Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek & Lieutenant JG Kawakame Shin: A Rough Climb

[+ German Galven]

(( Gym 1, Deck 9, USS Montreal ))

:: Shin exited his quarters a took a deep breath. It was his first day off since he had arrived on board the USS Montreal and their first mission was at its end. Today he had full freedom to do what he wanted, from what was available to do on a starship. He straightened up his orange tracksuit and then headed for the gym. A good workout was exactly what he wanted, and if he was lucky, a good sparring match as well.::

:: He wasn’t sure how gymnasium one and two differed so he headed to the first to scope it out. It had a track space and most the equipment he wanted to use so he decided to check on the second gym later. First, he started with an active warm up with some dynamic stretching, then he moved on to some stagnant warm-up stretches. Once his muscles felt warmed up and his joints were loosened he was ready to start his workout. The gym was empty which helped him get into mind and position. He grabbed a set of five-pound dumbbells and started to do a boxers calisthenic routine.::

((Corridor, Deck 9, USS Montreal))

::Lael strode at a brisk pace through the corridor dressed in her typical workout outfit of black yoga pants, white and pink running shoes, and her sleeveless gray “Starfleet Academy Alumni” shirt, her hair pulled back in a somewhat messy bun. The dark circles that had formed around her eyes from the sleepless nights she’d endured for her first month as first officer were beginning to fade now. Once the dust had settled from the pirate situation and she’d reported in for a mandatory follow-up in Sickbay, Chythar had threatened to invoke his role as CMO if she didn’t get a good night’s rest. A hot meal and she’d crashed hard, exhausted from the stress.::

((Gym 1, Deck 9, USS Montreal))

::She stepped through the open doors, her gaze drawn to an Asian man by the free weights. After a moment of studying him, she turned away and moved toward the mats. She started with a few quick stretches, mostly so she didn’t risk pulling something, before looking toward the salmon ladder she’d custom designed and enlisted the help of a couple Engineering crewman to actually build it. She’d gotten approval, of course.::

::The piece of equipment had a solid metal bar running horizontally from metal vertical beam to the other with notches to move the bar higher. The frame itself was twice her height and made of duranium. It was still one of her favorites, helping her to keep up both her upper body and core strength, both of which were critical in martial arts.::

::She grabbed the fingerless grip gloves laying near it and slid her hands into them before jumping up to grip the bar, her feet dangling just above the ground. Once she was certain of her grip, she propelled herself upward with a soft grunt, using her momentum to move the bar up to the next rung. Once there, she hung for a moment before repeating the process with the next rung. By the fifth rung, her chest was heaving, sweat running down the sides of her face and down her neck and arms.::

:: Shin paid little mind to the first officer when she entered the gym. She seemed to observe him as he finished his routine for a moment but then proceeded to her own workout. He completed his one, two, three, jab, punch, cross, combo while holding the five-pound weights. Then he finished his routine with a rotation of squats and uppercuts. Once he was done with his whole routine Shin stood up straight and stretched his back some while controlling his breathing. Next, he removed the tracksuit top and set it on the bench nearby. He had a pair of workout thermals on underneath his suit and he was beginning to sweat a lot with both layers on.::

:: He observed the commander as she hoisted her self up the rungs on the ladder, the last time he had used a device like the one she was on he was about eighteen and on the beach in California on Earth. It looked like a good workout and she was nearly at the top so he decided to wait for her to finish so he could try his hand at it. He didn’t want to stand there staring at her though so he started doing some light shadow boxing on the open mat while he waited.::

Shin: oO I wonder how good a fighter Commander Rosek is. Oo

:: Shin amused himself with a daydream of sparing with the commander and winning with ease while he practiced his form through shadowboxing. He hadn’t noticed but his imaginings had caused him to crack a wide smile and become a bit offbeat in his movements.::

::Having reached the top rung, she released the bar and dropped gracefully to the deck. Despite her surgeries and injuries, she only needed one nearly unnoticeable shift in her balance to maintain her footing. Her chest heaved, her arms, face, and neck covered in sweat as she went first for the towel hanging from the side of the metal ladder, patting her face. She then stopped to take several small drinks from the water bottle sitting upright beside it. She must have been more worn down than she thought because a moderate run on the nearby treadmill was already sounding more appealing than her free weight routine.::

