You ain't seen the best of me yet - [Marr marr]

[Anatra]

You ain't seen the best of me yet Jeff Brown - District Two - Seventeen "And who are we to question our masters?" I read in the book in front of me. "Who are our masters?" It says. It speaks to me. "Take hold of your chains." My eyes scan through the lines gracefully. "Break them, faster than the last time you tried." My eyes focus, tried. "And if you fail again, your next time will be better, and one day you'll reach your goal." I speaks to me, this book. It's Men's Health, a little book that's supposed to motivate you into further success. I've read it twenty times. Alright, that was a lie, maybe just five. The point still stands; I don't feel like I've broken those chains yet. My room is a nice shade of orange, my favorite colour, joint with blue. I'm leaning on my wall, sitting on my bed that rests next to it. I've been awake for two whole hours, and it's only eight in the morning so far. I fold over a page of the book and put it down. It's time to head upstairs, eat some carbs and get my energy levels up. If I want to train, I'd best be in the right shape to do it. It's like trying to fit a triangle into a square socket. With my dad no longer around, I have to be the one to make everyone breakfast. That's me, my sister and my mother who'll probably want it toast taken to her room upstairs. Mine is downstairs, but downstairs again; in the basement. It's only that way because it was an option, and I took it. I liked the idea of being down there, alone. I love my little family with all my heart, but it can't beat for them all of the time, sometimes you need to be alone. I head upstairs like I planned, dressed in my black sweatpants and no shirt, that's just how I like to go around. Nobody is up so nobody will mind. Not that they would, I'm a lad, so it doesn't affect them. If I were a girl, it would bewilder them. I don't know why, though, society confuses me. I put the toast in, and time it with the beans that need to go into the microwave. On the oven I put some bacon on. I know that my sister will want bacon in bread, not toast, so she'll be getting that. Minutes later, the toast pops and the microwave pings. The smells are flowing through our small little house and I love it; it's the typical morning. I grab the plates and leave my sister's dish on the table, and head upstairs to knock on her door a couple of times. Instead of going in, because I don't need to remind her of the usual routine, I go to my mother's room. She's laying on the bed motionless, her white-grey hair all neat and tidy as she sleeps. She has no snore, she's always been so lovely like that; selfless. Even her unconscious mind doesn't want to disturb a fly. I think it's terrible what has happened over time to her, horrific. Nobody deserves to lose the person they love, to then have to depend on the rest that you love. It's truly hurtful to see her in such a state; but I never let her know that. she doesn't need to be reminded that she has become what I could hate to say, a liability. She's bedridden, and will be for a long time. I leave the plate next to her, because I know the smells will wake her up. Plus, it'll need to cool down a little. Time for some me time. I've earned it, and that's how I like to keep it; earned. My time only comes after my family is fine. My sister will be heading to school, and she's learned to be quite independent since our father died. Our mother will have a carer coming later as well, scheduled for the time in which my sister leaves, so she'll be safe and sound. That means I have some time. I slip my t-shirt on and head out the house, right onto the dirt path that has no cars, nothing. It's just a little path into the woods, and about five minutes later I'm out into the other side and the road has trailed into a pavement. It joins to a road, which is never busy, and that road leads into town, where the rest of the world sleeps. It's nice and early out, and it makes me so happy so be free right now. Sometimes, you have to revel in the moments of freedom that come short in times of hardship. Yes, I took that straight from that little book. I open the doors to the gym and see a lot of dedicated careers roaming around, mincing for prey. I'm not here for that. We do share the similarity that we are all here for ourselves, but I'm not at all here for the reason as to kill somebody. I'm a miner, and the one thing I know is that if I don't train hard, I'll fall hard and end up like my father, whom I actually loved. I take my shirt off simply because you can't really do shoulder and back exercises with it on; it'll tear or stretch. I wrap my hands around the bar, and I start to do my fair share of pull ups.

[*]

Staring into the darkness, Olivia's eyes dart back and forth. The black color of the ceiling messes with her eyes in a way that even when she blinks, all she sees is the squiggly lines that dance in her vision like a kaleidoscope of blacks and greys. "Three." Her voice penetrates the four corners of her room and even then, it doesn't effect the swirling vision of fun. Finally, a voice seems to break her consciousness and only a moment later, a hard pounding cracks the door to her bedroom, forcing her to jump up slightly and pretend as if she wasn't doing anything.

