Tommy and Crystal - the gym
Aug. 29th, 2006 09:20 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsTommy's decision to give the gym another try leads to a run-in with Crystal. Crystal tries her best to be nice but doesn't manage to get through to Tommy.
After the incident with Marie, Tommy had been even more wary about coming to the gym. He'd even skipped a couple days, opting instead to go for a longer run outside. But finally he figured he shouldn't let her get to him and resummed his routine of coming to the gym and working out when he knew no one was down there. Though he did keep a look out on the door for brown and white hair.
Silently, Crystal entered the gym and quickly shot up into the air to begin her warm-up exercises. Whether or not anyone else was in the gym at the moment did not concern her. The gym was a big enough place for multiple people to be in at the same time.
While Crystal entered the gym, Tommy had been on his chest, doing push ups, so he hadn't seen her come in. After doing about 50, he turned over to do situps. As he sat back, Tommy did a double take as he saw a girl stretching in the air. "What the fuck?" The words came out of his mouth in surprise before he could stop them.
Upon hearing Tommy's voice, Crystal paused and looked down, towards the other occupant of the gym. He looked...shocked. What, had he never seen a girl in midair before? Surely people who were not bound to the earth were not unusual in a school full of mutants.
"I'm sorry if I frightened you," Crystal said, moving closer to the ground and to Tommy at the same time. "I am Crystal Amaquelin."
No they weren't unusal, he just hadn't except to see on above him when he turned over. Tommy would like to think anybody would be surprised. Trying very hard to stay where he was and not move away, he just nodded in reply. "Right. I'll just be leaving." He quickly stood up, grabbing his towel and water bottle in one swift motion.
Crystal's feet touched the ground as Tommy grabbed his belongings. "Oh, I see," she said, confused. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recognized him from the journals. Mr. I-belonged-to-Friends-of-Humanity. Apparently, teaching people how to be nice was not part of their agenda. Or was he now a mutant who didn't like other mutants? "I didn't mean to interrupt you. The gym is big enough for both of us, isn't it? Plus," she added, motioning towards the ceiling with a smile. "I can always go back up there."
In Tommy's mind, he was being nice. He was leaving her alone wasn't he? He thought was what people wanted. It wasn't exactly his fault that thier version of acceptance was different from his own. "I was just finishing anyway." Though it was obvious he wasn't as he was barely sweating.
He was finished? Sure he was finished. "Did I say something that upset you?" Crystal asked, attempting to think of what she might have said to bother him. Yes, she had made a couple of comments to him on a journal post, but as he himself had pointed out then, they were fairly obvious ones.
Sighing and closing his for a moment, Tommy had to pause and take a deep breath, biting back his first response. "No. I prefer working out alone."
"I believe most people work out alone," Crystal replied. "Even in a gym full of people, each person engages in his or her own workout." Briefly, she glanced around the gym. No one else was in the room. "Right now, we are the only two people in the room, and there is plenty of room for each of us. However, if you prefer, I will leave you to your solitude." What was his problem? Was he so offended by the sight of her that he felt the need to flee?
No...Tommy just didn't like being around people in general. "Look, this has nothing to with you or whatever. I'm just going to go. Why are you making a big deal out of this?" He rolled his eyes. Why was everyone so touchy lately?
Green eyes widened slightly and gazed at Tommy intently. She was making a big deal out of this? Hardly. Clearly, the boy had issues. Crystal was sure that being a member of the FOH and then discovering that you were a mutant had to mess you up big-time. Shouldn't someone here have helped him work out those issues? It had to have been extremely hard to be so sure that mutants were, what? Bad? Evil? Freaks? The downfall of society? And then to discover, surprise! you're one of them... His situation was so far removed from the way Crystal had been raised that she had a hard time understanding it, but at the same time, she did feel sorry for him.
"You should have come into the city with us," Crystal announced suddenly. She hadn't planned on saying it; the words just came. "We had fun. Maybe you will consider joining those who go next time."
Tommy couldn't help it. He gave her a sarcastic smile, as well as a bark of laughter. He was probably more adjusted to the thought then she gave him credit for. It was more outside opinion he worried about. But that's not why he was laughing. "And get my self killed? I don't think so. Unlike you lot, the local FOH is gunning for me specifically. They almost succeeded in killing me once, they won't fail twice I assure you." With a roll of his eyes, he turned to leave.
Crystal frowned at Tommy's reaction. Would the members of the local FOH really ignore a group of mutant teenagers but lie in wait for him? Sure, they knew what he looked like, but surely they didn't have people waiting around just to try to catch a glimpse of him. Apparently, the boy had no confidence in his ability, whatever it was. Perhaps he had one of those not-so-useful abilities like being able to change hair color or eye color. He had probably been helping his FOH buddies attack some random mutant and then manifested before their eyes. Of course they would have turned on him, and of course that would have given him issues, but did he really intend to spend the rest of life hiding in the mansion?
