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You walk towards the Recreational Facility.
Recreational Facility
As massively scaled as the rest of the complex is, it should come as no
surprise that the recreation hall is also huge. One end is taken up by a
large swimming pool and diving tower. Small cabanas are erected nearby for
ease in changing clothes. Another section of the bright and airy room is
dedicated to various weight machines for use by various races. Some of them
in fact are dizzyingly incomprehensible. Presumably -someone- knows how to
use them. A sloping ramp leads up to a jogging track above the hall. The
track is lined with large open windows that look out onto the atrium and its
gardens. This room is usually occupied at all hours by someone or another
looking for a bit of exercise.
(OOC Note: To set your room doing, try 'I'm blank'.)
Contents:
Corian, standing by the door.
Tara, weight-lifting
Obvious Exits:
Atrium
You walk here from the Central Atrium.
Tara is bench-pressing. She's also fairly stupidly stubborn, as she's not
bothering to use a spotter. She doesn't seem to have any trouble, though,
with the hundred pounds she lifts and lowers steadily, mouthing numbers as
she counts.
Goodness only knows -why- Corian is here. This is a room she almost never
visits, as her figure makes obvious. But, hey, she's here, for whatever
reason. And, because of her inexperience, she doesn't know why it's stupid
not to use a spotter while bench-pressing. She glances about the relatively
empty room, brows lifting as she spots you. She doesn't say anything, though.
Wouldn't want to interrupt. Instead, she ambles over to watch a few random
folks playing in the firing range. And, hey, that just happens to be near the
weights and such.
Tara is, as has been mentioned, stubborn. That's why she doesn't stop when she
begins to press her limits after a while. The bar is raised and lowered with
ever-slowing strokes... "Oh bother..." Despite her best efforts, on the last
push, she's only able to raise it a few inches off her chest, and then it
starts to sink.
Corian looks over at the rather Poohbear-esque words. "Miss Valentine?" she queries, silvery-blonde brows arching somewhat. "Are you all right?"
Tara doesn't answre for a moment, though her eyes flick toward Corian,
recognition flashing therein. Her words are strained through clenched teeth.
"Sure. Nice day... for... suffocation."
Corian glides over to stand next to you. If that was sarcasm, she doesn't seem
to recognize it as such. She only says, expression one of mild concern,
"Might I offer assistance?"
Tara dips her chin in a nod, sweat breaking out on her forehead. "If ya...
can't lift it... help push it side... sideways?"
Corian inclines her head in a brief nod. She moves to stand behind your head,
and lifts the weights--albeit with obvious effort--to rest in the
stand-thingy that she assumes is there. Her player doesn't know much about
bench-pressing, but she -thinks- that's what that is. "Are you well?" she
queries, sounding concerned. And never mind that it's her kid brother who
should be pulling the knight act.
It is. :) Tara lets out a sigh of relief, sitting up to twist around with a
smile. "Yeah," she pants for breath. "I am now. I'm in your debt, Miss
Treston."
Corian's smile is just a bit amused. "Debt is not necessary," she replies. "I
would settle for having you call me Corian--or Mrs. Czolgosz, if you feel the
need for formality." And never mind that she was formal, herself. She does
that.
Tara's eyebrows rise before she leans over to snag a towel from the gym bag beneath the bench. "Mrs. Czolgosz..." She blinks. "You married the guy at the ball? The one with whom I was engaging in friendly debate that night? Tarrant, I think, was his name?" She flips the towel in a wryly dismissive gesture. "Formality never hurts, but I'll call you Corian, gladly."
"I married the guy at the ball," Corian replies, with a pleased little smile.
"Tarrant, yes. We are a few months shy of our first anniversary." And, gee,
doesn't that just tickle her. Yep, she's happy.
Tara shakes her head with a chuckle, patting dry her neck and forehead. "Stuff's changed. Well, you- both of you- have my heartfelt congratulations. So does that mean you're settling down here at the Complex?"
Corian inclines her head at the mention of change. "Stuff always changes," she
replies equably. "And thank you for the compliments." That last question
draws a pause. "Mm. Perhaps. For now we are, yes. Much depends on where the
jobs take us." After another pause, she inquires, "Are you going to be
staying here as well?"
"Yeah, I think so." Tara glances around contemplatively. "I like Linnae. Danged
if I know why too. 'Sides, I've got some debts to pay off I can't do
elsewhere."
Corian smiles at the mention of liking Linnae. "It is a pleasant place, yes, for all that chaos seems to happen more here than anywhere else. But there will surely be those who will be glad to hear that you will be staying."
Tara looks just a bit startled at that statement, and tips her head thoughtfully to consider it. "Well, I can think of one, maybe one and a half," she smiles wryly. "But with a bit of luck, that number will grow."
Corian nods equably to that, not commenting on the actual number, but only
saying, "It generally does, with more time spent in a place. Or, at least,
that is what I have found."
