How Green Becomes Wood

"Yeah," She mumbled, "We probably would've made it if we weren't all running." After daring to look at him again, she hurried to her feet and retreated to Sloan's side.

Sloan, meanwhile, caught Xander's glance but didn't even know how to react. She definitely had to talk to Claire about this before anyone else, but since she didn't want to embarrass her, she just handed Claire her shrug back and asked, "Have we fully figured out this contraption, do you think?"
 
"Probably!" Alec rolled out from under the arm and popped to his feet. "I think we've fully figured it out! Ready to go again?"

"I've got it made," Xander said from the ground.

Alec reached out with his foot and nudged him. "Come on! Come out here and get hopping!"

Xander grumbled but rolled to his feet and stepped to the side. "Alright, alright, let's do this."
 
Xander smirked at her. "Bring it, Slo."

"You guys are so competitive," Alec laughed. "Real quick, does it count if the thing touches you, or does it have to knock you off the circle?"
 
"Touched," Xander agreed. "Just getting knocked off makes this way too easy."

"I prefer easier, but all right, touched it is!" Alec agreed, stretching a little. "And here it comes!" He hopped up high, clearing the arm with ease, but how long could he keep that up?
 
Sloan and Claire, being both gymnasts, cleared the arm without much issue, since it was designed to be playable for the average customer, which certainly wasn't highly trained athletes.
 
Xander was an athlete, of sorts, but it wasn't the type of athletics that really focused on jumping. Still, he was absolutely determined not to be the first to fall. Surely he could last longer than his clumsy brother, right? Right!

Alec, for his part, was too busy trying not to tire himself out too fast and keep on the circle to see what the others were doing.
 
Sloan and Claire were pretty locked in. They couldn't say it was easy, but the rhythm was pretty consistent, they both knew how to jump high, and in everything they did, timing was everything.
 
Alec and Xander did pretty well. Timing meant a lot in both of their hobbies, but all they were were hobbies. Not lifestyles like gymnastics.

Xander fell first. His legs were more accustomed to shoving, giving leverage, and running, not jumping, and they were getting tired. He didn't quite clear the arm, and he went tumbling with more words that parents would probably frown at.

Alec laughed in glee, which almost cost him dearly. He managed three more hops, and then he was out. He sat with Xander leaning against the padded wall and watched the gymnasts work their skills.
 
The sight of both twins failing in such quick succession almost made Claire lose, but Sloan stayed focused. It was just for fun and now that she hadn't lost, it wasn't like there was any benefit to taking first, but for her it was more about the physicality of it than anything. Then, Claire slightly mistimed a jump, barely managing not to be hit. In this moment, Sloan looked at her friend to see if she had won, which threw off her own rhythm. She thought she cleared the arm fine, but when she landed, one foot hit it, and she wouldn't fallen over if her balance wasn't so finely trained.

Laughing it off, she went over to Claire, "I'll beat you next time girl," she said, high-fiving her friend in congratulations.

"The important thing is we beat the boys!"
 
Alec clapped enthusiastically from his seated position. "Nicely done! Both of you! Good job, Claire! You win all the bragging rights!"

Xander had one arm draped loosely behind Alec because that was comfortable, so he didn't bother to clap. "Nice," he said instead, nodding. "Pretty decent showing from the pair of you."

"Girls rule and boys drool?" Alec suggested.

Xander made a face. "Don't need to go that far."
 
"You both will just go to Jupiter," Claire joked, "But I'll definitely brag about this to the team."

"I only lost because I saw you almost whiff it," Sloan teased back, "Should we eat now and take a break, or do you want to do more here? I know they also have trampoline dodgeball."
 
"Hmm, I vote we keep going," Alec said.

"I say we all keep going until we're all so tired we can't even think of eating," Xander said.

Alec laughed and stood. "You aren't going to get away from paying for lunch that easily. I say we work up big appetites and then go get lunch and fill up full into a food coma."
 
"Xander, I don't think it's possible for you to be too tired to want to eat," Sloan teased, "I've seen you at lunch."

"And I've seen you after a meet," Claire teased Sloan, walking with them to another section of the park. Pointing ahead, she looked at a roped off section with a sign stating it was only to be used by patrons under a certain low height. Inside were trampolines, of course, but also climbing blocks and other toys designed for toddlers and very early elementary aged kids, "Aw look, it's sweet they have a safe area for little kids."
 
Xander snorted. "Fair."

"Oh, that's perfect!" Alec grinned. He reached for his phone. "I should take a picture and send it to Ba so he can see. Mama was asking if there was a place for... where's my phone?"

"In the locker with mine. You'll have to do your best describing it," Xander said dryly. "Alright, who's picking the next bouncy torture device?"
 
"Oh right, Sloan was telling me you have a baby sister. It looks like the kids in there are having fun." She turned to Xander, "Have you picked yet?"

"He ran straight into a wall a few times," Sloan replied.

"...Oh? Well---I'm sure that was very..." She grappled for the right word, her face twisted up in an amused, confused grin, "...Enlight...ening?"
 
"Extremely," Xander said straight-faced. "But since no one would join me," he looked significantly at Sloan, "can I have a real pick? If I can, I choose the battle beam deal."

Alec watched Claire, wondering at her reaction to his brother's... odd choices in life. She was clearly confused, a fair reaction, but seemed more amused than anything else. She wasn't rolling her eyes or anything else in response.
 
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