ArchivedLogs:Workout

Workout
Dramatis Personae Gabriel, Xiao-shan	2013-08-16 '
Location <NYC> Sweat - Greenwich Village
An apropos name; it is hard to escape the smell, when visiting this fitness club. Open twenty-four hours, this facility comes equipped with all the bells and whistles for those who want to train hard. All the standard gym equipment can be found and then some. In addition to private personal trainers, there are group classes in all sorts of things, from bicycling to crossfit to yoga to martial arts to more esoteric fare such as pole dancing and dodgeball. An olympic-sized pool makes this a popular draw, and the sauna rooms by each locker room are nice spots to unwind after a heavy workout. Jin Xiao-shan is working out! The 7 foot tall woman is currently standing off to the side of the gym -- where many have given her a /wide/ berth to work. She's dressed appropriately for a workout; black sports bra, navy-blue tank shirt, a black pair of sweat-pants -- sandals -- and a sweat-band around her brow, with her hair pulled back in a pony-tail. Her hands are clad in dark black punching gloves, and... she's currently beating the /shit/ out of a sand bag. It's actually probably one hell of a thing to watch -- as Xiao-shan is not letting that sand bag get away with a fucking thing. She's sweating as she pounds and pummels it into oblivion with punch after punch -- those thick, powerful arms of hers are delivering sufficient force to lift the sandbag back and up; each blow leaves a sizable dent in it -- the chain above occasionally groans from the sheer force of impact. WHUMP, WHUMP, WHUMPWHUMP, WHUMP... Meanwhile, Gabriel has arrived. The young Latino is currently dressed with a cloth around his neck, a gray tanktop, some sweat pants, and a pair of tennis shoes. The tanktop has the logo of Xavier's Institute embroidered, in what looks to be a handmade job, but is still pretty decent. The shirt is a bit worn and seems several years old as well. He is sort of known, atleast in glance, by regulars, as for the past few years he has came virtually every day, stayed for half an hour to an hour doing moderate-to-average exercise, and then leaving, yet is built very well. He walks over near Xiao-shan, as he hangs up a punching bag. He smiles, as he looks over to her. "Very nice! Show it no mercy!". He then focuses back onto the bag, and is suddenly wailing on it, before he flips onto his hands, kicking into it, and back onto his feet. Whump, whump, whump -- Xiao-shan seems intensely /focused/ on those impacts; her arms continue to deliver blow after blow -- as she continues, her blows seem to slow down in speed, as if she were punching through water. But the impact seems to carry the same amount of force; indeed, the bag actually edges back a bit further -- as if these slower blows were somehow transmitting much more /strength/ to her blows. The presence of Gabriel manages to interrupt that steady barrage -- her eyebrows zip upward as she glances his way, lingering on the Xavier's logo on his tanktop -- and then zipping a little /higher/ when he jumps on his hands and proceeds to /kick/ the bag. "...thank you," she responds, after a moment, before eyes narrow on the Xavier logo -- a hand reaching out to catch the sand bag as it swings back toward her, like a weighty pendulum. THWUMP. "--Xavier's institute?" "You've heard of it?". He gives his bag one last hit, before catching it. "Yeah, it's a..prep school up near Salem? I went there about six years ago, never threw the shirt away, still fits I guess.". He smiles, as he grabs the bag again, giving it another hit. He begins pounding it relentlessly again, continuing his strange capoiera routine, alternating between punches and kicks. "Did you go there as well? I don't think I recognize you.". "--yes," Xiao-shan responds, though there is something guarded in this admission; something careful and tentative. She's watching Gabriel a bit more closely, now, her dark eyes focused on his face. Searching. "Six years ago? Mmn. I think I was about eight or nine years ago. No, I don't recognize you; I think I would. We probably just missed each other." Her grip on the sandbag relaxes; she gives it a /shove/, pushing it away from her -- turning to follow through with another punch. WHUMP; the bag groans beneath the force of her fist. Overhead, the chains making a tentative creak in complaint. "--you remember any of the professors?" It sounds like it's just a friendly question, but