Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Gym - A Little Suffering is Good for the Soul (tag Kastarak)

Posted by Ensign Kastarak (Doctor / Counsellor) in Gym - A Little Suffering is Good for the Soul (tag Kastarak)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Gym - A Little Suffering is Good for the Soul (tag Kastarak)
T’Aria awoke earlier than usual with a plan to meditate before running ‘wild’ as some of her less-than-enthusiastic gym partners had called it before. They were not entirely incorrect. T’Aria found meditation worked as a mental and physical ‘stretch’ that eased her into wakefulness. Her workouts (usually some form of cardiovascular exercise) released endorphins that stabilised her mood and allowed for ease of control throughout the day. It also prevented the restlessness that kept her up on nights her body demanded rest. T’Aria found it an effective combination that kept her healthy, and she rarely missed a session (when time allowed).

Scooting to the edge of her bed, she rose and wandered to the corner of her quarters dedicated to meditation. She settled onto an a mat and lit an insence that smelled vaguely of sandalwood. It wasn’t long before her mind drifted with the wisps of velvety, grey-white smoke.

T’Aria emerged from the turbolift at Deck 6 an hour later, aiming for the aft section that housed the gym. She paused by the doors when they swished open, revealing a charismatic person whose crooked grin hinted at victory. Another trailed behind them with a soaked towel hanging around his neck and an annoyed look in his eyes. T’Aria suspected they engaged in some ‘friendly competition’ where the latter lost his winning streak. Quirking a brow, she offered a cordial nod and slipped past them into the hubbub beyond.

The gym was packed (at least more than usual), but T’Aria had no trouble finding the treadmills that lined the back wall. She selected one near the end and tucked her water into the nook to prepare for a brisk walk. Although she’d ease into a sprint from her walk, T’Aria kept it leisure to focus on the events around her.

— T’Aria

Kastarak had prepared for a good gym session today. His plan was to run for fifteen kilometres, and then do some weight-resistance exercises followed by some stretch and balance exercises. Keeping fit was important, he wanted to have a sense of being strong and agile. This would be the first time he would go into a hard exercise since recovering from his “Romulan flu” – which he shared with T’Aria. And this time, when he went running, he would not use the VR goggles. While they were interesting and provided some cognitive stimulation while running, the last time he used them (he was running along the old monasteries of P’Jem) he stumbled and suffered a physical trauma on his head. He had a concussion. It was not logical falling for the same risk once again. Besides, he thought that Umbri Zayne, with their connections to security (including occupational security, he had assumed), had ensured that there would be no VR goggles for the treadmills. An occupational hazard, the goggles were, he agreed. Very logical of Umbri.

Exercise today was important. It helped him regulate himself and become more aware of his subconscious responses. The various hormones that were released from physical exercise would be needed today. Yesterday, he had been emotionally dysregulated all day. He had screamed in agony while meeting Symar, minutes after Symar exposed his Romulan DNA and shared his emotional trauma from it. Moreover, Symar had behaved like a completely different person, as if one among the V’tosh ka’tur, which was disconcerting too. He needed to get his bearings back. Tomorrow he had a double shift at Sickbay (rather than in Counselling), and he would be supervised by Symar. He needed to have a serene state of mind.

As he entered the gym, the stench of humanness was overbearing. In front of him, a human male crewman had removed his shirt and flexed his highly muscular but fat-low body in front of a mirror. Had Kastarak been on duty, he would have implored the man to put the shirt on. What was it with human men and their fascination for their own bodies? And why did they have to smell so much?

Kastarak remembered that he had some anti-human-odour nasal spray in his gym bag. Usually, he wouldn’t use it – he had grown accustomed to human smells since moving to San Fransisco some years ago – but today it was just repelling. On one hand, it was good that he had regained his sense of smell – for a week or so after getting better from the flu, he had no sense of smell, which had been a disconcerting experience. Tea just didn’t taste like tea, it was just hot water. It was odd, though, under the circumstances, fully logical and to be expected… He used the spray, and found a quick relief from the stench of humanity at physical work.

He quickly moved to the treadmills. Now, only one was empty – the one next to a Vulcan woman – it was T’Aria. He supposed that no one had dared do their running exercises immediately next to the ship’s first officer. Would these smelly humans think Kastarak would be brave, now that he walked up to that one treadmill, with his Vulcan non-emotional face and demeanour?

Did he sense arrogance in himself? Pride? He sorely needed this exercise.

“Commander,” he said as he acknowledged her presence, and started his own treadmill to start jogging. More conversation now would be illogical, he thought. They were both here for their exercise.

– Kastarak

Despite the relative fullness of the gym, there was not much to listen to except grunts and the casual insults humans threw around to hold each other accountable. Were they effective? Harsh jabs seemed to motivate their partners to test their limits, earning them noticeable improvements in strength and endurance, but they were careful to avoid ‘going too far’. T’Aria could not tell what made it socially acceptable to insult fellow crewmates, but the presence of boundaries suggested some emotional involvement. A friendship, perhaps? Maybe the banter reinforced their bond like quality time and empathy strengthed others’ as these sessions often ended with smiles and affectionate gestures (or so humans considered shoulder slaps and ‘playful’ shoves). T’Aria did not realise she invested so much energy into speculating about human friendships until she heard the pitter patter of footsteps fast approaching.

“Doctor,” she said before she fully registered Kastarak stepping onto the treadmill beside her.

T’Aria had not attempted conversation since their run-in with the ‘Romulan Flu’. There hadn’t been a need, really. She attributed their vulnerability to the virus and chose to meditate on the truths they shared in confidence. Her logic justified her avoidance by convincing her that discussing personal trauma would infringe on the other’s privacy when, in reality, it would only infringe on her comfort. T’Aria glanced at Kastarak with the faintest impulse to say something, but she subdued the urge and returned to her workout, matching the belt speed until her heels barely touched the inflexible rubber below.

— T’Aria

Kastarak’s jog went a little faster than usual, but not as fast as a sprint. He would only do that mid-way throughout his forty-minute run. He sensed he needed to get something out of his system. Perhaps it was related to T’Aria. They hadn’t spoken since their discharge from quarantine. There had been no logical reason for them to do so. But he had thought of her rather a lot in the days since: Vivid imagery of them together in quarantine, the imagery of her emotional pain, the experience of deep empathy with her for her loss…

He spoke.

“It is agreeable to see you having recovered from the influenza. Is this your first run since?”

– Kastarak