((JJ Sturn continued from Vaulting))
I can't escape myself
(I can't escape myself)
So many times i've tried
(So many times i've lied)
But there's still rage inside
Somebody get me through this nightmare
I can't control myself
Ah... JJ loved Three Day's Grace. It was amazing workout music- prepackaged anger, with a decent instrumental behind it. Sure, it wasn't going to win any Grammies anytime soon, but it got JJ in the mood to work out. And if it did its job right, fuck all the rest of that shit.
JJ had his iPod with him; he almost always did when he worked out. JJ loved music. It was short, emotional, and it got the job done. Books were usually too damn long, and most TV shows sucked. And if you wanted to drown other people out- music again.
He took a drink of his water, and stood up. He was done with bench press... what was the next exercise? Ah, curls, that's right. The bicep workout. How the hell could he forget about that? Curls and sit-ups used to have been his favorite exercises. Abs and biceps were what made the ladies go crazy, after all.
JJ grabbed the bar, and curled it upwards. His arms protested in pain as he did so, still sore from his last exercises. JJ grunted, and let the bar slide back down. This was going to be a lot harder to do than he thought.
Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than-
FUCK! JJ grabbed the headphones, and ripped them out of his ears. That angsty shit might get me pumped at first, but after awhile, that shit just sucks. Nobody wants to hear somebody just whine about their life for ever, especially not if they're angry about it. JJ put his iPod on the ground, and grabbed the bar. Time to try this again.
Pumping Iron
Weight Room Thread
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GameMaker†
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Pumping Iron
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((Julian Avery continued from Vaulting))
The weight room is generally a fun place to be in if you're in the company of a team, because a place with company has to try very hard to not be fun. And since a sports team generally sees a weight room as a collection of magical devices shouting "Would you like to prove your machismo? I can help you prove your machismo!" at them, the results are pretty much always going to be entertaining.
Now if you're in a weight room alone, it generally means one of two things:
1) You're an arrogant, self-absorbed cock who cares primarily about looking like a badass, acting like a badass, and generally doing your best impression of a badass without actually being one. And of course, since you've got such a high opinion of yourself, nobody gets the privilege of being in the same room while you do so.
2) You're a good person who likes self-improvement and doesn't mind repetition. You enjoy opportunities to get away from the rest of the world for a while and just think.
You'd think it was easier to tell the difference between the two.
On a completely unrelated matter, Julian noticed that JJ was in fact the only one currently in the weight room, busy doing curls. The guy could probably use the company, so Julian strolled past and took a seat at the nearby leg press machine.
"Man, seems you really do got a death wish, all lifting weights alone and shit." Julian waved a finger imperiously and did his best impression of a stuffy authority figure. "It's against the rules, young man, and it's just unsafe. They could put you away for twenty years for such a serious crime."
The weight room is generally a fun place to be in if you're in the company of a team, because a place with company has to try very hard to not be fun. And since a sports team generally sees a weight room as a collection of magical devices shouting "Would you like to prove your machismo? I can help you prove your machismo!" at them, the results are pretty much always going to be entertaining.
Now if you're in a weight room alone, it generally means one of two things:
1) You're an arrogant, self-absorbed cock who cares primarily about looking like a badass, acting like a badass, and generally doing your best impression of a badass without actually being one. And of course, since you've got such a high opinion of yourself, nobody gets the privilege of being in the same room while you do so.
2) You're a good person who likes self-improvement and doesn't mind repetition. You enjoy opportunities to get away from the rest of the world for a while and just think.
You'd think it was easier to tell the difference between the two.
On a completely unrelated matter, Julian noticed that JJ was in fact the only one currently in the weight room, busy doing curls. The guy could probably use the company, so Julian strolled past and took a seat at the nearby leg press machine.
"Man, seems you really do got a death wish, all lifting weights alone and shit." Julian waved a finger imperiously and did his best impression of a stuffy authority figure. "It's against the rules, young man, and it's just unsafe. They could put you away for twenty years for such a serious crime."
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GameMaker†
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Get the weight up. I love the pump. Drop it down, do it slowly. Make sure you keep the right form. You want to get the full benefit of the exercise. Now pull the weight up again. I love the feeling. Heavy weight, low reps. It was the best way to build strength. I love the pain.
"Man, seems you really do got a death wish, all lifting weights alone and shit." JJ looked over, and he saw that Julian had just walked in. Julian wasn't a real sports guy- track, yeah, but track was bullshit. Runners were always fast; it wasn't something they needed to work at. Julian, though... his work outs were always about the self improvement bullshit. JJ understood that. Everybody wanted to be stronger and look more attractive... and weight lifting was the way to do that. But few had the drive to stick with it.
"A death wish? Perhaps..." said JJ, smiling at Julian. "JJ Sturn dying, though? Worse things could happen." JJ curled the weight one more time, and then dropped it the ground. His arms were starting to burn.
