xp_logs | Angelo and Fred (Backdated to Early Monday)

After chatting for a bit about his new dynamic, Angelo and Fred meet in the gym to figure some things out.

Fred tied the loose exercise pants tight to his waistline, still thoroughly confused by his physique, as he waited on Angelo. After their talk at the bar, they'd resolved to get a quick start on their work: both at Elpis and the Self Defense work. Fred had made an appointment to meet with administration of the Shelter in New York seconds before Angelo walked into the room, also dressed out for their labor. He tossed his phone onto the pile of his 'regular' clothes, looking back to Angelo, "That was the Shelter. Meeting with them later today, uh, heh, sir."

"Great", Angelo said with a genuine grin. "Told you it'd work out... really, they're glad of anyone who'll take it seriously."

"They were kind of surprised, it seemed." Fred stretched out a little as he spoke, "When I told them I was from Elpis, they, uh...heh, I think they thought I was crank calling, or some Anti-Mutant Narc. Guess I can't hold their, uh, paranoia against them, huh?"

"It's not paranoia when they're really out to get you", was the wry response. "But I figure you talked them round?"

Fred reached down to touch his toes, covering a bout of chuckling, "I, uh, had to convince them I was a good and personal friend of Nathan Dayspring, heh...but they seemed to open up when I told them I would be there for a run through of necessities and, uh, financial rundown within the day." Fred stood back up, "Also, I don't think it hurt I laid the Texan on pretty thick. Lady, uh, heh, thought my accent was cute."

Angelo laughed at him. "Hey, you play up the charmin' Southerner all you want if it gets us places. You should take Rachel with you, just for the extra effect."

Fred nodded, a surpressed a bout of laughter, "She gonna mind ridin' shotgun inna truck older than you, Jello?

"Who, Ray?" He shook his head. "She'll have the time of her life."

Fred cracked his knuckles and shook his hands out, "Good. Cause I didn't wanna take no office car. No personality, y'know? All new cars are like that..."

"Cars need a bit of breakin' in before they're yours", Angelo agreed equably, doing one final stretch, then grinned. "Bonus points if you get Ray to float through the door."

"I'll just be glad if I can make it through the meeting without breaking a doorhinge or steppin' on someone's toes. Any tips from an old hand on it?"

Angelo considered this. "Can't help with the physical stuff, never really had that problem, but I can ease the way for you a bit. Call ahead an' let them know there might be a mutation problem. If you want."

"Heh, then'll they will know I'm nervous. Uh, speaking of nervous...thanks again for helping me. With, uh, this." He waved at the exercise area and their clothing.

"They won't think any less of you for it", he promised, then nodded. "No need t'thank me, but you're welcome. Want to get started?"

"Sure." Fred staggered his legs, and squared up his arms. "I,uh...don't know much except for, uh, y'know, the throwing and punching and stuff."

"Figure that's all you needed to know, before." Angelo shrugged. "Me, I had to be trickier. More on the dodgin' side of things, in an' out."

Fred's brow knotted, and he shrugged a little, fists still covering the sides of his face, "Think we should start there, then, boss?"

"Seems as good a place as anywhere. Or... how about we just start with a little demo? You see how much you can still do with the throwin' an' punchin', an' I'll show you how I fight."

Fred nodded and, after sizing up Angelo for a few moments, threw a left feint followed quickly by a slightly hurried right hook toward Angelo. Fred was focusing very much on studying his own form as it was happening, and also not throwing too much force into his blows.

The result, added to Angelo's quick movement and attention to the punches, was that the right hook never connected, but he'd taken note of the form. "I want to know how hard you can still hit", he decided. "Not on me, though, not yet. Punch the heaviest bag."

Fred nodded a bit and walked over to the bag in the corner and cocked back. Even in his weakened state, Fred managed to rock the bag back on its hinge. Still, he couldn't help but rub his hand, and before? He would've taken the bag right off the ceiling...

Angelo nodded, considering what he'd just seen. "Still harder than most could ever manage, y'know. Could've taken my head off if you'd put everythin' you could into that hit an' landed it."

