Avakaron ⇒ [Complete] The Brazen and Buff

[Boga Negura]

40th of Winter, 320 AC

What a crazy past couple of days.

From listening to speeches, becoming a key member of a brand new organization, to attending a birthday celebration and language classes, to discussing one's dark passengers that burden one's perspective. There's been so much to think about but so little time for Bo to digest it. He tried to think on all that's happened to him so suddenly, but one late night is not adequate enough time to think through events such as these. And that is evident in the bruises that heal on his head and hands and the scabs that are just beginning to crack and peel on his knuckles.

So instead of shoving it aside for longer, postponing the inevitable, Bo decides to take the next day or two off to calm his mind. Today to relax and release his tension and tomorrow to think. A day to unscramble his confused, excited, and angry thoughts. He's sure that will help him in the long run, especially now that he doesn't need to worry about money quite as much as he had before.

Boga's jaw clicks as it expands into a gapping yawn that goes beyond his normal range of motion. He shakes his head as a conclusion, blinking at the beach with a morning smile that only exists when one's mind is still hazy from a peaceful, quiet morning. Although it's not quite morning anymore, it still feels as such to Bo who had spent several hours by himself on the shoreline. Right now it's just before noon despite his excessive yawns, and he waits for his friend Currituck to arrive. They did plan to spend some time together to exercise today, though based on the late-night of the party just two nights ago and Currituck having only returned from voyage just before that, Boga would understand if Currituck decided to ultimately skip the event. Bo is going to do some exercise with or without him, but he is going to be honest, it would nice to have someone with him for once.

Don't get him wrong, Boga likes his solitude sometimes. He's not really a people person in more ways than one, so he usually doesn't mind or even enjoys working by himself. But with his chaotic head recently it has been a drag trying to distract himself from his thoughts. Having someone else around would definitely make things easier so he can ease his mind better. Currituck does seem to fit the bill for that. He's confident in himself, he's free-spirited, and he has a sense of humour, all things that cure a head of doubt.

So he does hope Currituck will show. He'll wait about another hour before getting started. He's rather enjoying himself sitting here for the time being anyway. That is if he could stop yawning.

Boga's mouth opens wide again, this time not bothering to cover it up with his hands which he is currently using to support himself as he leans backward on the sand.

[Currituck Itavi]

Listen! Is that a dying whale I hear?
It's squeaking at me, loud and clear!
On the wind!
Past the stars!
In your ear!


Actually, it's just Currituck, singing a sea shanty~ He matches his pace down the beach to the rhythm, singing gently from his diaphragm -- something he learned how to do towards the beginning of his last voyage -- adding in some happy claps to the beat occasionally.

He stops walking when a large figure enters his vision. The flutters of trepidation from his past rise to his heart, but Currituck ignores them, reaching into the SPECIAL compartment in his backpack solely for storing his glasses and donning his pair of eyeball-helpers. ... It IS Boga! Currituck's mouth escapes him, forming a huge grin of friendship, and he breaks into a sort of a happy dance, singing:

"It's Boga! It's Boga! It's Boga~ Boga~ Boga!"

He hops from foot to foot at each mention of his friend's name. He's Boga! He's Boga! He's Boga~ Boga~ Boga! And onward Currituck goes, at a faster pace, nearly a jog, to meet his friend for their little activity. A mischievous thought comes to mind -- he could try to sneak up on Boga! But Currituck shoots it down -- that's cruel; he doesn't want to scare his friend.

"Ahooooy Boga~!" he'd call out, waving, as he would get nearer to his seated friend. He was bubbly and energetic as ever, but he was still Currituckered out from the party, and a little bit still from what all he'd been through over the past week.

[Boga Negura]

It's been extremely cold the past few days, given the light dusting of snow that fell yesterday morning, but the sun has managed to melt most of it away, shining down on his skin and making the weather at least tolerable for Boga. He hates the cold, which makes his choice of housing even more strange than it already is. But even if the sun hadn't decided to bless his morning with warm droplets of sunbeams, he would have been okay anyway because working out warms him up regardless. Another small detail to add to the list of reasons why Boga likes workouts.

He's about to get started when he yawns one more time. Like, seriously, he can't stop yawning, what is up with him today? He also hears his name called from a now very familiar voice. Turning his head in the middle of his stretched out breath, Boga looks to confirm that his good and short friend Currituck has arrived. He raises one hand as a wave, putting his weight on the other since he couldn't verbally respond in that exact moment. His lungs are a little preoccupied with, you know, breathing excessively to let him to speak. But as soon as his mouth is able to close enough for his lips to form some movement, he says through his yawn, "Currituck~" Stupid yawns. He needs to wake up more apparently. His yawn dissipates and he forms a grin," I thought you may not show up. You doing alright? Not too tired?"

