Workouts and Distractions

The Alexandria Colosseum, Early Afternoon.

In between series of events for those seeking the fame and glory, the colosseum in Alexandria was the de facto training grounds for many a soul in the city. The grounds were populated with numerous trainers and Trainees of all manner of skill levels and aptitudes.

One such soul making use of the facilities this day was an almost comically small sith-makar, who was almost folded over a log post, twisting side to side with a rather colorful commentary accompanying their warm up. "How do you even know if you're ready to excercise muscles again when you can't tell if they've rested enough since the last time?" The sorceress grumbles to theirself.

Watching the trainers and trainees was a great pasttime for a certain colorful egalrin woman. She sits with feet dangling off the spectator stands into the arena below, bundled up with several robes as the wind whips the many ribbons about.

She peers across the way, spying a familiar small friend. "Oi! Ya good there, hon?" she calls out. "If ya goal is a wibble wobble, ya doin' a fine good job!"

A methodical thumping sound from nearby is made by a tiny pair of fists, thumping heavily into one of the training dummies. The wood has been splintered and bloodied, despite the wrapping of said fists.

The Goblin huffs with the exertion, muttering little things under her breath.

The hulking figure of Thurid emerges from the pit which, when no fights are on, serves as a preperation and changing area for people who come here for training. She's wearing a breezy toga today, in spite of the chill air. Her hands are dusty with ground up chalk already, a bag of which hangs from her belt. Overhearing the Sith's complaints, she laughs, "The pain is weakness leaving your body. Keep at it!" she bellows over to her, casting her gaze back and forth as she strides into the area. A couple of athletes and gladiators honing their skills recognize Thurid, and she returns their waves and nods of greeting- the Order Paramount's de-facto headquarters is the Colloseum, and Thurid is one of its members.

She spies a familiar figure, heading over towards Choler, she slaps the goblin on the back, leaving a chalky hand print. "The training dummy owe you money?" she wonders, and laughs at her own joke.

The small makari glances up to the seating, and the small makari groans, rubbing one hand over their face. "Appreciate the compliments, but even I know things aren't moving quite right." Eztli huffs. "Anyways, hey Slix, what's bringing you out here?"

The sorceress pauses, and huffs again at the giantborn passing by. "But I haven't even started exercising yet, you're supposed to stretch to avoid that problem in the future."

Seeing as another friend has made their way into the training grounds, Slixvah ties her robes tighter and slips off the elevated stands. Ribboned wings unfurl, and she glides herself over close to the gang. "Thurid's right! Man, when I got m'blessin' of th' skies, my back hurt soooooooooo muuuuuuch for the longest time, using muscles I ain't had yet. But it gets better over time! I mean- look at Thurid! She's yoked!" she throws a hand to the giantborn, grinning.

Answering the struggling makari, "Oh jus' people watchin'. Fun ta do."

Choler is completely absorbed into her thrashing of the target that Thurid's voice and approach are not noticed. The slap to her back startles her, and a moment after she is rounding on the Jotenblood with an angry expression. "Just who da f..." Anger is replaced immediately with surprised joy, and the wee woman grabs hold of Thurid's hand, pulling at it and climbing up the Giantborn's arm.

The Gobbo presses her face into Thurid's cheek, and hugs.

A new combatant, trainee, or other not-likely-a-spectator? joins those upon the stone floor of the arena. Well, perhaps 'joins' is not the most apt verb, as Verna's stature is slight even by Etzli standards and she is not known for martial prowess. She is dressed for some manner of less casual activity, bearing her Mourner's robes beneath her cloak though the hood is, at present, doffed and lowered.

Thurid beams a grin at Choler, and as the gobber begins to clamber she gives her a hand, hoinking her up and setting her on her shoulder. She nuzzles against the gobber's face pressed into her cheek. Hearing Slix's comments, she turns her head to look back. Not missing an opportunity to- literally- flex her muscles she brings the not-currently-beggobber'd arm up, curling it at elbow and wrist- emphasizing the bulge of her bicep. The wrist curl is reversed, the bicep relaxing and the muscles of her forarm taking the strain.

"It's a blasphemy for any able bodied person not to know the power and beauty their body is capable of." she insists then. "Stretching is good. You don't want to damage anything. How to tell the difference between the good pain and the bad pain comes with experience. But lucky for you, you are friends with an expert- and one with healing magic if things go awry." she grins.

She relaxes her flex, and then bounces Choler on her other shoulder, turning back towards the Goblin. "How have you been?" she asks, tenderly.

"Oh, well, yeah, that makes sense, doesn't it? I just figured the baths, the massages, it's all helped, but not completely." The small sith-makar shrugs, leaving her literal post and stretching backwards. "Yeah, Thurid is really good at keeping in shape, true. I get it Slix, you like watching muscular people at work, make sense." They laugh.