"What?" Her anger seems to come out to the dark voice of her father. STanding still, in the middle of a pitch black room, an unlatching of a door lock is heard before the door barrels into her room, flooding it with a thick and musty scent.

"Don't you - what - me like that. Damn girl. Get your ass up to the kitchen and help your mother with the food. Lazy - good for nothing..." He snarls as he talks. It something that he has always done with two teeth missing on one side. He always tries to cover it up the best that he can so his lips always move to one side, showing off that hateful look even when he's genuinely in a good mood. Today, he's pissed. Right now there can't be anything more dangerou than the moment that Olivia would try to talk back to him because her father isn't one to play games. Not at all. Especially with the disappearance of her brother, the family has gotten worse. Their father has becomes increasinging hard in voice while her mother has refused to beleive anything that Jins has done.

It's their word against what physical evidence that has been shown to them. Olivia shakes her head. "It serves him right. 'Bout time someone finally got him." Her small, unnerving voice whispers out as the figure of her father disappears out her door and the sound of his foot steps against the cheap steps gets to her ears. "You'll be gone for no longer than a few minutes, I'm sure."

She challenges him and shuts her door and walks on over to her bed again, sitting on the cheap blankets that have been peiced together with nothing more than old thread and stuffing. Olivia counts in her head, while her eyes adjust to the darkness yet again until the kaleidascope shapes start to invade her sights and the sounds of footsteps penetrate her ears and this time, she gets up and behind the door about the time that it flings open and she races out the door, grabbing the wooden pole located within her reach, and she's up and out of the house in minutes.

Laughter seems to make its way to the surface in time for the girl to be within a safe distance from her house. No sign of her father persueing her bring her step down to a slow walk of someone enjoying the sun that beats down on her skin, giving her the vitamin d that she craves. With the pole resting on the back of her neck, she drapes her arms over each side, balancing it out and walks until she meets up with the gym.

She has no use to show off today. Today, just getting away from her drunken father is what she craves, so hiding out at the gym will have to suffice.

Inside, she seems to linger near the walls until she see something that is most amusing to her. The shirt of some guy who arrived only moments before her is removed and instantly, she seems to be like any other teenager whose eyes landed on someone that they were smitten with. Tearing her eyes after after the breif moment, she passes him up to go to a station somewhat near the well toned figure of the guy. The wooden pole is places beside her and completely forgotten about. A gentle grin begins to appear, but only in spurts does she have the courage to look. Instead, she watches within her side vision at his routine.

"Hmph... I can do that." She merely whispers, as she works with her calves, pushing against a metal slide with weights on them.

[Anatra]

You ain't seen the best of me yet Jeff Brown - District Two - Seventeen When you're here and you are training, you block out the world around you and you focus on yourself, and yourself only. That's what I am like, anyway. I don't know about other people because I've never trained with them, except for the occasional training session with a buddy of mine, Mark. Other than that, there's nothing that I really have time for except for some rare football games with the lads. There's a girl here though, that does get my attention. She gets it be by getting attention from me, apparently. I must have done something to avert her gaze because she quickly looks away. I pretend not to notice, it is probably nothing. I don't get that many looks, or at least I don't notice them, very frequently. My sister wouldn't come training with me. She wants to study maths and english literature rather than work. I admire that in her, but I don't think it will get her anywhere around here. I wouldn't try to persuade her otherwise, though, because work is dangerous in the mines, or on the construction sites. I'd rather her stay in education, which is limited as it is, because that way she can have more of a brain than me. I'm not necessarily dumb, or dull, I'm just not exactly the best with calculations through numbers or anything like that. I wouldn't know the first thing to look for in a poem to give it analysis. The occasional glances from this small girl have me unnerved a little. I've seen around three... Wait, four. "Hmph... I can do that." I don't hear, but I can gather from her gaze at what I'm doing she plans on outplaying me. That's alright, I don't mind. I'm not here for a competition. I think it would be far too strange for me to approach this little girl though, especially with my shirt off. I'll just put it back on and move elsewhere, and see what happens. I move to the dumbells and put my shirt back on since it no longer needs to be off.

