a controlled fall onto a mat at the same level as the vault. Once she's done checking the mats, Charlotte takes the time to check them again. Then she catches the attention of one of the assistant instructors to come spot her. Having done that, she sighs to herself as she notes that she's now run out of things to delay about and walks to the end of the runway.

The thing about Charlotte and the vault is that it's far more of a psychological thing than a physical one. It just doesn't seem... right to her. When she reaches the right position on the runway, she takes her time getting herself ready. Then suddenly she's off... for a few steps, before she slows and stops. Okay, so she wasn't quite ready, no big deal... She goes back to her starting position and tries again. This time she runs the whole way, but just before she reaches the springboard she loses her nerve and instead jumps over it, landing between it and the high mats she's supposed to vault onto - letting the side of them bring her to a soft stop instead. Completely unhurt, she nevertheless gets an impatient look from the woman waiting to spot her. "Sorry..." she mutters quietly, trying to shake that off. She just needs to do it. That's all. She's clearly mentally kicking herself as she heads back to the starting position on the runway again.

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Harvey strode in, looking down at his phone making sure he was at the right address Selina texted to him. He put his phone away looking over the place, he watched all the kids for a moment before looking up to the bleachers, searching for Selina up there. He spotted her and began heading up toward her.

His eyes were still black from breaking his nose but the swelling had gone down and his eyes weren't puffy like they were a couple of days ago. his right arm was in a cast and in a sling with something holding his elbow in place, not allowing him to bend it or extend it. His coat was over his shoulders, concealing it to a certain degree. He made the climb up to her and settled beside her, kissing her cheek as he was always wont to do.

"Hey, I'm still at work, but I'm on lunch. What's up?"

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Catching the teen's smile, she grins back, a certain fondness blossoming in her stomach. If her foot wasn't still bugging her, she'd be one of the parents helping out. Or more..demonstrating. She'd had a lengthy chat with one of the coaches, stating her desire to help the kids, but a current injury had her laid out. A re-break in her foot. The coach had understood, and was grateful for the help. At first she had been skeptical, but Selina had invested time in coming to practices, and Selina had paid attention to some of the girls. A well-executed handstand had also convinced the woman, the ankle wrap clearly visible when she heavily favored her right foot, instead of her left when dismounting.

So while Charlotte is grumping about having to swap equipment, Selina's attention is drawn elsewhere. The suit climbing the bleachers is impressive. His fedora is pulled low, she notices oddly, until he sits beside her. Her eyes go wide as he comes close, the damage vivid.

Mouth dropping open, she's oblivious for the time of what 'her' child is doing on the mats. "I...lunch. It's late, seriously, Theo. Shit." She whispers the last word, aware of the more 'proper' parents around them. Her fingers tilt up his hat slightly so she can take in all the damage. Broken nose, minor swelling, a few abrasions, and random scrapes.

...and then she notices his arm. "You're kidding me. This wasn't from that explosion..." And the look in his eyes confirm it for her. Broken arm, in an immobilizer. Fuck. No wonder he had given her bogus 'working, doll, rain-check' responses to everything. Then again, she had been hiding her re-injured ankle from him, too. Thankfully she'd been able to make do with wrapping it, and wearing boots. Lifting his jacket slightly, she peers at his arm before reaching in and gently touching the setup they locked him in. Satisfied, she tugs the shoulder straight, and shakes her head.

"Lunch break. You're always working, Theo. But thank you for doing this. I wanted you to meet Charlotte." As she's talking to him, her eyes are scanning for where the teen moved to. Ah. The vault. Not Kit's favorite, but she's slowly learning that working at things she doesn't like, gets her there. And she's stubborn.

Pointing out the raven-haired teen at the vault, she is only now noticing the different gawkers staring at her. Rolling her eyes, she really doesn't care, and finally presses a kiss to his cheek as well, lingering a bit to whisper, "Either you're being recognized, or the other parents think you're my husband." Pulling away, she grins at that. There are worse things in the world than being faux-married to the Gotham City Police Lieutenant, Major Crimes Division, Detective Bullock. Much worse.

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On her way back into position, Charlotte tries to resist looking up at the bleachers to see how Selina reacted to her missed vault, but eventually she can't help herself. Though when she does look up, instead she sees the woman fussing over some man that came in. She's definitely not in the mood to speculate about who he is, and the way that she looks like she's talking to him makes Charlotte quickly decide that she doesn't want to know.

Trying to shake her thoughts about that off so that she can concentrate on the vault, she tells herself that at least it looks like she doesn't have to worry about Selina watching her vaulting... even though that's supposed to be why she's here... Running again, this time she's able to convince herself to jump off the springboard. However, when she tries to vault onto the high mats, she proves to not have enough momentum and starts falling back in the wrong direction. Fortunately, the woman spotting her is quick to grab her and help her land safely in spite of that.

"You need to go faster, Charlotte," she advises.

"I know, I know..." Charlotte replies quietly, her irritation at being told the obvious only adding to her frustration with the fact that it happened in the first place.

