Parkour training

[Miach]

Despite, or perhaps because of his poor result in the recent triathlon, Miach had decided to resume a stricter training regimen.

As it was, late in the evening, the tall Acanthus was doing laps around Tahoe Park, trying now and then to add a jump, a glide, a slide as opportunities arose, trying to keep in mind what Morgan had told him at the Pipeworks. He would have to tackle swimming at some points, but for now, the Acanthus needed to sweat off his day's work, improve his overall stamina, and Parkour training seemed like an excellent idea to shoot two birds with one stone.

Leaning on a car, he was now catching his breath, and sipping his water bottle, preparing for another round of runs and jumps.

[Star]

There was only one singular, lone thought on the hamster wheel.

He hated shorts.

Not on principle. There were good, Totally Valid reasons. Chicken legs. That bizarre, disconcerting draftiness. Having to buy special socks because people could see your socks. The only thing worse than shorts were bicycle shorts. It was only in an injust world that he would be forced to leave his legs half nekkid, but there it was.

You figure out pretty fast that it's hard to flow in pants. The first time your leg won't go up as far as you need and you plant your face? Shorts.

Long fingers plucked at the Icky Sticky Sweat Wet shirt as the other hand hydrated. Gatorade, Red Flavor. Still A Thing. He tried not to spill too much. He raised his arms as he walked. Other than looking stupid, he wasn't sure what that did, but runners did it?

"Sup?"

He knew this guy.

[Gregory]

He does not know these men.

The parks are public places, havens for lost souls such as Gregory. This oasis resides on the edges of the Freehold, and Gregory patrols the fringes of it if for nothing else than to occupy his open schedule. Gregory eyes the men, spying the markings on the plastic bottle one holds. Recyclables. Gregory carries a sack of them, scavenging for the containers as his service to the community and to himself. For now is he content to watch the men from a short distance, with ears open as he plunders a trash can lining the paths.

Athletes by the look of them. That I might test myself against these young men. I am not so old as that, that I can't hold my own, am I? he broods silently.

[Miach]

His breath was now getting back under control, and Miach's focus turned back to external things. A man - another late-runner - was incoming, drinking something that hid half his face. It was only when he was close enough that the Acanthus could put a name to the familiar face.

"Star ?" he asked, bewildered. The sweating, short-wearing Guardian was an unexpected sight, and Miach wondered what Fate had brought this meeting. Still, what was done was done.

"How are you doing ? Running too ?" Though the answer was obvious, of course.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the homeless man, of course, but didn't think much of him yet. Just another poor sod...

[Morgan Bellanar]

A woman Miach may be familiar with was napping on a nearby bench. She'd had a full day of "work" and running away from dogs. So, she'd taken a brienf nap on the bench...which turned out to be a long nap. Getting up with a stretch of her arms and a shake of her head, Morgan was surprised at how much darker it had gotten. But she didn't have a schedule so, shrugs.

The jittery woman easily hops to her feet, dusting herself off. A quick look around found that park mostly deserted, save for two dudes talking and an environmentally mindful man. She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at the pair. Was one of them familiar?

Pipeworks guy. Morgan let out an "ah" as she realized that was the case. Her eyes did dart to a third figure, a rather unkempt man gathering bottles. She darted her head back and forth between the duo and the, likely, homeless mundane. She wanted to say hello to the rock-guy-what-was-his-name a little. But, he was talking with someone and the homeless guy would probably need help. She racked her brain for half-way houses aside from Edan's.

It wouldn't do to send a mundane to a place for Changelings...especially not the Autumn Court. Lest he twas a 'ling with his mask up.

Mind made up, she waved a hello towards John, or was it Joan? Well, seh waved and then walked over to the homeless man. "Um, heh-heh, not-rude-intent b-b-b-but you be okays? N-nada Lost-lost are you? Or-or needing assistances? Zorry iven rude." her delivery was weak but the concern was clear in her voice.

-1 Glamour Mask Hardened, as per standard of City Shards.

[Ermon]

Ermon ires the day he asked Asp to focus on endurance training in his particular case. Couldn't he ask her for increasing his muscle mass? Or knocking flexibility up a notch? But no, he just had to ask to be able to hold more stuff inside his Pattern and maybe not fall half-dead from serious physical exertion.

Newsflash? Endurance training actually involves a lot of running and countless reps with small weights. Shocker, to be sure. He combined a treadmill with a TV at home in order to run and read at the same time (took some tinkering) because wasting all that time dilligently placing feet in front of each other was simply killing his occult studies. And now, oh joy, he could exercise and read the Order of the Golden Dawn at the same time. Truly we live in the age when science has made miracles possible.

But simply cramming and training all the time wasn't enough: he still needed to get out in order to stay sane. That's why he is at the park, running at decent speed, headphones in his ears, playing something giving a rhythm.