[*]

Olivia's eyes seem to catch on to something she likes. More so this time than any other with this one peticular guy is highly uncommong. It's not like she's never seen a shirtless guy before in this gym room, because usually she overlooks them without interest. However, her interest is quick and with the absence of his white top, it defines how he's taken care of himself. The attraction to him is obvious as ever when she watches until his eagel like eyes catch on to her gaze. With a haughty comment, she uses the machine she's sitting at, still letting her eyes lay upon the shirtless man.

Her mind must be working as she doesn't count out any kind of numbers of reps that she does. Her eyes are peeled to the mirror in front of her, yet her gaze doesn't meet with her own. Her dark eyes scan the room, occasionally lingering on the man for mere moments before looking to herself again. Her legs begin to weaken as she's done more than her fair share of reps. A small expression of exhaustion is clear on her face when she notices how he lets go of the bar, and the shirt is suddenly covering up the well toned abs of the one she's become secretly smitten with. Her mouth actually seems to drop just a hair and as he moves on, she's determined to show him up.

Competition agreement or not, she's already said to herself that she needs to prove to him that she's a worthy adversary. She can be every bit as good as him. A need to let everyone know that she can handle any task is given with a non-verbal challenge to anyone who dares to give her eye contact back; and that he did.

Letting the weights down easily, she bends over, reaching for her wooden pole and stands up to stretch out her calves. That exercise has given her a good warm up but now, she moves slowly over to the bar that the man was just at. A gentle grin appears on her face just thinking about what he'd do if she matched the amount that he had amassed. It's also somewhere written on her face that she hopes he'll notice.

With the pole being placed on the ground, she shakes her hands so they'll dry before gripping the bar. One quick movement, her jump allows her the needed height to grab on to the bar. HEr fingers wrap around the bar, playing gently, strumming against the once cold bar and brings her chin up to the top and back down. A heavy breath pours out of her mouth with each pull on the bar. Somewhere at thirteen, her arms begin to shake. It's nowhere near the number that her former competitor had done, but for her, she's amassed five more than normal. Was it because of him being there? The thought that he might be watching as well? Her grip is lost, and she falls to the ground, bending her knees as she does so and keeps her balance. Slapping her hands together, she tries to get rid of the burning on her palms and she instantly notices the redness. Massaging the spots, she's quick to place her hands at her side and she looks around for the guy. Without caring this time, she flashes him a hearty smile and picks up her staff and walks over to the open mats.

PAT - 581

[Anatra]

You ain't seen the best of me yet Jeff Brown - District Two - Seventeen Sometimes you can't help it when people look. Sometimes you want them to. Now is the time in which Jeff doesn't mind, yet barely notices. When he reaches the dumbbells, which are placed conveniently next to some mats but also a bench or two for balance, he takes a glance back at the zone he had left. It's customary to see who has taken your place, and to see whether they are doing a better job than you. It's her, that girl. The small one with the brown hair, and the round eyes. That's how he remembers her now. Nicknames spill around in his head but he doesn't care to pick one just yet. She does, by his counting, around fourteen give or take. He narrows his eyes a little as she shakes and drops to the ground, rubbing her hands off with their redness. It's the tell-tale signs of a beginner, and he respects that in a young person. Suddenly though, his glance is caught and she's already smirking at him briefly. Smirk or smile, it didn't matter which it was. Without him knowing it, simply because he has averted his gaze for the use of better, more weighted tools of equipment, she has approached. Either that or she has simply decided to use the mats nearby. Jeff looks round with a friendly smile on his face, saying something that needs said since she's caught his glance earlier, and he has caught hers too. "Can I help you there?" His voice isn't nasty or foul, but contrasting to his physique. He's a gentle giant.

[*]

Cocky? Maybe. The brown haired girl looks as though she has outdone any guy in her age range and taken out the competition between the girls. Pride reigns supreme on her features. The only thing the girl has allowed, willingly, was that small smile to her competitior that she feels she's bested even if she didn't accumulate the total that he had amassed before her. The upward turn of her lips goes unnoticed as the man a few years her senior seems to dismiss her, turning that smile away quickly. A broken moment in her confidence when he had refused her notice.

