The Gym; Early Saturday Afternoon.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

The fact that Cal had slept in a lot later than usual probably didn't help the blur of thoughts that was the inside of his head. Dull and thick and slightly aching, he felt like all the smog of his childhood had collected in his brain in the aftermath of yesterday, a mist thick enough that you would need a spoon to get through it.

A spoon, or perhaps a much needed workout. He'd been slacking off a lot and now, when he needed to focus, when he needed to think, Cal fell into those rhythms of lifting weights. Sweating out the cloudy and confused fog that made yesterday seem like all just one jumping dream of dizziness.

But it hadn't been. He could still feel all those flirtations and touches and kiss tingling in his skin, but he wasn't sure even clearing his mind with some exercise would help him figure out just what it was he thought of all of it.

[[ open for all your gymly needs! ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben trotted into the gym and gave the guy who'd beaten him there a small smile. "Afternoon," he said, heading over towards the punching bag.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Cal greeted back, with a lift of his chin and a slight arch of his eyebrow. He figured the kid must be new, since he didn't look familiar, but he couldn't help thinking he looked kind of young, like Ender. But Ender knew his way around a workout, too, so he shouldn't be too surprised. "How's it going?"

[momslilassassin]

"It's been a few hours since anything drunk and furry has attached itself to my boots, so...good?" Ben replied with a smile.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Well," Cal commented, looking as impressed as his tone indicated, "I see you've been fitting in just fine around here. I'm Cal, by the way. This is usually my home, but I've been out of it lately, so if I've missed you around, that's probably why..."

[momslilassassin]

"It took me a few days to find the gym," Ben admitted. "I'm Ben."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Nice to meet you," Cal nodded, steadily continuing his reps. "You sick of all the 'so where and when are you from?' questions yet?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben stretched out as he replied. "Add in 'and aren't you supposed to be a baby?' to that list and you have my week."

[OOC: Have a good shift!]

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"A baby?" Cal asked, arching a brow. "I mean, you look young, but you're not that young..."

[momslilassassin]

"It's a time thing," Ben explained. "My cousin's here. At home, she's sixteen years older than I am."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari nodded politely toward the other boy in the gym, looking at the treadmill with some trepidation.

[momslilassassin]

"Not used to technology?" he asked with a polite smile, "or just not in the mood to run?"

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"The former," Temari admitted after a moment. "I don't see how these things really help. They just seem like more work to turn on that it would take to the same thing without it."

[momslilassassin]

Ben wandered over to examine the machine. "At home, they can also simulate going up and down, different gravities..." he said, poking experimentally at buttons.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari frowned, thinking about how that would work. "A more advanced place than this?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "It's a different galaxy, though."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Well now, that did throw Temari off for a moment. "It's strange how many places seem to rely on these things."

[momslilassassin]

Ben grinned. "Probably because it rains a lot of places and most beings don't enjoy jogging in the wet."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari was going to try the gym again. Even if the things in it were kinda stupid.

"Sparkles."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

That, of course, earned Temari a smile from the weight machines. "Fanbutt," Cal greeted her back. "Always lovely to see your bright cheerful face."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"If I'm cheerful, you're a damn ball of good cheer," Temari shot back, snorting at him.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"That's right," Cal agreed with a nod. "I am. Bright ball of sunshine, as usual."

And the thing was, as he said it, he realized that maybe he really did have a lot of things to be cheerful about, resulting in the comment being one of somewhat genuine meaning, and he let out a small, short, breath of a laugh at that.

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

"Good date last night?" Yes, she listened to radio. Even if it was drunk.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Yes, actually," Cal said. The workout so far had managed to do its job in clearing his head, leaving behind a sheen of sweat and memories of closeness and teasing and grins that could only add up to something good, right? So he concluded that it had been a success, and perhaps even a turning point. It was impossible not to feel good about that. "Very good."

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari just hummed thoughtfully. "I'll have to meet this Amber girl."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Oh, what?" Cal asked, with a snort that was emphasized by the small grunt that came with the effort of some of the his reps at the end of this set. "So you can pass your all-knowing wisdom and judgment about whether or not she's good for me?"