xp_logs | {Pas de Trois} Julian and Manuel: A Prom Date Dillema

Julian and Manuel chat in the weight room, bringing up an interesting proposal about the upcoming prom.

Staring up at the ceiling from his back, Manuel pulled through a stretch, extending it into another minute. His thoughts were rolling through his workout and modifications he should be making to it when a signature abruptly broke through his concentration, subtle and brief before it was gone, though he knew it to be Julian and the fact that he was approaching.

A few moments later Julian entered the gym with his usual swagger. Spotting Manuel doing his warm-up, he made a bee-line for the mats and grabbed a seat near the fellow Scion. "How's it going, Mister De La Rocha?" he asked in what was now a mixture of Californian and New England accents.

He spared no glance to the younger man, only a brief nod of acknowledgement. "Manuel, if you please," he askedwith an even tone. "It is going," he replied. Working out was not a favourite past time and if he could have gotten out of it with a simple few exercises, he would have. As it was, Manuel took two hours in the gym and then another half hour in the pool, just to maintain himself and keep the pain in his hip away. "It seems everyone works out in the gym. Are you toning or training for something specific?"

Julian shook his head, moving himself into a butterfly stretch, "I come here every day. I didn't have time back home and all we had was a tredmill that my mom used once." He chuckled, "I prefer the weights." He moved out of the stretch, flashing a smile and flexing one of his arms to show the paltry process he'd made over the last few months.

"Impressive," Manuel replied, making a point to keep the dry tone from his voice. "You can tone and do weights, you realize, yes?" he asked. Julian was quite fit for his age, though the natural interest in looking good and staying that way at that age had its appeal, he knew.

"I know, I know and I'll get more into it once it's really warm enough to get outside and swim again." He shifted to a new stretch, "Have to keep up in the weight room at least once a day if you want to be any good, but the real workout takes place in the water."

Where Julian went through his stretches fairly quickly, Manuel sat in his stretchs, staying in those for at leastlonger than two minutes each, sometimes more. He was pulling through one at the moment, though his posture and form were all wrong, thus it hurt when he pulled it. Twice he had to reset his stretch. "Working out for the prom?" he asked as an after thought.

The younger man smiled, "Gotta look good," was his only reply for a moment. "Actually, I was wondering if you might recommend a tailor, I need to get measured for a new tuxedo."

"Perhaps I could recommend a date that would be well for you too?" Manuel said in his most persuasive tone.

"I...huh?" Julian was confused. Since he and Angel had made things official, there weren't really a lot of people who didn't know they were dating and Manuel didn't seem like the kind of person to have his fingers off the pulse of gossip. "What do you mean?"

"Esme Stepford has been unhappy lately and as the girls seem to be taken to you, you would make a suitable date for her."

A beat of silence passed between them. Julian was confused, "The Stepfords don't like me...well, I mean they don't dislike me, but I did sort of splash, or, soak them a few weeks back. I can't imagine I'm on their most favored nations list." He paused again, "Which one is Esme?" Then shook his head, "No, wait, I'm going to the prom with Angel."

Manuel thought about this, knowing the obstacle before him. Loyalties. Was no one a two-timing jerk anymore? "Women love to be wet. You will learn that eventually," he said casually, dismissing their mishap. "I am sure Angel would allow you to go with Esme, if only to pick her up emotionally."

Julian scoffed, "I'm not entirely sure she would and if I ask her...you know how girls tend to misinterpret your intentions?" He sighed and stood up, starting to stretch out his hamstrings. "The next thing you know, it'll be 'What? You don't want to go to the prom with me? I'm not pretty enough?' or some such drama. What's got Esme down anyway?"

"I do not know. I read emotions, not minds." Manuel waved, rolling his hand and eyes at the same time. "Whatever it is that gets teenagers emotional these days. Perhaps I should ask Angel? It would be well received from me."

"I honestly don't know how to answer that," confusion spread out from him in waves, was this supposed to be an exciting prospect? "I just...I dont...what?"

"Nevermind," Manuel said, closing up his stretch. He took his cane and stood, slowly as clearly he had done one exercise wrong and it had nearly done him in. "We will talk later," he said and turned to leave. Naturally, he'd have to ask the woman as it was clear to him that she wore the pants.