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]

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.

[plsbully]

What made you start?

[truthstranger]

...A friend of mine thought it would help to work to overcome my weaknesses. Um, my weaknesses were more mental, actually, but... it helped to have something simple to focus on. Especially since I could do it with my friends.

[plsbully]

-- ah, is this the sort of thing you mentioned before? That you found comfort in that sort of mundane thing.

[truthstranger]

Ah, yes, that's right, I did mention that earlier. It was... in the first killing game I was in, so there was a lot going on, otherwise. I've kept it up since then.

[plsbully]

It's certainly not the worst hobby to take up, in the face of such things.

[ he lets his arms fall to the ground, with an exhale ]

[truthstranger]

...Do you have any hobbies like that?

[plsbully]

I was a man of many hobbies, before I was a being like this. Literature, religion, theater, opera ... I socialized among those of high society.

[truthstranger]

Do you not get to do any of that now?