underneath it, there's something sharp and quick -- like she's probing the waters for pirahnas. Gabriel's eyes spark slightly, as she begins probing him. It's nothing obvious, just a tiny twinkle in them, and if you looked close enough, you might see it. He smiles, answering her questing, as he continues. "Let's see...Doctor McCoy...Ms. Munroe, Ms. Gray, Mr. Summers...Those are the first that pop to mind, I guess. And of course, Professor Xavier.". He smiles, slightly suspicious, but still smiling. "My sister's probably going there this year if she..qualifies.". He looks around, slightly slowly, as he says this. He then smiles, hinting to something. "Tesseracts.". "--hn," is all Xiao-shan says in response to the litany of names; her fists continue hammering away at the sandbag, thoroughly /pounding/ it into submission. Another creak from the chain; another groan from the ceiling it's attached to. "I see. Well! I'm Jin Xiao-shan," she informs him -- suddenly stopping, catching the bag with one massive hand -- extending the other out to Gabriel! Now equipped with a broad, suspicion-less smile. "Just Xiao-shan is fine. I'm actually a teacher there, now. Mathematics. Also work as a counselor and therapist. Your sister? I'm sure she'll -- ah, qualify. Xavier's has a very -- 'open' policy, regarding admission." Once again, Gabriel's eyes spark, before he accepts the handshake. He then nods about the acceptance thing. "I hope so as well.". Gabriel's eyes glance over to a little sparring area for several moments, but he makes nothing of it. "She's ah..deaf-blind, so, it may be harder for her to get in unless they can get her an aid or something.". He looks to the sparring mat again, before wiping his forehead off with a cloth. "Oh, we've found ways to accomodate deaf students -- I'm certain we can find a means to accomodate a deaf-blind student," Xiao-shan responds, without a moment's hesitation. "We actually have a translator for one of the students -- to provide translations in the classroom. Does she know braille?" The hand squeezes, firm and hard, before retracting; her eyes follow Gabriel's glance toward the sparring area, before moving back to Gabriel -- an eyebrow cocking. Gabriel nods, slowly. "She does know braille, but that's..not the big part. She has..a..". He looks around a bit, before continuing, phrasing things roughly. "Issue with..". He says this under his breath. "Vibrations. She can sense and feel them.". He then smiles, and looks back up, like he completely changed, and then sees her eyebrow cocking. "Ah, I almost forgot. I know, I don't even know you, but, what a better way to get to know one then..sparring, no? I mean, if you don't have the time or I'm being awkward, just tell me.". He smiles, innocently. "We're also able to accomodate any number of health issues. A number of students we have have very -- interesting challenges," Xiao-shan says, the left side of her mouth quirking upward. At the mention of sparring, the left side of her mouth quirks up even /higher/. "--I don't know if that would be very wise. No offense, but... outside of very controlled environments..." She clenches her hand into a fist. When Xiao-shan hits the sand-bag /this/ time, it's with a slow, easy swing; almost the sort of gentleness you'd expect to lob a softball with. The bag *WHUMPS*, flinging up and away a good foot -- as if she just swatted it with a lead baseball bat. "--maybe," she adds, "if you visited Xavier's sometime. But here, it would be a little. Obvious." The punch gets a few glances from other people at the gym, but soon, most people just put it as luck. Gabriel smiles, as she does that. "Quite impressive. You do have a point, however. Should have thought about it.". He's looking down at his watch, and suddenly, flipping around, kicking his bag forward, using capoiera. When he's done with the workout, he catches it again. "--that being said," Xiao-shan adds, turning to remove her gloves -- unbuckling them with care! -- "I can't imagine you couldn't drop by Xavier's, if you wanted to visit sometime. Assuming you left the school in good standing! Though considering I've never heard of you, I can't imagine you left in /bad/ standing," she continues, dropping her gloves down and sweeping them up into her duffel bag. Gabriel nods, as she packs up. "No, no, good standing, nothing bad like that. It was nice meeting you, Xiao-shan.". He nods his head, smiling, as he continues pounding the punching bag. "Have a good day!". THWUMP!