Star Trek: Theurgy

Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

September 01, 2017, 05:26:24 AM

Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

[Ens. Irnashall “Shall” ch’Xinya | Gymnasium | Deck 6 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy] attn: Even Angels Cry

Standing in front of the large mirrors in one corner of the expansive gym, Shall studied his reflection.  One antenna wriggled around like normal, turning and bending with little resembling a pattern, the other was little more than a stump, most of the regrowth covered with a white bandage.  Sighing, the Andorian ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair, working the last of the tangles out of it before starting some simple stretches.

Twisting and bending at the waist, his open vest fluttered a bit, showing off various portions of his chest to anyone who might be watching, not that he cared.  The blue sash around his waist held the vest in place, and while his black pants were quite billowy, they were snug where they needed to be.  Touching his toes, reaching for different bulkheads without moving, Shall worked his way through a universal series of stretches, used by almost every humanoid species known to the Federation.  Oddly enough, they seemed to go a bit longer than normal.  He may not have shown any of it, but the man was feeling a bit tenser and stiff than normal.  He figured it was just a side-effect from the night before, it was quite physically demanding.  Both the beating as well as what happened later….

Finally feeling loose enough, Shall smiled to no one in particular and jumped into an old, favorite kata.  Stepping with his right foot and throwing a quick backhand with the accompanying hand, the exercise started slowly.  Still feeling for a new balance point for his body, Shall moved carefully, taking his time between each step of the kata and pausing with each strike.  Soon though, his confidence began to build and the motions became more fluid, more instinctual.  Never straying more than a handful of steps from his starting point, the Andorian’s blue limbs started to blur as long-practiced movements took over, leading him as much as his mind lead his arms and legs.

Losing himself to the routine, Shall started to smile, his focus drawing in towards the imaginary opponents and he soon lost his full sense of his surroundings…

Re: Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

Reply #1 – September 07, 2017, 08:34:25 AM

LT JG Alessia Garcia, Callsign "Angel" | Gymnasium | Deck 6 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy] ATTN: @chXinya
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Alessia awoke to her alarm chiming away.  With her eyes still closed, she groaned at Thea.  "Computer,  end all wake-up alerts."  She groaned as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyelids.  A pair of chocolate brown irises glanced at the wall clock.  0700 hours.  Alessia's fingers gripped the edge of the bed as she thumped her feet onto the ground.  Her entire body felt prickly, like her muscles were in some intermediate phase of calming down.  She should have felt rested, but instead she was groggy and grumpy.  "Mierda¹.  I should have gone to bed earlier.."

Normally, her alarms were only a precaution since she was a natural early riser, but today she had slept an extra 30 minutes.  How had she managed to zone-out those annoying 5-minute snooze intervals?  She had no idea, but she was somewhat grateful.  Although, it did mean that she didn't have time for a wake-up shower and would only get a quick breakfast on her way out the door.

Half an hour later, the Tac CONN officer was dressed in Starfleet standard workout attire and running out the door.  Her long black hair was tied up into a messy bun and a gym bag swung like a pendulum from her right shoulder.  There was no bounce in her step as she made her way to the gym for her morning workout.

Fortified only with a protein shake and a banana for later, Alessia entered the Theurgy's gymnasium for the first time.  It was larger than the one on the Orcus, with more equipment, but many of the machines were already in use.  As she scanned the room, her eyes noticed 2 things: for starters, it was already 0730 so she'd have to make this a fast workout, and secondly, it appeared that Sehl was fine and all the worrying from the night before had been for naught.  Over near the workout mats, an Andorian was stretching, and even though his back was turned, she guessed it was her RIO.

After quickly storing her gym bag in a locker, Alessia wove through the whir and clank of the machines to the Andorian.  Her mind retraced the events of the evening prior as she neared until she reached the large open space dedicated to stretching and martial arts.  She knew the movements the Andorian was making, and when she was close enough that her voice could be heard over the general commotion, she pipped up.  "Hey Talon, where were you last night?  I know I said I wasn't gonna go, but I thought I you were still there so I went anyway."

As Alessia studied the blue form in the mirror, it occured to her that it she had never seen Sehl workout in anything other than the standard Starfleet grey sweatpants.  And Sehl's hairstyle was unusual today.  In fact, even his face was somehow different and almost unfamiliar, in a way she couldn't place.  And when had his antennae broken...?  Alessia had finished her stretches and begun her own slow version of the ginga step when she realized that this Andorian, whom she was now practicing alongside and whom she had addressed, was NOT her RIO, Sehl.

