JP Lieutenant Commanders Toryn Raga & Lael Rosek: My Ego Isn't The Only Thing That's Bruised, Part I
Lael Rosek
((Gymnasium, Deck 5, USS Atlantis, Par’tha Expanse, Enroute to Earth))
{{Time Index: Day 23 of Shoreleave}}
Her brow furrowed as she lifted, heaving the bar up another rung. She’d arrived a bit early and had decided to get a bit of a warm-up in. It had been a bit weird agreeing to meet Toryn for a sparring match. It hadn’t been a couple of weeks ago that they’d been at each other’s throats. But she was determined to move past that. They’d finally had the chance to clear the air between them and she’d been glad she hadn’t given in to her frustration, instead showing him compassion and remaining calm.
Drawing in a breath, she took the bar up yet another rung before letting go and dropping to the ground.
Toryn stepped into the Gymnasium and immediately noted the loud clang of a metal rung being heaved up and into a groove on the salmon ladder near the back. He had maybe ever set foot into the gym but once prior as it was his experience that most, if not all of the equipment, wasn’t quite rated to be used by someone possessed of mega-strength. Which was why he tended to train on the holodeck. Much harder to break that, though, he was fairly certain he was the only person on the ship who had actually managed to damage a holodeck whilst using it.
Moving over to her he smirked. And looked up at the ladder.
Raga: Must not have been here long. You didn’t get very far.
She rolled her eyes and bumped his shoulder with hers a bit rougher than she would have dared with anyone else. They’d fallen into teasing, though she’d had to be a bit more careful that it didn’t fall into flirting. She had Chythar and didn’t want to mess that up. He was the most important thing in her life and she didn’t want to hurt him or Maddy.
Rosek: At least I haven’t broken it.
He felt the shoulder bump and laughed, playfully acting as if she’d near knocked him senseless from the single bump. Her comment however elicited a tsk and he shook his head.
Raga: You’ve been on the ship all of, what, two weeks and you’ve already heard that? ::He grinned and shook his head:: Besides, I wouldn’t expect you to break it.
Though he didn’t outright say it the implication that she wasn’t nearly as strong as he was was there and Toryn moved to the adjacent ladder. Grabbing the bar he set himself up and glanced at her.
Raga: Well, come on Rosek. Think you can beat me to the top?
Rosek: ::arches an eyebrow at the moment:: Of course I’m not going to break it. I had this one specifically designed to withstand my strength.
Raga: Of course you did.
She smirked and jumped for the bar, which sat on the eighth rung, probably a good few feet above her head. Pulling it from its slot, she allowed herself to fall back to the ground with the bar in hand. Glancing in his direction, she slipped the bar into the rung at the end of her reach, testing it to be sure it was steady.
Rosek: Don’t wear yourself out too much, old man. Wouldn’t want to win our sparring match by default.
His brow narrowed a bit at her comment since the two of them were the exact same age and gripped the bar in his hands tighter, but mindful that it wasn’t built for Al-Leyans.
Raga: Well, if I am worn out then it’ll be a more even match.
Toryn grinned and looked up at the ladder above him.
Raga: We both go on three. One.::Beat:: Two. ::Beat:: Three.
As soon as the word left his lips he heaved himself up, his arms flexing as he launched himself, unintentionally up three rungs with the force of his attempt. The bar slammed into the slot evenly, but the impact was jarring and the bar itself gave a little from his excessive mass and the force involved.
The loud sound of metal on metal and the strain she heard on the equipment beside her caused her to wince. Yeah, she’d bet that before they reached the top it would give out on him. Hell, he’d be lucky if the whole thing didn’t crumble on top of him.
Mentally shaking the thoughts from her head, she focused on what she was doing, her chest heaving from the effort. Even solo without the added pressure, she’d never made it to the top. But he had a way of bringing out her competitive nature and she was determined to at the very least break even with him. She’d never outdo him, but maybe she could match him.
Rosek: ::breathlessly:: I’m denying the requisition request if you break that thing.
Tucking his legs up underneath his body he pulled with his arms and used his momentum as much as possible before it dissipated too much and made him have to work harder to keep pace. He pulled himself up harshly, then as he passed the bar lifted it above him to catch two rungs above him. It gave a little more. He knew he couldn’t take this a rung at a time. The equipment wasn’t durable enough. So, he had to give it his all. There were another twelve rungs above him. He jerked hard, letting the bar barely touch the slots four rungs above him again. The bar slipped in his hands as the metal groaned in protest.
