2013.04.02 - Simple Solutions?

It's afternoon, after classes. Jocelyn had decided to tweak her routine this week, and wanted to get her lifting in. But most people did their stuff right after classes, and she didn't want to deal with the crowd and waiting. So she'd sent a text to Gloria to see if she'd mind if she swung by this week and borrowed the use of the woman's gym while she tweaked her schedule. Having arrived with her gym bag, Jocelyn knocks at Gloria's door. She'd jogged over for a warm-up, because that just made sense and was more efficient in her mind. Besides, it was a good way to chat about things, if Gloria wanted to chat, though Jocelyn wouldn't mind if Gloria wanted to do something else, too. She's dressed in her light blue jacket and what she's deemed to be her black running pants as she waits for Gloria to answer.
The first thing that greets Jocelyn when Gloria opens the door, aside from Glo, is a key being dangled in front of her. "Here ya go, chica." And then the door is being held open so the girl can enter. She's dressed in a pair of black cotton shorts and a tank top, her hair up in a ponytail and music can be heard playing upstairs. "Good to see you again."
"Gracias," Jocelyn replies easily, taking the key. "That's easier than me trying to pick the lock when I need to visit," the teenager responds with a grin. "Good to see you. Hope I'm not causing too much of a problem, but I don't really want to deal with the crowd," the woman adds as she steps inside, shutting the door behind her. "This your usual training time?" she asks.
Glo laughs, shutting the door behind the girl and turning to head upstairs. "No problem at all, Jocelyn. I wouldn't have said you could come over if it was." As she climbs the steps, her head is shook. "Nah. Normally it's earlier in the morning but I got a late start this morning. Didn't sleep well last night."
Jocelyn follows the woman up the stairs, taking her jacket off in the process. She's got a plain grey t-shirt on right now. She takes note of the basket. "The Easter Bunny left you something, I see," Jocelyn comments as she walks by. "Sorry you didn't sleep well. Things alright?" the woman asks.
"Huh?" Brilliant Glo. And then it sinks in. "Oh!" She looks over at the basket and the flower and smiles softly. "Easter Elf is more like it." She gives a small shake of her head and makes it the rest of the way upstairs before speaking again. "Just a lot on my mind, I suppose..." Heading towards the 'gym' she asks, "How are things at the manor?"
"Ahh, Mr. Wagner appeared here," Jocelyn says with a laugh. "Or he gave it to you at the manor". She heads upstairs and enters the gym. "Things are going alright. Nothing too out of the ordinary, really. Easter was pretty busy, but you were there for that dinner". She'd helped Kurt with finding spots to put the hidden eggs. Hiding things was something she was good at.
The girl sits down on one of the benches and takes her pants off, revealing a pair of green workout shorts. "Anything I can help out with, or be an ear for?" she asks Gloria.
Taping her hands up, Gloria smiles. "He was here, yes." She chuckles softly. "And dinner was.... Certainly interesting, yes..." She's not normally one for big crowds but, over all, it wasn't so bad!
She turns towards the back and drops into an easy and ready stance. "Hmm... I don't it's anything you want to deal with. It would be beyond awkward for you and certainly not something you need put in the middle of."
Jocelyn stands and slips a forty-five pound plate on each side of the bar. She takes her shirt off, revealing a grey sports bra. They were common enough for her to see women working out in at gyms she'd been to, but she usually went with the t-shirt or tank at the school, because of the number of teenage guys present. Here, she didn't have to worry about that. She lays down on the bench and starts warming up with the weight, lifting it pretty easily.
"Something between you and Mr. Summers then, I'm guessing?" Jocelyn figures that's what it has to be, to be beyond awkward. "Well, if I can help, let me know". Scott never talked about his personal life anyway, so it wouldn't be that odd for her, in some ways.
Joce's state of dress, or undress - whichever, doesn't even seem to register with Gloria. "Yes. No. Both." And the attack she begins on the bag is almost vicious in nature. Apparently, she has frustrations to work out. "I dunno if you can or not, chica and quite frankly... It'd be a tough position to put you in."