[Currituck Itavi]

"I'd never just skip out on ya~ I'm fine!" Currituck puts his hands on his hips and dons a brave smile, because he can't tell if Boga's referring to the party or his trip with that question. "A lil' bit tired, but not t' worry! I c'n still lift--" He flexes his biceps -- they, like all his muscles, were a little bigger than they were prior to this last week-long voyage. The small gain in mass had little bearing on his body weight, of course. Currituck redirects the focus of the conversation from his welfare onto Boga's: "What about you? You doin' okay?" He kneels down beside Boga and listens intently with the friendship-smile on his face.

Currituck has been very curious of what sorts of things Boga had in mind for their little outing today. Would he be working alongside Boga on the docks, or would they just be lifting heavy things? Either way, Currituck was game. And he'd also been thinking about how he could help Boga with his self-confidence. He really wanted to see his friend believe in himself and succeed -- put some wind in those sails! Flex that confidence muscle! And, uh, other metaphors.

He'd also been wondering about the spring fundraiser. He remembered that Eskk said that Boga's duties in his organization related to facing the public may make him feel uncomfortable, which tied in with how Currituck wanted to help Boga today. Currituck knows from experience that one's confidence or lack thereof goes a long way towards how one is viewed by others; a captain can inspire or dishearten in how they conduct themself around their crew alone, which is why Currituck strives to embody confidence in his demeanor and body language, even when he's feeling nervous, and this effect has been proven with Boga himself.

[Boga Negura]

The fact that Currituck admits to being somewhat drowsy makes Boga feel better about his own sluggishness. While not literally slower than he normally is, Bo definitely feels as if he's moving slower, as if he's living in a world made of thick honey. It's not a tiredness he really likes. Muscle fatigue— that's tiredness he can tolerate, but not this mental slowness he's got going on right now. "Good, good. I know the past few days have been busy for you. I wouldn't want to intrude on any much-needed rest you may have planned." Boga hasn't ever been out on the open sea, but he's heard enough about life on a boat to know that it's not exactly easy living. And to top it off with a big party? That's a lot of stuff. Boga's not sure if he would have been up for the take if he were in Currituck's shoes. Most of his sapped energy is mental, so he can work through it. He's done it before.

"Yeah, I'm doing alright." He nods, his eyes looking away from Currituck who kneels beside him and out onto the shoreline. "I'll be better once I can stop thinking and just get to work," he chuckles. No more thinking today. Just play. "It's too cold to just be sitting here anyway." The line prompts movement from the giant and Boga throws his arms in front of him, using the momentum to pull himself off his giss and stand up. He's quick to wipe as much sand off his pants as possible though. He actually hates the sand. It's harsh and it doesn't feel good sticking and rubbing on his skin. It's like nails on a chalkboard but for his sense of touch. Though it's not like he can avoid it, living on a boat that's docked directly on the beach. So he tolerates it. For now.

"All that snow yesterday making everything too cold," he laughs as if he were teasing Currituck himself. Despite being about to work out, Boga is wearing his jacket and full-length pants. His hair which is normally fully pulled back in braids or tails, leaving nothing loose is somewhat free in an attempt for his locks to try and hold in some of his body warmth. The very sides are pinned down from two sets of french braids that keep the straggly strands from getting in his face, but once these braided strands fall too far from his head, they form two basic, three-stranded braids that mix in with the rest of his hair. The hair from the top and back of his head is completely free-flowing, grazing his mid-back. This is where most of his "insulation" is coming from. Or at least that's what he hopes it's doing, anyway.

Boga pulls his shoulders and arms back behind him with a satisfied groan. "You about ready? How often do you work out?" He wants to gauge how much he has to show Currituck and what types of exercises he should teach him to help him improve at his level. "Looks like you managed to find some time on the boat at least. You look like you gained a bit since carrying that crate after Eskk's sermon."

[Currituck Itavi]

Currituck had only just squatted down when Boga stood up, prompting him to stand back up too. He flops over onto his left thigh and uses his left hand to push himself up off the ground -- then he dusts the sand off his hand and pantsleg. It was pretty cold. Currituck was wearing his brown wool jacket that morning. "Yeah, I'm ready. I don't really work out when I'm not working," unless you count extracurricular activities at the Swords and Sandals, "aside from joggin' n' runnin' from place t' place." Maybe he should take up exercises beyond hip thrusts at the brothel. Hmm, decisions... Currituck closes his eyes and puffs out his chest with a proud smile when Boga takes note of his gains. "Haha yeah, I been workin' hard~" Thoughts of the taskmaster behind that hard work are behind his hidden, averted eyes; behind his look of pride.

"So what're we gonna do first? D'ya just lift rocks, or...?" He picks up a rock that fits in his small hand and looks at it.