Tara chuckles, exchanging the towel for a water bottle in her bag. "I suspected
as much. Nice to have it confirmed though."
Corian inclines her head. She helped. She's happy. And, in fact, she says, "I
am glad to assist. Is there anything else that I may do for you, since I am
here?"
Tara ponders that for a moment. "Catch me up over dinner on all the fun I've
missed while I was gone?"
Corian glances at her chrono for a moment. "You have not eaten?" she queries.
"I am a person of habit, I am afraid, and have dined at my regular time, some
hours past. I would be glad to accompany you, though, if you wish. I do not
know how much of the 'fun' I will be able to share, though. Much of my time
on-planet was spent working, or with Tarrant."
Tara chuckles softly, snagging her bag as she rises. "Sounds good to me. I'll
buy ya a cup of coffee or whatever. So how is he doing these days?" she
inquires as she heads for the door.
"Tarrant?" Corian inquires, as she follows, graceful as ever. "Oh, he's quite well. Busy as ever, of course, but quite well." She doesn't say anything about coffee-buying, but is not, it may be noted, likely to allow that.
"Of course!" Tara grins over her shoulder. "Did he even get any time off after
y'all were married?"
[Spam to the dining facility deleted.]
Corian replies, with a rueful little chuckle, "A few days off, yes. And it was
wonderful. But we did take off quite a bit of time to get off-planet, and
-that- was particularly wonderful."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Tara nods agreeably, heading toward the grill. "I'll just bet it was- getting away, just the two of ya. If y'all ever feel a need to repeat it, let me know. I'd be happy to give y'all a ride to wherever."
Corian pauses a moment at that, though she does, of course, follow. "I was
unaware that you were a pilot," she says, with a smile. "I will certainly
remember that offer. Many thanks." And she'll discuss it with Kathlyn before
the trip, and watch the sparks fly?
Tara pauses to order up some fried chicken and fries before turning to Cori
with a grin and faint surprise. "You didn't know that? Got my own ship for
that matter. <i>Pyrite Phoenix</i>." Another pause as the food is delivered,
and she meanders toward the beverage section. "Hey, whatever I can do to
assist a burgeoning romance, natch."
Corian follows. She's good at following. "There is much that I do not know,"
she replies serenely. "Which is why I ask questions, when I may." That last,
though, brings a small laugh. "Burgeoning, is it? Though we've been married
for near a year?"
Tara shrugs cheerfully enough, acquiring cola from a dispenser. No ice. "When
you probably expect it to last fifty years or more? Yep, y'all are in just
baby steps yet."
Corian's brows lift somewhat at the time mentioned, and her lips quirk, but she doesn't comment. "I suppose that is a good point, considering the potential duration of our time together." With a fluid gesture about the room, she queries, "Is there a particular place where you would prefer to sit?"
Tara shakes her head a little, eyes sweeping the room. "No place in particular.
You? Oh, did you want something to drink?"
Corian gestures once more, this time to the back of the room. "I generally sit
there, when I am here. And I am not thirsty, but thank you for the
suggestion."
Tara heads toward the back then. "Alrighty. Story-telling dries ya up though,"
she teases. "Offer stands."
"And I will remember that," Corian replies, as she, yes, follows. "There really
is not much to tell, though, I am afraid--or, rather, there probably is, but
I am likely ignorant of much of it."
Tara settles down at a table for four, more or less away from the crowd, and falls to eating. "Ah, I'm hungry for every little bit. How's Handsome doing?"
Corian's silvery-blonde brows lift as she, too, takes a seat. "Handsome?" she queries. "I do not believe I know anyone by that name, I am afraid."
Tara chuckles, reaching for her soda. "Lieutenant Commander Casymed, sorry."
"Ah," Corian replies, with a smile. "I suppose, if you refer to him as such,
that I should perhaps mention that I am not the only one who is nearing an
anniversary?"
Tara grimaces slightly, pausing in her eating long enough to summon up a smile.
"I guess I owe him congratulations too. He married that fluffhead he was
seeing?"
Corian's brows incline very slowly. "Do you mean Elasia?" she inquires. She
still seems pleasant enough, but, hey, looks can be deceiving. "She is a
diplomat, yes, and she is now my brother's wife."
Tara nods, not at all perturbed. "That's the name. Couldn't remember. Ah, I'm sure women everywhere mourned the day he got married."
Corian shakes her head, the barest hint of amusement in her gray eyes.
"Perhaps. I cannot really speak for any but myself, and I was glad for him.
Though I was already married by then, and he would have been out of reach
even had I not been."
Tara laughs, wrinkling her nose. "Eeewww. Now there's an odd mental image.
Incest is /not/ best, just in my humble opinion."
Corian inclines her head. "And that is an opinion that I happen to share with you, yes. I care very much for my family, but not quite in that manner."
Tara chuckles, tearing into a drumstick. "So everybody's either gotten married
or shacked up together, it seems. You, Casymed, the Admiral and Doctor
Aleron... Before ya know it there won't be a single single person left in the
Complex."
