The gym was a large facility, with some exercise equipment that looked familiar, and some much stranger.  Noteworthy was the amount of it that seemed combat-focused-- dummies to attack, for example.

"Ah ha, some kind of training facility," Nitocris said, taking it in.

"Yes," said Hermione.  "Less useful for me in terms of exercise, but I suppose practice moving with my body is still valuable."

"I don't really need it either," Nitocris said.

"Why not?" Toxie asked.  "Hermione's a cyborg, so she can't build muscle by exercising, but why not you?"

"I'm a spellcaster and royalty," Nitocris said.

"So can you use magic to make sure that you're in shape?" Toxie asked.  "Healthy body, all that stuff?"

"No, but I'm not a commoner...oh, wait, that's the wrong kind of thing...," Nitocris said.

"I actually still need to exercise my organic parts," said Hermione.  "There just aren't that many that don't have tech support.  And if I do, you do."

Nitocris sighed.

"I suppose you are right..."

"Aw, don't be that way," said Toxie.  "You can have fun with it!"

"It's not something I'm used to...," Nitocris said.

"What, didn't royals have games they played back in your time?" Hermione asked.  "...actually, that's a serious question; I shouldn't assume that I know the answer."

"I suppose they would be what you call 'board games' mostly," Nitocris said.

"Okay, well, developing the mind is good, too," said Hermione.  "No royal hunts or ball games or whatever?"

"Not when my brother was pharaoh. Female royals don't get much. When I was pharaoh, I spent all my time studying and plotting," Nitocris said. "I mostly played Senet when I wasn't doing that."

"Huh," said Hermione.  "Well, fair.  But yeah, you need to take care of your body.  We all do."

"Very well, teach me how the machines work," Nitocris said.

"It's not like they're the only option, but..."  Toxie showed her how some of the assorted weight machines worked.

Nitocris sat down and tried to use one.

Athletics check plz

(OOC: Athletics Check - Nitocris rolled 14 using 1d20)

It was work... as was the intent... but Nitocris could easily handle this much.

Nitocris kept going with it as long as she could.

...and now she was sweaty and her arms were sore and tired.  But she'd gone the distance; Toxie was applauding.

Nitocris groaned as she stopped.

"I'm tired."

"You did very well for someone who hasn't been weightlifting before," said Hermione.  "You can feel proud of that."

"Where are the baths?" Nitocris asked.

"Looks like the showers are down there," said Toxie, pointing.

"...have you used a shower before?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I have," Nitocris said, heading towards the showers.

Luckily, no one else was there.

That didn't matter as Nitocris undressed and headed for the showers.

Behind her, Hermione started to say something, but Toxie shushed her, whispering something to her.  In any case, Nitocris was soon clean.

"I should have brought some clean clothes," nitocris said.

"Yeah, didn't think you'd jump right in on a serious workout," said Toxie.  "You can't just, you know, magic them clean?"

"I guess I can do my 'costume'," Nitocris said, summoning her staff and tapping it on the ground and was suddenly in ancient Egyptian clothing.

"Ooooh, sexay!" said Toxie.  "Good look for you, girl!"

"Thank you, but these were the kinds of things I wore all the time back in my time," Nitocris said.

"Still looks good on you," said Toxie.

"...and certainly shows off your skin well," Hermione added, a bit uncomfortably.

"Yes, I am rather pale...relatively of course," Nitocris said. "And yes, I know clothing standards have changed."

"Ah, was pale skin valued in your era?" Hermione asked.  "That would make sense-- it shows you don't have to labor in the sun."

"It was for nobles anyway, I'm not sure how it was for the common folk," Nitocris said.

"I'll bet they still wanted it," said Toxie.  "People always want to be like the rich, powerful people.  Just how it is."

"I see that things have changed, at least in this country," Nitocris. "Booths that can harness the sun to get darker skin and even creams that do it!"

"Oh, yes," said Hermione.  "That reflects that laborers started to instead work in factories and never see the sun, while the wealthy fly to warm parts of the world and relax on beaches in it."

"Ah. Interesting," Nitocris said.

"Seriously, how do you know all this stuff, Hermie?" Toxie asked.  "Do you, like, have Wikipedia plugged into your brain or something?"

"I read a lot," she answered.  "Something to do when you can't move and spend all your time in a hospital bed."

"That makes sense. It's good you could still use the time constructively," Nitocris said.

"Well, it was that or go crazy," said Hermione.  "My mind is too active to tolerate nothing but daytime TV.  I needed to think and learn until my father managed to help me, more or less."

