Solo [Agremmon Fields] You've Got Me Running

[Naeya]

You've Got Me Running Timestamp: 15th Day of Fall, 513 AV The rainy season in Sunberth, if that was what one would call this perpetually gloomy weather, made everything around the city smell like soggy dog and wet leather. So, when the konti spotted the sun peeking out from behind one of several obstinate clouds left in the sky, she'd hastily thrown on some loose clothing and made her way to the outskirts of the dingy town. There was no chance she'd let this opportunity pass. Today, she was going for a run. Naeya lifted a hand to her face and prodded gingerly at her right cheek. The bruise she'd received ten days earlier had faded into a sickly yellow, a stain upon her pale skin and a reminder of her weakness. In the days following the mugging, she'd turned the event over and over again in her mind. If she'd only been able to run a little faster or react a little quicker, maybe her mother's necklace would still be in her grasp. Her pride had flared up, and she'd promised herself that she wouldn't be a victim again, that she wouldn't allow someone to take similar advantage of her in the future. Not in Sunberth, not anywhere. And so? That meant learning how to run. She stood on the edge of the South Agremmon Fields, surveying the landscape. With the sun shining warm on the world below and the grass a lush green from the rain, the destitution of the farmsteads was almost easy to ignore. She closed her eyes as a sunbeam lit upon her face and stretched her arms high above her head, interlocking her fingers so her palms faced the sky. Then, after spreading her legs shoulder-width apart and inhaling a deep breath, she leaned at the hips over to her right and let out a soft exhale. The konti held the stretch for a moment, before moving back to an upright stance. Inhaling once more, she leaned over to the left and let out another breath. After a minute, Naeya opened her eyes and dropped her arms down to her side, shaking her limbs to loosen her muscles. Dropping her gaze to the ground, she swung her right foot up behind her butt where her right hand grabbed at it for stability. Her left hand rested on her stomach while she balanced unsteadily on her one free leg. "One... two... three..." she muttered, counting slowly as she wobbled in the stretch. "Twelve... thirteen... fourteen..." Her right leg dropped to the ground once, twice, and she paused each time in her counting to move back into the correct position. "Twenty-eight... twenty-nine... thirty." She breathed deeply, switched legs and repeated, bringing her left foot behind her while she balanced on her right. The stretch set a gentle fire under the front of her left quad muscles, easing the stiffness out of her body as she counted to thirty chimes. The konti knew very little when it came to running, but her Rivarian background had driven into her head the importance of stretching before any exercise. Several lower body stretches later, Naeya rolled up the sleeves of her white tunic, patted the dagger tucked in at her waist, and bounced unhurriedly on her toes. The soft leather shoes covering her feet, bought specifically for their flexibility, were not yet broken in, and she did her best to work the remaining stiffness out of them before beginning a rapid walk toward the southern forest.

[Naeya]

Her patience for walking began to wear thin within minutes as her body ached to move faster, to feel the wind on her face as she ran further and further away from Sunberth. Maybe, if she ran fast enough, she could make it to Zeltiva before sundown and escape this roguish city once and for all. Feeling inspired, Naeya gave up all resistance and broke into a sprint. Her arms pumped and her legs bounded and for a moment she felt like she was flying. It was exhilarating to feel so capable, so in charge of her own destiny. A wide smile broke out on the konti's face, and she let loose a wild cry of happiness. If this was what running was, she didn't know why she would ever stop. She didn't know, that is, until thirty seconds later, when she found her stride slowing and her lungs gasping for air. Her chest heaved as she came to a dead stop, placing one hand on her heart and the other on her head as if to keep her vital organs from exploding outward. "Oh... god... dess..." she wheezed, dropping her hands to the top of her thighs as she bent forward to catch her breath. Deep breaths, Naeya. Deeeeep breaths. When the beating of her heart began to slow, Naeya carefully straightened up and squared her shoulders. She was determined to see that her first "real" run would not be less than a chime. With less enthusiasm this time, she began to jog along the field. Her hands curled into tense fists and her feet kicked up grass as she headed toward the forest. She could feel her jaw clench as the muscles in her legs actively resisted the novel movements. "Deep breaths," she murmured, the short phrase quickly becoming a personal mantra. "Deep. Breaths." Even still, her body began to react against her mind. Her attempt at deep breaths turned into short little gasps as the konti's lungs greedily sucked up any available air in an effort to feed her oxygen-hungry muscles. What the petch! This wasn't fun any more. Her run had turned into a battle. While her mind knew better, all her body seemed to want was to stop and go home. It took everything she had, all her discipline and self-control, to force her legs to keep moving. "Deep breaths, dammit!"