"It's not like there's anyone who wants me to die, of course." JJ grabbed his water bottle and took a swig. It reminded him of what he was doing this weekend- he'd have to get drunk, yes, but how would he get it? Perhaps Mike could go on a run... JJ smiled at Julian, this time a bitter, humorless smile. "Haven't ever pissed off any Bayview students... a guy like me doing something like that? I'd never do that, especially not to any girls."
JJ smiled at Julian, and took another drink of his water. All dark and cynical and shit? Boy, I just fucking hope Julian decides that he'll have a little crying session with you, maybe hold you for a bit.. JJ Sturn, the poor victim of Bayview Secondary School? What a fucking joke. JJ heard these thoughts from the back of his head, and he started to get annoyed. It wasn't enough that other people had to fuck with him... now his own fucking mind was doing it too.
"Man, seems you really do got a death wish, all lifting weights alone and shit." JJ looked over, and he saw that Julian had just walked in. Julian wasn't a real sports guy- track, yeah, but track was bullshit. Runners were always fast; it wasn't something they needed to work at. Julian, though... his work outs were always about the self improvement bullshit. JJ understood that. Everybody wanted to be stronger and look more attractive... and weight lifting was the way to do that. But few had the drive to stick with it.
"A death wish? Perhaps..." said JJ, smiling at Julian. "JJ Sturn dying, though? Worse things could happen." JJ curled the weight one more time, and then dropped it the ground. His arms were starting to burn.
"It's not like there's anyone who wants me to die, of course." JJ grabbed his water bottle and took a swig. It reminded him of what he was doing this weekend- he'd have to get drunk, yes, but how would he get it? Perhaps Mike could go on a run... JJ smiled at Julian, this time a bitter, humorless smile. "Haven't ever pissed off any Bayview students... a guy like me doing something like that? I'd never do that, especially not to any girls."
JJ smiled at Julian, and took another drink of his water. All dark and cynical and shit? Boy, I just fucking hope Julian decides that he'll have a little crying session with you, maybe hold you for a bit.. JJ Sturn, the poor victim of Bayview Secondary School? What a fucking joke. JJ heard these thoughts from the back of his head, and he started to get annoyed. It wasn't enough that other people had to fuck with him... now his own fucking mind was doing it too.
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Pigeon Army†
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Ma'afu Tuigamala strode quietly into the weights room, a basketball singlet and baggy pair of shorts draped over his bulky figure. Maf didn't care much for dressing up - there was no need, in his opinion. He wore functional clothes, clothes that did the job.
He walked over to the leg press machine without a sound. There were only two other people in the weights room - Julian Avery, one of the track guys and a friend of a friend, and JJ Sturn. JJ was a linebacker in the football team, a former bad boy gone somewhat straight. Maf had never really spoken to him - but then, speaking wasn't Maf's thing. It wasn't like he had anything to say anyway.
Maf fiddled with the weights on the machine, fixing them to about 500 pounds, before getting into the machine and beginning his leg presses. He sat back, and as he did leg press after leg press, he hummed a quiet song to himself, one from his childhood. He didn't know the words, but the tune was good for keeping motivated and getting a steady rhythm.
He walked over to the leg press machine without a sound. There were only two other people in the weights room - Julian Avery, one of the track guys and a friend of a friend, and JJ Sturn. JJ was a linebacker in the football team, a former bad boy gone somewhat straight. Maf had never really spoken to him - but then, speaking wasn't Maf's thing. It wasn't like he had anything to say anyway.
Maf fiddled with the weights on the machine, fixing them to about 500 pounds, before getting into the machine and beginning his leg presses. He sat back, and as he did leg press after leg press, he hummed a quiet song to himself, one from his childhood. He didn't know the words, but the tune was good for keeping motivated and getting a steady rhythm.
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"It's not like there's anyone who wants me to die, of course," said JJ. "Haven't ever pissed off any Bayview students... a guy like me doing something like that? I'd never do that, especially not to any girls."
And there he goes again, all angsting about his past sins and shit... thought Julian. Just a little repetitive, and just a lot emo. Man, do I gotta knock some sense into this guy again? Julian liked JJ a lot nowadays, but his tendency to get stuck in those morbid thought patterns was a bit grating. Granted, if the only alternative was refusing to learn from past mistakes and remaining an asshole, this type of self-pitying guilt was probably the better choice, but hell if there weren't way better ways to handle it.
"Man, I wish I could say that. I mean, between you and me... I've done some serious shit in my time. Like one time I, uh..." Julian paused, looked from side to side suspiciously, and lowered his voice. "I jaywalked. And another time, I went and downloaded a song... and not off iTunes or nothing. I mean like illegally."
Julian brightened up and put on a smile. "But hey, you know why I don't mention that shit every other sentence? Because it's in the past, and it sure don't matter now. And hell, the shit you've done is worse than what I just said, we both know that, but it's the same principle, man." Here the smile faded, replaced by a more serious look of honest compassion You wanna make amends? Then you can become a better guy and not do stupid shit like that again- which, far as I can tell, you're already doing. But tell me how the hell is beating yourself up over something that happened almost a year ago gonna help anyone? Just keep your eyes on the future, JJ, and don't let nobody convince you otherwise."
