Skydancer walked into the giant gymnasium for the first of what she hoped to be many times. Entering a gym wasn't something she was a stranger too, having spent the majority of her childhood in such places. Entering a gym since becoming a mutant and for the purposes of joining the circus, however, was. She wore light gym shorts and a tee shirt because a gym was no place to play dress-up. For once she didn't have her now common blond wig instead opting to remain bald. Wigs were simply not very useful at the gym.

Around Skydancer she could see several other athletes practising their trade and if she hadn't spent half her life becoming a master gymnast, it might have been much more breathtaking. Hell, for that matter it was still rather breathtaking as an acrobat attempting things that even a gymnast would shy away from. There was a difference between acrobatics and gymnastics, as the latter had a much more crowd inspiring appeal, a sense of showmanship that she never encounter in the former.

Skydancer sat herself down upon a bench near a wall, her gym bag beside her. She was supposed to meet someone who as going to help her train, to see if she was actually cut out for the circus. This was the thing that would give her life no meaning, a new direction after she had lost her reason for living upon being restricted from her Olympic dreams. No matter what, this was not something she was going to fail.

Sitting and watching the other acrobats at work was an inspiration for Skydancer. She had seen them perform live before, of course, actually at the circus, but practice was always something a little different. It was more authentic, somehow, away from all the glitz and glamour of the live show and without the need to pander to the crowd. It was obvious, as well, the sense of camaraderie everyone appeared to feel for one another and it was that, more than anything, that made her nervous. How was she ever to fit into a group that almost seemed like a big extended family?

Skydancer didn't have to wait long before she was approached by a thin, well toned black hair woman. The woman's hair was long and tied in a topknot. "I'm Anise, you must be Skydancer." Her voice was smooth and confident and she held out a hand, without the least bit of hesitation or uncertainty. Skydancer stood up and offered her hand in kind, shaking the other woman's hand in what turned out to be a firm handshake.

"I am. Good to meet you, Anise. You'll be helping me train?" Skydancer met the confident woman with confidence of her own. Just because, on the inside, she was more than a little uncertain about what was to come and her potential place in all of it, didn't mean there was any reason to let it show on the outside. Creating the illusion of confidence was half the battle and that half, at least, was the easy part.

"That I am," Anise agreed with a smile. The smile couldn't exactly be described as warm but it certainly wasn't hostile and, for the time being, Skydancer took that as a good sign. The struggle was going to be gaining acceptance with this new family and the key to that, or so she believed, was going to be proving herself. It was the same, all those many years ago, when she had first starting picking up gymnastics. None of the veterans were willing to fully accept the new kid in town until that new kid proved she had what it took to actually seriously compete. This might have been a little different, but the philosophy was the same.

"Let me show you around." Anise turned her back on Skydancer, black hair waving from side to side. Skydancer followed, taking in the sights and sounds of the training facility. It wasn't like any gym she had been in previously, although she could see that was essentially what it was. Everything was specifically designed to further one's skills in acrobatics, from the height of the ceiling to the equipment arrayed throughout. The actual people, male and female alike, completed the image as something truly wondrous.

"This is incredibly impressive." A touch of awe was in Skydancer's voice as she spoke and Anise nodded her acknowledgement of the statement. As the tour of the facility progressed, Anise carried herself in a professional manner just a touch south of being warm. Skydancer would gain her respect, that much she was determined to do, although whether or not her new trainer liked her was far less of a concern. Respect came first, liking would either follow or it woudln't. It was difficult to excel, however, without the respect of one's coach.