[Naeya]

Trickles of perspiration rolled down Naeya's forehead and into her eyes as the morning sun rose higher in the sky. She hastily wiped them away, streaking sweat across cheeks that were growing rosier by the chime. Her jog had slowed to the point that it was hardly faster than a quick stroll, but she continued to push herself to keep up the pace. I just need make it to that farmhouse, she decided, eyeing the edge of a caving-in barn sitting just a few meters ahead of her. Her legs felt strained as they pounded over the flat terrain, and her gaze never left the barn for fear that one single distraction might weaken her resolve. Three more strides, Nae. One... two... three! She let out a whoosh of breath as she slowed to a walk, throwing her arms up to rest on her head as she paced forward. Two chimes passed as she walked through the field in this manner, head tilted to the sky and sweat dripping off her face. Several strands of piecey bangs stuck to her forehead, but the rest of her long blonde hair was swept off her shoulders and tied back into a loose fishtail braid. After she had sufficiently caught her breath, well past the barn at this point, Naeya once more began to run. The grassy landscape around her faded into the background as her inner mind became intensely focused on her breath. She was both inhaling and exhaling through her parched and parted lips and each breath filled her ears. Only the occasional chirp of a bird or the distant bark of a hound broke into her concentration. The focus she held reminded her very much of the focus used for meditation, and she began to integrate similar principles into her run. As each hope and worry filtered into her mind, threatening to distract, she took a moment to acknowledge it with an inhale and release it with an exhale. Acknowledge... and release. In... and out. Not quite the same as her seated meditations, but easier in a way. Her mind was too busy directing her strained body to offer up novel distractions, and the thoughts that did show up had a tendency to dissipate without the usual struggle. The konti alternated between walking for two chimes and jogging for one. The rotational pace allowed her to catch her breath and gave her tiring muscles a chance to rest, while still keeping her heart actively beating. A light breeze picked up, and she welcomed the cooling air on her skin as she ran into it. Running against the wind did, however, create resistance and she found her body straining to push through it. Perhaps now was the time to turn back.

[Naeya]

Naeya turned away from the outlying southern forest and circled back to the North. With the wind now at her back, the resistance let up and her feet began to feel less like anchors (but not quite like wings). She glanced toward Sunberth, nose wrinkling in disapproval as her gaze landed on the distant, billowing black smoke pouring out of the city. "The Slag's Heap." That's what she'd heard the city's residents call it. A giant pile of garbage, left to burn all day and all night. They were all class, those Sunberthians. The konti dropped her gaze and brought her attention back to her main objective. The mountain of rubbish would still be there for her to grouse over when she returned to her apartment - of that, she had no doubt. Kicking herself into gear once more, she began the run back to her starting position, denoted by a middling-sized rock, at the edge of the Agremmon Fields. Her spirit was tiring - as were her legs - so she allowed herself to fall into a new rotation: a two chime walk coupled with a 45 second jog. Then, two chimes and thirty seconds. She lost her footing twice, tripping over her own two feet in moments of particular weariness, but was determined not to give into her body's desire to lay down and sleep. All she needed was renewed motivation. "Hey! Git off me farm!" Naeya's eyes widened as she spotted the red-faced farmer stalking toward her from the right. She hadn't realized she'd strayed so far into his field, so intent she'd been on just keeping her legs moving. Too out of breath to apologize, the konti lifted her arm in what she hoped was an apologetic wave of acknowledgement and angled her run away from the man as quickly as she could. But not fast enough for the farmer. "Go on, git!" Maybe he hadn't understood her first apologetic wave. Naeya raised her hand once more and looked back just in time to see the rotten tomato hurtling straight for her face. Aw, shyke.

[Naeya]

There was nothing quite like an irate farmer to get one's blood pumping. Naeya's flight response was set in motion, along with her feet, and she dug deep to pull out a last mile sprint that she didn't know she had in her. Chunks of tomato skin fell out of her hair as she ran, while its rotten juices, mixing with sweat, oozed down the side of her face and dripped onto her white cotton tunic. The sheathed dagger slapped against her hip with every step leading her further away from the farmer's subsiding cries. What's more, her arms swung in an almost comical fashion, while her stride mirrored that of a startled, clumsy gazelle. But still, she ran on. She ran until she couldn't run anymore. Just meters away from the rock by which she'd started her practice, Naeya dropped to her knees and sprawled out on the grass, legs and arms splayed in starfish formation. This was it. This was the end. There was no possible way she could go on. Her muscles felt weak, her shirt was stained with tomato and sweat, and she was certain that her heartbeat could be heard halfway to Mura. If these were to be her final moments, she hoped death came with a big cup of water. She spent ten more chimes this way, lying on her back and contemplating the intricacies of Dira's domain. Water (she hoped). Endless rest. And, best of all, no more running. Then, gradually, she propped herself up by her elbows and rolled carefully to her feet. She brushed the grass off her legs and pulled a stubborn lump of tomato from her hair. She patted her face, her stomach, and her heart. She was still alive. Dira would not come for her today. Standing with her legs shoulder width apart, Naeya hinged forward at the hips and stretched the tips of her fingers toward her toes. She could already feel her muscles tightening, and didn't want to find herself stuck in bed in the morning. After a chime, she dropped into a lunge. Her left leg extended out behind her, while her right settled into a near ninety-degree angle in front. Then: switch. For her final stretch, she settled onto the grass with the soles of her feet touching one another. She leaned forward and pressed with her elbows, very gently, down on each knee. Her breath grew steadier the longer she held the stretch, until finally she released her legs and stood up once more. The stink of putrid tomato was wafting around her nose, and the warming day would only make it worse. Time to find a bathhouse. ... and a new shirt.

[Orion Michaels]

Naeya +1 Acrobatics +4 Running +2 Observation lore : The importance of a good stretch Sprinting feels good...for a few ticks Running: Setting attainable goals Nothing gets you running like having something to run from results : extremely sore legs for next 3 days Notes Nice, humorous training thread. Keep up the struggle and feel the burn! Let me know if you have any questions. And please edit your grade request to reflect this grade.