As the realization washed over her features, a sheepish grin grew on her face.  "Lo siento², it would seem that I was wrong.  You resemble my friend, Sehl th'Chilnes.  We often completed morning workouts together on the Orcus."  She paused and offered this new Andorian her hand to shake.  Now that she was looking at him clearly, he was only similar to her RIO in subtle ways.  His major features were different and she scolded herself for her own unintentional racist thinking.  All Andorians were NOT the same and she knew better.

"My name es Alessia.  Alessia Garcia.  Nice to meet you."

---

1.) Mierda = Shit
2.) Lo siento = I'm sorry

Re: Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

Reply #2 – September 25, 2017, 01:32:11 AM

[Ens. Inrashall “Shall” ch’Xinya | Gymnasium | Deck 6 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Even Angels Cry

So caught up in the kata, Shall never noticed that there was someone standing just off of the mat until after they said something.  Not really paying attention (keeping upright was taking a lot of the Andorian’s focus) and guessing as to what they’d said, he just nodded his assent for them to join, there was plenty of mat after all.

Shortening his moves so as to stay out of the woman’s way as she stretched, Shall studied her whenever she came into view.  Much shorter than him, she still exuded an aura of strength as she stretched, well defined musculature showing despite the exercise fatigues. Her black hair was quite the contrast to his white, but it accentuated her skin tone quite well.  He could tell she was studying him as well, and smiled.  It’d been a while since he’d had a partner, this could be a fun morning.

That came to a crashing halt when his new partner suddenly stopped and said something that the universal translator didn’t quite catch.  Stopping his kata as well, Shall looked down at the woman, chest rising and falling rapidly as he controlled his breathing, bringing it back down to a rest.  Listening finally, learning that she’d mistaken him for another Andorian, Shall could only shake his head in forgiveness and take the offered hand.  “He is a fortunate Thaan then.  Ensign Irnashall ch’Xinya.  The pleasure is mine.”

Letting go, he took a step back and put his hands on his hips, looking at Alessia in detail, exactly as his old instructors taught him to do.  So much smaller than him, this could be interesting if she would be willing.  “I don’t get around much so I could be very wrong, but did you come from one of the other ships?”

Re: Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

Reply #3 – November 14, 2017, 09:36:26 PM

Alessia hid her embarrassment with a smile.   "Nice to meet you.  Sorry again for the misunderstanding."  As they shook hands, the smaller Latina sized him up.  Her eyes traversed his physique.  He was good looking and obviously trained often, judging by the shape and tone of his upper body muscles.  His handshake was firm but not intimidating or painful.  It occurred to her while she stared at Inrashall, that she wouldn't mind a close quarters work out with him.

The thought brought a rosy blush to her cheeks and she pushed it away.  This wasn't the time or the place.   But she had interrupted the man's workout, and since she was here for the same thing, it seemed logical that she offer to make up for it.   "Those moves you were performing, I've seen some of them before.  They're Andorian, right?  How about we pair up?  I'm somewhat familiar with Andorian martial arts, and it will be a good test of my own form.  I practice capoeira, among other things, which is designed to neutralize large groups of combatants at a time.  Shall we see how it fares against your forms?"  Alessia raised an eyebrow in confidence as she asked for the match.  They had the time and she needed the workout. 

Re: Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

Reply #4 – December 08, 2017, 03:02:15 AM

Nodding in response to Alessia’s first question, Shall couldn’t hide his smile when she offered to spar.  His antenna tilted inquisitively as she laid out her own forms, he’s not heard of this capoeira before.  It was an intriguing idea to see how it worked, though he hardly fit the description of a large group.  “It would be interesting to see how our forms pair Ms. Garcia.” he finally responded with another nod and smile.  “My preferred combat forms are based around my quarterstaff honestly, but I could use the practice without it.  And I’m curious to see this capoeira,” he completely butchered the pronunciation, the alien word unfamiliar to his tongue, “since I went into the sciences I didn’t get much exposure to the more than the basic martial arts in my schooling.  Still, shall we pad ourselves?”

Stepping back to his bag for a moment to retrieve his hand/forearm and leg/feet pads, the Andorian watched Alessia as she made her preparations.  Was it his imagination, but did her skin go a bid redder at the idea of a spar?  Disregarding it with a shrug, (pinkskin flesh tones were hardly a concern for him), Shall slipped the pads in place and straightened out his clothes, restoring a little bit of comfort around his waist and lower.  Ever since Theta Eridani his clothes have been a bit big on him so things were riding a little differently than he was used to.  Probably not enough food to offset the regeneration. he guessed.  Antenna regrowth did take a lot of calories and protein after all.

