A few days after the events of Moxie at Moxie, Cut and Asp went to do some rock climbing and to get to know each other better.
Introductions
The two members of the Veiled Threats met up at Pipeworks, a local rock climbing establishment. The two shared names, and Cut was very excited about his decision to bring some Gatorade to the party.[1] The pair chatted about climbing. Cut described his work as a cabler and how he knew how to climb as a result, but did not climb for fun.
- 'I mean, not recreation style. Phone companies, there's some climbing. Poles, towers, sides of building, that sort of thing. Churches suck, by the way. Cabling the, hmmmm, nave, I think it's called. So I've done a little? But never a wall. Or, ummm, like a mountain.”[2] -Cut
The pair discussed their interests. Cut asked Asp about the music she had been listening to when first they had met[3]. She shamefully admitted that it was LMFAO and other upbeat, generally bad party music:
- 'What? It's not good music, but it keeps me from getting bored and has a good tempo for running...'[4] -Asp
- 'Oh, totally, I get it. Like, I don't dance to crappy music.' -Cut[5]
Cut explained that he did card tricks for fun[6], and Asp expressed a serious interest in seeing some of those. She was from Vegas, after all! They came to an agreement: Cut would show her tricks if Asp promised not to tell anybody if he fell.
- 'How about a deal? You get the show if you promise not to tell anyone if I fall?' -Cut[7]
The Climb
Asp and Cut began to climb, the Guardian and the Arrow going through a tortoise-and-hare sort of race. Cut was slow and steady, never falling except for the very beginning. Asp, on the other hand, was all starts and stops. Cut unintentionally fired the feisty lady up by taunting her after he got ahead:
- 'That. Urrrrgh. All. You. Got?'[8] -Cut
As a result of the taunt, she got competitive and sloppy, barely managing to catch herself from falling. Cut continued his slow, steady pace, and Asp burst ahead before nearly falling again and injuring her arm. Ultimately, the two climbers tied and took a rest at the top to drink some water and chat[9].
- 'Nice climb. You're pretty good at this, man.'[10] -Asp
At the Top
- Oh. My. God.'[11] -Cut
After a quick fistbump of victory, Cut lay on his back, panting away. Asp offered him some of her ever-present Evian water and gazed out over Pipeworks. They discussed the climb. Cut said that she did not need to babysit him, and Asp made an admission:
- 'I was getting annoyed at myself for not performing.'[12] -Asp
Cut asked her if her competitive nature was why she joined the Adamantine Arrow. Asp explained that she joined for the honour, the drive to improve oneself and the camaraderie that Arrows shared.[13]
- 'I spoke to people, and this club just sort of resonated for me. Honesty. Self-improvement. Teamwork. Camaraderie. It's nice to be part of a brotherhood like that, you know?'[14] -Asp
Asp asked Cut about where he was from. He explained that he was chasing the magic dream:
- 'Confession: I'm a small town kid. Like, every time you talk about Vegas... it sounds pretty exotic. I just moved around a lot. Chasing the dream. The whole magic thing. Thought, you know, I'd make something of myself. Had to keep stopping to do work and pay the bills.'[15] -Cut
Their climb completed, Cut offered to show her a trick once they were at the bottom.
The Trick
Asp and Cut discussed how things went. Cut was not that much of a fan of recreational climbing, but the pair found common ground on enjoying ultimate frisbee. Perhaps that was what led Cut to the trick he chose: a card throw.
With the assistance of little bit of Matter magic, Cut took aim at a bottle resting on Asp's hand ten yards away. With a flick of his wrist, he struck the difficult target successfully, leaving the card buried in the plastic. Asp was very impressed[16].
With a little bit of banter, having enjoyed themselves, the two Awakened said their goodbyes and parted for the night.