Nitocris hugged her.

Hermione was clearly surprised, but returned the hug.

"...ah, thank you," she said.  "It could be worse.  We were able to make good prosthetics for me."

"Yes, they are very impressive," Nitocris said.

"We went through a lot of models, a lot of prototypes," Hermione said.  "I've been working on repurposing them..."

"It makes sense not to waste such blessed technology," Nitocris said.

"Well, I suppose so," said Hermione.  "It's a shame that it's so specific to me, but I'm finding ways to use it."

"Is it hard to change?" Nitocris said.

"Well, the prosthetics are designed to graft onto the unique shape of my body," said Hermione.  "They would have to be individually crafted for each user, as well as adjusted to their immune system.  Easier for me, harder for most people."

"Oh yes, the immune system," Nitocris said. "I know what that is!"

"It's also a question of anatomy," said Hermione.  "The flesh-and-blood part of my body isn't... shaped like most people."

"Hmmmmmm...," Nitocris said, as she examined Hermione.

"Uh... what are you looking for?" Hermione asked.

"You said your body was not shaped like most people. It appears fine to me," Nitocris siad.

"...you aren't looking at my body," said Hermione.  "You're looking at my prosthetics."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Nitocris asked.

She tapped her arms, her legs, her face.

"None of these are flesh and blood," she said.  "There is real meat, but it's hidden underneath.  I was born with tiny, malformed limbs and a face that doesn't bear thinking about.  Everything that you see when you look at me is crafted."

"Ah," Nitocris said. "It is rather impressive..."

"It took a long time to get it working correctly," said Hermione.  "The face was the worst part, though.  Creating reasonable human expressions is hard..."

"Yes, but you are quite attractive," Nitocris said.

"Thank you," said Hermione.  "It's all artificial, though.  My flesh body, I assure you, is not.  But with this, at least I feel like I can live something closer to a normal life."

"Even in my time, people put a heavy focus on physical beauty, but it is all transitory as the dead are judge by their souls and a soul has a beauty even deeper than the physical," Nitocris said.

"Woah, deep!" said Toxie.

"Well, thank you, then," Hermione added.  "...I appreciate that."

"It is the truth," Nitocris said.

"...thank you, and I have no idea what to do with that," said Hermione, flustered.

Nitocris smiled.

"I'm evil like that."

"So are you gonna ask her out?" Toxie teased.  Or was it teasing...?

"Perhaps. She is certainly high on the list," Nitocris said.

Hermione made inarticulate noises.

"Still a lot of people you haven't met yet around here, though," Toxie observed.

"You are right, but she does set a high bar," Nitocris said.

"...Are you actually serious?" Hermione asked.  "Don't tease me if you aren't."

"Why would I not be serious?" Nitocris asked.

"...No one has every said anything like that to me before," she said.  "Except to tease me."

"I don't joke," Nitocris said.

"...Oh," said Hermione.  "So... what should we do about that?"

"I don't know how relationships work in this day and age," Nitocris said. "That would be up to you."

"I... I'm not sure..." said Hermione, flustered.

"Come on, at least kiss!" Toxie suggested.

"Ah. I can do that at least," Nitocris said, approaching Hermione.

Hermione swallowed, closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

Not having any other frame of reference, Nitcoris went for a movie style kiss.

Hermione returned it, clumsily but not without passion.  Toxie was cheering them on.

"There," Nitocris said as she pulled back.

"...Convincing," Hermione managed to say.

"And a bit public, don't you think?" came an annoyed voice from behind them.

"Do you have a problem?" Nitocris said, looking at whoever spoke.

It was a striking girl with red-and-black hair and a body posture that spoke of nobility.  Arrogant nobility, specifically.

"I did," she said.  "And yes, it's all very sweet, and do you really have to do all this in public where we all have to see it?"

"It's not that public," Nitocris said. "Besides, people are big on public displays of affection these days."

"I disagree," said Black Rose.  "Being in a locker room makes it worse.  Now, if you'll excuse me, some of us have some actual training to do..."

She went to change into her gear; she carried a sword, suggesting that she thought of herself as a warrior.

Nitocris shook her head.

"Let's go."

They left the locker room.

"So," said Toxie, "now what?  Aside from away from the Prima Donna back there."

"I don't know. Anything you want to see Hermione?" Nitocris asked.

"Well, the science facilities, mostly," she admitted.  "Professional interest.  I'm always looking at ways to improve the parts I have."

"Let's head there then," Nitocris said.