Uphill Both Ways

Log Info

• Title: Uphill Both Ways
• Emitter: Aryia
• Characters: Aya, Aryia, Zeke
• Place: Alexandria - Mountain Road
• Time: August 31st, 2021
• Summary:

Aya, Aryia, and Zeke are assisting Aya in her recovery with some physical training, the trio of them walking up the mountain road at an amiable yet steady pace. Zeke and Aryia assure that Aya isn't a burden on those of the healing sort, though she does look forward to lording over Seldan about being hale before him. Zeke warns that such teasing might not be good for his health while he is down, but Aya is somewhat firm that she understands, and respects both the Silverguard and the Sunguard. Everyone agrees that all parties are doing their best, and they continue upwards.

Mountain Road, Nightfall.

One hand of healing was rest and relaxation. To give the body the chance to heal. But once such healing plateaus, the other hand comes into play: physical training. To most, it was the least desirable of the recovering process, as not only pains would impede progress, pride would be wounded as well.

Ergo, two mul'neissa were slowly making their way up the mountain road, the din of night making it easier to focus on the recovery than the actual pain of blinding rays. Aryia, in her usual wear, casts a glowing gaze over Alexandria before plopping a rest against a large boulder, her crossing her arms. She had built up a sweat along the way, but was less concerned about her state of being and more of Aya's recovery.

Rest and relaxation are useful and even welcomed, to a point. Aya is much more accustomed (and perhaps tolerant of) pain rather than boredom. As for pride? Well, it can be a powerful motivator to help that tolerance. In addition to the lack of sun in their eyes, the dimming light also makes for fewer about and fewer of those to actually witness, thus reducing random bruises to ego.

Slow and steady are keywords, as Aya walks up the trail, accepting additional slow as needed to maintain the steady. It is said that pride goeth before the fall, but she much prefers keeping some pride AND not tumbling off the mountain. Thus, Aryia has a few moments to rest before Aya catches up to her. "You're not making this easy," Aya notes with labored breath. "Good."

Following the pair up the hill is a third figure. This one moving at a much slower pace, but one that is ground-eating. For it never stops. Zeke might not be the fastest sith-makar to ever walk the earth, but he seems to have very little need to rest. He looks at the pair of women ahead of himself as they come to a stop to take a break and hums low in his throat. While this outing has his tacit approval, he is clearly wary of pushing Aya to far to quickly. "If you are tired already, perhapsss we ssshould head back." He swishes his tail behind himself. Amused. He's teasing them.

There's a little smirk that shows on the mute mul's lips, a hand flicking out a snippy retort. "Right now is the only time I'll ever get to be faster," she mentions with a silent snerk.

Knowing Zeke wasn't too far behind, a pair of shimmering eyes swing towards him, a pout cresting her lips. Tease successful. <Handspeech>

"I am not tired," Aya assures them both. "It's just a matter of pacing." Which isn't the same as 'slow,' of course. Not according to her. "A little discomfort is better than growing lush and lazy lounging about..." She then adds to Aryia with a curling of one lipcorner. "You be fast enough, soon enough."

Zeke chuffed at Aryia's expression, catching up to them at last and giving his tail a solid thump. "You ssshould not pussh your-sself too hard. Dissscomfort isss acceptable, but pain isss not at thiss time." He gives Aya a solid look, but nods once. "You ssseem fine though, ssso we can continue when you have ressted enough."

Aryia shakes her head and shrugs. "We'll see," she gestures a bit dismissively, deflecting the notion of the mute woman matching, let alone surpassing her mentor.

Her face does relax some, head canting to the side. "At least you are getting better." <Handspeech>

Aya waits for Zeke to catch up before she starts ascending anew. This is nothing at all similar to her taking a rest while he is still walking, not at all. As she resumes her slow pace, she can at least agree with Aryia's assessment. "I'd best continue to. I should not be impaired, much less a burden on others. There is far too much occurring at present as it is."

The blue-scale plods along silently behind Aya, making a soft amused noise at her. "You are not a burden Aya. You are healing much fassster than othersss." Though she might have healed faster if she had allowed for magical healing, he could not begrudge her this fact. Not when magical spells were such a source of pain to those that had been touched by the Sea of Mana.

