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Summary: Mason punches Cloud! It's male bonding time!
Date: Friday, December 3, 2010. 7:45pm
Log Title: Male Bonding
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Weight Room
All the weight machines are powered by hydraulics, you set the weight you want and your bench-pressing that many pounds, or even tons in some super strong students' cases. Punching bags, stair machines, bicycles, treadmills, weights, and anything found in your standard gym can be found here.
Ha!, Cloud has actually finished all his assignments so figures he can spend a couple of hours in the gym, he's still yet to find a team to try out for but he might aswell get into a routine, he's dressed in black sneakers and grey shorts (he also has a scar on his chest saying 'Summers - They are my Marauders now', he's currently running on one of the treadmills.
Mason's day has not included assignments. He's paid almost no attention at all in class, regardless of teachers calling on him to rein him in. Last night's concert was one of the more miserable nights of his life. He's been writing music to work out his frustration, but can't seem to play anything today. So he's come to the weight room instead. A plain white t-shirt and black gym shorts make up his attire, and something in his pocket rattles as he steps. On his left bicep there is a wrapping, a bandage due to getting shot last night. He spots Cloud, but doesn't say anything. Instead, he sits down at the hydraulic bench press, and sets it to 200 lbs. His build doesn't look large enough for that sort of regular rep, even though he is well toned. All the same, he starts lifting, staring at the ceiling as he does.
Cloud groans when he spots Mason enter the room, why does it have to be the most arrogant guy in school who turns up while he's working out, gritting his teeth he just speeds up, easiest way to ignore the guy is to focus on something else.
Mason seems likewise content to not talk to the teen he regards as the most judgmental in the school. Pushing up one rep after the next on the machine until he finishes his set. He sits up, but doesn't go for water yet. Instead, he pulls a small ibuprofen bottle out of his pocket, and with his eyes warily on Cloud, he shakes a few out of it and takes them down together dry. There's a click as the bottle's lid is closed again, and he replaces the bottle to his pocket. He gets up and moves to the leg press, setting the weight higher than average there, too before starting the reps. Unfortunately, this machine is positioned so that the two will be facing each other for the duration of the exercise.
Cloud clenches his fists as Mason positions himself opposite, man is he trying to annoy him?, keeping his gaze focused on the console of the machine he increases the speed again, but due to his annoyance he lets out a jolt of electricity and has to jump back as he shorts out the machine.
The jolt causes Mason to jump, and he eyes Cloud suspiciously. That was unexpected. "What the hell was that?" he asks between reps, not stopping. He breathes in through his nose, out through his mouth as he continues to finish the set.
"Electricity, did the sparks not give it away, or did your reflection distract you?" Cloud goes and sits on one of the benches, he should give it a few minutes before he tries another machine, he doesn't wanna short them all out, hopefully he won't get in trouble for that one, it was an accident after all, not his fault.
"You know, I'm really sick of you being an ass. Today's been shit enough without you making it worse." Surely the news of last night's incident has circulated. He gets up from the seat and looks at the systems for a moment, trying to figure out what was next in his workout. He goes back to the bench press again "See, most teammates understand that they're supposed to support each other. But you'd probably never know anything about that sort of thing." He hesitates to lay down on the bench though, just in case his comment should induce an extreme reaction. Secretly, he must confess that he hopes it will.
Actually Cloud hasn't heard what happened, he's been taking the studying thing really seriously today and hasn't really paid much attention to what people have been talking about, "I really don't care if someone dissed you on twitter or if you couldn't get your hair to look right, you're still a dick." At the teammate comment he laughs, "Dude have you ever even been in a team before?, i have and i always look out for my teammates, but you don't quite count, I've no reason to put any trust in you, you are an utter dick and just cos you're on my squad doesn't mean you get an automatic pass on that."
"Dissed me on twitter!?" Mason exclaims, getting back to his feet again. "Somebody SHOT me last night. With a rifle! Six inches to the right and it would've been in my back instead of my arm." he points furiously at his bandaged arm." He unstraddles the bench and takes a few steps toward Cloud. "I'm a dick? You're the one constantly judging me, remember?" Though Cloud is several inches taller than Mason, he seems unintimidated. "I've been on enough teams to know that you couldn't cut it on one if your life depended on it. I'm sorry that your dreams were crushed when you became a mutant, but quit hating me just because mine weren't."
Cloud would stop on account of the whole shooting thing, but he's pissed off, "Dude that sucks, but it was gonna happen eventually, that's what this place does, it puts us in danger, plus with you being you, it was pretty much inevitable," huh, finding it hard to believe anyone would put up with this guy on a team, "I've been on teams all my life and been very well liked, and whether or not the mutant thing fucked things up for me, I'd still dislike you, cos you're just plain arrogant."