::She grimaced, heading for the racks where they were head, grabbing a pair of 15 pound weights, one in each hand, before beginning reps that combined standing dumbbell flys with bicep curls. It wasn't the most fluid looking combination, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She wanted to lose herself in the burn, hoping it would distract her from the racing thoughts that had been plaguing her since the last mission. Gradually, the repetitive movements lulled her away from the negative thoughts, focusing her on the task at hand.::

:: Shin became aware of his daydreaming and smile when Lael landed at the end of her exercise. He quickly put on a more serious face and focused on his movements, while glancing at her any time he faced her direction. Once she had moved on to a new exercise he stopped his shadow boxing and headed over to the ladder himself. He took a few drinks from his bottle of water while he looked the device over a moment.::

:: He set down his bottle of water and made sure everything was set and ready to use then paused a moment wiping his hands on his clothes to keep them dry. Next, he jumped and took hold of the bar and ensured he had a tight grip. Then he hoisted himself up with a strong pull and landed the bar on the next rung. He tried to immediately drive himself up to the next and nearly missed the rung having not generated quite enough momentum. Shin took a breath and then continued up that ladder at a controlled pace.::

Shin: oO Oh,man I am out of shape. Oo :: He thought to himself.::

:: He could feel a noticeable difference in his condition and strength since the last time he had gotten a good workout. The busy work days had eaten heavily into his fitness time. He was now near the end but breathing much more heavily than wanted to, and much more loudly than the commander had in her workout on this device. It was making him self conscious due to his competitive nature, when he got to the last rung he forced himself out of sync and tried to end the workout faster. He was able to land the right-hand end of the bar on the rung but slipped the last and within a second he found himself fall back first to the ground.::

::She’d noticed the man making his way over to the salmon ladder out of the corner of her eye, smirking and shaking her head as she returned her attention to the readouts on the treadmill before her gaze lifted to the far wall. Her thoughts drifted to Earth and the Christmas feast she was going to miss at the Kincade keep for the third year in a row. She hadn’t been there for Christmas in far too long.::

::She sighed heavily. The Kincades had been like a second family to her, showing her what family should be like. They were far from perfect and squabbled their fair share like any other family. She chuckled as she recalled from the last Christmas she’d spent with them how Elina had chased her brothers around the Great Hall, threatening to chop their ears off if they didn’t give back her claymore. The two mischievous men, still children in their hearts, had apparently snuck into her room while Lael, Elina, and Becky had been out hunting in the forests near the keep earlier that day.::

::The Kincade siblings seemed to never tire of playing practical jokes on one another. She recalled another visit where she and Elina had let loose a red squirrel in Douglas’s room while he slept. They’d nearly died laughing when he’d yelped loudly and come flying out of his room, stumbling over his feet in an attempt to get away. Douglas had hated squirrels ever since.::

:: Shin ensured to hold the bar in a way that would prevent it from hitting his face, and then he used the falling technique he had been taught in his martial studies when he landed on the ground.::

Shin: Akha! :: He made an awkward sound as he landed with a solid thud.::

::She turned at the sound and slowed the treadmill, covering her mouth, her amusement clear. Once she’d managed to get her laughter under control, she moved in his direction, offering him a hand as she approached to help him up.::

Shin: I’m ok. :: He said as soon as he noticed Lael.::

:: Shin accepted the commander's help and took her hand. Together they pulled him up from the ground. Shin looked at her and then at the bar on the floor.::

Shin: I’m a little out of shape. :: He said to her in a matter of fact style.:: Normally this thing would be no problem.

::She arched an eyebrow. She couldn’t tell if the man was trying to impress her or if he was just that confident. Not a single Human she knew could tackle her salmon ladder and even then, only a few non-Humans could. Her Al-Leyan strength had allowed her to overcome the more challenging aspect, though admittedly it had taken a great deal of practice to do so.::

Rosek: No problem, huh?

Shin: No, not at all, normally this thing would have been a warm-up if anything. :: He replied, believing the [...]y words to be true as he said them.::

Rosek: ::grins, shaking her head:: I won’t think any less of you, Lieutenant, I promise. ::glances up:: I did construct the last rung rather high up. ::meets his gaze:: Only after I discovered the extent of my physical abilities. I needed a bit more of a challenge.

:: Shin looked up to the last rung, he hadn’t noticed but it was a rather high climb. Still he felt that he could have gotten to the top and back had he not been so out of sync with his fitness lately.::

Shin: So it is. ::beat.:: Come to think of it I didn’t see one on the USS Wyoming.