Shrugging, Crystal said, "If you change your mind, let someone know. Surely measures can be taken to ensure your safety outside." If not, the school was little more than a prison for him.
Crystal clearly did not realize the local FOH's reach. They didn't need to lay in wait, they just had people everywhere, in every walks of life. The likely hood of one of them seeing him while out was very likely and considering how well known he was before his manifestation, not doubt ALL of the local FOH now knew who he was now. And he wasn't about to turn anyone to lead...or any other element. He may have hurt people in his time...but he wasn't about to kill someone, Anyone!
And yes, he may have attacked Jay, but if that's what she thought he was doing when he manifested, she couldn't have been farther from the truth. But then, all she had to do was look it up in the local news. His manifestation at the protest rally had been frontpage news.
"Right, whatever." He called over his shoulder as he left. Tommy couldn't get out of the gym fast enough. He definatly had to adjust his schedule...again.
Crystal stared after Tommy's retreating figure, shocked by what had just transpired. There had been no reason whatsoever for him to be so rude! If he was going to hide out in the mansion, shouldn't he at least try to get along with the people who lived there? Crystal felt a wind of increasing intensity swirling around her, and right now she simply didn't care enough to stop it. She had tried to be nice, she really really had. The events of the past few months crept into her mind. The rudeness, the inappropriateness, the culture shock. Marius changing, Jennie upset, Marius leaving, Jennie still away. Let the machines in the gym rock, creak, or move.
Of course, walking through the mansion letting out large bursts of wind was not a good idea. Been there, done that. Crystal quickly scanned the gym and selected her victim. Ms. Marie had destroyed a punching bag, and so would she. Crystal concentrated, and the raging winds around her coalesced to form a single blast of concentrated air that ripped apart the punching bag, scattering grains of sand throughout the gym.
For a few minutes, Crystal stood silently in the gym, keeping the grains away from her body while watching the sand collect on the floor. Tommy should have been able to get the distance between them that he seemed to require. Sighing, Crystal left the gym. She had major clean-up to do, and the school needed yet another new punching bag.
After the incident with Marie, Tommy had been even more wary about coming to the gym. He'd even skipped a couple days, opting instead to go for a longer run outside. But finally he figured he shouldn't let her get to him and resummed his routine of coming to the gym and working out when he knew no one was down there. Though he did keep a look out on the door for brown and white hair.
Silently, Crystal entered the gym and quickly shot up into the air to begin her warm-up exercises. Whether or not anyone else was in the gym at the moment did not concern her. The gym was a big enough place for multiple people to be in at the same time.
While Crystal entered the gym, Tommy had been on his chest, doing push ups, so he hadn't seen her come in. After doing about 50, he turned over to do situps. As he sat back, Tommy did a double take as he saw a girl stretching in the air. "What the fuck?" The words came out of his mouth in surprise before he could stop them.
Upon hearing Tommy's voice, Crystal paused and looked down, towards the other occupant of the gym. He looked...shocked. What, had he never seen a girl in midair before? Surely people who were not bound to the earth were not unusual in a school full of mutants.
"I'm sorry if I frightened you," Crystal said, moving closer to the ground and to Tommy at the same time. "I am Crystal Amaquelin."
No they weren't unusal, he just hadn't except to see on above him when he turned over. Tommy would like to think anybody would be surprised. Trying very hard to stay where he was and not move away, he just nodded in reply. "Right. I'll just be leaving." He quickly stood up, grabbing his towel and water bottle in one swift motion.
Crystal's feet touched the ground as Tommy grabbed his belongings. "Oh, I see," she said, confused. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recognized him from the journals. Mr. I-belonged-to-Friends-of-Humanity. Apparently, teaching people how to be nice was not part of their agenda. Or was he now a mutant who didn't like other mutants? "I didn't mean to interrupt you. The gym is big enough for both of us, isn't it? Plus," she added, motioning towards the ceiling with a smile. "I can always go back up there."
In Tommy's mind, he was being nice. He was leaving her alone wasn't he? He thought was what people wanted. It wasn't exactly his fault that thier version of acceptance was different from his own. "I was just finishing anyway." Though it was obvious he wasn't as he was barely sweating.
He was finished? Sure he was finished. "Did I say something that upset you?" Crystal asked, attempting to think of what she might have said to bother him. Yes, she had made a couple of comments to him on a journal post, but as he himself had pointed out then, they were fairly obvious ones.
Sighing and closing his for a moment, Tommy had to pause and take a deep breath, biting back his first response. "No. I prefer working out alone."
