A JP with 1Lt Ithri Sh'shelor - Ltcdr Riley Delar - Ens Woolheater - DS14 Gym Part 2 of 2
Radamio
And now the continuation...
Woolheater: Whew! Feels good, right?
Ithri did not smile, though the corners of her lips might have turned up ever so slightly. If nothing else, her antennae shifted, indicating something, but unless one was Andorian or hung out enough with Andorians, it was unlikely they would reveal anything. At least she inclined her head slightly to acknowledge what was said, even if she wasn’t overly emotive about it.
Riley: Yep, one small step at a time.
Woolheater: ::to Ithri:: You inspire me to do this. ::Nodding his head and indicating the rower::
Sam moved to the rowing machines and chose one of them. He chose one facing the opposite direction to continue the conversation. He dropped into the seat beside Ithri. Sam slid onto the rower, feet locked in, handle firm in his grip. The first pull drove through his legs, power flowing up into his back, arms finishing the motion. His triceps corded under the skin, long and hard, each contraction sharp as steel cables. The tattoos etched along his arms flexed with the movement, ink shifting over muscle like it was alive, stretched tight, then rolling back as he reset for the next stroke. Sweat traced the outlines, darkening the lines, giving them a sheen in the gym’s light.
He settled into rhythm. Drive with the legs, lean, pull, repeat. Every stroke lit up his lats and triceps, his shoulders braced, veins pressing up under his skin. The rower didn’t care how broad your chest was or how heavy you could squat. It punished your lungs, it punished your core, it made your arms scream. That was why he liked it. You couldn’t fake rhythm. You couldn’t fake endurance. The machine showed you exactly who you were, one pull at a time.
Canting her head, Ithri watched the man, though without ignoring her own motion. Eventually, she set on a course to synchronise. However, due to their large discrepancy in size, it was a difficult task to achieve, and she eventually forwent it in favour of simply resuming her comfortable pace.
A few minutes later, Ithri ended her set, then rose and turned to observe the weights and what was available for use. Even as she did so, she carried on the conversation.
Sh’shelor: How long have you been on the Butler, Sam?
He had not given a surname, but perhaps he didn’t have one. In Ithri’s experience, Humans usually had at least two, but there could always be exceptions.
Woolheater: Not long, three months? About? The last mission was my first with OEB. Not my first rodeo. But my first with this crew. Hell of a first one, too. How about you? Have you been long with the ship?
Riley: I just came aboard…a few weeks ago, by this point. Just returned from leave on Bajor.
Then that would be why they weren’t familiar to her. Not only were they on a ship with a lot of people, but those two were newer than she. Much just didn’t align.
Sh’shelor: I have been here for almost two years.
Come to think of it, Sam had seen her around the ship. The workout was going well, and it helped clear his mind.
Woolheater: I think I have seen you from time to time, yeah. Well, then, for sure, Riley and I are the newbies compared to you.
The antennae shifted, but only subtly, as if to simply acknowledge the statement made by the man. Ithri finished her reps on the rower, then stood to move over to the treadmill. Behind her, she heard Sam moving as well.
Sam finished the reps and let out a long sigh. It felt really good, and he got up and out of the rower to shake out his legs and arms. He could use a break.
Woolheater: Hey? Mind if I ask you ::beat to catch his breath:: a question? About the GQ?
Riley was paying attention, but only sort of. He’d finished a set of twenty, but wasn’t paying much attention to the shorthand. He had to work out the meaning of “GQ” on his own, given his new position.
It took a second for Ithri to work out what he meant by the ‘GQ’. With any translators on her set to Standard, she did so in order to improve her abilities, but occasionally, some things caught her off guard. Abbreviations were one such thing, but when it dawned upon her that he meant ‘Gamma Quadrant, she inclined her head to indicate he should ask while she set the speed to a brisk walk.
Woolheater: I keep hearing people talk about the telepathy…or empathy…and how it's a thing out here. But, except for that one time, maybe twice? When it was really strong? I didn't hear much. And at the….yeah…I didn't. In the last hours, I could kinda hear Vala, but very faint. And then I heard somewhere…like recently…about an Esper rating? So what's all that? What's going on? I don't really like the idea of more voice in my head :beat:: The ones I got in there already - we all agree on this.
He was using levity to lighten the atmosphere, and it didn't always land.
Ithri really had no knowledge about Esper ratings. All she knew was they did have something to do with telepathy, and she’d been tested as a ‘0’. Since she had no ability and hadn’t had any reason to have a direct concern, she paid no attention to such things.
Sh’shelor: I am not a good one to ask.
She admitted, her crystalline gaze settling upon Sam briefly.
Sh’shelor: That is likely a medical officer question.
Weren’t they the ones who did such things?
Sh’shelor: Perhaps a counsellor’s question?
Really, Ithri didn't know and didn’t care. If she didn’t have to deal with it, it wasn’t something on her radar.
Riley: Could be either one.
Sam stood there a moment processing the blunt, honest, and direct answers. This definitely wasn't going to be a chatty workout session. Meh - it happens. Sometimes all you want to do is work out and not shoot the breeze with strangers.
