9074/Workouts Create Strange Spotters

Workouts Create Strange Spotters
Date of Scene:	04 September 2019
Location:	Morrisania, The Bronx
Synopsis:	Jean Grey makes an unusual choice of personal trainer
Cast of Characters:	Venom, Phoenix

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Venom has posed:
Blink Fitness was one of those chain fitness locales. People joined in January, and then never came back until it was time to cancel their membership, when they would get to talk it all over with someone of the appropriate gender in some very form fitting lycra.

Eddie Brock was not that kind of gym member. He actually liked to work out. So much so that he had a gym in his home. But he didn't have room for everything. He had turned a bedroom into his home gym, and he was limited in space.

So tonight, he finds himself in nearby Blink Fitness. The place seemed to have been decorated by IKEA. Bright greens, oranges, and blues were the order of the day, with circular lights in the ceilings, though the floors were traditional gym blue and grey.

Eddie Brock was currently wearing a black Adidas t-shirt, with white logo and the trademark three lines. He had on matching shorts, shoes, and socks. And he was working up one hell of a sweat on the ropes, going at them, lifting and lowering, sending ripples through the rope, one hand then the other.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean Grey was cerently one of those who had a gym in their home, though some would question if it's quite right to call either of those a home or a gym. Point being, she's not here out of necessity, so much as in an exercise of forcing herself to take some time out and change scenery.

Blink Fitness are not so lucky that she'll sign a membership with them, but she did have a coupon for a free trial. What does seem unusual is that she's allowed to do as she pleases, without any trainer doing their best to sell her on a subscription.

She's dressed appropriately for a workout, green yoga pants and a matching sports top, both featuring yellow detailing, indicating it was more a set than items grabbed haphazardly.

Being nice as she is, Jean stops a moment to observe Eddie giving those ropes quite the work, and quips, "that's impressive, are you an athlete or something?" Just wondering if it might be someone famous, the students would appreciate a signature if it was. Then again, the mere question goes to show how detached from sports Jean generally is.

Venom has posed:
And here is where Eddie was seriously different from most people. He kept going at the ropes, trying to do it as fast as he can, as hard as he can, until his arms were too tired to do it. Most people needed to concentrate fully on such things. They needed to keep their breathing right. But mostly, they just needed to focus. Distractions would take them out of it. But Eddie was able to carry on a conversation, albeit his voice sounded a bit different as he was careful how he spoke with the breathing.

It was bit curt, short, with pauses between words, and some longer ones broken up into segments. "Thanks... no... I just... like... keep... ing... fit." And as his arms grew tired, he slowed, and then stopped. Moving over to a towel on the floor, he picked it up, wiping himself down, with it. Then he grabbed a nearby bottle of cleaner and some paper towel, wiping the ends of the rope for the next person.

He offered a hand to her, "name's Eddie. What's yours red?" Inside his own mind, the symbiote said to him, 'she's nice. You should ask her out.' And Eddie thought back, 'would you stop trying to set me up with people? You just can't ask people out like that. Besides, she could be someone who has to take a selfie every five minutes, orders water at a restaurant, or is into Paulie Shore films'.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean observes as Eddie really brings it to this work out, smiling at the very munande reply he gives her, "well...I don't know too many people that put that much effort into 'just' keeping fit, but kudos to you!"

The fact he actually bothers to clean up for the next person is a bit more impressive, and buys Eddie a free pass for calling her 'red', not that she's not used to it. After all, it does beat 'carrot top' and worse variety she heard in her earlier days. "Pleased to meet you, Eddie, I'm Jean," she offers in turn, shaking Eddie's hand and for all appearances, seems oblivious to the conversation in his head. Then again, that should be expected. "Do you come here often, Eddie? Maybe you can point out the best machines?"

Venom has posed:
Eddie did have an incredible physique. The man has taken serious care of his body. He didn't look like Arnold Schwarzenegger during his body building competition era, but was definitely in the 80's action star level, like how he appeared in Conan the Barbarian. "Okay," and he waved his hands in the air, feigning casualness, his palms were directed outward, and he lowered his head at the neck, "maybe I repressed one or two frustrations. I'm not repressed anymore." He was trying to play it off as a joke.

He would shake her hand, "nice to meet you, Jean." And then as she asked about the machines, he looked at her, sizing her up. He was openly eyeing her, though instead of like a construction worker might do on the street, he was doing it from the aspect of a body builder. "That depends on what you're looking to get out of it. You have a great body. Are you looking for strength, endurance, general fitness, you could go anyway you wanted. You have all the tools already laid out."

Phoenix has posed:
"That's good, being repressed is a dangerous thing," Jean half jokes, half fully warns against future problems. She is carrying herself very lady-like, if she stole a glance at Eddie's physique it was quite unnotable.

"Well, I did do some part time modelling, so it's not like I'm clueless about exercise," Jean shares with a playful wink, "what I meant is which machines are less likely to break down, and cause injury, it maybe just me...but I don't fully trust the Blink Fitness brand quite yet..."

Venom has posed:
Eddie nods his head when she mentions the dangers of repressing your feelings, and then again at her having been a part time model. "Only part time, man, that is a killer business to be in." If Jean can't make a full time career out of it, who can?

"Gym equipment is pretty stable. The stuff will electronics sometimes breaks down, but that's mostly cardio, elliptical machines, rowing machines, stair climbers, but anything with weight, it's just a straight, simple motion. You can start on the circuit, until you learn the motions, and then go to weights without them."

Eddie was in his element. It was calming. He could easily get a job as a trainer, if he wasn't secretly a super... well, he wasn't quite certain what he was. On the one hand, he tried to help. On the other, the symbiote wanted to eat bad people. He had a complicated life.

"I could help show you some things, if you wanted?" And then the symbiote added to him, 'you're doing well. She's joking and she stole a glance at us.' Yes, the symbiote did note it. But the symbiote's senses were omnidirectional. Very little got past it. 'Would you stop that? She could be married for all we know. People don't wear wedding rings to the gym.'

Phoenix has posed:
"Yeah...part time, I guess I wasn't committed enough to make it," Jean offers, without listing the daunting set of responsibilities she was juggling, it was only natural that she wouldn't make it full time.

Jean nods at the description of the various machines, and figures she'll keep to the circuit, mat and weights. "Show me some things? Like what? I mean, I've been to a gym before..." Jean offers teasingly, somewhat amused, "you know where they keep the quality machines?" She muses, and lets Eddie play trainer for her. Hey, with any luck and someone at Blink Fitness might offer him a job.