Posted by Ensign Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in Side Sim: Parkour-Introductions

Posted by Ensign Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in Side Sim: Parkour-Introductions

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Cassidy Abrams (Chief of Security) in Side Sim: Parkour-Introductions
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Ashlyn was glad to have the additional guests and took a deep breath to collect herself enough to not make a fool of herself again. She could save the flirting for when she wasn’t about to teach something that excited her enough as it was. “You and anyone that wants to is welcome to watch, though I have to admit that this will be just a learning and teaching Parkour environment. The greater portion of Trenton Park that I was describing to Cas-…Lieutenant Abrams, will not be completed until Engineering finishes the relay upgrades to the Holodeck display grid so the program doesn’t overload the system. Turns out the program at its best is a bit much for the standard Holodeck.” Ashlyn moves over to the field that was labeled ‘Beginner’ and started going through a series of motions that looked more like a limber and smooth dance than actual stretching. “Let’s get started with getting limber, it’s important to avoid getting hurt as much as possible. Like stretching for most workouts, getting limber is more apt for the freedom of motion that Parkour invites. With a standard workout, everything is a form of push and pull with little to no expectation of flexibility or aerial control. In Parkour, you’ll be jumping, diving, running, swinging, rolling, lifting, and sliding. Flexibility and adaptability will be more key than simple push and pull.” Ashlyn bends forward and balances herself on her hands where she goes through similar motions she was doing earlier with more focus on her hips, knees, ankles, and waist. Eventually, she brought her knees together and slowly rolled into an upright position. She was sure the others wouldn’t be doing the same thing, but it felt good to show off a little.

Cassidy got her heat going a bit by stepping in place and then carefully stretching out key areas, just long muscles and joints. Anything that would be taking more of an impact.

Once everyone was well stretched and limber, Ashlyn tapped her foot against the ground a few times which started some soft synthwave music. “So today we’re going to go over some jumping basics, standing, moving, running, long and short. The goal by the end of today is to be able to jump into the outlined boxes without losing your balance or falling out of the box.” Ashlyn moves to a green box that shows up in one corner of the field and stepped inside it. “I’ll start with a simple demonstration first.” The music kicks up into the main melody and Ashlyn moves as the next box appears close enough to step into. She steps for a few boxes, then has to do a short hop to the next box. As the music picks up, so do the distances between boxes forcing Ashlyn to have to make longer jumps or strides to keep her momentum up. This exercise is clearly easy for her as she starts to add flips into her jumps between boxes. Eventually, she comes back to the start at the conclusion of the current song. A sheen of sweat from keeping up with the pace of the song drips from her. “Alright, who wants to try next?”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Cass gave a grin. “You’re just trying to psyche people out, aren’t you?”

Sharah walked over to Zorell, “I wasn’t very good at all when I started. Trenton is a good teacher and everything starts off easy. I promise it’s possible.” She watches Ashlyn go through the first course, and then her friend is showing off. She smiles ruefully and shakes her head, “You don’t have to do it that way. Ashlyn has a lot of flair.”

Vora chuckled. “Well, I’m fit but I have terrible agility. I always feel awkward dancing. I’ll watch for the moment.” She tapped her head. “Eidetic memory. Once I get a sense of how it goes I can try to replicate the course.”

Sharah steps up, “I’ll go first. You’re a hard act to follow.” Sharah steps into the green box and waits for the music to come back around to the slower tempo. She begins stepping from one box to the next, on the longer strides and small jumps she pauses an extra beat to the music to prepare the jump. Much how she would have done when she was first learning to gauge her distances. This time she did it to demonstrate that the others didn’t have to move at Ashlyn’s speed. Though Cassidy would probably move faster, due to her security training. Sharah left out the flair, but finished the course smoothly. She huffed to herself. That was boring. As she walked back around she laughed to herself, boring indeed. Ashlyn’s attitude was rubbing off on her.

En. Fayth, Doctor

Cassidy had watched, nodding to herself. It was basic enough. When it was her turn, she found her timing was pretty good and there was a natural momentum you could gain in areas. While clearly new at this particular exercise, it was also clear that Cass was not a stranger to agility courses. It wasn’t a whole unlike some of the obstacle courses they had all done in training at the Academy, but of course Cass had had to come back to the harder physical training when she was prepping to switch to security. Then there was the fact that she had a secret weapon of sorts that most either didn’t know about or if they did, they forget. She was trained in krav maga. She was no slouch in the ‘move-your-body-in-unexpected-way’ department.

Ashlyn watched with simple satisfaction as each runner makes it through the first level of difficulty, but she was ready for a challenge. Taking it slow was good for the newcomers, but a part of Trenton really wanted to go into her expert course and really work her skills. Shaking the thought away, Ashlyn instead offered praise and encouragement as her friends completed the first course. Ready to move on, Ashlyn led the group to the second playing field and queued up the next level of difficulty. “This is where you have to expand on the basic jumping to include vaulting over or sliding under objects. It’s all low elevation difficulty so the worst you may have to deal with is tripping and falling on your face, maybe a twisted ankle if you land wrong. You should all be fine though, we have a Doctor with us should something happen.” Ashlyn winks at Sharah a bit playfully before lining up on the start line.