Rosek: ::lays a hand on the frame:: They don’t really come standard in starship gyms unfortunately. I wish in a way that they did.

Shin: I see, in a way, I was thinking of setting up some specialized exercises. :: He motioned to the pads on the far side of the gym room.:: I’ll need people though. ::beat.:: Maybe I should start a martial arts class, where the crew can share their martial knowledge and skills through sparring..

Rosek: ::smiles and nods:: Commander Delano had something like that set up back aboard the Veritas. It would be good for non-security and non-tactical personnel to have more advanced combat training.

(( Gym 1, Deck 9, USS Montreal ))

Rosek: ::smiles and nods:: Commander Delano had something like that set up back aboard the Veritas. It would be good for non-security and non-tactical personnel to have more advanced combat training.

Shin: That is true. I just like to learn and practice. ::beat.:: I’m sure there are members of the crew who have much more effective tactics than the academy course.

Rosek: ::nods and smiles:: The basics they teach at the Academy are useful, but in regions like the Shoals, you almost need more than that. It’s far from a cakewalk out here.

Shin: That's one reason I took this assignment, I was hoping for more excitement in my career.

::She grinned wryly, shaking her head. She'd had more than enough excitement in her career, thank you. Between her time in the other universe and her first and subsequent missions aboard the Victory, she'd experienced more than most officers twice her age. Her father liked to say she was an old soul and she felt it some days.::

Rosek: ::murmurs:: Excitement is overrated.

Shin: So I assume ya know a bit about martial arts then? Since there was a similar class on your last ship.

:: Shin looked the Lael over as he spoke. He couldn’t help to crack a small smile which he quickly covered up with a smirk and a nod in an attempt to appear cool.::

Rosek: ::shrugs:: I've been practicing Jiu-jistu since I was five.

Shin: Oh really? Feel like testing your skills?

::She arched an eyebrow, studying the jay-gee security officer for a moment before smiling in return.::

Rosek: If you think you can handle me.

:: Anytime Shin found himself around a fit and confident person he couldn’t help but to get a little curious and competitive with them.::

Shin: I’m sure I can manage.

::Tossing the towel down onto the bench, she smirked at him and moved toward the open space of the mats, stretching before dropping down into the familiar stance.::

:: Shin responded in kind, choosing to wait for her to make the first move before acting himself.::

::They circled each other at first, Lael watching his posture and movements for weaknesses. Her initial punches were half-hearted jabs really only intended to provoke a response. After a few moments, she changed it up with a couple of kicks aimed at first for his shins and then for his knees, testing his balance.::

:: Shin didn’t really know whether she was just messing with him or trying to gauge him with her initial strikes. He decided to test her in his own way. While moving around one another he had noticed a moment she often repeated in a certain step, he attempted to use his brute force to strike at her inner thigh as he was taught in his sumo classes in japan. He quickly learned that she was much faster than he thought.::

::The attempted strike caught her by surprise, but she recovered quickly, dodging it. In the same movement, she got behind him and delivered a jab to his shoulder only intended to throw him off balance before backing off and again assuming her stance as she waited for his response.::

:: The strike to his shoulder had thrown his momentum forward more than he had wanted which he tried to fix by falling into a low sweep kick that in his mind had seemed tactical but once he had turned he only felt foolish. She had already moved out of his reach. He tried to hide the embarrassment from his face as he stood up and took a boxing stance and started in at her once more with a set of jabs and punches.::

::She blocked each with precision, watching his hands closely all the while aware of the rest of his movements. When he leaned forward to deliver his next punch, she again spun behind him jammed her foot into the back of the his knee before delivering another jab to his shoulder.::

:: Shin fell forward face first into the mat and then rolled to the side as fast as he could. He turned again and stood up taking his stance again and waiting for her to come to him.::

Shin: Hoo, your tricky.

Rosek: ::shrugs:: I picked up some Al-Leyan moves and a Magna Roman combo or two. ::smirks:: Got to keep you on your toes.