Woolheater: Huh! Well. There it is.
Sh’shelor: All I am aware of is that I am a ‘0’. I have no abilities, and do not seek further.
Struggling, the Andorian knew her answer was unsatisfactory, but she did not have the knowledge to impart to him.
Sh’shelor: Doctor Nis or Counsellor Salo might be able to help.
Woolheater: Oh yeah, Fo' Sho ::his drawl drowned the For Sure of that word::
Sam took his towel and double-wiped down the rowing machine. He got everything, but he did it a second time. He was going to work on the weight bar. But he needed a spotter. Well, he should have a spotter. Just in case. The weight bar could easily be converted into a guillotine with the right idiot. He decided against asking either the Commander or the Andorian Marine Lieutenant. He had already asked too many questions, and he didn't want to bother. Both gym patrons looked intense.
He went to the weight bench and just settled on a comfortable, slightly heavier, but nothing that would get him into trouble. That was the last thing he wanted. Just to check this off the checklist for today's upper body.
Woolheater: Well, ::settled onto the bench:: I'll be sure to ask Doctor Nis the next time I'm in sickbay.
He did his reps, he felt the burn that told him the muscle group he targeted with this weight bench workout was getting its licks in. He kept his mouth shut, but he found himself looking back over a few times at Lt. Sh'shelor. She was focused. And her workout was also laser-focused. She didn't waste moves - or time. "Badda-bing! Badda-bang!" as they say in the Lance Corporal Underground.
Woolheater: ::forgetting he wasn't talking:: Commander Riley? What's your favorite workout? Machine or…freeform?
Riley, meanwhile, finished another set of twenty reps and stayed where he was for a few moments to catch his breath before he got up and cleaned it off. He felt the burning sensation in his arms and decided it was time to switch to a different exercise.
Riley: I do both. Machine if I don’t have a spotter buddy.
Sam used the opportunity to wipe the weight bench down. There was this huge sweat stain on the cushion, the size of his back. He wiped it away and dried.
Woolheater: ::to Ithri:: And you? Ithri? Just curious about your favorite workout. If you have one?
Turning her head to settle her sharp gaze upon Woolheater, a subtle change came over her expression. Ithri did not emote like most people did. Whereas humans used their facial expressions, it was her antennae which conveyed most of her feelings. However, a certain glint came into her eyes, and somehow her expression crunched up just enough to give a hint of an almost malicious glee.
Sh’shelor: Anything that involves throwing people.
Sam's eyes lit up. He didn't mean for them to be that obvious, but he had a...
oO Whoa! Oo
...sensation and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. Which quickly turned into a grin and then a smile. That little factoid was interesting to him. He was down for that - oh heck yeah. He was pretty much done, and one look at her, it wouldn't matter how shredded he was; he was sure she'd just wipe the floor with him. So, taking the better part of valor, responded, typical Sam.
Woolheater: ::hands on hips:: Huh!
And filed it away in memory for later.
Riley: I usually prefer incline presses, myself. Running is also good.
Hearing from both of them what they liked, what they enjoyed doing, was helpful. Some people, like the Commander, liked running - so did Sam. He would rather run in the Arboretum, but it wasn't exactly Central Park. The holodeck was a good alternative.
Sam went back to the free weights again and gathered his stuff. A water bottle with flat water. Enough to hold a gallon, and it was almost gone. He slung the towel over his shoulder and made sure he had all his stuff. Sam was thinking about asking her to spar. He called it "spar," but in his mind's eye, all he saw was a trip to sickbay. But for now, he could still call it "spar". He hesitated and felt stupid. So, he said nothing. Then forgot he was saying nothing and said,
Woolheater: Well, pleased to meet you, Lieutenant. And good to see you again, Commander. I'm all in for today. Hitting the showers and calling it a night. Stick a fork in me; I'm done. Enjoy the rest of your night, sirs.
Sh’shelor: Until our paths cross again.
She actually said it in Andorian, but the universal translator did not let her ears hear it, for she had it set to translate anything spoken to her into Standard, and translate anything Ithri said into Standard, and thus, what the man heard was not the original language. It did not matter; the meaning was the same.
The UT was so second nature now that he hardly ever clocked when it was translating and when someone was speaking standard. The UT these days even did a pretty good job with dialects and accents - the march of progress. But…it wasn't perfect. And Sam could still hear when it "guessed". He grinned because almost everything an Andorian said sounded like either a challenge or an insult. Which made him laugh inside. He grinned broadly and slung the towel on his left shoulder and left.
Woolheater: ::to himself:: Yeah……
As Woolheater made his way out, Ithri gave a final nod, then kicked up the speed. Since they had met, she had a feeling their paths would indeed cross again, for that seemed to be the nature of the universe.
--
1Lt Ithri Sh'shelor
Marine Intelligence Officer
USS Octavia E. Butler
M239008AD0
&
Lieutenant Commander Riley Delar
Mission Specialist
USS Octavia E Butler NCC-82850
O239002CS0
&
Ensign Samuel Woolheater
Security Officer
USS Octavia E. Butler - NCC-82850
O240111SW4