"Noted!" They nod to Thurid and the goblin with them. "If anything gets worse than it already is I'll let you know. But maybe that mourner there could use your insight more? I'm surprised to see Verna here really."

"Amen, gurl. Show off what Angoron gave ya!" Slixvah snickers loudly and clapping the display. Before cooing warmly at seeing the interaction between the Thurid and the gobber. "Awwh, cute."

She stares at Eztli. "... ok you don' have ta call me out li' tha'," she says flatly before grinning and sticking her tongue out. But- Mourner? She turns around- "Oh! Heya Verna, wha's good wit'cha?"

Verna quietly evaluates the grounds a moment. While those present are noted, her initial focus appears to be upon one or more dummy targets. Until her name is called aloud, that is.

Head, eyes, and focus shift to Slixvah and those in her immediate vicinity. The rest of her follows shortly thereafter as she steps in approach to a more conversational distance before responding. "I am well. Good day to you all. The number of those sparring and training appears to be quite high this day," a pause before she adds, "or is such a normal seasonal increase?"

"Been missing you.", Choler says with a laugh, her hands slapping the Giantborn's shoulder with enthusiasm. "How've you been, Thurid? Looks like you've been making friends and keeping yourself busy. She grins and stands precariously on Thurid's shoulder, and makes a show of flexing herself. Nothing approaching the Giantess' physique, but noticeably toned for a wee Goblin.

"It's good to have a warmup and a cooldown when you're training. Whether it be stretching or some other moderate activity.", she says with a nod to the others. "But Thurid here could beat the weakness.. I mean, massage the weakness out of ya." Choler lets out a giggle. "She's surprisingly gentle, she wields her strength with finesse." The Gobbo offers a little wave to the others, after Verna has bid them all a good day.

Thurid nods her head at Eztli, "Baths and massages help, it's true." she says, adjusting her shoulder slightly to try and keep it level and stable for Choler to stand on. "I've missed you, too. I have been busy, doing foolish things. Glorious things." she says, her expression faltering from its usual mirth for a moment. She grins over at Slix, "There's no shame in that, either. And Angoron's gifts must be fought for, even by his faithful. Anything worth having in this world is worth fighting for."

Her attention goes to the Mourner when it's drawn that way. "People resolve to work off the good food and wine of festival season around this time." she smirks. "For some the resolve lasts, for others, it does not. Is that why you're paying a visit?" she wonders.

She looks back to Choler again, and her expression changes once more. Looking pained, conflicted, before she closes her eyes and steels herself, before speaking "I... have to admit something. I was... seduced, by a succubus." she tells Choler then. "She turned me, mind and body. And invested me with her abyssal gift. I was saved, but I was not strong enough to save myself." she owns up.

"Helps that the snow is keeping to itself, much to my disappointment." Eztli adds with a somewhat disappointed sounding sigh. "I don't have to, but someone's got to sometimes. I know you'd do the same for me if I needed a bucket of water to cool my head."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind, maybe I do need my back beaten into shape or something like that." The makari considers, pausing before taking a step back to let Thurid explain such matters.

"I dunno, seems pretty usual here, tho'- good point, lotta folk out despite how cold it is. Mos' softskins ain' like th' cold," Slix notes to Verna. "What are you doin' out here? This uh- ain't seem ya usual stompin' grounds- no offense."

She turns to Thurid, a cheeky smile in her eyes. "Shame? Pah, I don't even kno' wha' that words means!"

She strides up to Eztli, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "I can beat your back up if I gotta! I say I got a pretty mean wing smack!" she snickers before her expression drops slightly. After a beat, she interjects subtly. "... das why we have a team fo' tha' ta shore up problems. Though you did beat the snot out of her afterwards..."

Verna ahs softly at Thurid's valid observations and opinions concerning the activity. "Indeed, the excesses of the prior season might well require additinal effort to offset," she concurs, her eyes lowering down herself rather subconsciously. "I considered some manner of training, albeit not so physical in nature..."

Brows lift and her words trail off at Thurid's words, despite the fact that they are not directed at herself. She is quiet a time for consideration and contemplation, which also offers others to provide their more familiar encouragements. "Such ... entanglements are oft unpleasant, likely regretable, yet not necessarily a defining factor of one's past nor being."

The Goblin blinks, her expression growing sad as she realizes what Thurid is saying. "I'm sorry. I was not there when you needed someone most of all." Her shoulder slumps, and tears roll down her cheeks. Hands go to fists. "That's the nature of them demons, though. They are insidious that way. It is why we say that our problems are demons, right, 'we all have our demons'."

Choler again presses her face into Thurid's cheek, sniffling, and hugging once more. "It don't change nothing about how I feel. You're still strong. We all jus' need a hand sometimes, you know? It's okay to need help."

