4488/INTENSITY

INTENSITY
Date of Scene:	25 December 2020
Location:	Workout Room
Synopsis:	A couple stragglers make productive use of their Christmas Eve with a workout program. It's (not really) intense.
Cast of Characters:	Tabitha Smith, Drake Riley

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Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha works off her Christmas Eve dinner by doing some stretches and then some sit-ups on the mat of the workout room. The room is eerily empty except for a booming trashy workout CD she plays on her little phone, "YEAH! PUMP IT!" the guy lets out energetically.

Apparently her instructor is some dumb, energetic guy. Tabitha is wearing a yellow leotard because she's obsessed with the color and she wears some puffy legwarmers as she sits up numerous times. "That's it, lay-dies! One....two...!" the radio says. Tabitha smirks at this obviously overmuscled guy, "I need a drink..." she mutters as she touches her toes. She then flops onto her back and looks up at the ceiling. "Don't be a dumb-bell! Keep the tempo! PUUUUMP IT!" he says and Tabitha looks annoyed.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley had been here a month-ish, and still hasn't explored all of the mansion. He knows, officially as of today, that there are nooks he's yet to really investigate. And with everyone else going to spend quality time together, it felt like a fairly comfortable time to snoop around. So down into the basement level he goes, hitherto having no real reason to be down here. He isn't a student, after all.

His wandering takes him to the workout room. Upon entering, he pauses at the size and scope of it, eyebrows raised in impress. He'd kept his workouts to outdoors until more recently, when it'd become... well, unpleasant. So this is a useful find! Also, the heck is that noise? Does someone have a personal trainer back there?

The teen meanders down an aisle of machines before finding the mats, and a blonde girl flat on her back. A small, wry grin edges the corners of his lips. "You heard Hans. Keep up the tempo," he teases. It couldn't be helped. But after a beat, a quick laugh escapes him and he moves a little closer. "Y'alright?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith looks up and sees Drake come into view as she tries to be lazy, so she smirks something fearsome, "Just what I need: a fitness expert," she tells him. "Don't stop! Keep that tummy tucked!" the annoying trainer lets out. Tabitha embarrassedly sits up and quickly taps an end to the frantic fun of Hans. The phone grows quiet.

"No," she adds to what he says, hugging her arms around her knees, "I can't do sit-ups, I'm too lazy. Not that many, anyway," she whines and complains. She then looks up again, "Uhh, who are you again?" she wonders.

Drake Riley has posed:
"Ooh, 'expert'. I'm keepin' that one." Drake playfully 'buffs' the back of his fingers against his chest. The actual expert (citation needed) on the recording gets his attention again, earning a snicker. "Pushy, isn't he?"

Focus returns to the blonde, now sitting up. The whine might annoy some, but it winds up swinging right into the realm of 'cute' for him. So Drake drops to a knee next to her, so she isn't having to crane her neck to look up at him. "Poor thing," he sympathizes, the playful lilt persistent in his voice. He then offers a fist forward. "Name's Drake. Kind'a new-ish still. You?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith tilts her head at this new guy, "Hi new guy," she smiles, "I'm Tabitha," she tells him. She motions to her phone, "Oh? You don't want to try Sweatin' to Hans?" she asks him amusedly.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in class. Are you a student here? Or one of The Friends," she says by putting "The Friends" in quotes with her fingers, apparently knowing that not every single person in the big huge Mansion is a student, "Yeah, I'm just workin off my Fruitcake," she tells him.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley glances again to the phone, knits his brow, and looks once more to Tabitha's smiling face. "I'm good," he passes.

The second question, however, gets a more genuine pause and faint tilt of his head. A few of those pesky ebon bangs waft over an eye in the process. "I guess I'd be a 'friend'," he says, raising his left hand to repeat the quotes back to her. "Streetrat someone picked up. Long story. But I think I clean up alright." His chin uptilts a degree, before lowering again, his gaze falling over her figure in brisk survey. "Besides being the only person on planet Earth who'll eat fruitcake, you look fine to me."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith holds up a hand and waves at him as if to say, "OH COME ON!" but she doesn't actually say it. "Yeah well, some people still have to work out, Captain Charm," she states with another winning smirk, "Okay, check it out, I'm starting Hans again. He's working out with some thinass women, you'd like this workout," she states amusedly. She leans forward and taps the workout to start again. "Come on! I dare ya!" she lets out with a wicked amused grin.