Julian let the silence hang in the air for a couple of seconds, then laughed and put his hand on JJ's shoulder. "So tell me, man, how was that for a cliched inspirational speech? I'm gonna hang out with Captain Planet this weekend, figure I need some practice."
And there he goes again, all angsting about his past sins and shit... thought Julian. Just a little repetitive, and just a lot emo. Man, do I gotta knock some sense into this guy again? Julian liked JJ a lot nowadays, but his tendency to get stuck in those morbid thought patterns was a bit grating. Granted, if the only alternative was refusing to learn from past mistakes and remaining an asshole, this type of self-pitying guilt was probably the better choice, but hell if there weren't way better ways to handle it.
"Man, I wish I could say that. I mean, between you and me... I've done some serious shit in my time. Like one time I, uh..." Julian paused, looked from side to side suspiciously, and lowered his voice. "I jaywalked. And another time, I went and downloaded a song... and not off iTunes or nothing. I mean like illegally."
Julian brightened up and put on a smile. "But hey, you know why I don't mention that shit every other sentence? Because it's in the past, and it sure don't matter now. And hell, the shit you've done is worse than what I just said, we both know that, but it's the same principle, man." Here the smile faded, replaced by a more serious look of honest compassion You wanna make amends? Then you can become a better guy and not do stupid shit like that again- which, far as I can tell, you're already doing. But tell me how the hell is beating yourself up over something that happened almost a year ago gonna help anyone? Just keep your eyes on the future, JJ, and don't let nobody convince you otherwise."
Julian let the silence hang in the air for a couple of seconds, then laughed and put his hand on JJ's shoulder. "So tell me, man, how was that for a cliched inspirational speech? I'm gonna hang out with Captain Planet this weekend, figure I need some practice."
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GameMaker†
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JJ looked at Julian, listening to his little speech. About choices, and improving yourself. It was corny as all fuck- but then again, a lot of things Julian said were. He wanted to be helpful, but oftentimes he turned out way too preachy. Julian finished his speech, making a joke and putting his hand on JJ's shoulder. JJ laughed, and in his head he thought of what the fuck Julian was trying to do.
Well, that wasn't exactly correct. JJ did know what Julian was trying to do. He just didn't know why the fuck Julian thought it would work. The smile slowly came off of JJ's face, and he put his head down, thinking of what to say. He didn't want to leave Julian out in the cold... that speech was waiting for a response. And JJ would give him one. He doubted Julian would like it, but JJ would give it to him regardless.
"Julian, you're assuming a few things that are just plain wrong. I never thought beating myself up about things in the past would help me, or help anyone. It's not something I choose to do... I have no choice about whether or not I feel that way about myself."
Bullshit. You might not have the choice as to whether you feel that way, but you sure as fuck have the choice of whether or not to tell all your fucking friends about it. What do you want, for them to feel sorry for them? For them to pity you? You have sunk low...
"And 'serious shit'? Julian, I like you, man, but don't joke about things like that. You want to see 'serious shit'?! Go fucking talk to Rosa Fiametta, she'll tell you all about 'serious shit'!"
Passive aggressive, JJ? Your friend tries to help you, and you fucking yell at him? And you fucking spend your time talking about how you're Mr. Fucking Sunshine Comes Pouring Out Of My Ass now... you're just the same old fucking prick you always were, aren't you?
"...I'm sorry, Julian. It's just that it's not something I like to joke about. You let those things go, you start to forget about them. And that you're right back at square one."
JJ pulled out a cigarette, and put it between his lips. He needed a fucking smoke right now. He'd have to go outside into the gymnasium parking lot... just hope that no teachers saw him out there. Maybe stay a little close to the building...
"I don't ever want to go back to square one, Julian. If I go back to square one, there's no fucking way I'm getting out of there again."
With that, JJ began to walk towards the weight room's door, pushing it open with his left hand. His right hand fumbled with his lighter, getting it up to his mouth. He really needed a fucking smoke.
Well, that wasn't exactly correct. JJ did know what Julian was trying to do. He just didn't know why the fuck Julian thought it would work. The smile slowly came off of JJ's face, and he put his head down, thinking of what to say. He didn't want to leave Julian out in the cold... that speech was waiting for a response. And JJ would give him one. He doubted Julian would like it, but JJ would give it to him regardless.
"Julian, you're assuming a few things that are just plain wrong. I never thought beating myself up about things in the past would help me, or help anyone. It's not something I choose to do... I have no choice about whether or not I feel that way about myself."
Bullshit. You might not have the choice as to whether you feel that way, but you sure as fuck have the choice of whether or not to tell all your fucking friends about it. What do you want, for them to feel sorry for them? For them to pity you? You have sunk low...
"And 'serious shit'? Julian, I like you, man, but don't joke about things like that. You want to see 'serious shit'?! Go fucking talk to Rosa Fiametta, she'll tell you all about 'serious shit'!"
