the gym ; monday afternoon

[flickofthewrist]

It felt like it'd been awhile since Flick had been down to the gym. In reality, it hadn't been that long and he'd been getting exercise other ways but still, it was time to fall back into that routine so he didn't end up getting too doughy and soft. He'd save those moments for when he was behind closed doors.

Usually, he defaulted to flat out boxing when it came to the gym and the heavy bag but he was going a little different today. The Brazilian jujitsu classes he'd taken back at the academy had been in his head lately so that's what he was using today. It meant using his body differently, working muscles that didn't tend to get worked as much when he was just flat out punching the crap out of something or someone.

Which didn't take away how much he liked just punching the crap of some people, of course. It was a good time. He just felt like switching it up. He figured he'd slide into Krav Maga techniques in awhile just to keep that side of things fresh as well.

And then maybe he'd go to straight boxing. End with the fun stuff, why not?

[Open gym, open post]

Comments

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle had been to the gym a lot. Today was no different. She was clad in Shadowhunter black today, too: a form-fitting shirt and pants made from a fortified leather and covered in runes all over. No heels, either, just flat shoes. Sometimes she wanted to be traditional from head to toe.

Of course, she ended up lingering by the door for awhile. Because watching was fun.

[flickofthewrist]

Being watched was...okay, he didn't notice at first because he was focused. But, when he stepped back to take a breath, he did realize he was being watched and slanted a glance towards the door.

"Staring at me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow briefly before stepping back closer to the bag and giving it a push so it'd come back towards him and he could give it a kick. "Some would say that's creepy."

[seveninchmotto]

"I'm not staring, I'm watching," Isabelle corrected him airily as she stepped into the gym and away from the door. "And while some might say it's creepy, you wouldn't, so the point is moot."

[flickofthewrist]

"I wouldn't?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Know all the inner workings of my mind now?"

Not that she was wrong but still.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle rolled her eyes, mostly for her own benefit. "No, but I don't need to." Duh. She came a bit closer, but left him plenty of room around the bag. "I've watched you enough lately that you would have told me by now if you found that creepy."

[flickofthewrist]

"Good point," he agreed with a little snicker. "I concede the argument."

See, look how nice he was nice. And he was keeping an eye on her even while he fell back into what he was doing. The forms and techniques from class were flowing easily and his energy levels were higher because of it.

The poor heavy bag was getting a beating but whatever.

[seveninchmotto]

That was the bag's job. It probably didn't mind. (And probably wasn't sentient, either. Hopefully, although you could never be too sure at this school.) And Isabelle was still watching, lazily circling him and the bag while observing his moves.

Professional curiosity, et cetera, et cetera. Really, he was also just interesting to watch in general.

[flickofthewrist]

Flick knew he was being judged (or observed) and while he figured he wouldn't be on her level of things, he knew he was good. He'd gotten plenty of validation in military school and in the academy and he'd honed those skills pretty well.

So, he tried to forget she was watching him (and it sort of worked) while he sped up his movements even while keeping everything smooth and seamless.

[seveninchmotto]

Oh, Isabelle was reserving her judgment. Mostly because it was a given (to her) that he wasn't as good as she was, so there was no point in judging him beyond that.

"You're not half bad," she noted after a while, anyway.

[flickofthewrist]

"I know." He stopped long enough to send a smirk her way before falling back into it. "But, thanks for noticing. I'll make sure to write about it tonight in my diary."

That didn't exist.

[seveninchmotto]

"You have a diary?"

She really didn't think he did, which was why her surprise was highly exaggerated.

"Man, I should really snoop around your room more."

[flickofthewrist]

"A diary, sticker clad photo albums, old yearbooks with all my friends signatures in them and lots more!"

He put one hand on his cheek, affecting an expression and tone of giddy enjoyment. And it was totally an act and hurt a little to do.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle laughed. So at least his pain wasn't completely in vain.

"That's terrifying." She shook her head. "Don't do that again."

[flickofthewrist]

"Don't worry. I don't plan to," he said, rolling his eyes at himself for that whole little charade. "I'm pretty sure that was all I had in me and now it's gone."

And the world was better for it. He gave the heavy bag a punch that sent it flinging away before he caught it when it swung back.