Eh, it was what she fought in, effectively. The teen finishes her warm-up set and then puts another forty-five pound plate on each side. "Well, I won't force it. But you get to the point you need an ear or some help, you know where to talk to me. Worst case, I say I can't go and talk to him or do anything more than listen". Jocelyn shrugs at that. She'd be honest if she didn't think she could fairly take action. She lays back down and starts lifting the weight again, though more slowly this time. The viciousness of Gloria's attack is noticed, however.
There's another sigh from Gloria as she continues the...energetic...workout she's started. "When Scott and I got together, it was with the understanding that should we cared very deeply for other people and should either of them seem interested..." She lets it trail off, accentuating the point with a particularly hard kick to the bag.
"Thing is... I'm not sure where I stand with said person, really." She frowns slightly. "He flirts but..." A shrug is given as she continues the assault on the bag. "I need to talk to Scott but I see no point in ending things if there's not really a chance of this other relationship going anywhere..."
Racking the bar after twelve lifts, Jocelyn sits up. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a jug of water, which she just sets to the side of the bench. She didn't need it yet, but she was getting it ready. "Well, perhaps you should first find out where this other guy stands before you talk to Scott," Jocelyn responds. "Find out if he's interested in taking the relationshop beyond flirting. If he is, then make your decision based off that. If he isn't, then you've figured that out and can continue to see Scott without worrying about it".
The girl lays back down and starts lifting the weight again. "Besides, he seems the type to prefer people take care of their business". Pause to lift. "Is there a reason you need to talk to him first before determining where you stand with this other guy? You both told each other there are possibly other people involved, right?"
Gloria actually stops mid kick and lowers her leg before looking over at Jocelyn and blinking for a moment before she just laughs. "Well, that's certainly the easy way to go about it, isn't it??" She brushes a stray piece of hair from her face and gives her head a shake. "I don't know why I didn't think of doing that."
She turns towards the archway of the room. "I'm going for water, want a bottle?" And then she grins and nods her head. "And you're right about Scott." There's a smirk before, "I think I have a quick text to shoot off too..."
"I've got my jug, thanks," Jocelyn says, gesturing to the jug of water she sat down. She can't help but smile as she racks the weight and sits back up. "Well, I could suggest a hard, convoluted plot to figure all this out that would inevitably blow up in everyone's face and leave a bunch of hurt feelings, bitterness, and awkwardness all around. But I like to keep things simple". Not to say that Scott wouldn't be hurt at least a bit if Gloria went with this other guy, but that was a given.
She lays back down to do another set. "Besides, you're in the middle of the situation, so don't worry about not thinking about it. Easier to see that stuff from an outside angle. You mind spotting me on my next couple sets when I up the weight?" she asks. Now that the situation had been figured out, at least in theory, and a set of steps forward had been proposed.
There's a nod of her head before Gloria disappears, untaping her hands as she goes. She's gone for several minutes and when she returns it's with a bottle of water and her cell phone.
The bottle is opened and half drained before it and the phone are set aside and she walks over to Jocelyn. "No problem." She takes up a stance at the head of the bench and nods, seeming far more at ease now that a course of action has been laid out.
Jocelyn finishes a couple more sets with the existing weight and sets the weight up another set of forty-five pound plates. She's just finishing up a swig of water when Gloria gets back. She lays back down and grabs the bar. "Doing four sets. Trying to do it five times each, but three is the minimum acceptable for each set". The girl takes a breath, noticing that the woman was more at ease now. That was good. She grabs the bar and starts lifting the bar with what is clearly extreme difficulty. There's no chatter for her now, as she was in the midst of her heavy work.
Like Jocelyn, Gloria has fallen into silence as she keeps her hands just under the bar. Not touching but ready to take the weight if need be. She keeps a close eye on the girl, letting her put herself through her paces, but being there if needed.
Jocelyn gets five on the first two sets, then she's down to three for the third set. On the last set she gets the first two up slowly, then very shakily gets the third one up before racking it with a loud clang. "Thanks," the girl says, sitting up and taking a drink of her water.