Passive aggressive, JJ? Your friend tries to help you, and you fucking yell at him? And you fucking spend your time talking about how you're Mr. Fucking Sunshine Comes Pouring Out Of My Ass now... you're just the same old fucking prick you always were, aren't you?
"...I'm sorry, Julian. It's just that it's not something I like to joke about. You let those things go, you start to forget about them. And that you're right back at square one."
JJ pulled out a cigarette, and put it between his lips. He needed a fucking smoke right now. He'd have to go outside into the gymnasium parking lot... just hope that no teachers saw him out there. Maybe stay a little close to the building...
"I don't ever want to go back to square one, Julian. If I go back to square one, there's no fucking way I'm getting out of there again."
With that, JJ began to walk towards the weight room's door, pushing it open with his left hand. His right hand fumbled with his lighter, getting it up to his mouth. He really needed a fucking smoke.
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Drew O'Reilly was the sort who loved to work out. There was nothing that compared to having a great physique in terms of making a person look impressive. With his gym bag slung over his shoulder, the basketball player walked down to the hall to the weight room and noticed a guy stepping outside to have a smoke. At first, he considered reporting the fellow, but then Drew realized that this guy was JJ Sturn, a senior, so he was completely legal. A fact that caused Drew no small amount of disappointment.
Aww, for a moment there, today looked like it would have been fun. If there's any guy who deserves to be in trouble, it's JJ. At least if the rumors are true.
Passing by JJ on his way into the weight room, Drew turned and gave him a smug smile. He had been trying for friendly, but his eyes simply never cooperated. "Good afternoon, Sturn," he said, and walked in, shoving the door open with one hand. He had already changed into proper exercise attire in the nearby men's locker room, so he was ready to work out. His first thought had been to work out on the leg press machine, but that was taken. That was simply not cricket, and Drew wouldn't stand for it. He had a specific order he would do his exercises in, and he didn't feel like waiting.
Fortunately for Drew, he knew Mu'afu, or Maf, as everyone called him. The guy was a member of the football team, and so he'd seen him on quite a few occasions while practicing basketball on his own time. "Hello there, Maf," said Drew, leaning against the wall nearest to the machine. "Listen, are you going to be done with that soon? I've got my own regimen to take care of." His tone was anxious, to be sure, but the voice was not rude. More like a desperate request. He hoped this would do the trick.
Aww, for a moment there, today looked like it would have been fun. If there's any guy who deserves to be in trouble, it's JJ. At least if the rumors are true.
Passing by JJ on his way into the weight room, Drew turned and gave him a smug smile. He had been trying for friendly, but his eyes simply never cooperated. "Good afternoon, Sturn," he said, and walked in, shoving the door open with one hand. He had already changed into proper exercise attire in the nearby men's locker room, so he was ready to work out. His first thought had been to work out on the leg press machine, but that was taken. That was simply not cricket, and Drew wouldn't stand for it. He had a specific order he would do his exercises in, and he didn't feel like waiting.
Fortunately for Drew, he knew Mu'afu, or Maf, as everyone called him. The guy was a member of the football team, and so he'd seen him on quite a few occasions while practicing basketball on his own time. "Hello there, Maf," said Drew, leaning against the wall nearest to the machine. "Listen, are you going to be done with that soon? I've got my own regimen to take care of." His tone was anxious, to be sure, but the voice was not rude. More like a desperate request. He hoped this would do the trick.
((Minor GMing has been approved by the handler))
Marybeth was bored.
Class was over, but there was nothing being said around the school. No gossip, no rumors, nothing. She still had to finish the fluffy Kaitston fic she had started yesterday, but after tonight, Marybeth would need new fuel to stoke her creative fires. This was in no way an explanation for why she was currently in the gymnasium walking past the weight room. Not that seeing guys work themselves all sweaty wasn't a pleasant sight in itself...
Wait a minute. There were only two people in the weight room, and they didn't appear to be doing any weightlifting. In fact, it looked like they were... talking. She leaned over to the window and looked inside. JJ Sturn, resident badboy, and Julian Avery, friend to all living people, seemed to be sharing a laugh about something or other. Also, Julian had his hand on JJ's shoulder.... This could be good.
Then JJ lowered his head and he stopped laughing. Marybeth couldn't really hear what he was saying, and then JJ raised his voice even more until he was shouting at Julian. She caught snippets like 'don't joke about things like that' and then 'Rosa Fiametta'. JJ seemed to catch himself and lowered his voice back to inaudibility. Judging from his facial expression, he didn't seem exactly thrilled to have blown up at Julian.
JJ was taking out a cigarette, which meant he was coming out of the weight room. That was as good a cue as any for Marybeth to run off on her own business lest she get caught for snooping. Drafts were already being formulated in her head. This is perfect for a hurt comfort fic. Let's call it... 'Problems with the Past', and the couple name will be... JJ/Julian. JJJulian doesn't really mash together well. J3 I guess will have to do...
Movement from inside the room caught Marybeth's eye. It seemed Julian didn't particularly take well to being yelled at by JJ, and was stalking him on his way out of the weight room. On second thought, I'll stay a little bit longer to see how this'll play out.