As she nears the mats, just passed the guy her eyes still can't help but take a glance at the guy whose caught her fancy. His features so distinct, she instantly notices his cheek bones and shoulders that are covered by his shirt. "Damn..." She mutters in a whisper to herself. Obviously distraught that he had to put his shirt back on. Youth plays in her favor to respect and gawk at the opposite gender, wishing for more than just a mere look. For Olivia, that just might be all she gets from her, quick to fall in love, guy of choice.

With staff in hand, she lingers so slowly, playing with the peice of old lumber. Moving it casually, spinning it around her fingers before the sound of his voice just happens to grace her ears. Her fingers slip, and the staff plummets down to the cold mat below. Her reactions are flawless. Her body bends down to pick up the staff, with her fingers expertly wrapping around the middle and bringing it back up to keep the spinning going as she contemplates the reply he so deserves.

"Help? Who said anything about help?" Her words start out, wondering what his motive is. Rarely, to have an older career ask her that kind of question, would mean that they pity her. Correct? "Not unless you know how to work a staff. Hard to find good competition these days. Wanna give it a try?"

PAT - 345

[Anatra]

Jeff is nothing short of an athlete. The problem likely will be for him; she'll think him to be a career. That would be an incorrect speculation. He's never held a weapon in his life, not properly. Except of course, the baseball bat that he keeps in his room just in case he needs to protect his sister and mother. He would never know how to fully use it though. He's no fighter, despite his appearance. A nice black shade of sweatpants and a slim fitting t-shirt clings to him subtly. His strength I quite mighty, and he is already tall as it is. Those who say that the taller folk can't build as much muscle are entirely proven wrong by this man's existence. He would call himself a man despite his youth. He had the reputation of one, and that is a drinking partner, football teammate and a catcher of the female attention. He wouldn't admit to the last one though. He doesn't like the attention, but when he sees this small girl, which is how he sees her, he sees his sister. Just much more prepared for the world.

Her words are coming out quite bitter, and a small bite lingers on them to Jeff's ears. "Not unless you know how to work a staff. Hard to find good competition these days. Wanna give it a try?"

To give it a try would be to make a fool of himself. That sounds quite fun. "You know what? I don't see why not. I'd have to warn you though, I'm awful at fighting." He gives a little chuckle. "You'll have to teach me some things." He gets up and gets himself a staff as well. Maybe this would be fun for him, and her.

[*]

A snide attitude comes biting toward the well toned man in front of her. He's nothing but seeming to be nice to her, but for her to actually talk to him, would need a reason. It woudln't matter the reason, just something to make idle conversation between the two. She's already got it in her head that he's the type of guy that interests her, but with him being so quiet already, not to mention covered, she has to deal with what she's given. And that happened to be his comment on helping her out. That's where the biting attitude came in. It's not that she's trying to give off a bad vibe or cocky mouth, but growing up where it makes sense to fight words with words, one is bound to pick up on a bad habit or two.

What is suprising about him, when his reply to her retort is challenged with a task. If she wants to train with someone who is as good as her, then the man in front of her would need to be trained. Automatically, a quick giggle falls from her lips. Just to follow that, her hand moves up to her mouth to conceal the possiblity that this well toned, handsome guy in front of her doesn'tknow how to fight, she thinks is merely a lie.

"Liar. You just want to show me up, is that right? Pretending?" Interest in the guy suddenly wanes. Someone who can't defend themselves is not someone she wants to hang out with. "Why not, mystery man? You're obviously been training your whole life. How can you not handles one of the easiest, yet most challenging weapon? Isn't it in your interest to defend yourself?" She asks him. When he takes up arms, the staff in his hands, she can't help but to grow a grin on her face.

"Well, surprise me. Go on and show me what you can do." Her hands move quickly, flipping the staff around in her until it comes to a rest behind her back with her fingers gripping tightly so the stick doesn't wobble behind her. Once again, her eyes seem to smile at the stranger, allowing her a quick glimpse to caress his body before she turns her attention to the staff in his hands.