Private Moving forward

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Work out
Tag: Ara Sheridan

Automatic lights switched in the quiet gym room as a lonely figure walked in. A time like this wasn't unusual for the padawan, since joining the Jedi he had always come to train at early times like this. Most times he'd see others in here doing the same, but today he was alone to do what he wanted. Taking a quick sip from his bottle, he walked over to one of the treadmills and began to pick up the pace from a steady walk to a full on pelt. Cardio was always the starter, then a session of weights was in order.

Before he began his training under Valery, Silas was already physically fit for his age. Although, when his master introduced a very strict diet and exercise plan it only took him to the next level. To say the least, he was in the prime of his life and that was thanks to his master and the professional ethic he always had about him.

After an hour of running at full speed, he finally hit the treadmill's button to bring it to a halt. He took calm and steady breaths, taking another sip of the cold water that he had brought with him. Silas had come far from when he was just a mere initiate, slowly but surely he was becoming the person he wanted to be. However, even he knew there was still a long way to go to fulfill what he promised his parents.

With those thoughts in mind, he walked over to a workout bench and picked out a heavy dumbell. Sometimes he wished there were easier ways to get fitter. But without hard work and the drive to go further, it would only make him lazy.

Silas was far from that...​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Hearing that her physical exercise wasn't up to scratch was something that pushed Ara's temper to the red line. Despite working all day in the hangar and spending all night with meditative exercise and training, her physical condition was somehow still not up to scratch in the eyes of her trainer. She had a suspicion that he simply wanted to make her life even more of a living hell than it already was.

But like a good little Padawan, she kept her mouth shut and did as she was told. The sun wasn't even out yet when she wandered into the temple's gym... or whatever the fancy name for it was. Dressed in a simple tank top and shorts, Ara had no desire to dress up or act friendly with the situation she was shoved into. She wanted to complain to someone, but who? Master Valery Noble would likely not be able to do anything and nobody else really worried all that much about her. Master Zhea was also not in a high enough position to do something about it.

At least exercise allowed her to vent a little, even if she was two seconds away from falling asleep on the machinery.

Chugging a mug of caf, Ara entered the area and looked around for a moment as she massaged her eyes. She didn't even pay attention to the other padawan in the chamber as she set her mug aside and made for one of the cardio machines. After a few minutes of warming up, it was off to the weights. She didn't have a clue about exercise like this or even what to do. Standing in front of the rack of weights, she fiddled around until she found a pair that felt decently heavy. One glance at the other figure had her thinking that either she was pretty strong or he was pretty weak. He certainly didn't look weak. Was she simply stronger than some of the other girls in the temple?

Admitting that she didn't know anything about what she was doing, the zombified Zabrak wandered over to the other figure. "Hey, uh... I need-" She was interrupted by a long yawn before wiping at her eyes again. "I need help, I don't got a karkin' clue what I'm doing here. Could you... maybe..." She finally looked up at the guy, only to realize with wide eyes who it was.

"Oh... uh... hey." A tired, nervous smile formed as she looked at none other than the guy she beat up like a street fighter.

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Work out
Tag: Ara Sheridan

Silas gritted his teeth slightly as he began to lift up the weight in his right hand, slowly bringing it up and down in a set of ten. His goal was to keep his body lean and athletic, not big enough to the point of turning into a figure like Caltin Vanagor who could pretty much destroy anyone in the gym. All he needed was the right amount of muscle, having no muscle at all would not be beneficial at all.

Behind him, he heard someone coming up from behind. A voice soon followed, and it sounded more than familiar. Silas raised a brow and lowered his dumbell, turning to look at the woman who once taught him a thing or two in street fighting "Oh... long time no see" he said with a shy smile, unsure of what to say to a person who intentionally tried to hurt him during training. A lot of time had passed since that time, and with that things change.

"I heard what happened, I see you're finally out safe and sound now," the teen said, looking her up and down curiously "I'm sure you learned a thing or two while you were in there, correct?" he said sternly yet unjudging of what happened. Silas himself had a feeling a trip there would have changed her for the better. ​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

At first Ara was surprised that he didn't immediately start with a snarky remark and a condescending attitude, though it quickly followed suit as he continued to speak. "I didn't get to the prison." Ara bluntly answered as she looked up at him.