Aryia too glances back to Zeke, ensuring the healer was naught far behind before matching stride with Aya. Mostly so that she could talk without having to walk backwards up a mountain. And, of course, not wanting Aya to stumble and fall.

She does jab a thumb towards Zeke. "He's got a point. And it's okay to need help for things. Shit, you've help me a lot," the pugilist mentions with a light smirk, finishing with a careful clap on Aya's shoulder. Her gaze turns up toward the full moon, a soft sigh spilling forth. "Actually figured more things out from said help, believe it or not." <Handspeech>

While she may not seek aid, nor broadcast her own weakness, it is not too difficult to know when Aya struggles: her pace simply slows even further rather than risk a stumble. Such as when she comes to a sudden halt due to something as infuriating as a few loose rocks shifting underfoot. At least it might serve as an impromptu break?

"Good," she calls back to Zeke. "As I told him, Seldan can't be out gallantly smiting while I am hobbling about. I intend to be fully recovered before him." At Aryia and her clap, Aya's smirks softens. "I am glad to have aided, and not surprised that you progress, and will, ever further."

Aya adds with one hand, while still paused, "Use what you can to guide, but you must also strive for yourself. I will not always be able to aid you." <handspeech>

Zeke notes that Aya has stopped again and gives her a once over as he inevitably catches up. She seems well enough at this point, but the terrain is difficult. Something which he knows well enough himself. His quarterstaff aids him where he might need it of course. "Thisss one assskss you not to teassse Ssseldan overly much. He needss hiss resst, and trying to be up and about in hisss condition would scertainly worssen it." He shakes his head.

"I know," she soberly taps the side of her head with a hand at Aya's addendum. "Don't worry. I'm used to figuring things out on my own." She had to be, considering upbringing.

Aryia does nod lightly at Zeke's caution, her slowing and stepping adjacent to Aya should there ever need be of a subtle correction. She makes an observation, a hand gesturing forward, "The teasing can come after his is well. And you okay in all of this, Zeke? You seem to be very busy." <Handspech>

Despite her prior comment, and history of ever-ribbing the Silverguard, Aya looks mildly offended at Zeke's comment. She turns towards him to note, "While he and I have our differences of opinion and regardless of what some may presume, I do not wish him ill. The Silverguard has earned my respect, and well-deserved rest."

She also catches Aryia's pertinent point and nods, adding, "As have you, Sunguard."

Zeke looks a bit startled by Aya's statement, but swishes his tail behind him. Aryia's statement takes more of an effort to understand. Even given his limited understanding of the language she uses to communicate there are multitude of them which he does not know. He recognizes then 'okay' 'Zeke', and 'busy'. Gathering - correctly that this is a question by her bodylanguage he makes a guess at her meaning. "Thisss one isss well enough. Thingsss have been busssy for thisss one, but thisss one likesss to be ussseful."

He thrums softly and the blue-scale looks at Aya. "Thisss one isss glad that thisss one hasss earned ressspect. That you think well of Sseldan isss good too. We are, all of usss, thisss one thinksss... doing our besst."

Aryia makes a mental note about that. She figured Aya respected them, but the jest and lording over some aspects muddied that a bit. At least it was explicit now. She gives a small nod towards Zeke, so used to having others around her that understood her that she went a touch too fast. She kicks herself mentally, slowing the gestures down. "We are doing our best, and that is all we can hope for." <Handspeech>

She looks to Aya, gives a tiny, tiny smirk, then glances uphill with a small gesture of her head that way.

"Don't become so busy demanding others to rest that you don't save some for yourself," Aya reminds Zeke, whether her own addition, a clarification of Aryia's gestures, or a combination thereof. "If you do, I will remind Cryosanthia to demand for you..."

The head gesture from Aryia reminds her that the ridge is still here, and they are still -here-, which is not over the ridge. Her expression firms and she re-orients herself for the uphill battle. "Yes, our best, and I will not be bested by a pile of rock..." Rest over, she resumes the ascension. On the bright side, a soak after this wouldn't be an indulgence, but more likely a necessity.

Aya's distraction earns another chuff of amusement from Zeke. That she could be chiding him for not resting enough and threaten him with attention from his cihuaa one moment, and then force herself up a mountain the next... Well it /is/ amusing. Zeke trails along behind her, all sith amusement and enjoying the exercise which is far less strenuous for him than it is for poor Aya at the moment.