"I believe most people work out alone," Crystal replied. "Even in a gym full of people, each person engages in his or her own workout." Briefly, she glanced around the gym. No one else was in the room. "Right now, we are the only two people in the room, and there is plenty of room for each of us. However, if you prefer, I will leave you to your solitude." What was his problem? Was he so offended by the sight of her that he felt the need to flee?
No...Tommy just didn't like being around people in general. "Look, this has nothing to with you or whatever. I'm just going to go. Why are you making a big deal out of this?" He rolled his eyes. Why was everyone so touchy lately?
Green eyes widened slightly and gazed at Tommy intently. She was making a big deal out of this? Hardly. Clearly, the boy had issues. Crystal was sure that being a member of the FOH and then discovering that you were a mutant had to mess you up big-time. Shouldn't someone here have helped him work out those issues? It had to have been extremely hard to be so sure that mutants were, what? Bad? Evil? Freaks? The downfall of society? And then to discover, surprise! you're one of them... His situation was so far removed from the way Crystal had been raised that she had a hard time understanding it, but at the same time, she did feel sorry for him.
"You should have come into the city with us," Crystal announced suddenly. She hadn't planned on saying it; the words just came. "We had fun. Maybe you will consider joining those who go next time."
Tommy couldn't help it. He gave her a sarcastic smile, as well as a bark of laughter. He was probably more adjusted to the thought then she gave him credit for. It was more outside opinion he worried about. But that's not why he was laughing. "And get my self killed? I don't think so. Unlike you lot, the local FOH is gunning for me specifically. They almost succeeded in killing me once, they won't fail twice I assure you." With a roll of his eyes, he turned to leave.
Crystal frowned at Tommy's reaction. Would the members of the local FOH really ignore a group of mutant teenagers but lie in wait for him? Sure, they knew what he looked like, but surely they didn't have people waiting around just to try to catch a glimpse of him. Apparently, the boy had no confidence in his ability, whatever it was. Perhaps he had one of those not-so-useful abilities like being able to change hair color or eye color. He had probably been helping his FOH buddies attack some random mutant and then manifested before their eyes. Of course they would have turned on him, and of course that would have given him issues, but did he really intend to spend the rest of life hiding in the mansion?
Shrugging, Crystal said, "If you change your mind, let someone know. Surely measures can be taken to ensure your safety outside." If not, the school was little more than a prison for him.
Crystal clearly did not realize the local FOH's reach. They didn't need to lay in wait, they just had people everywhere, in every walks of life. The likely hood of one of them seeing him while out was very likely and considering how well known he was before his manifestation, not doubt ALL of the local FOH now knew who he was now. And he wasn't about to turn anyone to lead...or any other element. He may have hurt people in his time...but he wasn't about to kill someone, Anyone!
And yes, he may have attacked Jay, but if that's what she thought he was doing when he manifested, she couldn't have been farther from the truth. But then, all she had to do was look it up in the local news. His manifestation at the protest rally had been frontpage news.
"Right, whatever." He called over his shoulder as he left. Tommy couldn't get out of the gym fast enough. He definatly had to adjust his schedule...again.
Crystal stared after Tommy's retreating figure, shocked by what had just transpired. There had been no reason whatsoever for him to be so rude! If he was going to hide out in the mansion, shouldn't he at least try to get along with the people who lived there? Crystal felt a wind of increasing intensity swirling around her, and right now she simply didn't care enough to stop it. She had tried to be nice, she really really had. The events of the past few months crept into her mind. The rudeness, the inappropriateness, the culture shock. Marius changing, Jennie upset, Marius leaving, Jennie still away. Let the machines in the gym rock, creak, or move.
Of course, walking through the mansion letting out large bursts of wind was not a good idea. Been there, done that. Crystal quickly scanned the gym and selected her victim. Ms. Marie had destroyed a punching bag, and so would she. Crystal concentrated, and the raging winds around her coalesced to form a single blast of concentrated air that ripped apart the punching bag, scattering grains of sand throughout the gym.
For a few minutes, Crystal stood silently in the gym, keeping the grains away from her body while watching the sand collect on the floor. Tommy should have been able to get the distance between them that he seemed to require. Sighing, Crystal left the gym. She had major clean-up to do, and the school needed yet another new punching bag.
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Date: 2006-08-30 01:24 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-08-30 01:48 am (UTC)Besides, there's no one left at the school who'll repair the expensive things if they break. :)
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Date: 2006-08-30 11:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 07:24 pm (UTC)(Meta!Terry has been listening to Cyndi too much.)
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Date: 2006-08-30 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-08-30 03:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 07:21 pm (UTC)I could even get a petition!
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Date: 2006-08-30 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 02:17 am (UTC)