[Boga Negura]

"Good for you. I hate running." Boga laughs, his warm breath pluming in the air in front of him like his energy starting to plume inside him. "But I know you sailors do a lot of climbing and rowings on those ships of yours so I shouldn't be surprised. That's work enough as it is. I wouldn't need to exercise either if I just did your job every day." Labouring is intensive work, but it's not around the clock. Sailors, on the other hand, are always on the move it seems with no rest or pause. Boga already knows that he wouldn't fare well in such conditions, given his lack of stamina.

Boga rubs his hands together to warm them and feel the way his callouses glide across one another, while Currituck snatches a stone off the ground. The idea of lifting such small stones makes him laugh," No, I don't use stones. Those wouldn't really help any anyway unless you were to juggle them or something. There's a boulder over by the lighthouse just down there I try to flip sometimes but I usually use just anything that has some weight to it, like water jugs or buoys, if I need to use equipment at all. Most of what I do is more using my body weight or just doing things to keep me moving." As he says this he starts bouncing on the balls of his feet, doing small hops from side to side. He can't really afford any fancy weights or gadgets to help him, he just has himself and his environment. He's got to work with what he's got.

"But we have to warm up first, I'll grab something for you to use if you want after. I don't want you to hurt yourself." Or himself either. He definitely doesn't want to pull anything either. Boga's bounces turn into small jumps from side to side for about three or four hops before he kicks his feet back like he's jogging in place. "Warm-ups tell your body to get ready to move, you know? Gets blood flowing and loosens everything so you're less likely to tear a muscle or strain yourself." He begins another yawn, covering his mouth. "Wakes you up more too, apparently," his laughing commences.

Boga shakes his arms and hands out as he continues to hop and jog in place, though his hands definitely are overachieving in this category. He's not going to lie to himself, his warm-ups give him an excuse to stim with his hands— move them and shake them or do whatever he wants with them without being judged as harshly, so he never skimps out on his warm-ups. Sometimes most of his routine is just warm-up if he's really feeling like simply moving. He enjoys it, it's relaxing yet energizing at the same time, and he doesn't have to do any counting in his head or think about anything he doesn't want to. He can just... regulate himself, parse out the stimulus he's experiencing one at a time. Do whatever he wants or needs to do to figure it out.

Like how cold he is right now. It is very cold, he does not like it. So what does he do? Rub his hands. Rub them all over, almost like washing his hands. Jumping and jogging in place while rubbing his hands. Maybe breathing on them to warm them up too, that's a good idea. He cups his hands and blows warm air onto them, folding his palms together to hold it all in. Mmmmmm, yes, wonderful.

[Currituck Itavi]

"Yeah, it's rough on ya, but y' get used to it," he says, putting his forearms behind his head and stretching out his lats and triceps. Tercer, that feels good.

...BOULDERS?!?!? BUOYS?!?!??!? Currituck's jaw drops at the mere mention. TERCER, this guy is strong! He did carry a shark, after all, but Boga's strength never ceases to amaze Currituck. He watches Boga start doing what he interprets to be a happy dance. Oh, warming up? Oh, so that's what that dance is for. So you can warm up for a workout by dancing. Cool! Currituck sticks to his stretches. "Yeah, I learned REAL quick t' stretch m'self out b'fore work, them sails'll chak you UP!" Raising the sails was indeed one of the harder sailing tasks on the body, but the amount of people involved and the singing made it easier. Currituck can't imagine raising a whole-giss sail by himself. He could try to, though. Hush, you ambitious fool.

The short sailor reaches his hands hiiiiigh up towards the sky to stretch out his back, coming up to surpass Boga's height minus the horns with the added arm length. Then he bends dooooown to touch his toes, endeavoring to keep his legs as straight as possible, to stretch out his legs and giss. Stretching makes his body feel really good. Currituck stands back up, threads his fingers together behind his back, and PUSHES down, sticking his chest out in the process. YEEEOOOW, that feels good to the backs of his shoulders! But not so good to his wounds from the lash. He watches Boga as he observes the happy feelings in his muscles and unhappy feelings in his skin. Boga looks like he's happy and having a good time, and that makes Currituck feel happy. Hmm, but does Currituck want to feel happy? ... Yes, he does. But he wants that happiness to come from inside, rather than from an external source. So he focuses on the feelings of happiness that are coming from making his body feel good; this pleasant, quiet happiness that caresses his mind like a gentle, warm ocean current. He closes his eyes with a content smile and sigh. The fact that he's controlling his emotions attempts to add pride and more happiness into the mix, but Currituck lets the feelings drift on by. Like seagulls in the breeze. He just wants to experience this emotional doldrum at present. He makes a mental note to himself to keep his emotions in this calm state throughout him and Boga's workout session despite how much he loves his friend. He was down for physical exhaustion, but not emotional.

