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]

[ 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?

[plsbully]

The circumstances I was summoned into ... Was more like a military base, of a sorts, with dozens of beings of my type summoned into existence there. I wasn't quite able to have the same hobbies, though I did get along well enough with some of them.

[truthstranger]

I see...

[he doesn't, really, but]

Still, that seems like a shame.

[plsbully]

A pity there is no opera here; if I had taken you on a proper date I would invite you to one.

[truthstranger]

Ah... I don't know anything about opera, but... I think that sounds, nice, anyway.

[plsbully]

Even if you don't know anything about it, isn't it an excellent chance to learn?

[truthstranger]

Yeah, of course. And I like learning about new things.