"OKAY! Ladies, we got thirty minutes of INTENSITY! YEAH!" Hans lets out. Tabitha snickers, probably thinking she's embarrassing Drake and making him uncomfortable.

Drake Riley has posed:
"Oh. Oh, it's like that, huh?," asks Drake, affectedly affronted by the challenge. His back straightens and he pinches the collar of his overshirt in both hands. In a smooth sweep, the garment is removed and cast aside, leaving him in the black tanktop and slacks. "I am /so/ your accountabilibuddy," he counters, complete with South Park reference. It may or may not land.

"Okay, what's Hans want here? What's the intensity?" Drake repositions himself on the mat to mirror Tabitha's posture. Her plan may have backfired here somewhat. Unless she wanted a workout buddy.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith looks at Drake carefully as he actually commits to the girly workout, so that's something, "At least you're willing," she admits with a chuckle but Hans interrupts her before she can continue. She points to the mat and nods as he joins her.

"Get on the MAT! Dat's right! Get DOWN there!" Hans yells, "Start those sit-ups! In five...we're going to flip and do a push-up...five...four...three...two...one..." he says, and Tabitha is doing sit-ups with the workout while watching Drake out of the corner of her eye. She then snickers, "Dunno what I did," she admits, because she thinks she's not that flexible. Instead of flipping, she sorta rolls onto her stomach and does push-ups. "FLIP IT! YEAH!" Hans yells.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley watches Tabitha, his defiant squint subtly shifting into a boyish smile. Of course he's willing. None of it has to do with the fact that she's got a pretty face and cute demeanor. Absolutely none. Nope. He starts to say something, when Hans jolts him out of his focus. "Oop!"

Drake drops flat to the mat, arms fold behind his head, and he begins pulling crunches. Perhaps surprisingly - or perhaps not, given a tanktop doesn't hide much - five in a row is handled with ease. And when it calls for flipping over, Drake commits to the spatula maneuver and plops to all fours. Hands poised on the mat, toes of his shoes serving as the fulcrum, he has to pause and snicker at Tabitha catches up. He tilts slightly on the mat to nudge his shoulder towards hers. "Inteeensity," he play-chides before settling into the push-ups.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith puffs, "Screw off!" she says to Hans and maybe to Drake too as he continues being Captain America, but she doesn't really mean it because she's always like that, "Are you sure you're not Captain America?" she wonders amusedly.

"Come on you guys, tuck that tummy! INTENSITY!" Hans yells. Tabitha glances at him coyly and says, "Intensityyyyyy," she repeats, realizing now that Hans has become an in-joke and a meme. "FLIP IT!" he yells and Tabitha rolls awkwardly again, "Erp!" she says and begins to do push-ups to the workout's instructions, "Okay this guy---UGH!" she lets out, pushing the sit-ups, her hair flopping around.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley doesn't seem to take her frustrations seriously, either way. It earns a quick laugh, and he shakes his head. "Nope! Lieutenant West Coast, at best!" Seeing her repeat the intensity line, however, gets another snicker. It's going to be a thing between them; he's sensing that as well.

Hans calls for flipsies, and Drake promptly flapjacks onto his back again. He pauses long enough to turn his head and watch her roll over with a smile. Did he see his night going like this? Absolutely not. Is he complaining? Same answer.

The sit-ups resume, with Drake stealing another glance aside to her. She's distracted, right? She won't notice him giving her an appreciative once-over.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith has failed to embarrass Drake aka Captain America and is now doing sit-ups at a faster pace than ever, which really annoys her and amuses her at the same time, "You're not...keeping up...right?" she wonders breathily. She glances at Drake and her blonde hair flips, narrowing her eyes, wondering what he's doing over there.

"COME ON! Keep it going!" Hans yells. She tries to hide the fact that she suddenly tapped her phone while she's up at her knees during her push-ups, causing Hans' voice to distort with the change to ...slow-motion. "OHHHH ---kay... LAYYY ===DEEEES..,." Hans says, "Flippiiiiing in...Oooooone....ttwooooooooooo...." Tabitha snickers and does her sit-ups slower to the new pace, grinning at Drake with her little joke.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley eyeshifts guiltily, quickly evading her scrutinizing look. "Maaayybe," he drawls. He is. He's keeping pace. He was never much of an exercise guru, and to be frank, he's only recently been actively trying to engage in it. But being in the presence of an attractive girl does things to a guy; namely in that it pushes them to try to be impressive. It can't be helped!