"So, you got any big plans for the week?" she asks. Gloria always seemed to have way more exciting plans than Jocelyn did, even if Jocelyn had a tendency to run into more dangerous situations than Gloria. The girl then tweaks the adjustable part of the bench to set it up as an incline bench press for the next exercise as she talks.
Gloria nods, making sure that bar is set back properly before she smiles and gives her head a little shake. "As of yet, no. I suppose it will all depend on how conversations go." She can't help but chuckle a little before picking her phone up. "Which reminds me..." Time to send that text message!
Lowering the weight on the bar, gets back into the lifting while Gloria sends those messages. "So, speaking of this guy. Do I know this person?" Jocelyn asks as she works on the lift. She, of course, would understand if Gloria didn't want to tell her, but she figures there wasn't any harm in asking. It couldn't be any odder than her dating one of her teachers and the field commander of her team, right?
Gloria looks over at Jocelyn and actually blushes! "Uhm..." She bites down on her bottom lip a moment before deciding to answer honestly. "Yeah, actually. Kurt." There. She said it. Now to wait for the reaction as she types. High school needs drama after all, doesn't it!?
"Oh. Cool," Jocelyn responds as she racks the weight and ups it a bit more. She didn't seem terribly shocked by this news. "I can't say I could see myself dating him, but Kurt and I just wouldn't be compatible, even before you get into the age and teacher thing. Though I don't actually take his class, so that's sort of a moot point". She's not especially freaked out by this news. "He does seem like the more romantic type though," she observes as she starts lifting the weight again. Kurt was, after all, a theatre person, and they tended to be more classically romantic compared to most guys, on a whole.
"Kurt is..." Gloria's entire demeanor seems to soften. "Sweet and affectionate and caring and gentle..." She laughs softly and gives a shake of her head. "He's also a complete flirt and a wretched tease. And fun as hell!" And then she realizes she's rambling and blushes yet again. "Anyhow... Plans... Yeah. Not sure yet." She seems to have forgotten they moved past that little chat a bit ago.
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if he lacked some confidence because of his looks. I mean, it doesn't bother you or me, but I'd wager he's had a lot of people run screaming from the sight of him," Jocelyn points out as she finishes her second set and pauses to speak. "You might need to take more of an obvious lead with him in the relationship," the girl suggests. That was, of course, if Gloria wanted to go down that route. "Well, yeah. I suppose plans will depend a bit on this outcome," the teen says. She starts lifting again. "And if you meet someone closer to my age sometime, feel free to let me know," she adds with a wink. "All the good ones I've met have either been taken or gay". Which was the truth and not just a saying for her lately!
Gloria blinks over at Jocelyn, curiosity shining in her eyes. "His looks? I think he's very good looking." As she realizes what Jocelyn is talking about, that look darkens and the woman almost growls. "Ignorant and arrogant fools." Alright, so she might be a little protective of Kurt.
"Oh, I fully agree, and their loss is your gain. That said, if I knew these people, I'd totally punch them in the face for him, if he wouldn't get upset at me for doing so," Jocelyn says. "I come from a place where looking a bit different is likely to get you shot," she points out as she racks the weight and ups it again for the next planned set. "What I'm saying is that he's probably had a lot of bad experiences, so if he's a tease, that might be why. I mean, I have a tough time getting a date because of my height and build, and I know he's probably experienced way worse than I have," Jocelyn explains. "I could be completely wrong, of course. But it might something to be aware of when trying to figure out why he has been a flirt and tease so far, you know?"
"You misunderstand. I love that he teases and flirts and plays. It's fun!" But gloria sobers quickly. "I can't imagine... He's such a gentle person..." Her eyes cut over to Jocelyn and she frowns. "I suppose, when it comes to mutantions and such, I'm one of the luckier ones. My never shows unless I allow it or completely lose control." She gives her head a shake. "I can't imagine judging people like that." Who would have ever thought that Gloria had such a soft side!?