So are you single, or are you -single- single? Do you like him, or do you -like him- like him? Corian doesn't seem to think those thoughts, though, despite the fact that her player does. "Well, the Complex population is somewhat fluid," she offers, with a smile. "Generally people coming and going."
Tara grins. "Does that increase the odds, you suppose, of folks here finding
that special person?"
Corian tips a hand back and forth. "Perhaps," she replies. "I suppose it
depends on whether or not you encounter that special person while he or she
is here, or whether you recognize the person."
Tara's eyebrows rise. "Recognize 'em? As in, you knew 'em before? Or simply
recognizing a kindred soul?"
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Corian smiles at that. "The latter. Finding the love of your life is one thing.
Recognizing the person as such is quite another, especially if one is not
looking."
Tara chuckles quietly. "You got that right. So how'd you recognize him?"
Corian smiles at that. "Well," she replies. "For the longest time, I did
not--several years, in fact. Much of it was my great-grandmother's teasing
that got me to thinking."
Tara grins. "The same grandmother that gave you that gorgeous outfit for the
ball? Smart lady."
Oh, dear. When one is as fair-skinned as Corian, a blush really does show up well. "Honalee, yes. And she's a horrible, evil, wicked lady, and I love her dearly, even if embarrassing me does seem to be one of her favorite pastimes."
Tara snickers, pausing for a sip of cola. "Elders' privilege, is teasing. What I'd give for a relative like that. And speaking of relatives, how's the Admiral? He looked kinda... rundown, when I saw him the other night."
"To the best of my knowledge, he is just fine," Corian replies amiably. "My brother works too hard, but that is hardly an unknown fact."
Tara bites her lower lip, glancing upward briefly before shaking her head slightly. "Well, that's true. Probably just the same old stuff. So... are there going to be little Czolgosz-ites running around soon?"
Corian's eyebrows incline very slowly. "That," she says slowly, "Is quite
unlikely. After all, jobs keep Tarrant and I busy. That would hardly be fair
to a child."
Tara nods amiably, unruffled. "That's too bad, in a way. I seem to remember
seeing you with a whole flock of kiddos."
Corian smiles rather wistfully. ""A flock of kiddos, yes--the children of one of the Sectassian delegates. Or, rather, one of the children of the delegate."
Tara nods, suppressing a shudder. "Heavens preserve me. See, you got the
patience for something like that. Nice strong supportive family looking out
for ya. You'd be a great mother."
Corian smiles rather warmly at that last statement. "Thank you, Tara. I'm glad
you think so. And perhaps, someday, I will be able to find out--but not,
likely, for quite some time." Hundred years, maybe? That qualifies as 'quite
some time.'
Tara mhmms around a mouthful of chicken. Swallowing, she remarks, "The right
time comes along for just about everything. I take it you'd /like/ to have
kids if the circumstances were right?"
Corian inclines her head. "If the circumstances were right... yes. Yes, I would. But that will likely be some time in the future."
Tara nods once, firmly. "Then it'll happen. Same goes for the others, too,
hopefully."
Corian inquires curiously, "The others? And I think it will happen for Tarrant
and me, yes--eventually."
Tara nods an affirmative, finishing off her meal, and she leans back with a
contented sigh. "Casymed and Elasia, the Admiral and Doctor Aleron. Them
others."
Corian inquires, with an amused little smile, "Planning on seeing the entire Complex overrun with small children?" No, wait, that's a different plot.
Tara chuckles. "Why not? The more the merrier, neh? Nah, it's just my considered opinion that nobody can truly live a full life without at least one kiddo they can call their own, even if they never realized it."
Corian chuckles very quietly at that, with a brief shake of her head. "Well, as
many of the young Sectassians as I share, I think I have enough parts to make
up at least one child."
Tara snickers, darn near choking on her soda. "That'd be one odd-looking kid!"
"Actually," Corian deadpans, "Saaranus has many children. It would probably be
at least two odd-looking kids."
Tara laughs! "Sure, go for twins! Heck, as much as Tarrant and his treehouse...
well, he and kids seem to go together."
You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.
Corian does not comment on Tarrant being ten, though she's tempted. "He would be good with children, I think," she says. But then she glances to her chrono, and winces slightly. "Oh, goodness, I have lost track of time. I really should get upstairs. There is an early morning tomorrow, after all."
Tara glances toward her wrist and yipes softly. "Dang, it /is/ late. Well, it
was certainly nice seeing you again, Corian."
Corian gets lightly to her feet, with a warm smile. "And it was nice to see you
again as well, Tara. Welcome home." With that, she turns, and starts for the
exit.
Tara waves after her. "Next time," she calls with a grin, "I will buy ya that
drink."
Corian chuckles very quietly, calling over her shoulder, "Quite unnecessary, but thank you. The pleasant company is more than enough."
You head towards the Central Atrium.