[Boga Negura]

Boga nods silently when Currituck responds, attempting to show he acknowledges his reply with a flash of a smile. He's not sure if what Currituck said calls for a response in any way so he lets it go, focusing on the task at hand. He stops hopping in place and shakes out his legs one at a time, allowing his hands to fall at his sides and pat his hips.

Moving, moving, got to move on to the next part. Boga's routine is always the same. There's not very much that he can control about himself or his lifestyle, but his workouts and warm-ups are always done in the same order. He may extend how long he does one task, or shorten it, but he always does each piece and he does it in the same order each time. That's something he refuses to change. This is his routine, this is something he chooses to do, and it's his that he can control. He doesn't have to worry about anything changing in it. It's consistent and steadfast, just how he likes it.

Boga's bouncing and shaking out his limbs is step one, just so he can get used to more active movements than whatever he may have been doing earlier in that day. The next step is neck rolls. He loves the neck rolls. He lowers his chin to his chest, gently letting it loll around as he swivels his neck in a slow circle over his shoulders, across his back, and then back at the centre of his chest. His neck and mid-back sigh at him with relief as the sides of his fists hit and bounce off his stomach in idle motions. He does this give or take 10-15 times in one direction, then makes sure to do it for about the same time rotating in the other direction.

He smiles to himself, forcing a small amount of air through his vocal cords in a shallow grunt. The next step was the shoulder rolls. He loves the shoulder rolls. In an exaggerated fashion, Boga lifts his shoulders way up high to his ears then pulls then back and down, reversing the motion in front of himself to form complete, wide circles in both rotational directions. His back and shoulders love these because they are always so taut and tense. He nearly hums his satisfaction about it too, but years of verbal reprimands for his vocal stims has trained him to cut it short, turning it into a sentence in order to get the same feeling inside his throat, "One time Deego slapped my shoulder for fun and hurt his hand. He said it was like slapping a rock." Boga chuckles," My shoulders are always really tense and stiff. That's why I like doing this."

Bo stops rolling his shoulders and stretches his arms as far outward as his wingspan can allow him, then pulls them back behind him. Like a slingshot releasing the tension, his arms fling forward and wrap around himself, slapping his shoulders with the opposite hands as them. They swing back and forth like this, repeatedly bringing them back and swinging them forward and across himself. "It really helps meee~" Boga crosses his arms one more time and presses his fingers into his shoulder blades, squeezing himself as hard as he can, twisting his torso back and forth. He stops, letting go and his arms fall down with a heavy sigh, "to feel better." He finishes the sentence he began before he interrupted himself with the bear hug.

[Currituck Itavi]

Still drifting along the gentle waves of internal happiness, Currituck grabs his right ankle and pulls it behind his giss, leaning to his right a little to account for the change in his center of gravity. He wobbles to and fro and shifts his left foot around and holds his left arm out to stay balanced. It feels so good at the top of his right thigh to do this. He loses his balance at one point and has to regain his footing before resuming the position, and he keeps pulling his leg back in this manner for several seconds more before switching to his left leg, using the same techniques to maintain balance. He's more stable balancing on his right leg than his left, as right is his dominant side, but still wobbly. Nnnngghhh yesssss PULLLL on them muscles...

The shorter man observes his taller friend drum his tummy as he moves his head around like his neck is a stout capstan. He listens to vocalize and watches him shrug his shoulders to and fro. I bet that feels good. Then his friend shares an anecdote and expresses his enjoyment of the exercise, at which point Currituck lets go of his leg and says, "Haha yeah, your shoulders sure look th' part!" Currituck blushes at what he just said. Boga's shoulders are so broad and nice-looking... Currituck's mouth was too fast for his self-control this time. Avent! Oh well, you said it. Currituck smiles sweetly and sheepishly, redirecting the conversation: "How come your shoulders're always tense, though?" Could it be from the lack of self-confidence he witnessed Boga display back in the temple district when they were talking to Eskk? Anxiety has a way of controlling the body. Currituck remembers how he'd reflexively tense up and make himself smaller around people larger than him before he started training himself to resist the urge to scrunch up and stand up proud and tall instead. Scrunching up makes you feel safer since your tummy's more protected, but it also makes you feel scareder and less confident. Yielding to the imposed will of his bullies by cowering away would have saved him from getting beaten up numerous times (and protected his gut better in the beatings that ensued), but Currituck was in it for the endgame, doing it for himself.

It occurs to Currituck that...maybe Boga has been mistreated...

It is evident that Boga really enjoys working out. He's smiling so pleasantly as he flings his arms around. It really does look like it helps him feel better...

...But how was he feeling beforehand?