When the audio slows down, Drake flops onto his elbows and tilts his head to look up at her. "It's like listening to professional wrestling's worst referee," he jokes.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith easily turns onto her stomach now to keep the pace and even has time to elbow Drake, "I think he's having...digestive problems, he's never like this," she explains to him.

A few more minutes pace with the slow-motion and Tabitha is doing push-ups, "You workout...a lot? I think it's sorta boring," she admits, which is probably why she sabotaged Hans' workout. As she lays on her stomach, she pretends to do push-ups but they aren't full push-ups, more like tummy push-ups cause she's lazy.

Drake Riley has posed:
This time, Drake's roll-over is languid. "Poor fella," he coos. Now propped on his elbows, but facing the other way, Drake has all but abandoned the regiment. Workouts weren't meant to be tai chi! He's fairly certain!

"Nuh-uh. Didn't used to, anyway. This came from a lot've physical exertion and not much downtime. Sort'a... beats you into a state, I guess." He takes a moment to look her over, and a smirk soon cross his lips. "You gave Hans digital ritalin, didn't you?," he accuses, sparing a hand to lightly shove at her shoulder.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith flops onto her side as Drake shoves her and she snickers, "My bad," she says amusedly and sits up then leans down at her toes, tapping her phone again to shut off Hans the slow-motion excise champ. She then brushes her short hair back which has become more of a mess than usual, and gives Drake the eye again, "Hey, seriously, how have I not seen you around? I guess I don't know everybody," she shrugs. She has put a hand down on the mat and is keeping her posture as she watches him, "Well guess I'm shot. Was actually kinda fun," she admits and smiles and snickers.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley smiles pleasantly at her, still in his nearly-prone position. But he sits up, himself, meeting her studious gaze. "I've mostly been keeping to myself. Keeping out've people's ways. I'm not a student, I'm not staff, I'm just... here." His shoulders raise in a loose, uncertain shrug. "Best thing I can do for people is to not cause'em problems while I get things figured out."

After a beat, he leans forward to loop his arms over his knees. "We'll have to do it again sometime. Except actually meet on purpose." He adds with a slight tilt of his head. "Got any plans for the night..?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith smiles cutely at Drake and nods to what he says, probably not understanding any of it but she doesn't say that. She sits up on her knees and leans back on her heels instead of getting up, "Tonight? Uhh no, not really but everybody already left for the Carols. Nori is gonna be so mad I didn't go," she comments with a squint at the door, then she shoots a glance back at him, "I can blame you right?" she grins.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley cracks a grin at that. "Nori? Noriko? Yeah. Totally blame me," he encourages. That oughtt'a be rich. He hasn't seen Nori in a bit, and he can just imagine the colorful things she'd say in her outrage. But he doesn't dwell on that. Rather, he turns the topic back onto Tabitha, and the present. "But yeah, me either. I'm on the opposite side of the country from everyone I know, so... this was nice."

He glances to the left, then back to her. "Did you say how long you've been here?" He actually can't remember, but he doesn't think she did. "Do you know if they have an indoor pool? That would be, like, the /best/ way to spend Christmas Eve, don'cha think?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith squints at Drake, "More exercise...?" she mutters, and then chuckles for a while, "Yeah whatever, guess I need my alibi," she tells him.

"Been here? Oh a while. I kept blowing up my Mom's flowers and they got ticked, I think. I dunno, guess my family is around here now," she tells him and shrugs. She then climbs up to her feet and slowly smiles, "Uhh, okay so I'll go change right? Pool? Now?"

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley blinks up at her. Does she know that they have one, then? That's exciting! He gathers his legs beneath himself and lifts to his full height to follow suit. "Less about the exercise, more about chilling in water."

But she's smiling. She's an odd, but exceedingly blunt and forthright person. That's nice. No guesswork with her, right? He's already smiling back at her. "Yeah, sure. We'll change out and meet, uh... somewhere. If you know where a pool is, you might have to show me. The only one I know off-hand is the one outdoors. And it might be just a little /too/ on the chill side." To the point of being icewater, in fact!