"Shuttle got shot down over Panatha, ran into some crazy Sith there." She admitted as she glanced off with a frown. "Almost died there, but hey... seems the Council thinks that was enough. Though the community service ain't exactly a walk in the park." She held up her calloused, stained hands to show the fruits of her labour to the padawan as a smirk took hold. "Apparently pulling engines and reactors out all day ain't enough of a workout so here I am." She shrugged and looked around for a moment.

"Aight, well... I'll be on the machines. See you around." She spoke dryly as she walked past him towards one of the cable machines. She didn't expect to see him already. Getting herself to apologize was harder than she expected. It was supposed to get easier after doing it so many times already... and yet that face and look had her second-guessing her options.

Didn't seem like he wanted to help her anyway...

Upon reaching the cable machine, Ara's inexperience immediately shone through. She spent a good few moments reading the simplified instructions on the machine itself then went on to fiddle with the weight. It didn't help that she felt his eyes on her throughout the process.

Luckily her annoyance did wonders to not only wake her up, but also give her the energy to follow the instructions... somewhat.

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Work out
Tag: Ara Sheridan

​

"Shuttle got shot down over Panatha, ran into some crazy Sith there."

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that" he said to her with surprise as he listened some more. From the sound of things Ara seemed to have gone through oblivion and back. Even after all that, the council still put her to work with community service. He glared at the stained hand and gave her a brief smile back "At least it will get you fit" he said with a slight chuckle, frowning slightly when she decided to announce her leave "Yea, see you around" Silas gave her a bow and turned back to do some more curls, although Ara had given him too much to think about.

Slowly, Silas puts down his dumbells and looked over to a struggling Ara. She looked pretty new to all this gym stuff, the least he could do was help her out a bit considering all that happened. Getting up, he walked up behind Ara "You've never done this before have you?" he asked, standing close beside her now "Why don't you put it on lower weights and get used to the machine and technique first? That's how I got a grasp of the machines in here"

Silas remembered their last meeting well, but he was willing to cast that aside and make amends with the moody Jedi "Soon enough you'll get as good as me and get those gains" the teen said jokingly, choosing to stretch off and loosen his arms in the meantime.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Feeling him approach, Ara turned to look at him with a threatening glare. She was expecting him to tease her or humiliate her, and his initial words seemed to confirm that. "Nah, I just asked for help 'cause I got nothing better to do." She answered his question with a blank stare.

However, as he continued, Ara slowly relaxed a bit and let her defenses down. "Technique is all well and good, I don't got a clue how any of this works. I lift engines and reactors all day, not gym equipment." She explained as she gave the machine a tap. She truly didn't know what she was doing.

At his light joke, a shadow of a smile formed along Ara's features as she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh please, with how you punch, I think you should come work in the hangars. Way better exercise than this." She teased right back as her smile steadily grew. Returning her attention to the machine, she followed his advice and lowered the weight before trying out the exercise. She occasionally glanced over to him to make sure she was doing it right before bumping up the weight and moving onto the next machine.

One after the other, Ara looked to Silas for help before adding extra weight. From the look of things, she had a surprising amount of power despite her build, but she had no real reference to compare to that she could understand. So she simply stacked the weights until she felt like she was getting a satisfactory amount of resistance with each exercise.

But as the minutes ticked by and approached an hour, the Zabrak was sweating up a storm and breathing heavily. "Why the kriff... would anyone do this? Sparring and hangar work... is so much karkin' better..." She slurred as she sat back on the leg press, her body practically vibrating from the strain.

"You know what time it is, by the way?" She asked as she glanced over to him. "I gotta clock in at the hangar. Otherwise they'll complain at the Masters or something..." She groaned as she got off the machine, nearly toppling over as her legs turned to jelly.

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Work out
Tag: Ara Sheridan

​

"Technique is all well and good, I don't got a clue how any of this works. I lift engines and reactors all day, not gym equipment."

That's probably why you're not so used to these things then" he said down to her, his eyes wondering down to her hands "You're way is quite unconventional, but it still helps to build up some good muscle" he said with a scratch of his head. It probably wouldn't hurt to do some heavy lifting like Ara was doing, but at the same time, he needed to be careful about not getting too bulky. His lean and athletic build was perfect for him as a Jedi. He didn't want to end up being bigger than the big guy in the near future.

