The Gym, Friday Morning

[vanillajello]

Last chance to dance before spring break. (Please, as if Kate would do anything even remotely useful on a Saturday.)

She'd gotten there early, and started with her routine barre exercises. By now, she was trying to improvise something of a choreography to the music that was playing. It gave her mind something to work on. She'd been thinking in circles too much, lately, and it felt good to concentrate on something like this.

And because she wouldn't mind interruptions, she'd also left a little purple post-it note in the shape of a heart on the door to room 324. It simply said At the dance studio. It would be enough for anyone who wanted to find her.

[ooc: Post is open for all gym/Kate-bothering needs, as always!]

Comments

[therewaslife]

Bod wasn't actually looking for her (or anyone). It'd just been lucky to stumble upon someone while he'd wandered around, checking out places in the dorms he hadn't been before.

Gyms weren't typically places he visited simply because he liked being outside and getting his exercise by walking, climbing, running, and all. Working from the top floor down had just brought him here naturally.

Of course, when he spotted who it was in there, he held back a greeting and went right back to his casual explorations of the gym. Despite it's space, he still felt a little closed in. Hopefully he'd adapt to that soon.

[vanillajello]

As was often the case, Kate had no idea anyone else had come down. Usually it was down to doing the kind of exercises that made her concentrate all her attention inwards, with maybe just a few glances at the mirrors.

Now it was just that she had her eyes closed.

She didn't need to see herself, because this wasn't about things like how perfect the curve of her ankle was or whether her arms were in the right position. She was trying to give herself over to the singer's voice, matching her movements to that.

The song was on repeat; her complete oblivion would last at least until it got to the beginning again.

[therewaslife]

Complete oblivion worked for Bod, in this instance. It meant he could slip around the gym, taking notice of a few things here and there while flicking glances her way.

It didn't surprise him that he didn't know about this side of her (he realize he knew very little) so his interest was perked despite himself. Before leaving home, he'd seen one instance of dancing and it really didn't compare.

He kept his attention light though, finding ways of making himself uninterested for a few moments until he couldn't ignore the curiosity anymore and looked back at her.

[vanillajello]

As the song ended – and then started again – Kate broke herself off from the dance. She hopped in place a few times, and shook her arms a little.

Then she finally opened her eyes, looking down as she tugged on the hem of her tight workout shirt because it insisted on trying to roll up and leave a strip of pale skin exposed between it and her leggins.

And, okay, now she had a feeling she wasn't alone, but her left arm caught her attention. Her sleeves were short, so the gremlin bite scar was visible, and she made a face as she traced it with her fingertips. Stupid island.

[therewaslife]

Noticed or not, Bod still wasn't going to say anything. Obviously, she wasn't paying that much attention and Bod knew how to blend in, make himself as small as possible and be noticed when it was time.

Of course, with her focus elsewhere, he found his own attention drawn to what she was doing. He took in the scar with a quick glance before pulling his eyes away and wondering what had caused it.

On this island, there were many, many options.

[vanillajello]

And there was no way he could ever guess it was from the weirdest coffee date ever.

Kate sighed, lowering her arm, and started towards her bag on the floor near the wall, because she could swear she'd heard her phone buzz some time earlier. Maybe there were text messages to be had.

Only before she got there, she finally glanced around, and stopped, tilting her head to the side as she noticed him.

"... Hi."

[therewaslife]

"Hullo," he said once she'd noticed him. He kept his place, idly leaning a hip against one corner of an unfamiliar piece of equipment. It was comfortable, if anything.

For now, he didn't say anything else. Whether it was from surprise or something else, he'd noticed the hesitation and decided he'd keep things brief on his end until he gauged how things were.

[vanillajello]

Kate blinked a few times. Then she told herself she was looking pretty dumb, just frozen there like that, so she resumed what she was doing, and bent down to get her phone from the bag.

She looked back at him once she straightened up, phone in hand. "So did you come here for a workout?"

[therewaslife]

"No," he said simply, shaking his head. "I came because I hadn't been before and I was taking a walk. It seemed as good a place as any to check out. I didn't know you were here. I thought it'd be empty. It's early."

[vanillajello]

Kate raised an eyebrow and smirked lightly at him, then looked at the phone. "That sounded almost defensive."

[therewaslife]

"Why would I be defensive?" he asked, shaking his head and pushing away from the equipment to wind his way slowly closer. "That's seems like a stretch just from a simple statement."

[vanillajello]

"That's why I said almost," she pointed out, typing and sending a quick reply to her brother before looking up again. "I have no idea why you'd be defensive."

[therewaslife]

"Yet, you're the one who thought I sounded it," he pointed out, tucking his hands loosely into his pockets and stopping in front of her. "I wasn't being defensive, just honest. It's early."

[vanillajello]

"It's entirely possible to think someone sounds like something without having a clue as to why they might sound like that," she insisted. "But yes, it's early. And I was here even earlier."

[therewaslife]

"If you say so." He didn't quite believe it, though. Observations like that tended to have reasons, in his experience, but he wasn't going to push.

"You're very good," he said, switching subjects. "From what I saw. I didn't know you danced."

[vanillajello]

"Not many people do," she shrugged, smiling a little. Compliments about her dancing? Always appreciated. "I mean, it's not some big secret or anything. I just didn't really do it or talk about it much for a long time after I got here."

[therewaslife]

"I liked getting to see what I saw," he admitted honestly. He'd been trying to not pay too close of attention but things like that caught your eye. She tended to catch his eye.

"You would have kept going if you hadn't noticed me," he continued casually. "I'm almost surprised you did."

[vanillajello]

"Why would that be surprising?" Kate wondered. "I'm not completely unaware of my surroundings, you know."

Not always, anyway. It depended on what she was doing and who she was supposed to notice.

[therewaslife]

"You're assuming I meant something bad," he pointed out, shaking his head at her. "Perhaps it was a put down on myself. I used to be able to be completely unnoticeable. Perhaps I thought I still was."

Of course, there were special circumstances in effect there but those were small details. He'd still been ignored, Fading or not.

[vanillajello]

"You're assuming I assumed. Stop it." Not that she sounded too bothered by it. "Used to be, huh? Why aren't you able to, anymore?"

It didn't seem like the most useful of skills to her, anyway, but only in the context of her own life.

[therewaslife]

"Sometimes I'm still pretty good at it but I think that depends on who might be trying to ignore me." He flicked his eyes to hers before glancing around the gym again. Comfortable words, slightly uncomfortable sentiment but Bod didn't apologize.

"And I can't anymore because I lost the ability when I left the graveyard," he told her. "I lost the Freedom of the Graveyard so I lost everything attached to it."

Couldn't even see his parents anymore.

[vanillajello]

Suddenly Kate felt like she should've gone a little defensive, although she wasn't quite sure why.

She didn't, though.

"Well. That must suck," she said, instead.

[therewaslife]

"Sometimes. I try not to think too much about it." Because, again, it made him maudlin and he hated feeling like that. "And it's moot anyway. You noticed me, whether I wanted that or not."

He almost grinned though most of it hit his eyes and not his mouth. "Does that mean you deserve a prize of some type?"

[vanillajello]

The eyes were the more important part, anyway. At least Kate thought so.

"I don't know," she replied, smirking. "Does it?"

[therewaslife]

"Do you want a prize?" he countered, sliding around her question for the time being. "Or would you rather I leave you to your dancing?"