Training Days

[regyttyger]

Kocavs sat in the corner of the weight room, dressed in a graying wife-beater, black shorts, and a pair of tennis shoes. He was taping his hands and watching the various other students and faculty using the equipment. The school day was over and many were on their way out, clearing out the room, just as he liked it. He stood and stretched, then

Comments

[birdsrdevo]

Dan can't help but feel horribly out of place in the weight room, in fact, he's standing out like a sore thumb. He has a gym bag slung over one shoulder and he's futilely trying to dodge the wave of students shuffling out of the room, all the while scanning the place for a machine to start on. After most of the kids file out, Dan is left standing there, head jerking in different directions - not sure where to go. He catches sight of Mr. K, and for a second he feels horribly self conscious. Maybe he shouldn't have worn this particular sweater-vest for his afternoon in the weight room.

[regyttyger]

Kovacs got the bag going, rapping it with his fists in a slow easy exercise, a warm up. He paused a few moments later and leaned down to take his water bottle from his gym pack. He glanced about the room as he righted himself and took a drink. The room was empty save for him and one other person: the young Dan Dreiberg.

Kovacs felt the corner of his lips curl up in a slight smile. He nodded to the boy, noticing how lost he looked. "Afternoon. Good to see you here, Mr. Dreiberg. Out of the library," he teased genially.

He looked the boy over, raising a brow at his attire as he stepped over to him. "Plan to exercise in that?"

[birdsrdevo]

"Uhm, yeah. Figured that I should get some exercise..." He trails off in the realization that despite being rather short... Mr. K is intimidating. Very intimidating. Gathering himself, he finally processes the question and looks down at his vest. "I don't really have anything else. Most of the t-shirts were in the laundry and..." He's just going to stop now, because he's rambling. "Yeah, I guess I do."

His gaze falls to the tape around Walter's fists.

Scratch that. Not very intimidating. Very, very intimidating. It really doesn't help that his friend, who very closely resembles Mr. K, had broken someone's fingers a few days ago.

[regyttyger]

Kovacs frowned softly as he observed the boy. Criminals whose noses he has just broken showed less fear than this young man did.

He turned away for a moment and trudged back to his gym pack. He dug through it and retrieved a white undershirt from it, then dropped his bag and walked back over to Dan. He tossed it to him, forfeiting any argument the boy might have. "Clean, I promise." He forced a small smile, more the action than the sentiment, which was certainly there.

He turned his back to Dan to give him a modicum of privacy, and went back to his speed bag. He gave a few minutes and then turned his gaze to the other occupying the room.

"Should start by stretching. Could pull a muscle or worse if your muscles aren't loosened up," he offered in an attempt to give the boy some friendly direction.

[birdsrdevo]

The boy just barely catches the shirt and when his teacher turns, it takes him a moment to recognize that he was supposed to put it on. His arms stutter for a moment but he quickly strips off his vest, replacing it with the undershirt.

"Yeah! Limber up. Got it." Just like before he swims! He starts squatting and awkwardly flailing his arms.

[regyttyger]

Kovacs peered over at him, smirking. He stopped his own activity and walked over to stand by him. He drew his arm across his chest, hitching it in the elbow of his other arm and pulling it tight to stretch his shoulder. He nodded to Dan to indicate he should do the same.

"What year are you, Dan?" he asked without preamble.

[birdsrdevo]

Dan follows along, smiling sheepishly.

"I'm a senior." He switches arms and counts silently in his head. "I'm in your philosophy class... with uh, Walter."

[regyttyger]

He makes a pleased grunt when Dan switches arms without being told to. He did the same, then bent his left leg back, grasping his ankle and standing with perfect balance as he stretched his leg.

"Yes. I know. Hnn, Walter," Kovacs grunted, smirking softly, amused. "Good friends with him? Don't suppose you know his middle name?" He quirked a brow.`

[birdsrdevo]

He starts doing toe-touches, cringing a little at the stretch.

Dan drifts off, in thought. "It's Joseph, right?" He remembers being told that a while back.

Pause.

"Why?"

[regyttyger]

"It's Joseph, right?"

Kovacs smirked at the permissibility of the question. He finished his last re-stretch and eyed Dan. "Yes, it is."

He stepped over to the equipment cabinet and took out a jumping rope. He returned to the center of the room, but plenty away from Dan so as no to hit him with the rapidly swinging rope. "Is my middle name too," he commented quietly and then began this new exercise.

"Curious. Does he... Still live at home?"

[birdsrdevo]

Dan is a little more than surprised at exactly how fast Mr. K is capable of skipping. Even if he's out of the way, the student still takes a carefully measured step back just in case.

He almost frowns when the question is registered; Dan knows about the home situation - and though he doesn't want to interfere... "Yeah, he does. I don't think he stays at home much, Walter is usually at my place..." Which he doesn't mind. At all.

[regyttyger]

Kovacs almost tripped on the rope when Dan answered in the affirmative. He stopped and stared at him, his face burning as red as his hair.

"Good." He turned away for a moment, tempering a bolt of rage that ebbed through him. "Good," he rasps again.

He collected himself and then looked back, nodding to one of the machines, indicating that he should get started. "Notices you and Mister Dreiberg have striking similarities."

[birdsrdevo]

Dan blinks, clueless. Obediently, he shuffles over to the stack machine, adjusting the weights.

"Kinda, I guess. Walter asked if we were related..." He considers the machine, wondering how many he'd be able to lift.

[regyttyger]

It took Walter a few moments to recover completely from his anger and he started jumping room again.

"Hrn. Weird phenomenon."

"Know how to use the machines?" He wonders what in the hell high school physical education classes are teaching their students these days. Ballroom dancing?! "What are you training for?"

[birdsrdevo]

"Yeah, I'm trying to ignore it." This school is freaky. Dan wouldn't want to disturb the space time continuum... or something.

"Sort of." He gives the machine a challenging look, "Er, some of them." Only the ones he studied up on prior to coming here. When he glances back up he notices Mr. K has resumed his skipping.

"Stuff." He shrugs with feigned nonchalance. "Figured I should get into shape."

[regyttyger]

(Holy coincidence, batman! I was just typing a sentence to a friend about this very activity in the RP to a friend in an email and then your response popped up.)

Kovacs nodded. "Good idea. My offer from before still stands. Boxed my way through school. Paid my way through college. A man should know how to fight."