“Not planning on needing one,” Abrams said with confidence.
Sharah shook her head, “Don’t let her psych you out. The med kit is for me. I am so totally uncoordinated. But I’m here if anyone does need me.”

This level of the course starts out with stairs that don’t really go up that high, about three feet at max. The next set of jumps are between platforms that are tilted at 45-degree angles that Ashlyn just runs through on stride. This is followed up with boxes that Ashlyn rolls over the top of or uses as a platform to place a hand on as she swings her legs and body over. The interesting addition is red zones, areas of the playfield that the runner isn’t supposed to touch. This results in a few simple wall running sections and a spot with two close walls where you have to use your arms and legs to keep yourself suspended as you move along. It would be easier to simply grip the top and shimmy your way across, but Ashlyn is showing off again. Her acrobatics being one of her best skills, she shows the clear skill of movement as she clears each obstacle. Unlike before, this level of difficulty also includes a few dive sections where you are expected to throw yourself through a hoop or hole without touching the wall. A bit difficult for beginners, but not impossible with some practice. The end of this course comes with a corner run, Ashlyn takes a short running start to step off the wall to the corner, around the corner, ending with a spin on an elevated platform.

Another acrobatic display from Ashlyn for the lower skill level, her breathing a little more labored than last time. “Ready to go again?” Ashlyn is clearly excited to get more people to keep going.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

With darker yellow skin than his mother and brick red hair, Jerrin was sized like an adult. He was, though, based on Tenraith physiology, not quite there yet and was still considered an adolescent, if barely. He had grown greatly in recent years and now stood taller than his mother, which she fondly complained about. He usually just shrugged at her.

Stepping into the holodeck, he really had no idea what to expect except that this program was to be some sort of exercise and agility thing. It seemed interesting and he also learned that the people running it were new to the ship and closer to him in age. That had piqued his curiosity. “Too late to join in?” he asked.

Vora turned and smiled at him. “Not at all. We just need to watch and repeat.”

“Cool. Easy then?” Jerrin replied.

“Well, execution is another matter,” Zorell said with a laugh.

Watching the others for a moment, he thought he got it, but then he realized who the other person he did know was and gave her a lopsided grin. “Heya Cass,” he said with a wave.

Vora just looked at her best friend for her reaction. It seemed Jerrin’s crush was still going strong.

~Vora & Jerrin

Cass gave a light wave and though she smiled at him, she kept it cool because goodness knew she didn’t need Jerrin continuing down that path. Then it hit her that there was both Jerrin and Trenton in here. Ah hell. It would be fine. She could make it through this activity unscathed, right?

“I’ll go next,” Abrams said and turned to Jerrin. “Watch what I do.” She then took off following the gist of what Ashlyn had done, but here and there she tackled an obstacle in a slightly different way. Was it correct parkour form? Probably not, but she still managed it well enough she thought.

Abrams, COS

Ashlyn watched with Jerrin and commentated with some background instruction as she was going through the track. “Each person has their own way of comfortably doing this. The Lieutenant can count on more physical strength than I can so a lot of her motion, while slower, is based on that strength. I on the other hand count on momentum and agility which is why my method looks more flighty or acrobatic. It’ll be up to you to find your own way of doing Parkour, but that freedom is a part of what makes it fun! That and knowing how to jump across rooftops without hurting yourself.”

Jerrin nodded. “Can’t say I’ve jumped from any roofs lately. Learn something new everyday, right?” he said with a hint of a smile. He was imagining the look on his mother’s face if he had been doing this back on Tenra. Then again they really hadn’t talked a lot about Tenra at all.

Sharah looked at the run and glared at Ashlyn. She was not ready for dives at all. She eyes the track and changes the approach. She won’t hit everyone but she’ll get to the end. She takes the stairs and platforms and aims for the lower level of vaults. Instead of dives, Sharah uses the horizontal bars to the side to swing and land from. She ends having to dismount the last platform with a roll from a drip. She comes out of the roll and stands. She mumbles to Ashlyn, “If I get hurt, I am making you tell Rainns,” she jokes with her friend. That run had been slightly harder than her skill level, but Sharah had actually finished it and was grinning like crazy.
En Fayth, Doctor

When it was his turn, Jerrin took the course slower and it was clear he neither had the physical training of the others, nor the ease of movement. But he was good at copying. He had mimicked most of Abrams movements, but a couple of times had gone for Fayth’s choices.

Ashlyn gave her friend a playful nudge, “You know the moment he sees my face instead of yours he’d hijack the ship and slam it right into my side of the quarters to make sure you were okay.” Ashlyn watched as Cass and Jerrin finished the course and her smile grew big and playful. “That was a great warmup! Who’s up for a game now?” The excited Ensign walked off that field and across the road to the other side which had a much larger field for play. The console lights up for that side and she puts in parameters for the game. “Should we do red versus blue or players versus CPU?” She puts in the vote and the program hesitates for a moment as a giant game of Kal-toh appears with platforms peppered about, some of which are moving. “Wow, looks like even this program is a bit hard on the Holodeck system.”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

“Uh, I vote for whatever might be the most fun. I’m not very good at this at all,” Jerrin said.

~Jerrin