Raga: Krabo! ((Crap!))
She glanced in his direction momentarily and managed to conceal a smirk. He was a cocky bastard, she’d give him that. But she’d learned the limitations of this equipment over the years and knew that she couldn’t win a bet if it gave out on her. She pushed it to the limits, but was always keenly aware of just how much pressure she was putting on the structure with her jumps from one rung to the next.
Rosek: ::breathily:: Give up yet?
Toryn let himself hang there a moment, keeping his legs tucked still as he studied the ladder above him. Thankfully it was bolted into the floor otherwise he’d really be concerned being this high. Her comment only made him grin down at her.
Raga: Why? I’m winning.
Toryn looked at the bar in his hands. It could handle another jump. Maybe. Even if he was carefully this gear wasn’t meant for him and he was certainly much heavier than she was. The downside of coming from a high gravity world. He could feel it weakening just from him hanging there. Determined however as he was to win. He also didn’t want to break the equipment and hopped up one more time but instead of trying to scale the ladder higher, he let himself fall down to the floor in a crouch. He winced a bit when he felt the deck plate whine a bit and bow from the impact.
Despite him being out of the running, she was determined to finish. She was so close to the top. Only another five rungs. She grunted with the effort, her chest burning as she fought to draw in air. Sweat beaded her forehead as the sound of metal on metal echoed in the small space.
Rosek: oO One more. Oo
With Herculean effort, she tucked her legs up and used her upper body strength to propel her up, slotting the bar in. She nearly missed the bar sitting on the edge of the rung on one side, but she used the last of her strength to slot it into place, her chest heaving. Adjusting her body, she brought her legs up and pushed them through the space between her arms and the bar, flipping and then letting go. She straightened her body on the way down, landing on her feet in a crouch so lightly that the deck scarcely protested.
Raga: ::Clapping:: Well done.
Rosek: ::grins:: Being on the cheerleading team in high school has its upsides.
Raga: I suppose it does.
Toryn walked over to her, offering a hand to help her up but grabbed her entire arm and in one fluid and swift motion hoisted his old flame into the air, over his head and slamming her down onto the thankfully thick, well-padded sparring mats behind them. A teasing grin on his face.
The unexpected move drove the breath from her lungs and she found herself momentarily gasping for breath. Ascending that damned ladder and the exertion it had taken was making her asthma act up and then he went and did something like that. When at last she had enough air to speak, she turned to glare at him, propping herself up on her elbows.
Rosek: Sore loser. Not my fault you weigh more than the equipment can handle.
She didn’t give him a chance to reply, jumping to her feet and assuming her sparring stance. Her gaze met his, a fire in her eyes. This is what they’d come here for. She was irritated enough at him now that she likely wouldn’t hold back. Hell, they’d be lucky if the equipment around them survived the match.
Rosek: You started this. Are you going to stand around gawking like an @$$?
Toryn smirked down at her when she was propped up on her elbows and shook his head a bit as he moved onto the mat. Watching her get into her sparring stance.
Raga: Says the one who had an advantage with properly designed equipment for herself.
He was wearing a loose tunic, tied off in front of him. It was a mix of black and silver. One of his training outfits he wore when practicing the few martial arts he knew. He let his bare foot slide across the smooth, cool mat as he settled into a similar stance. His arms were relaxed, and his knees bent. A typical Mukhol posture.
Raga: I didn’t realize you wanted to get your butt handed to you that badly, Lael. ::He held out his hand towards her and curled his fingers quickly a few times, daring his friend to attack::
She knew better than to go for the bait. If he got her emotional, she’d be focused on attacking him rather than how he was attacking her. No, she had to stay calm. Calling on her Vulcan training, she allowed the feelings to slip away, focusing on the moment. She first assessed his posture for any weaknesses. The key to defeating an opponent was looking for the openings. Circling him, she threw out the occasional jab, half-hearted to test his response.
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Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga
Mission Specialist/Second Officer
USS Atlantis NCC-74682
PodCast Team Member
Training Team Member
Atlantis Staff Member
Writer ID: A239410TR0
https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga
&
Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, Eng.D.
Chief Engineer
USS Atlantis, NCC-74682
I238110RH0