Choler eyes Slixvah a moment. "She got the succubus in the end, yeah?" Her hands pat at the Jotunblood's cheeks. "See, you still did it in the end. An' that lady is right, it don't define you. It's where ya are in the end that matters."

Thurid shakes her head then, "I'm not ashamed of needing help. I've dug myself into plenty of pits I needed a hand out of. I'm ashamed of being made to betray those who put their faith in me." she says. "And, I felt guilty, and wanted to tell you. Don't be sad you weren't there." she tells Choler. She rubs her face with one hand and then takes a deep breath. "Right, needed to get that off my chest." she says, slapping her own cheek to dispel any lingering melencholy.

"And that's right, she thought I'd be a notch on her bedpost. Now she's a notch on my Earthbreaker." she cracks a smirk. "Now, training." she says, and scoops Choler up to lift the goblin up above her head. "I came here to lift some weights. But what manner of training was everyone else getting to?" she asks, doing a couple of bicep curls with the Goblin.

"Well, yeah, I think everyone else has the right of it, things are okay, and everything turned out alright in the end. But I get it, that makes a lot of sense. Gotta communicate with friends and partners and the like." Eztli nods slowly, looking back to the others. "Slix here was training her eyes it seems, and I'm not entirely sure what Verna is here for. I'm just, dunno, probably lifting weights? Figured I might just need to work out my back. You're welcome to smack my back around if you think it'd help, Slix."

GAME: Slixvah rolls heal: (9)+7: 16

Slixvah shifts a bit, hands folded over and wings tucked in tight as it's clear she feels for Choler. "It's alright Thurid, I snapped ya outta it before ya could crush me like a twig. It's all good!" she chirps.

Speaking of training as the mood lifts, she look to Verna. "Oh? What kind ya thinkin'?" she inquires before glancing back and- she busts out laughing as Thurid gets to weight training.

Making no comment on training her eyes, she turns to Eztli, a cheeky smile on her face. "Oh don'chu worry hon, I gotchu." She cracks her knuckles, and feathers on her wings unravel like spooled ribbons. Several braid together before balling up at the end, and a lazy flail of feathers slowly smacks into Eztli's flank. At least it's something!

Verna gives a brief nod to Thurid and Choler with the upshift in mood, followed by a blink at the goblin curls. That is certainly one manner in which to combine exercise and comraderie, she supposes. Not that either may be on the list of her stronger aptitudes.

"Spell training," she offers explanation to Slixvah. "More specifically, practice in situations where such is typically hindered. Gestures while suffering limited mobility, incantations when unable to hear one's own voice, as examples."

"Well, you needn't feel guilty." Cholar starts, and then squeaks as she's lifted into the air, and then repped a few times. "Ack!" The Gobbo laughs and squirms, attempting to climb out of her predicament.

"I was softening up the target dummies a little bit.", she says in answer to the question of training. "And toughening up my hands a bit." She glances at Eztli a moment, and laughs. "It seems as though Slixvah can lift quite a bit of weight with her eyes. An' if you want someone smaller'n'you to do some back massage, I could volunteer."

CHoler looks to Verna, and grins toothily, her hair falling about her face as she's held upside down. "I could help with that too! I can scream and kick up a fuss, an' worry at your knees and ankles a bit while yer trying to cast spells."

Thurid does a few more Gobber reps while listening to Verna and nods her head, "Not a bad idea. I could put you in a headlock or an arm bar, if it would help." she suggests, mirroring Choler's enthusiasm for harassing the caster while she tries to cast. "There's a half-orc masseuse at the TaRaCe I highly reccomend." she shoots Eztli's way. "You know before I was talking about good pain and bad pain? Even I am not completely sure which kind she delivers, but you'll be more limber than you thought possible once you recover." she muses.

Choler is deposited back on her shoulder, then. "I've been thinking of doing a cross country run when the thaws come and the frozen earth turns to freezing mud. A few of us from the Order Paramount do it most years. Thirty one miles in the foothills, shin-deep in mud, inclines so harsh you're more climbing than running." she says, as though this is supposed to be a tempting proposition. "Tempted?" she wonders of all and sundry.

"Oh come on, I know you can do better than that." The small makari bemoans, stretching to one side with a rather unpleasant sounding crack, but the sorceress seems in better spirits for it. "I know! I've heard great things about that masseuse, but it didn't do enough. According to the clerics at the defence there isn't anything wrong either. So, I don't know. As tempting as the offer of a massage from three different people sounds, it might not really accomplish much."

"Oh, you're trying to be better at casting things under pressure! I get that, it's not easy, is it? I know I can't do much if I can't talk, if you need someone to tie you up or something, I could help with that?"