Walking back into position again, she tries to not think about how she has another thing to shake off now. Instead she just tries to concentrate on the movements that she needs to make - picturing it her head in great detail, down to just how it will physically feel as she puts her body through those motions. Staring down the runway, she runs again. Again she jumps off the springboard and this time she has plenty of momentum to get herself into the proper handstand on the high mat. She can't hold that position for more than a split second, but she turns it into a smooth forward roll. Ah, that's it! She's not silly enough to cheer for herself, but as she hops off the high mat there's a satisfied smile on her face.

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Harvey turned his attention to Charlotte as she prepared for her vault, ran it and succeeded. Harvey couldn't help it, it was like seeing one of his little sisters playing one of their sports when they were that age. Harvey stood, that natural instinct kicking in.

As soon as she landed and smiled he put his fingers to his mouth and a loud whistle that his rookies hated emerged from him.

He pumped his fist and hissed, pleased that she nailed it. He sighed, happily, and suddenly realized he was on his feet and tons of parents were giving him stink eyes. His badge glinted at all of them and they seemed to turn their heads quickly. He sat back down and looked to Selina.

"Man, that was friggin' bad ass. Who is she, a niece or somethin'?"

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The run she did see went great. Especially for a skill she wasn't the best at. A hand pressed to her mouth, a sharp intake of air passing through her fingers. She'd did it!

Beaming with pride, Selina waved, turning to see Theo bolt upright with more than enough enthusiasm for the both of him. Slightly envious at his whistle, she laughed at his cheer. She'd never been able to master the stuff all your fingers in your mouth and make a whistle out of it. It was just practice, but hell, when kids did well, they deserved to know it.

Her hand went to touch at his wrist gently, but he handled it. All the prissy parents on their cells were staring, but whatever he did when he turned, she didn't catch, and people looked away.

When he turned back to her, she cringed at how beat up he looked. "No. She's mine." There was a beat as her eyes searched his. "I was brought down to the station because one of the female officers was out. I'm her legal guardian for now."

Honestly, if he had been there that day, no doubt he'd have taken her under his wing. She'd have bet good money on that. Her words were quiet, made just for his ears as she waved to the teen again, giving her a thumbs up.

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The noise coming from the bleachers wipes the smile off of Charlotte's face just as quickly as it appeared. Holy crap, that's embarrassing! Giving them a glance out of the corner of her eye just to confirm that yes, it's them making a scene, and yes, it's for her. Cringing away from that, she intentionally avoids looking in their direction now, doing her best to make it seem to any outside observer that she has absolutely no affiliation with them whatsoever. In fact, she's done with vaulting! She hadn't really wanted to do it anyway, and she did it successfully, so never mind that nobody else has moved yet - she's done!

Since the balance beams are still taken, that means her options now are floor drills or bar drills. Pursing her lips, she walks over to an empty bar - if anything that will punish them for their enthusiastic display. Because right now she needs to practice holding herself in the various positions above it to learn to hold the correct form and strengthen her arms, and she also needs to practice her kip. If they're going to be embarrassing, then she's going to be boring. So there.

Pulling over a spare block of padding, she stands on it to give her some extra height so that she can jump up and hold herself above the bar more easily. Holding herself there, she shifts from a rounded back position to an arched back position and back again, trying to keep her movement smooth and her form perfect without compromising her balance.

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Harvey turned to Selina. He looked at her with a new light in his eyes. God, why can't you be my baby momma?

"Wow, look at you, you're a mom now, sort of. Man, never thought I'd live to see the day, baby."

Harvey looked back at the girl. He saw that smile leave her face. He just narrowed his gaze, suddenly looking a bit grudgy.

"Awww, she got all embarrassed, ha! Deal with it, kiddo."

Harvey sighed. He was kind of in hog heaven right now. This brought back some memories. He remembered when Gretchen used to get mad at him when he'd nearly get himself kicked out of her field hockey games, or when Susan would get mad at him when he nearly picked fights with referees at her tennis matches, or when Laverne would beam, searching for him in the crowd at her recitals. Harvey just leaned back letting the good times roll through his mind.

"Mmm, I miss this. Thanks for texting me. Even if she's bein' a brat."

Harvey chuckled playfully.

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She blushed, she couldn't help it. He looked at her, and it wasn't hard to see what he was not only saying, but asking. But she couldn't.

"Kinda, sort. She has a family...but they're in prison. And a brother. The foster mother is a cunt." She gets a glare from some blonde to their left, and Selina ignores her. "She's rather serious. Gifted though. But she's at that age where any form of anything overzealous just...gets that attitude." She was once a moody 16 year old, too. But she'd have given anything for a section of over-enthusiast cheerleaders.

As he leaned back, she slipped something into the breast-pocket of his jacket. "Read that over later for me, will ya? And...yeah. I really have no experience with this. But I know you do, and better to have at my side?"
He was eating it up. She was good at pretended not to be nervous all the damn time.

"She'll stop with the attitude, right?" Selina asked quietly.