Shin: Don’t know much aside from Earth arts. Never needed anything else. :: He replied with a very [...]y tone.::

::She nodded, trying to determine her next move. She didn't want to put him on the mat every few moves as that was no fun for her. His skills didn't seem to quite match his confidence. She went for light jabs mostly, intended to throw him off balance, but not to floor him.::

:: Shin gathered that she was probably going to continue showing him up in a standing fight so he watched and waited for a moment to grab her. When he saw his chance he grabbed her right hand out of a jab and tried to step in and trip her to the ground.::

::The move surprised her and she let out a gasp. Her left knee locked up and she found herself falling to the mat, staring at the ceiling, dazed and confused.::

:: The fact that his plan had worked so well threw him off and he lagged in a follow through response. Shin tried to bring himself down and pull her arm out into an armlock but by the time he tried to continue with his attack she had seemed to regain herself.::

::Her mind quickly caught up as he tried to subdue her with an arm, but she was able to dodge his grip and grab his arm, using his own weight and momentum against him to flip him over her shoulder to the mat behind her. She rose to her feet, dropping into stance as she readied herself for his next attack. When he was back on his feet, she went at him with a series of punches, most of which he managed to block. Just to keep things interesting, after a feigned punch, she wrapped her leg around his at the knee and tugged.::

:: Shin was growing a little frustrated, he was sure he was red in the face by now, he was not only flustered but was using much more energy than he knew he should. He wasn’t sure is the people he had sparred with in the past were just awful or if she was just much more skilled than he had thought. Even in the academy he had performed better than this, he felt it was as though he was in slow motion to her.::

:: When she locked her leg around his and pulled he noticed a distinct lack of force. He had expected a much stronger pull. He was convinced she was going easy on him now which made him grow even more competitive. He quickly took advantage of his opening and bear hugged her around her middle catching her right arm in the lock. Next he threw all his weight into the two legs that were locked in an arcing motion which heaved the both of them onto the floor. Next he turned until her was on top of her with his body over her head and upper body with his chest to hers and his feet sprawled out on his toes as he was taught to do. He had only one arm pinned and wasn’t able to fully lock his grip however so he squeezed with great strength hoping that it would be enough to make her tap soon.::

::Her chest heaved as she stared up at him. His grip hurt, but she'd felt worse pain. She was still in a slight daze after landing on her back, the force of the fall knocking the air momentarily from her lungs. She'd underestimated him and he'd taken advantage of her moment of weakness. A slight flush filled her cheeks as she realized how this could look to people walking in and she worried her lower lip a moment before allowing her body to relax, hoping he would pick up on the nonverbal gesture of surrender.::

:: Shin waited a few seconds and then realised he was not getting any resistance from her so her let up to check and make sure he hadn’t hurt her on accident.::

Shin: You okay? :: He asked through his heavy breathing.::

::She rose to her feet, still feeling a bit vulnerable from the quick pin. She wondered if it had even occurred to him. Granted, not everyone would make the assumption that it was anything more than a sparring match. But she had no desire to find out for certain.::

Rosek: ::blushes and murmurs:: I'm fine. It was just a bit... awkward is all.

:: Shin stayed on his knees and caught hit breath as they spoke. Although he still felt embarrassed he wasn’t really sure why anymore. He did as he always does and played off his emotions with a cool attitude.::

Shin: I’m sorry, was I too rough?

Rosek: ::shrugs:: I've had far worse. You just caught me off guard is all. I got distracted.

:: Saying he had just caught her off guard confused him, he was certain that she had just been going easy on him and he wanted to show her that it wasn’t necessary.::

Shin: Everyone gets lucky right? :: He tried to joke with her.::

Rosek: ::smiles wanly:: And everyone gets unlucky, too. I guess that’s what I get for underestimating you.

:: Her statement served as an instant ego boost for him, which put him in a better mood. He stood up and offered her a hand shake.::

Shin: I look forward to our next match, Commander.

::She grinned, grabbing his offered hand. It hadn’t been quite the match she was expecting, but it was a nice change of pace. It got boring if she won every match, after all. Shin kept her on her toes and she was interested to see how their next one turned out.::

Rosek: As am I, Lieutenant. We’ll certainly have to do this again sometime.

:: Shin smiled at her and then headed over to where he had left his towel and track suit top. He wiped himself down with his towel and then did a few ending stretches before grabbing the rest of his stuff and heading for the shower door. He hadn’t planned on sparing when he started his day, he felt he may have pushed himself too hard this time. His shoulder was kind of hurting. He decided to head to sickbay after his shower to have it examined.::

 

---

Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek

Executive Officer

USS Montreal, NCC-64927

I238110RH0

&

Lieutenant JG Kawakame Shin

Security/Tactical Officer

USS Montreal NCC-64297

V239503TD0