Verna's brows lift at the flurry of suggestions and/or offers of assistance. None of these were expected, though they are not summarily dismissed. "Intriguing. I had not considered the complications that assaulted knees might pose," she admits to Choler before looking up (and up) to Thurid. "I am grateful for the offerings, yet I am, somewhat unfortunately, experienced on the hinderances that grasping, grabbing, grappling, and/or bondage can impose. Moreso that these are oft and rapidly followed by gnawing, fisticuffs to the face, decapitation, and/or evisceration; all of which not only make the manipulation of mana impossible but are also rather uncomfortable."

GAME: Slixvah rolls feather slap: aliased to intelligence+BAB: (4)+5+4: 13

Slixvah makes a clicking sound of acknowledgement at the back of the throat. "Well, ya got loads here ta help wit' tha'," she chirps, gesturing up at the inverted gobbo and the mountain of muscle."

She blinks at Thurid. "... that sounds... lovely fo' th' right people. I can fly it though! With breaks. And naps. I ain' the most hearty of folk. Proll' ain' fo' me. Thanks fo' the invite tho'!"

The egalrin turns to Eztli, her rubbing the underside of her beak at the little makari. "Ya back's been hurtin' a while, eh? Lift anything too heavy or weirdly? Last time my back problems was all my muscles rearranging ta deal wit' liftin' my scrawny arse into the air properly. But I bets its something diff' wit' you."

The witch cannot help but stare blankly at Verna. "... um. Ow...?" There's not much to say to that.

Except for the feather flail to smack Eztli with bowling force.

"Ah, yeah, I know her. Buff lady, is sometimes the barkeep. She often brings in the full kegs, and other heavy stuffs for the Gobbo who runs the place. She has a big warhammer you'd be envious of, Tee. She damn near turned me inta a pretzel, but I did sleep like a baby that night, I have to say. The baths helped too. I am not surprised t'see gladiators go there after big days here."

Choler cants her head and giggles. "That does sound like it could be fun, but uhm, messy." She holds up a small, bar foot. "And ankle deeps to you is waaaay different to ankle deep on me."

She blinks at Verna. "Decapisceration is the worst! But the Temples are good at fixing that right up!" CHoler blinks at Slixvah a moment. "How'd ya do that?"

"I've yet to be decapitated. Been impaled a couple of times, though, and it's not much fun." she says, and moves a portion of her toga to show a nasty scar on her abdomen. On the topic of a big warhammer, she huffs, "I doubt it's any competition for my Breaker of Chains." she retorts. She grins at Choler, "As I recall, you're not one to turn down a challenge." she muses at the Goblin. She nuzzles her again, and then sets her down. "Now, as fun as it is chatting, I had better get to my routine. Wouldn't want to be caught slacking by the Mountain." she grins and makes a brief gesture, warding off bad luck.

"I'll try to organize something, if anyone really is interested." she repeats, on the topic of the mud run. "Best of luck with your training. Angoron watch over you." she offers, and then with a wave, takes herself off to a corner of the sands where various heavy objects are piled up to begin picking them up and putting them down again.

Choler watches after the Jotunblood for a moment or two, before she takes off after her at a run. "I accept your challenge!", she is heard saying as they recede into the distance.

"Not really, no. That's why it's so weird." Eztli shrugs in Slixvah's direction. "That's... weird. You telling me Egalrin don't normally have their flight muscles working right? Maybe it really is some divine blessing like I've heard the claims."

"You know, huh. Not like my body is the most normal in existence, what with the claws that grow out and the teeth to go with." They muse, only to be caught off guard by the buffeting feathers, yet remain unmoved. "That one was good! Closer to what I expected out of you Slix." The small makari laughs, turning her attention back to Verna and frowning. "Let's uh, yeah lets please leave the gnawing and evisceration spellcasting training for another time, please?" They ask. "A multiple mile run through the mud sound like a lot more fun.

Slixvah gives a deep nod. "Oh yeah, I work wit' her, she's great. Real glad for 'er holdin' down the bar when I ain' workin'. But- oh, this?" She lifts the flail of feathers. "It's a secret." She winks at Choler, before snickering as the couple heads off to pick up heavy things.

She waves a hand off at Eztli. "Naw naw naw. We got our flight muscles. They just ain' strong enough ta actually /lift/ ya until some time later in life. Like a... second growth spurt. Tha' was paaaainful. But! It's a blessin'. Least, tha's wha' the Elders say, and I kno' Dana listens ta me gabber at her from time ta time, so maybe!"

The braid of feathers disperses. "Drat, I thought I would get ya. But- yeah. It's normal, just a different normal fo' ya. Anywho- we can chat 'bout tha' another time. You can go through the mud, I ain' doin' that. For noooow..."

She turns to Verna, smiling. "I can rhyme ya incantations back at ya ta try and flub ya!"