Marybeth wasn't nearly as bored anymore.
Marybeth was bored.
Class was over, but there was nothing being said around the school. No gossip, no rumors, nothing. She still had to finish the fluffy Kaitston fic she had started yesterday, but after tonight, Marybeth would need new fuel to stoke her creative fires. This was in no way an explanation for why she was currently in the gymnasium walking past the weight room. Not that seeing guys work themselves all sweaty wasn't a pleasant sight in itself...
Wait a minute. There were only two people in the weight room, and they didn't appear to be doing any weightlifting. In fact, it looked like they were... talking. She leaned over to the window and looked inside. JJ Sturn, resident badboy, and Julian Avery, friend to all living people, seemed to be sharing a laugh about something or other. Also, Julian had his hand on JJ's shoulder.... This could be good.
Then JJ lowered his head and he stopped laughing. Marybeth couldn't really hear what he was saying, and then JJ raised his voice even more until he was shouting at Julian. She caught snippets like 'don't joke about things like that' and then 'Rosa Fiametta'. JJ seemed to catch himself and lowered his voice back to inaudibility. Judging from his facial expression, he didn't seem exactly thrilled to have blown up at Julian.
JJ was taking out a cigarette, which meant he was coming out of the weight room. That was as good a cue as any for Marybeth to run off on her own business lest she get caught for snooping. Drafts were already being formulated in her head. This is perfect for a hurt comfort fic. Let's call it... 'Problems with the Past', and the couple name will be... JJ/Julian. JJJulian doesn't really mash together well. J3 I guess will have to do...
Movement from inside the room caught Marybeth's eye. It seemed Julian didn't particularly take well to being yelled at by JJ, and was stalking him on his way out of the weight room. On second thought, I'll stay a little bit longer to see how this'll play out.
Marybeth wasn't nearly as bored anymore.
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"I don't ever want to go back to square one, Julian. If I go back to square one, there's no fucking way I'm getting out of there again."
To the untrained eye, it may have appeared that Julian had just fucked up. A bit unfortunate, considering how many untrained eyes were in the next vicinity. But you know what? thought Julian. It's silver lining time: what we have here is a perfectly legit excuse to get my ass out of this weight room. God smiles upon me sometimes. Julian put on his best facial expression of embarrassment and guilt for the rest of the people in the weight room, and shrugged remorsefully as he took the same exit JJ had. Granted, he wasn't actually feeling any of these emotions, because frankly, JJ was being an emo fuck. How did he respond to jokes? Self-pity. How did he respond to earnest attempts to help? Aggressive self-pity. How did he-
Better than the alternative. It's way better than the alternative. Just keep remembering that and cut the guy some slack, Julian..
Julian came across JJ smoking in the gym parking lot, same expression on his face as before. "Listen, JJ... I was gonna come out here all pissed and shit, talkin' about the difference between remembering what you did and takin' it out on everyone else, but... but you know what? Fuck that shit. I got no right to say that, it ain't gonna help anyone, and most importantly... you're right."
That first technique was a little rhetorical wonder called praeterition. Refuse to bring something up by bringing it up. They get a sense of what they've done wrong, but it isn't you that's telling them. It was a bit underhanded and slimy, and really easy to spot if done wrong, but if you focused on telling them why you were wrong and they were right, it usually worked pretty well.
"I'm in no place to judge you for dealing with this your own way, JJ. Like you said, most important thing is you're staying away from square one, and you do whatever you gotta do to keep it that way. You're doing a hell of a job so far, man, and don't let me or anyone else screw it up for you, intentionally or unintentionally."
Pretty good so far, but Julian felt like it was still missing something. How about... "And you know what else? Thanks for the reality check. I can't go around trying to joke my way out of every situation, and it's about time someone reminded me. I'mma head back to the weight room now... you catch up if you feel like it. And thanks again."
Yeah, that was probably a good thing to add. JJ was probably feeling like shit, so it was a good idea to make him feel like he'd done something good. And there was a bit of truth to it: maybe taking things all lighthearted did have its limitations. Maybe he did need to actually think about what the best way to help someone was rather than just counting on his good intentions and friendly demeanor to do the trick. Maybe he wasn't actually helping anyone at-
Oh shit. I'm starting to sound like JJ now. Man, anything but that.
To the untrained eye, it may have appeared that Julian had just fucked up. A bit unfortunate, considering how many untrained eyes were in the next vicinity. But you know what? thought Julian. It's silver lining time: what we have here is a perfectly legit excuse to get my ass out of this weight room. God smiles upon me sometimes. Julian put on his best facial expression of embarrassment and guilt for the rest of the people in the weight room, and shrugged remorsefully as he took the same exit JJ had. Granted, he wasn't actually feeling any of these emotions, because frankly, JJ was being an emo fuck. How did he respond to jokes? Self-pity. How did he respond to earnest attempts to help? Aggressive self-pity. How did he-
Better than the alternative. It's way better than the alternative. Just keep remembering that and cut the guy some slack, Julian..
