xp_logs | Sam and Artie, far too early Tuesday morning.

If you were feeling really generous, you might be able to call what Artie did every morning a run. In reality, it was more like a shuffle that turned into a stagger by the end. A very slow stagger. He stumbled back up the path to the mansion, gasping.

Sam had been trying to get back into a routine since their return from Genosha, which routine involved an early morning jog, however it had been hard to get that particular part of his daily regimen back on track. Today he'd redoubled his efforts and had finally managed to get himself up and ready to run as planned.

While he was stretching outside and limbering up for his run, he saw someone else coming back up the path. Sam wasn't sure who it was from a distance, nor was he sure of what the person was doing exactly, based on the awkward gait. As Artie drew closer he recognized the younger man and gave him a nod.

"'Mornin', Artie. Nice mornin' for a jog, huh?"

Artie skidded to a halt, leaning forward slightly. For once, his tongue was visible as he gasped for air. The words appeared above his head in a bright green bubble. "Yes, something like that."

The boy seemed pretty winded, so Sam didn't bombard him with questions. While Artie didn't need to actually speak to communicate, it still seemed only fair. He stretched a bit more before speaking again. "Yeah, you can tell you've had a good run when it takes the good out of you like that, heh."

Artie gave a small shrug. "All the way out to the boathouse and back via the long way." It was about three quarters of a mile. He was getting there.

Letting out a low whistle, Sam nodded at him. "That's a pretty long haul, nice." Judging by Artie's current condition he figured that he hadn't been jogging for all that long so that was a pretty good accomplishment for someone just starting out. "Nice start to the day, I find, gets the ol' blood flowin'."

Artie glared. Exhausted as he was, that felt like mockery. "You know what else gets you going? Coffee."

Sam, oblivious to Artie's interpretation since he hadn't intended any slight, nodded in response. "Well, yeah, that does too I reckon. On top of a good run, though, it's even better." It was hard to beat a good, healthy dose of fresh air in his opinion, though he was certainly biased from his own childhood in that regard.

"You actually enjoy this, don't you?" Artie asked incredulously.

Almost just as incredulously, Sam blinked back at Artie. "You don't? I mean, yeah, it can tucker a person out, but after you're done I find it a nice feeling, I dunno. Sense of accomplishment, that kinda thing. But to each his own, I guess." He smiled, knowing not everyone loved running, but those who didn't generally weren't out doing it, at least not that early in the mornin

"The part where I need to be fit doesn't quite negate the ohgod pain and exhauation," Artie replied wryly. "Besides, one thing I learned back in Genohsa is that I've got nothing on y'all in the X-men when it comes to fitness."

"It'll get easier in time, definitely." He could still remember how hard it had been when he'd first started running regularly; even though he'd been in fairly good shape from his upbringing back home Sam still had to work at it a long time before he adjusted to it. "You'll get there, Artie, you're well on your way I reckon."

"I guess so. Catch you later, okay?" Privately, Artie doubted that he'd be willing to put up with the suffering long enough to get to that point but whatever.