[seveninchmotto]

"You have cleansed yourself of pep," Isabelle nodded very sagely, taking a step closer, her hands behind her back. All leisurely and things. "Feel better?"

Now that he'd squeezed all the cheer from himself.

[flickofthewrist]

"I've felt worse so yeah, I feel okay," he said, shrugging a shoulder and keeping an eye on her. "No more cheerful peppiness that is just bursting to come out. All gone."

He nodded and mock wiped his brow in relief.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle nodded again. "Good, it was creepy."

Not really, but if he started acting like that full time, she would've suspected possession. (Or so she would've liked to think, anyway.) She stopped moving again, and just rocked back on her heels. Easier to do that with the more sensible choice of shoe than it was usually.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy showed up at the gym and gave her roommate a wave she wasn't sure he'd noticed. He seemed really involved with the punching bag. Ducking over to the treadmills, she slid her headphones on to start jogging. Running loosened her up before she began her gymnastics.

[flickofthewrist]

Flick was pretty involved with the punching bag but he was aware enough of his surroundings that he could nod at Kathy when she waved at him. Talking might have thrown him off a bit and he didn't want to yell over headphones either.

[spin_kick_snap]

The rhythmic thump thump of her feet on the treadmill blended with the beat of her music and Kathy let her mind drift away.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It wasn't that she didn't have a lot to think about. There was the fun of Bali, after all. That made the...tenth...foreign country she'd ever visited? Not that she had a stamp on her passport for anywhere but Korea. Still no one back home would ever believe her if she'd told them all the places she'd been and things she'd seen while attending this crazy school.

Thump thump thump.

Speaking of crazy, what was going on with Cecil? How was he suddenly an adult? He'd acted like he'd always been that way, too, like just two weeks ago, he hadn't been some gangly kid, younger than her even. How did that even work? What did it mean? Did other people notice?

Thumpthumpthump

And, if she was going to think about people changing, maybe it was time for her to acknowledge the ways she was changing, too? The once-a-week food frenzies where she ate more than any normal person probably could all at once. Three whole pies and slices from many others. Six pizzas. A buffet in Bali where she'd eaten her way through fifteen plates of food...

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP--whiiine

Wondering what that noise was, Kathy glanced down at the treadmill, worried that something was wrong. And it seemed that something was. The treadmill's speed was topped out at twenty-fives miles an hour and the track was grinding as Kathy tried to run faster still. "What--oh!" she said, coming to a shocked stop.

Unfortunately, the tread did not stop with her, and Kathy was flung off the machine to land on the floor behind it.

"...Ow."

[flickofthewrist]

Well, then.

Flick hadn't actually expected to see anyone go flying off a treadmill so the noise and the resulting word of pain caught his attention. He stopped hitting the heavy bag and looked over.

"You okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Looked like a hard fall."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy pushed herself up, slowly testing her limbs to make sure that she hadn't seriously injured anything. "Well, my dignity is pretty busted," she mumbled, studiously not looking at Flick. She didn't need to see if he was laughing at her. "But otherwise I'm okay. I think there's something wrong with that treadmill."

The one that was still whirling along at twenty-five miles an hour, yes.

[flickofthewrist]

"It's...going pretty fast, yeah," Flick said, not laughing. "And if it helps, I'm not gonna tell anyone that happened. You sure you're not injured?"

[spin_kick_snap]

Did you see the grateful look she was giving you, Flick? Did you? Because that was definitely a look that promised undying gratitude if you didn't share that with anyone.

And continued not laughing. That was also pretty important.

"No, I don't think so," she said, slowly pushing herself to her feet, ready to pause if she so much as felt a twinge of pain. "I know how to land pretty well. I'm used to falling from my routines."

But generally not going quite as fast.

"Jeeze," she said, looking back to the treadmill. Galloping horses ran about that fast. "That's like a..." she paused to do the math in her head. "A two and a half minute mile. But that's impossible, it's a manual treadmill!" She pointed to where it was slowing, now that she was no longer on it to provide momentum. "There's got to be something wrong it it."

[flickofthewrist]

"Maybe," he allowed though he wasn't sure. He hadn't been paying close enough attention to really form an opinion though. "Or maybe you're just really fast."