That's it. Mason gives little warning, but his fist swings up, aimed straight for Cloud's jaw as the taller teen is still talking. Mason can't remember the last time he punched somebody, but it was before his powers manifested. He's not quite conscious of just how hard he might hit with an increased density. "I'm not arrogant!" It was one line crossed too many.
Cloud is hit with the force of a Jr. High kid hitting him with a brick with a layer of cloth around it, he's knocked into a kneeling position and dazed for several seconds, see now as much as he should he resists the urge to use his powers, instead he gets to his feet and punches him with his full human force, he'll deal with the pain in he's jaw later, for now adrenaline is dealing with it.
Mason backpedals to avoid Cloud's punch, having the time to react that Cloud wasn't given opportunity for. Unfortunately, while he backpedals, he doesn't take into account the bench behind him, and trips backward, falling flat on his back. There isn't as much fight in his eyes as a moment earlier, realizing what he's just done. He holds his hands out in front of him defensively from his prone position, though he isn't in a very good place to keep retreating with all of the equipment around.
Cloud grabs Mason by the front of his shirt and pulls him up, "What I can't punch you? You seemed raring for a fight a second ago", he throws him back onto the bench, "I've absorbed some good people and bad peoples personalities before and everything of them that is left in my system is telling me to knock every tooth outta your head, but see if I got kicked out for that Star will be left here alone, and I'm not having that, so count yourself lucky."
Mason grits his teeth as he's grabbed by his shirt collar. His head strikes against the bench when he is released, enough to let out a pretty shrill ring. He winces instantly, that's gonna leave a goose egg. The pop star scrambles to his feet, still in a ready position. He's not convinced that Cloud's done.
"I'm sorry," he apologizes. "I shouldn't have hit you. If you wanna finish this, I'm not ratting you out to the teachers." He seems willing to accept that he might take a few as well before this is done, his fists still drawn up. "So what's it gonna be? Cuz personally, I'd rather have my ass kicked and get it over with rather than play this pussy game where you bitch about me behind my back and to my face." He's not so arrogant to assume he'd win the fight, at least.
Cloud checks his jaw, it's making a noticeable clicking sound, but his teeth seem OK which is good, "If i was gonna beat you up i'd be doing it right now, and i wouldn't wait for your permission, and you think I've been talking behind your back, get over yourself you moron."
"Well you whine enough to my face, and about stuff I've never done. I'm not full of myself, and I'm not trying to make myself somebody I'm not. Do I like to be popular? You bet. Do I think I'm better than people who aren't? Not at all. I could go on to give examples, but it wouldn't even matter to you because you'd just say I'm stuck on myself for that, too. So if you have a problem, then let's deal with the problem, otherwise, just back off. I'm not what you want to make me into, and I won't be it just so you can make yourself feel better about holding a pussy grudge against me because your sister gets along with me. You act like I'm coming to suck her soul out or something." Mason is still ready for a fight should Cloud suddenly change his mind, but his fists have been lowered.
"Dude it just pissed me off that you were flirting with my sister in front of me, any other time and it would've been cool with me, that just annoyed me, but it's not why i think you're a dick, and you punching me, trying to force a change in my opinion and talk me into a fight isn't changing my mind", Cloud is remaining very calm in this situation which is odd cos he's usually known for acting without thinking.
Mason sighs, lowering his guard further before he runs a hand through his blond locks of hair. "I'm sorry," he apologizes. "I don't mean to flirt so much. It's just how I get to know people. I'm sorry for coming across badly to you, and I'm sorry if I insulted her, I really wasn't trying to." Mason isn't sure how far his offense reached, especially after having a similar response from Kisha not but a few days ago. He turns his gaze up to look Cloud straight in the eyes. "Will you forgive me? Can we go back and start over?"
"You are continuously bringing this back to my sister, I don't care about the flirting, just don't do it in front of me", Cloud unclenches his fists, "You are arrogant, stuck up and narcissistic, but I will give you a chance to make a better second impression," he walks forward and holds out a hand, "Hello, I'm Cloud Rosen."
It looks like Cloud just took a thousand pound weight off of the blond celebrity's shoulders. "Mason Steele," Mason responds, taking the hand in a firm shake. "It's good to meet you."
"Don't look so relieved, we're still not friends," Cloud grins and punches Mason pretty hard but no where near as hard as he could, "But we are now even, so there's hope," Cloud stands there so Mason can retaliate if he so wishes.
Mason's recoil is minimal, though he is taken completely off guard. He coughs once from the impact, and chuckles. His abs are pretty thick, he has a lot of meat to him for somebody with such a thin frame. "Fair enough," he answers, clapping Cloud on the shoulder. "I'm hungry now, wanna go grab something in town? I'll buy," he offers.
"I'm actually gonna hit the showers and head to the cafeteria, thanks for the offer though but sadly you're not my type", Cloud's only teasing which is a good sign, "Feel free to come with though."
"See, there, I was flirting again and didn't realize it!" Mason answers with a laugh. "I'll finish my reps here and see you down there in a bit."
