Trash Squad Day 4: Dantes Date

[truthstranger]

[ It turns out there's no warehouse (or gacha machine) to find tracksuits here, so Shuichi shows up in the best workout clothes his wardrobe had to offer, which is a sleeveless undershirt and loose slacks. It's fine, he's managed this before. ]

Ah, should we stretch a bit, then...?

Comments

[truthstranger]

Ehhh...

[ Shuichi tries his best, but he starts to fall behind steadily, and soon he's struggling to even finish the pushups. It's hard without a break... ]

[plsbully]

[ he laughs but not unkindly, just a bit out of breath as he keeps his own pace up, gaze turning to watch Saihara ]

You do not have to force yourself ... for my sake, if you cannot continue.

[truthstranger]

I can... at least... do them all...

[ he's more than a bit out of breath, but he's at least still managing ]

[plsbully]

Your tenacity -- is admirable.

[truthstranger]

[answers that with an uncertain grunt before he saves his breath for pushups]

[plsbully]

[ he's falling into doing the same -- even for him, he's not supernaturally strong any more so one hundred push ups is still a task but his pace doesn't slow as he's well on his way to one hundred. but his breath does pick up and there is sweat on his brow as he goes on ]

[truthstranger]

[ Still, Shuichi is falling further behind, and around 60 his arms start trembling and threatening to give out, and he gives in and pauses, rolling back onto his knees ]

I'm not—done yet. We didn't say we couldn't take a break. I'll finish the set in a minute.

[plsbully]

As ... I said, boy ... You do not have to force yourself.

[truthstranger]

It's fine. I do this many normally, just not... all at once.

[plsbully]

Ah, you're more used to pacing yourself?

[truthstranger]

Yes, twenty per set or so makes it easier to get through them...

[plsbully]

[ ... he does pause, then, to catch his breath some but also giving Shuichi maybe a little bit of a chance to take a breather and not fall completely behind too ]

[truthstranger]

[ Shuichi smiles a little at that.

And he doesn't take much longer of a break, stretching his arms briefly before resuming the pushup position and continuing, not as quickly as he'd started out but at least managing to do them again ]

[plsbully]

[ when he does start back up again it's steady but a slower pace, not because he's tiring but allowing Shuichi a bit of time to catch up again - - he's apparently not so competitive he'd race for victory when they're apparently out matched. ]

[truthstranger]

[ He starts struggling a little again after another twenty, but he at least seems dedicated to finishing, and he keeps going. ]

[plsbully]

[ he finishes before Shuichi does but he's still slowed him to where it would be closer than if he went full-out; he pauses to catch his breath once he's gotten to one-hundred, watch Shuichi out of the corner of his eye ]

[truthstranger]

[ He suspects that he's going easier on him, but there's not much to do other than finish; it takes him about thirty more seconds after he's done ]

...Ninety-nine... one hundred.

[ he sags down onto the floor. ]

[plsbully]

You did well.

[ it could sound demeaning but it doesn't seem to be his intent, a sincere congratulations on a job well done, as he lets himself roll onto his back ]

[truthstranger]

[he at least turns to look at him]

I still have a ways to go, though.

[plsbully]

I wouldn't dismiss your progress, still.

[truthstranger]

Mm, that's true. I've made a lot of progress in the past few months.

[he pushes himself up, but he just sits cross-legged]

I thought you wanted to be competitive.

[plsbully]

I've changed my mind, it seems.

[ good-mannered, tilting his head a bit to keep eye contact as the angle changes ]

And it hardly feels like a fair competition.

[truthstranger]

I told you you'd outclass me from the beginning... I appreciate you going easy on me, though.

[plsbully]

I did not quite appreciate the degree to which that was the case...

[truthstranger]

Haha, sorry. I've really only been training for a few months.