Though in reality, he doesn't care so much if there is one. Bonus points if there is! He's just happy to have someone to spend Christmas Eve with.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods her head, "Oh right, it's outside," she says blondily. She stands up and walks over, stepping into her small cute lil loafers then turns back around and says, "Guess I don't really feel like an ice swim. What do they call those? Winter swims? Chill swims? Yeah, I'm not doin that, sorry," she chuckles. She then messes with her hair again, "Well we can raid the fridge downstairs, no prob," she advises.

Drake Riley has posed:
Drake Riley moues his lips in disappointment. Only an outdoor pool. That's a shame. His gaze dips over her figure clad in the leotard, lingering just a second longer than he'd intended before those bright emerald eyes snap back to her blues. And in that moment, there's a sparkle of mirth there. "Hans really did a number on you, didn't he?," he asks. "We're in the basement right now. What, does the mansion go even lower?"

Turning his back to her, Drake paces away to lean over and retrieve his overshirt. It wouldn't do to simply leave it discarded!

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith watches Drake for a minute and then glances over at the elevator, "What? Um, yeah I don't remember," she comments and rubs her chin, "... maybe the hangar and junk," she tells him, then puts a hand on her hip and looks back at him, "Are you sure you don't want a sandwich?" she wonders, "Hey, do you have any vodka? Rum?" she adds.

Drake Riley has posed:
"Hangar?" That might've been something Drake didn't know about. He only JUST learned about the Danger Room today. But he's assuming she means something, literally anything, other than a secret underground jet hangar bay. Because that would be ridiculous.

"No, no vodka or rum," he says breezily. "I tried it earlier on. Just.. not for me." Plus, he's underaged. He's trying desperately hard to do the right thing and turn his life around. That was the bargain struck with Rogue. She gets him a foot in the door to be what he wants to be, and he gives up the questionable stuff. And to him, that's very worth it. "A sandwich, though?"

Drake strolls closer to her with a playful smile edging his lips. "Didn't you /just/ work out to burn off the fruitcake?," he teases. A hand lifts to dare teasingly nudge a few knuckles against her stomach.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith eyes Drake as he mines her for information and then hmms, "Really? Okay," she says and shrugs. She then adds a roll of her eyes as he critiques her diet, "What? I meant...a sandwich for /you/, not me. I already ate," she tells him.

"Might be worth sneaking around to really find out what's down there, huh?" she asks, "But don't ask me, I don't know nuthin!" she snickers and smiles, "You'll have to play CIA if you want real answers---I'm getting cold, okay I'm goin upstairs!" she lets out, then turns to go.

Drake Riley has posed:
Sneaking around? But they're on the bottom floor! Aren't they? He doesn't know about the secret lift going even further below. So all of that gets a curious headtilt from him, culminating in a blink. "CIA?" What, like interrogate her? Or- it's so much to process all at once!

"W- wha-.." What a rollercoaster. But Drake moves forward to fall in step beside her, giving her an odd side-eye. "Truth is," he begins, letting the confusion ebb a bit, "I could be just as happy finding somewhere to settle and talk for a bit. Sounds boring, right?" The question is posed with a slightly uncertain uplidding of his eyes, as if expecting full confirmation that that sounds inexcusably dull. "Like, I don't even know what you like to do."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith hmms, "Yeah, /totally/ dullllllll," she lets out and snickers, elbowing him again as she makes her little joke, "We could play pool---or you could and I could look awkward. Or I could blast some tunes?" she wonders.

"Don't worry, we'll find somethin to do. Eventually. We could steal all of Nori's pillows maybe. What? What do I like to do? Oh well, talk on the phone, go dancing---yeah you know what? I do like swimming. You like that too right?" she asks as she walks over to the stairs.

Drake Riley has posed:
That list of options gets a quiet snicker from Drake. Turns out, she's full of ideas. And as she lays them out, he reflects that maybe he /is/ boring for not having thought of anything. Yeesh. Has staying here turned him dull?

A nudge gets his gaze trained back on Tabitha. He returns the light elbowing into her ribs. "Totally," he confirms. "West Coast life. Beaches, pools, relaxed dress codes practically year 'round." That's something he /does/ miss about home. Not so much the domestic issues. He's choosing to gloss right over Tabitha's inclination to steal pillows, even though it's absolutely begging the question of what she'd intend to do with them, and instead lets the focus hang on her last statement. They near the stairs, and he defers to her to take the lead. "What'cha got in mind, bright-eyes?," he asks.