Returning to the mat, Shall gave his arm pads a quick tug to ensure they were firmly in place and twist at his torso a few times, loosening up the muscles there.  “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Re: Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

Reply #5 – January 30, 2018, 09:42:36 AM

@chXinya

Alessia agreed that padding would be a wise idea.  She retrieved a set for herself and donned it.  Now, with pads strapped to her torso, legs and arms, and a padded helmet on her head, she was ready for some martial action.  She tested the straps to ensure proper placement and a good fit, then settled into her form.  "You have a keen eye.  Better than mine anyway.  I'm from the Orcus.  Or at least, I was.  Not sure there's much left of her now.  I'm a pilot.  My valravn is docked in the FAB."

She shrugged as her feet began to move.  She wasn't sure how she felt about that decision anymore.  A lot of things had gone sideways since yesterday.  She really needed someone to talk to, but her RIO was unaccounted for.  She made a note to ask the computer later for his whereabouts.  There was Dev, but.. she was feeling a little unsure after last night.  It had been great, and very needed, but now Alessia didn't know where the two of them stood.

She exhaled.  This workout was as much for her muscles as it was to clear her head.  She took the center of the mat and stepped wide to her right as her arms began to swing, then wide to her left, then backwards to her left.  Her arms were up, elbows bent and ready for attacks or defense.  They swung twice for every shuffle step she took.   As she moved, she kept her center of gravity low to the ground and her knees bent.  But her focus was elsewhere.  If she was to gain any benefit from this session, she'd need to get out of her head and into the moment.  Fast.

Her eyes focused on the Andorian before her.  She narrowed them as a grin spread across her face.  "Use a weapon or don't.  That's up to you.  Eres Listo?  Oh, I mean, are you ready?"

Re: Day 02 [0730 hrs.] Morning Stretch

Reply #6 – March 21, 2018, 01:46:02 AM

Joint post between @Even Angels Cry and @chXinya

Shall watched his opponent with a curious, yet wary eye.  Adopting his own stance in the middle of the mat just outside of arm’s reach, his eyebrow rose in a manner more befitting a Vulcan.  This pilot just will not stand still.  At first he thought it was just a quick series of stretches, but when they continued even after she crouched he was intrigued.  If both antennae were in one piece he might’ve tried to mimic the shuffling, but that was out of the question for now.

Knees bent to allow for a wide stance, Shall held his left hand out in front of him, palm facing Alessia, and his right fist hovered around his waist.  “No weapon for now.  I want to see this up close.”  And then it began.  Shifting his feet along the mat, Shall started to circle around the woman, watching her movements for any sign that she’ll come at him.  Normally he’d make the first aggressive move but this capoeira was too much of an unknown.  As the Andorian circled he made sure to keep his hands in their ready positions, wavering only slightly as his compromised balance kept his stance from being as steady as was normal.  “So what do you think of the Theurgy so far?” he asks out of the blue. 

His reaction was not uncommon.  Alessia's chosen martial form was not one of the more common ones, and thus was not often seen much less studied.    She grinned as he began to circle her and adjusted her step  to move with him.  He was calculating.  Thinking.  Waiting.  She kept her step up and her arms moving as he took up his stance.  She noted a shift in his balance and wondered if it was a weakness or if he was just adjusting to the spar.  It was as good an opening as any, and since he wasn't making the first move, she would.

As Alessia shuffled to the right, then did a quick double-step while keeping her rhthym.  She crossed the space between them and threw a punch with her right as she ducked and shifted to the right, then quickly stepped back into her form.  He had begun the small talk while she went in for a strike.  But her hit hadn't connected, meaning he was paying attention to their match.

She liked opponents who could multitask.  "Well so far she's a fine ship.  Y muy grande!¹  Biggest I've been on.  Her crew are polite, though I can't say I feel overly welcome here.  But that's ok.  No one knows me.  I intend to fix that.  What about you?  How do you like this ship?"

With the constant motion it was hard for Shall to tell exactly where Alessia was going to come from, her actual intent and tells lost in the flow.  Still, her lunge was easily intercepted, as she struck out with her right fist his open left hand batted it aside to his left, something that she seemed to anticipate as the woman moved with the redirect.

"Yes, she is a big one." Shall agreed with a smile, though it faded at the mention of a lack of welcoming.  "I'm sure it's nothing personal, everyone's been through a lot."  The circling continued even after the initial punch, but now it was time to change that.  Ducking low to his left, Shall kicked high with his right leg, knee sticking out first before snapping his foot out at high speed.  He didn't feel the connection with the helmet though, his momentum pulling him around to his left.  Catching himself with his hand he quickly pushed against the mat to right himself back onto his feet, white hair fluttering around his face.

Looking sheepish, Shall tried to ignore the near disaster.  "I've been here since the Academy, it's almost home.  My lab is nice, lots of room and plenty of processor for my work.  I do miss my mates though."

As the spar wore on, it was almost as a kind of normalcy settled in the exchange, as if there was naught amiss aboard the Theurgy.

- FIN