Habits, old and new

Posted on Sun Dec 29th, 2024 @ 10:23pm by Chief Petty Officer Nish Karalo & Ensign Mercy Mourne

Mission: Remnant
Location: Gym
1312 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Mercy stepped through the doors of the gymn and it took nearly everything in her not to turn around. Bumping into Darru after his most recent run had reminded her she had been slacking but it was for good reason. She hated exercising. She was pretty sure she had passed her last physical assessment purely on luck and the element of surprise, but she wasn’t sure she would be so fortunate at the next one. Still this was the last place she really wanted to be.

Other crew member might look cool while working out. She was pretty sure if any of the security team were caught in here then they would probably be described as glistening rather than sweating. Darru barely even broke a sweat with such things. But she knew five minutes in she would look like she had been dragged through a swamp backwards. Her hair would frizz her face would go red and she would at some point drop something heavy on her toe, she just knew it.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” She muttered under her breath, heading over to where a few treadmills and elypticals were lined up. “Get in, get out, don’t make eye contact.”

"You sound like my boyfriend." Nish passed the hesitating science girl in the door opening to the gym and took up her position on one of the treadmills, starting a slow jog. Looking back it seemed like she had stunted the woman in her tracks. "Getting into a new routine?" She asked hoping to break the ice and trepidation.

Mercy made a choked sound and she jumped slightly, then laughed just a little bit too loud for it to be anything but nervous. She suddenly didn't know what to do with her hands so she tucked them behind her back. "Ahh... yeah, I barely scraped through my last physical test with Iryna, so I figured I should maybe work on... something." She then gave Nish a helpless look. "I have no idea where to start and I am very out of my depth, does it show?"

"I'm sure I'd be the same if I were to suddenly be behind a microscope." Nish slowed the treadmill and allowed herself to slide back a bit before stepping off of it. "I take it you want to build stamina much more than you want to bulk up. Unless you have some hammer throwing ambitions I should be aware of." She waved a dismissive hand, "are you competitive or does that put you off?"

Mercy gave Nish a grateful look as the Chief slowed her treadmill. “Stamina would be good, I think I’m bulky enough.” She pat one wide hip and then shook her head. “Oh no, I mean I can get competitive but usually only with myself and only with things where I know I can win. It’s not a great quality. I’d rather leave competition out of this at the moment. Why do you ask?”

"We've got to make this fun, somehow, don't we?" Nish knew from her experience in the police force that some people simply gritted their teeth and forced themselves through it. She could always find some sort of motivation challenging herself in different ways, especially when measuring against others in the department, or in this case on the ship. Ever since coming to this version of the Atlantis she'd been in a heated battle with.. 'herself'.. to see who would be better in different aspects of sports. It was in part to stave off decline for having moved to a more sedentary position behind the helm as opposed to the more up and about stuff she used to do as a detective. "What would motivate you to keep coming back?"

"Well shame brought me in here, but I suspect it might not be very sustainable." Mercy answered with startling honesty and a wry smile on her face. "I was kind of hoping I could find something that I actually enjoy doing? Some of the crew like to run around the corridors right? But I don't think I want everyone seeing me all pink and huffing up a storm just yet. What motivates you to do this regularly?"

"I've always been quite competitive. My line of work before the Atlantis was very male dominated. Even in the enlightened 23rd century. So I always had to prove myself. Do that long enough and it becomes a habit. When I came to this universe I came across myself." There was a bit of a shrug, "You'd think you'd be able to put yourself at ease, find comfort in someone that has experienced quite a lot of what you'd experienced. But I think the major thing I get from it is that neither of us wants to be the out of shape Karalo."

Mercy blinked and then a bubble of laughter burst out of her throat. "S-sorry, it's just when I think about competing with oneself, I didn't think it would be quite so literal." Mercy then tilted her head and thought for a moment. There must be something, some transferrable approach she can apply to motivate herself. "Hmm, when I was writing my dissertation I used a reward system. For every page I wrote or milestone in data analysis I reached I would give myself a bit of chocolate or something. I think sugary treats might undermine the point of coming to the gymn, but maybe there is something in a reward system? Or working towards an easily achievable goal?"

"I mean, if you're sitting on a secret stash of chocolate I feel like you're in possession of one of the more valuable resources on the ship." Nish remarked with a bit of a smirk, "and a treat isn't a bad reward. Moving and getting fit doesn't preclude nice snacks to eat. Once the effects of the exercise stack up enough, you'll probably not get the urge to snack anymore." She shrugged a bit, "unless reading a good book or a hot shower is equally rewarding. I might still have some tropical fruit scented body wash, if you're into that sort of thing. I'll trade it for some of your illusive chocolate."

Mercy had been sitting on a very secret stash of snacks, but sadly at this point, she had hardly anything worth trading left. “Sadly my last chocolate ran out a while back, but it’s nice to dream. Got some mints I’ve been saving for a special occasion or a sugar crash. Don’t suppose that’s worth one shower’s worth of body wash?”

"How about a favour, to be determined at a later date?" Nish countered, realising how ominous such a thing might sound, but kind of leaning into it. A smirk combined with her brushing her hand along an imaginary goatee brought it home.

Mercy snorted and shrugged. “Sure, consider yourself in possession of one favour, yet to be determined.” Mercy then kind of looked around the gymn, feeling kind of lost. “So… if you were me, where would you start?”

Without speaking Nish made her way over to the treadmill and presented it in a theatrical fashion. "This beauty has not had many miles on her. Always belonged to an old lady." She wasn't really sure why she was taking a used car salesman approach to convincing Mercy, but it was the first thing that popped in her head. "Fifteen minutes, no incline. Set the speed so that you can just about continue a conversation. Warm up your muscles. We'll do some light stretching after." It was the start of a light exercise routine that Nish felt was challenging enough for Mercy to get her body into shape, but not so challenging as to discourage her from coming back to continue. The basis of a new, healthy, habit.