Julian came across JJ smoking in the gym parking lot, same expression on his face as before. "Listen, JJ... I was gonna come out here all pissed and shit, talkin' about the difference between remembering what you did and takin' it out on everyone else, but... but you know what? Fuck that shit. I got no right to say that, it ain't gonna help anyone, and most importantly... you're right."
That first technique was a little rhetorical wonder called praeterition. Refuse to bring something up by bringing it up. They get a sense of what they've done wrong, but it isn't you that's telling them. It was a bit underhanded and slimy, and really easy to spot if done wrong, but if you focused on telling them why you were wrong and they were right, it usually worked pretty well.
"I'm in no place to judge you for dealing with this your own way, JJ. Like you said, most important thing is you're staying away from square one, and you do whatever you gotta do to keep it that way. You're doing a hell of a job so far, man, and don't let me or anyone else screw it up for you, intentionally or unintentionally."
Pretty good so far, but Julian felt like it was still missing something. How about... "And you know what else? Thanks for the reality check. I can't go around trying to joke my way out of every situation, and it's about time someone reminded me. I'mma head back to the weight room now... you catch up if you feel like it. And thanks again."
Yeah, that was probably a good thing to add. JJ was probably feeling like shit, so it was a good idea to make him feel like he'd done something good. And there was a bit of truth to it: maybe taking things all lighthearted did have its limitations. Maybe he did need to actually think about what the best way to help someone was rather than just counting on his good intentions and friendly demeanor to do the trick. Maybe he wasn't actually helping anyone at-
Oh shit. I'm starting to sound like JJ now. Man, anything but that.
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GregTheAnti-Viking†
- Posts: 267
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:10 am
Nathan Choultard made a habit of walking as slow as possible to the weight room when he had to work out. He also made sure that changing into his red athletic t-shirt and black short took as much time as possible. It made the workout seem such a long distance away and therefore, something to be put off for the future. However, as he stepped forward the future was becoming the present
Alright Geoffrey, I'm serving my time...
He caught a glimpse at Jullian talking with JJ Sturn, another one of his pep talks that he loved to give. Nathan had a feeling that by the end of his session today, he would be needing one too. That being said, who was he to interrupt something between the two of them. Besides inhaling cigarette smoke was not something he particularly enjoy doing.
He merely raised a hand in silent acknowledgment and walked through the weight room doors.
The drab cream room was as welcoming as it always was. Drew O'Reilly and Maf Tuigamala were in there, working out at the leg press. Maf was a regular who kept to himself, but always worked hard, something he admired. Drew wasn't someone that Nathan was a huge fan of though, there was something about him that just didn't sit right with him, it didn't feel like he was there to improve his athletic ability, just his body which, to Nathan just didn't make any sense.
"Hey guys," Nathan said, moving briskly towards the rowing machine, putting his white gym bag down and adjusting his body on the seat and wooden planks sandwiching the fan. He took out a small MP3 player and hid it in his pocket. He the turned it on and grabbed the rope and began to row, keeping a rhythm with the trance music playing in the background.
To be better than Geoffrey...that's what I'm doing this for...
Alright Geoffrey, I'm serving my time...
He caught a glimpse at Jullian talking with JJ Sturn, another one of his pep talks that he loved to give. Nathan had a feeling that by the end of his session today, he would be needing one too. That being said, who was he to interrupt something between the two of them. Besides inhaling cigarette smoke was not something he particularly enjoy doing.
He merely raised a hand in silent acknowledgment and walked through the weight room doors.
The drab cream room was as welcoming as it always was. Drew O'Reilly and Maf Tuigamala were in there, working out at the leg press. Maf was a regular who kept to himself, but always worked hard, something he admired. Drew wasn't someone that Nathan was a huge fan of though, there was something about him that just didn't sit right with him, it didn't feel like he was there to improve his athletic ability, just his body which, to Nathan just didn't make any sense.
"Hey guys," Nathan said, moving briskly towards the rowing machine, putting his white gym bag down and adjusting his body on the seat and wooden planks sandwiching the fan. He took out a small MP3 player and hid it in his pocket. He the turned it on and grabbed the rope and began to row, keeping a rhythm with the trance music playing in the background.
To be better than Geoffrey...that's what I'm doing this for...
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Pigeon Army†
- Posts: 232
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:17 am
As the conversation between JJ and Justin escalated over on the other side of the room, Maf continued exercising, voluntarily oblivious to their trials and tribulations. Right now, Maf was in a zone - not the zone, but then, he didn't have a 'the zone' like everyone else in the gym always seemed to; 'zones' were just states of mind to him, and he always felt himself to be in different zones when exercising depending on the day and the conditions in which he was exercising.
When Drew O'Reilly came and broke the zone, Maf simply stopped. He knew Drew, and thought the guy was a bit of a prick, but he had never had to interact with the guy in any real depth, so Maf couldn't have cared less. Besides, Drew had never picked out Maf as someone to worry about - given he could easily deck the guy if he tried anything, there was probably a good reason for Drew's lack of interaction with the Fijian.