Tonight Ermon is looking pretty much like any jogger out there: sport pants, black athletic shoes, t-shirt and a small backpack with mineral water and some minor stuff in it. Gone are the idiotic days of running without hydration in shoes implicated in multiple feet homicides.

The Warlock starts to get out of breath just when he is about to pass another runner, who looks to be walking off the fatique.

Wait, isn't that Star?

The guy he made a bad first impression on, then got on the wrong foot, then stepped on his toes... Well, maybe not that bad but the Veiled Threats have been consistently saying not-too-nice things about him to the Concillium. The worst part? This time he didn't feel like he deserved it. So, maybe do something about it instead of whining. And that guy form Medstars is here too: weird how Fate seems to draw the Mages together all the time.

So Ermon picks this spot to relax a bit too, slowing down near the men, taking out his earbuds and venturing a "Hello, fancy meeting you here." before stretching a bit. As important as niceness is, if he doesn't walk it off and stretch, the Warlock's legs will kill him next morning.

The girl he has never seen before gets a curious look.

[Miach]

Before he could hear Star's answer, Miach's attention got caught by someone else too, whom he had missed in the darkness. That small girl waving at him ? Morgan ? The Acanthus chuckled at the whims of Fate. Just when he was practicing her stuff... but she seemed otherwise busy, and beside, he was already engaged in a talk too.

He was about to nudge Star further about his habits, when yet someone else decided to stop by them. Ermon now ? That warranted extra-care. No way Fate would tie them like that without a purpose. Something was afoot.

"Hiya. Yeah, fancy." he managed to say, knowing he would have to stretch too. That was, if he didn't know those pains for the Lies they were, of course.

[Star]

"Hi. I'm Jack."

Holy cow, yo.

What was it with Sac? Throwing his s'name all out in the street. Amazons didn't. Food for thought? Maybe just a coincidence. Or maybe he was getting trolled. Was he? Had he done something? The Head Bob Chin Jut greeting was tossed at Ermon. Because Sugar Daddy. Nah. Funny as that was, he didn't blame the guy, if you were in to that whole Bulgy Muscles thing. Power to ya, man. And luck. Lots. Of. Luck.

Speaking of...

Them stretching? Not nearly as interesting to watch. Eyes cast away, watching some chick and a bottle collector.

"You guys jogging?" Duh. "I remember you. From that thing, at that place? Yeah. Running. Sometimes I run. Like, obviously. Cardio, man. You totally never know." Because Banishers. "Or is this, like, some Thing. Some running club. Are you guys jogging buddies?" Oh Em Gee. Sugar Daddy was cardio-cheating on Asp. "I don't have a jogging buddy. Not that, you know, I'm asking. I'm not. But not that I wouldn't ask. I'm just... not..."

Well. Okay, that went well.

"I don't come here much, you know, that's all. So I don't know. But, like, if you two need privacy? It's all good."

Privacy? Operational. Security. Because Smiley's People.

[Gregory]

Gregory turns at the approach of the girl, wondering what business she has with him. He eyes her with scrutiny and caution.

She seems polite enough, and not meaning harm, least it follows with what she says. With her Mask Hardened in place, Gregory is none the wiser to her true nature, but her mention of being 'lost lost' concerns him. "I'm not lost. I mean to be here, as you can see. Unless you're offering a handout I'm not interested in any help." He seems a bit grumpy, but the emotion is just superficial. He's certainly isn't so prideful to deny a handout, certainly. "Say, do you know those fellows there? Saw you waving to them. What're they doing here, gathered in the park? Joggers are they?" He points to the gathered gentlemen with curiosity.

OOC

I don't see mention of Hardened Masks as a rule in the City Shards rules. Could I get clarification on if I need to have Gregory Harden his Mask for this thread? @Anyone

[Ermon]

Ermon nods at Miach's curt greeting with a smile and then that happens. Star is totally the kind of wordpour: it's like a freaking torrent of thought is going straight to his mouth and then into Ermon's mind nearly causing fuses being blown out of their sockets. He doesn't remember hearing that last time but then again last time he was in Miach's place and made the mistake of not referring to Star by his distant-relation Shadow Name - Jack. Seriously, you probably need to adopt a kid with the guy if you want to hear his real name. Because, it's Jack, then it's Star, then it's his former name Cut... His true name is probably Bjesus McLaringitis or something.

"Hey, Jack, I'm Drake from that thing at that time", - let's roll with the punches, - "Jogging buddies? Hell no, I have a jogging buddy, think you know her. Having a second one would probably kill me", - there is very little mirth in his laughter. Asp is serious business. Pretty and energetic but damn if that girl doesn't scare him sometimes.

"Nope, guess it's just a coincidence. I'm trying to switch up the routine a bit but, damn me, I can't do change anything about running except change speed", - he notices the girl from the bench and the other guy at this time but keeps his voice normal. No need to whisper and draw stares.