Fred blushed a little, scratching the back of his head as he spoke, "I, uh, promise I wasn't swingin' that hard Jello."

"Oh, I know", Angelo assured him. "I can tell holdin' back when I see it... an' thanks for that. I'd say you shouldn't, but best stick to it 'til I find you an invulnerable to practise with."

Fred held up his fingers, "Scout's honor, Jello. I was gonna talk to Doc McCoy, honest, about the strength thing and the, uh, invulnerable thing..."

"Doc McCoy's not invulnerable", Angelo pointed out, just in case. "Monet's probably the best bet. I've seen her stand up to Nate in a full on telekinetic rage an' come out with nothin' but bruises."

"Oh I know. I meant talk to him about, uh, powers in general. But, uh, I'll look into Monet. Met her a few times. We, uh, wandered through a minefield over Europe Way back when Yvette got banged up."

"Ah, gotcha." He nodded. "Yeah, I remember that mission. I don't know Monet all that well, but she's good people."

"Seems like, though one time she did kinda get mah goat a little on the journal thing. Ah, fuggit. Ancient history." Fred looked curiously at his current instructor, "Those moves you were doing before. I, uh, mean the way you were standing. Uh, the stance...or, uh, form? That supposed to be how it is? I mean, I only know a little bit bout protecting the head and, uh, stuff like that..."

"There is no 'supposed to be how it is'", Angelo told him practically. "Unless you're talkin' about one of the formalised arts, an' we're not, because I only know a bit of capoeira. If it works for you, it's how you go with it. As for protectin' the head, I'll show you some moves for that in a bit, but first... you mean like this?" He shifted back into his previous stance.

Fred nodded along as Angelo spoke, doing his best to absorb the words and fit it into what he personally knew, and see what Angelo was doing currently. Fred had never been the best multi-tasker. Finally, after a few moments, Fred looked back from Angelo's stance to his face, and did his best to ape the body language, "Like this? Uh, what's this one for? Like, uh, agility?"

"That's right. For a guy my size, the biggest advantage I got in a fight against someone bigger - apart from my powers - is movin' fast an' accurate. Big guy like you, it's a little different, but it should translate with some work."

"Well I, uh, gotta learn how to be faster eventually, don't it?" Fred said the words a bit distracted as he looked about himself and clumsily rolled across his feet, trying to get a feel for staying, literally, on his toes.

"You'll get there", Angelo agreed, watching him. "Someday soon, you need to watch me fight Sarah - the girl with the bones from over at Snow Valley? We were always well-matched. Might help you more to see it from the outside."

Fred nodded and said "Could be a good idea, yeah...", before almost falling over from compensating too far to the right. Day-to-day stuff had been easy to acclimate too, but with his body mass completely shifted, trying to control more dexterous movements was still something that escaped him.

"Her or..." Angelo started, then cut himself off as he darted over to steady his friend. "Take it easy. You're still gettin' used to the changes, don't rush yourself."

Fred tried to keep the look of utter embarrassment off his face and sighed as he rested his feet and straightened up, "I ain't rushing though, you know? I mean..." he sighed, his frustration leaking through his words, "Shouldn't be so hard, you know? To figure out your own damn body..."

"Ask Warren, sometime, how long it took him to adjust t'havin' wings", Angelo told him. "An' that was just extra bits on his back, not his whole body realignin' itself. Cut yourself some slack."

Fred lit up a cigarette, despite both his surroundings and himself. Autonomic responses were like that, "It's, uh, it's not like that, Jello. I know these things take time. What bothers me...what bothers me is I've had 'slack' my, uh, my whole life, you know? Cause of who I was, what I was, I could get away with pretty much anything it was I was doin', you know? Now...now work time comes, and I can't even move around right..."

"Fred, buddy, I don't care who you were before. Look at us, huh? Barrio boy an' a Southern politician's son, but we can both be whatever the hell we want now... an' I'm tellin' you, you'll get there."

Despite everything, everything, Fred smiled broadly and slapped his hand gently across his older friends' back, "Then I tell you what, boss: how bout you and I see if can't put a dent in it today?"