"Mine is much the same. Only if I lose control or use it in some obvious way, and some energy is invisible, so I might get away with it anyway," Jocelyn responds. She then does the lifts. She's up to the heavy part of the lifts, so she's doing this very slowly again, as the weights are more challenging. Once she racks the first set, she speaks again. "Just something to be aware of, though I probably don't have to say it. You've been dating longer than I have," the teen says.
"And no, I can't see why people continue to judge that much by looks. I mean, sure, you gotta be attracted to the person, but, well, the whole race and mutant stuff is just frustrating".
Gloria nods her head, lost in thought for a moment. "I think Kurt and I have a lot to talk about." For a moment, she stares at the bag and considers going back to her workout. Ultimately, she decides against it. "Would you care for a lunch? Something light? I can do it while you finish up..."
Letting Gloria think about that, Jocelyn continues the workout. She listens to the question and considers it. "I've still got a bit, but once I finish, that would work?" Jocelyn suggests. She had, after all, just started her workout. She had a bit still left to go in her afternoon workout. The offer, however, was something she wouldn't mind taking advantage of.
Gloria nods her head. "That'll give me time to make something light but filling. Take your time and I'll grab a quick shower then make lunch." She turns and starts towards the door. "You're welcome to shower when you're fone as well if you'd like."
Jocelyn will finish off her lifting portion of the workout, then she'll go grab a quick shower. All in all, it takes another hour or so for Jocelyn to clean up. Once she does, she starts looking around for Gloria, figuring that either the loft, dining room, or kitchen would be the places for her to find the woman. Of course, it shouldn't take her too long, as she suspects she'll find the woman based on the scent of whatever she has made!
Lunch isn't anything terribly exciting this time around. Tortillas were sprinkled with sugar after they were cut into triangles and baked. A few 'exotic' fruits were diced up and mixed with minced mint leaves to create a salsa. With that, she prepared a light fruit dip that could be applied to it as well. The smell? It all comes from the kitchen.
Jocelyn makes her way in. "Gloria, seriously, you're going to spoil me here," the teenager comments with a laugh as she gets herself a tortilla. "I don't know what I'm going to do in the summer and I'm not around to eat your cooking," the teen adds with a little bit of a grin.
There's a bright laugh from Gloria who as changed into a pair of snug jeans and a deep blue shirt eith a pastel purple swirl design on one side. "I'll send care packages, chica," is offered playfully before she pours two glasses of water and then sits herself down. "Heading home for the summer?"
"Umm. I'm not actually sure where I'm going," Jocelyn admits as she works on the food. "Don't have any family or really anywhere to live in Detroit, but I hadn't figured out what I was doing for the summer," Jocelyn explains. She doesn't know if the mansion houses students during the summer months. Jocelyn had changed back into her t-shirt and black pants after her workout. "I just figured school would be out, so I'd have to find somewhere to live. Maybe I'll get a part-time job and get an apartment or something like that somewhere, though New York is way too pricey for that".
"Oh good God... There's no need for that. You can stay in the spare room here." This is all said as Gloria picks up one of the chips and throws lightly at the girl. "I told you that you're always welcome here. You have a key." She shrugs before taking a drink of her water.
Jocelyn wrinkles her nose. "I appreciate it, but I think I need to do something to at least sort of pay for some of all this," Jocelyn says. She wasn't actually thinking of that, but it is a realistic option. "It's probably not a bad idea to be nearby either". What with her being a junior member, or a Young X-Man, or whatever. "Though I'm not sure what. I'm sure I can find something to do in return if you don't mind my staying here for three months".
Gloria shrugs. "If you feel the need to work or whatever, go for it. Help keep groceries stocked and supply your own toiletries and we can call it even as far as I'm concerned. You have your license, right?"
"Yeah, I've got a license. Even got it fixed so that the correct age is on there". Because a six and a nine were easy to accidentally flip on a coputer, right? "I think I can figure something out," the girl says, considering a few different options. "Thanks," she adds with an easy smile. She continues with the meal. "Though I should think about getting back. Got a few things to do yet today," the teen says.
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