Practice makes less imperfect (open)

[Alex Carpenter]

He didn't make a big deal about it. Usually, he didn't about anything.

There didn't seem to be a lot to work at when your power generally got summed up as 'metal skin.' But Alex, naturally, found ways to make everything complicated. It had taken him the better part of the year to get good at syncing with new metals. By the time summer came, he hadn't come across any metals that had presented him with any problems for a few weeks. The going theory was that as he synced with more alloys (usually various types of steel) he got used to the trace metals in the alloys, and that helped him get used to those metals on their own. The bottom line was, he'd gotten good at turning things on, at the very least.

Not every metal was easy to manipulate, though. Steel was pretty average, by his reckoning. Copper was easy, and lead was pretty damn effortless. But titanium was tricky, and when he'd actually had a bit of adamantium to work with that had any reasonable size to it, it had been a ridiculous effort just to turn it from a ball into a cube.

One thing that had become obvious to him, though, was that he couldn't always count on there being metal around to bulk up from. He got a lot stronger when he changed form (more in some metals than others), but that strength was exponential based on his human form, unless he had a steady supply of metal to absorb. And so since summer had started, he'd increased his workout regimen. They might not let him do the crazy combat simulations yet, but he could always get himself in good enough shape for when they did.

So, lacking anything else to do, his classmates all celebrating something or other or wrapped up in who was doing what, Alex made his way into the gym, plugging his phone into the little stereo in the corner to start some music up. He set up the bench and got started with his lifting, trying to shut everything else out for a while. At least, until something came along to distract him, he supposed.

[Barbara Kirby]

Barbara, avoiding the party because, seriously, was wandering around, hoping to find an empty room.

At that, she failed.

[Alex Carpenter]

"Oh, hey," Alex said, a little gruntily as he was lifting just at that moment. Master of wit, this one.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize anyone would be in here."

[Alex Carpenter]

He shrugged as he set the bar back on the rack for the moment. "It's a gym. Gonna be people here, it's no big deal."

"If you want quiet, usually people head to the hedge maze."

[Barbara Kirby]

"Yeah, they do. Lots of people in the hedge maze,' she frowned.