"Hello there, Maf. Listen, are you going to be done with that soon? I've got my own regimen to take care of." Drew sounded like he really needed to get onto the leg press machine - though why someone would be so anxious about exercising on a leg press machine was a mystery to Maf - and Maf didn't want any trouble, so he slowly got up out of the machine and moved over to the weights machine, not saying a word. Someone else, Nathan, a track runner he kind of knew, entered and walked over to the rowing machine, saying hi to him and Drew, and he nodded back.
Focusing on the weights machine, Maf altered the weight from what JJ had originally had it when he was working out, adding a few more pounds, and then he settled in and began the pumping.
There would be no trouble today.
When Drew O'Reilly came and broke the zone, Maf simply stopped. He knew Drew, and thought the guy was a bit of a prick, but he had never had to interact with the guy in any real depth, so Maf couldn't have cared less. Besides, Drew had never picked out Maf as someone to worry about - given he could easily deck the guy if he tried anything, there was probably a good reason for Drew's lack of interaction with the Fijian.
"Hello there, Maf. Listen, are you going to be done with that soon? I've got my own regimen to take care of." Drew sounded like he really needed to get onto the leg press machine - though why someone would be so anxious about exercising on a leg press machine was a mystery to Maf - and Maf didn't want any trouble, so he slowly got up out of the machine and moved over to the weights machine, not saying a word. Someone else, Nathan, a track runner he kind of knew, entered and walked over to the rowing machine, saying hi to him and Drew, and he nodded back.
Focusing on the weights machine, Maf altered the weight from what JJ had originally had it when he was working out, adding a few more pounds, and then he settled in and began the pumping.
There would be no trouble today.
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Drew heard Nathan greet him and Maf, but didn't care to respond. His attention was on the man on the machine he wanted to get on, and as of right now, nobody else was important to the basketball player. Laser-like focus was a good way of making people uncomfortable, and when people were uncomfortable, and thus wanting the source of their discomfort to go away, it was easier to make them do what you wanted. It was rather like selling stuff to people. If you made people feel like there was something they had to do, or else something bad would happen, then you could more easily influence their desires.
Much to Drew's happiness, Maf said nothing in protest and simply stood up. Some of the people in this school would have held on to the stubborn end, claiming the leg machine as their own and insisting that Drew go elsewhere. It was nice to see that there were still people who could be persuaded to perform tasks for you without a fight or an argument.
There we go. Easy and painless. Why couldn't everybody in this school be so cooperative?
Sliding into the leg press machine with a quick "Thank you very much," Drew set himself to working. He had a routine set up, a series of reps that increased in weight but decreased in number. And if he was going to get the most out of this workout, he would need to do them with exact precision. No cheating or wussy techniques, just doing as the diagram showed.
I hope that they're keeping their eyes on me. These people could learn something from the way I do my exercise.
Much to Drew's happiness, Maf said nothing in protest and simply stood up. Some of the people in this school would have held on to the stubborn end, claiming the leg machine as their own and insisting that Drew go elsewhere. It was nice to see that there were still people who could be persuaded to perform tasks for you without a fight or an argument.
There we go. Easy and painless. Why couldn't everybody in this school be so cooperative?
Sliding into the leg press machine with a quick "Thank you very much," Drew set himself to working. He had a routine set up, a series of reps that increased in weight but decreased in number. And if he was going to get the most out of this workout, he would need to do them with exact precision. No cheating or wussy techniques, just doing as the diagram showed.
I hope that they're keeping their eyes on me. These people could learn something from the way I do my exercise.
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GameMaker†
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 5:35 am
"Julian... wait."
JJ turned towards Julian, took one final smoke, and then threw his cigarette on the ground. Julian was right... fuck him to hell, but he was right. JJ was taking his emotions out on other people. And JJ would rather fucking slap Claire Lambert in the face than hide behind the bitchy "I can't help it! I'm just too tormented!" excuse. Really, who the fuck was he, Holden Caulfield?
...Wait, take that back. No, he wouldn't slap Claire in the face before he did that. That was a little too close to something that was even worse than hiding behind a facade of angst and anger. Then, what? JJ guessed you could say he'd rather eat dog shit than hide behind it. Yeah... that seemed appropriate.
"You're right, Julian. And I-" JJ took a deep breath- "am wrong. Yeah, I should stay away from 'square one'-" Did I really say that? Fuck, I get angry at Julian for making cliche speeches..."-but there's no point in doing that if I'm just going to turn into something worse. I'm sorry for snapping at you, man. You were just trying to help me."
JJ looked down at the cigarette on the ground. Broken and used. Something like that should have made him feel depressed, but it made him feel better for some reason. "It's just- actually, nevermind. I've already said way too much about the great fucking emotional wreck that is JJ Sturn, and I'm sure that saying more won't suddenly make things right."
"Let's go back in the weight room, Julian. I got a few more lifts to finish, and I'm sure you do too." JJ walked up to Julian, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Oh, and dude- don't even fucking kid about stopping with the jokes. You know they're the only reason I hang out with you."
JJ smiled at Julian, taking his arm off of his shoulder and walking back towards the door. He hoped that that had patched things up between him and Julian- the kid was a great friend, and JJ didn't want to lose someone like him. Not if he could do anything about it.
JJ turned towards Julian, took one final smoke, and then threw his cigarette on the ground. Julian was right... fuck him to hell, but he was right. JJ was taking his emotions out on other people. And JJ would rather fucking slap Claire Lambert in the face than hide behind the bitchy "I can't help it! I'm just too tormented!" excuse. Really, who the fuck was he, Holden Caulfield?
...Wait, take that back. No, he wouldn't slap Claire in the face before he did that. That was a little too close to something that was even worse than hiding behind a facade of angst and anger. Then, what? JJ guessed you could say he'd rather eat dog shit than hide behind it. Yeah... that seemed appropriate.
"You're right, Julian. And I-" JJ took a deep breath- "am wrong. Yeah, I should stay away from 'square one'-" Did I really say that? Fuck, I get angry at Julian for making cliche speeches..."-but there's no point in doing that if I'm just going to turn into something worse. I'm sorry for snapping at you, man. You were just trying to help me."
JJ looked down at the cigarette on the ground. Broken and used. Something like that should have made him feel depressed, but it made him feel better for some reason. "It's just- actually, nevermind. I've already said way too much about the great fucking emotional wreck that is JJ Sturn, and I'm sure that saying more won't suddenly make things right."
"Let's go back in the weight room, Julian. I got a few more lifts to finish, and I'm sure you do too." JJ walked up to Julian, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Oh, and dude- don't even fucking kid about stopping with the jokes. You know they're the only reason I hang out with you."
JJ smiled at Julian, taking his arm off of his shoulder and walking back towards the door. He hoped that that had patched things up between him and Julian- the kid was a great friend, and JJ didn't want to lose someone like him. Not if he could do anything about it.
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Jason walked through the door, sidestepping the duo at the doorway. Dumping his duffel bag on one side he moved towards the treadmills. It was a pity the gym didn't house a climbing wall. No matter, he was here to work on his endurance anyway. Passing Maf and Drew, he casually "side fived" the Fijian giving him a cursory nod. They had shared a few classes together, and Maf was the only footballer he knew who didn't immediately start getting riled up when Jason declared that Soccer was the real football.
Moving through the he stepped in front of the rowing machine Nathan was working on. Grinning he looked at Nathan tapped his own ear then pointed at the zoned out runner.
"Hey man, nice run last week. Still aiming for that 11.0?"
Glancing over to the treadmill he saw it was still free, plus he had some time to blow, chatting with people who always pushed themselves was something Jason enjoyed so he paused for a second, waiting for Nathan to answer.
Moving through the he stepped in front of the rowing machine Nathan was working on. Grinning he looked at Nathan tapped his own ear then pointed at the zoned out runner.
"Hey man, nice run last week. Still aiming for that 11.0?"
Glancing over to the treadmill he saw it was still free, plus he had some time to blow, chatting with people who always pushed themselves was something Jason enjoyed so he paused for a second, waiting for Nathan to answer.
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His workout finished on the leg press machine, Drew leaned back and closed his eyes. The session had been suitably strenuous. While resting, he took the time to listen in on the conversations taking place in the weight room. It was always enjoyable to hear what the idiots and muscleheads considered enjoyable banter. And if they said anything suspect, he was always sure to let someone in authority know, especially if it was, say, a member of the basketball team who got given the ball more than him that said the suspicious stuff. High school had a social ladder like any other, and there were multiple opportunities to dethrone those who had unrightfully taken power for themselves.
Maybe I ought to pretend to be a devout Christian and with my 'piety,' become the head of GODspeed. That's what the current leader did.
Sadly, this gym, normally a goldmine of scandal and gossip, was rather dry for treasure today. Drew was quite disappointed. Hopping off the machine, Drew said to Maf, "Thank you very much. Sorry to disturb you." Not that he actually looked sorry, but the sentiment is in the words, not the appearance. Giving a lazy wave, he stepped out and over to the shower area, giving a hearty sneer at JJ and Julian as they walked in.
Sturn's a good guy to keep an eye on. He's going to slip up sooner or later, and I'll be ready for him.
(Drew O'Reilly continued in English, wherefore art thou?)
Maybe I ought to pretend to be a devout Christian and with my 'piety,' become the head of GODspeed. That's what the current leader did.
Sadly, this gym, normally a goldmine of scandal and gossip, was rather dry for treasure today. Drew was quite disappointed. Hopping off the machine, Drew said to Maf, "Thank you very much. Sorry to disturb you." Not that he actually looked sorry, but the sentiment is in the words, not the appearance. Giving a lazy wave, he stepped out and over to the shower area, giving a hearty sneer at JJ and Julian as they walked in.
Sturn's a good guy to keep an eye on. He's going to slip up sooner or later, and I'll be ready for him.
(Drew O'Reilly continued in English, wherefore art thou?)