Folding his arms, he watched closely while Ara got used to the technique of using lower weights. Every few minutes he'd help her change the weights and offer some advice on how to do some things better. Eventually, she got to a heavier weight she seemed comfortable with, something which made Silas give her an impressed nod "You've just proved that it's more hard work than simply picking up and dragging things around most of the day. Nevertheless, you did well in my eyes"

Keeping next to her just in case she had any trouble, he left her alone for a few moments to grab a cold bottle of water from a nearby machine "Get some of this in you" he said, lightly tossing the bottle her way "The time is 3pm, I'd say you've got an hour to kill before they send a search party after you" Silas grinned, walking back over with a sip of his own water.

"How about we have a short break and then do a bit of light sparing using the gloves? it could be a good way to loosen up and bury our differences once and for all"​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara waved off his remark as she sat back on the machine to catch her breath. She felt horrible. The new routine was completely different than she was used to, a different kind of weight and exertion she couldn't see herself getting into anytime soon. Having to do this as an order wasn't going to be fun. She was yanked back to reality when a bottle of water smashed into her and rolled away, earning a piercing glare from the Zabrak as she glanced at Silas. "You could've said something, moon jockey." She grumbled as she lifted herself out of the machine and wobbled over to the bottle.

"The time is 3pm, I'd say you've got an hour to kill before they send a search party after you"

Her heart sank as her eyes widened. "Three?" She repeated. Like a bolt out of a blaster, she scrambled to get all of her things and down the bottle of water before tossing it away. "Nah, not happening! I needed to be at the hangar an hour ago!" She was about to rush off, but carefully turned around to look at him. "I'm off at six, come by my room, we can grab a drink or something!" She called out to him, finally making her way out of the chamber.

The rest of her day wasn't any better. A chewing out at the hangars, fatigue slowing her work down, her broken concentration and annoyance interfering heavily with her practice, and just a bunch of other issues that reared their heads. By the time she got back to her room in the temple, the battered Zabrak slid out of her jumpsuit and crashed into the bed with a heavy grunt... only to realize that she slammed some holes into her mattress and sheets. "Oh for kriff's sake." Her muffled voice grumbled as she laid her face back into the mattress.

She was nearly asleep when she felt Silas approaching. With a groan Ara pulled herself off the bed and yanked on a simple tank top and shorts to at least be somewhat modest. She was by the door just in time to catch him before a buzzer was even necessary. "Please tell me you got cigs on you, I lost mine..." She grumbled as she wiped some sweat and grease off her forehead and cheek.

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Work out
Tag: Ara Sheridan

Silas couldn't help but show a small grin from the bottle hitting Ara, she did somewhat deserve it from what she did to him before even if he didn't mean it "My apologies" he muttered, taking a sip of his own while she wobbled over to hers. She wasn't used to the woes of the gym just yet, but the more she came the more she'd be able to cope and get gains like him. Lifting boxes was decent, but unfortunately, that had its limits.

When he announced the time to Ara, she seemed to be taken back by how much she had left "Well well, you better get moving then" the boy said with a fold of his arms, watching her move quickly to try and get to her shift before she made matters worse "Fine... I'll meet you in your room later" Silas rolled his eyes and nodded to the prospect of grabbing a drink. For now, he was going to refocus on getting those arm curls in.

Later on in the day close to six, he made his way to Ara's room to see if she was still alive from her hard work. Just when he was about to knock, the door swung open to reveal a tired Ara in her tank top "No, if Valery Noble found out I had cigs on me she'd throw me off the highest point in the temple" he said with a raised brow "If you want we can go get some and grab a few drinks at the same time. From the looks of things, you'll need it"​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

At the mention of being thrown off the roof, Ara chuckled as she stepped away from the door. "She ain't that bad, come on! The worst she'll do is just make you sort out the archives... dunno if that's any less lethal, though." She joked, grabbing a jacket and a few other effects on her way out.

"When was the last time you went out, even?" She asked him as they made their way to the temple's lobby. "Or just had something other than vegetable soup..." With a nudge, Ara chuckled away as she put some distance between them, just in case he tried to retaliate.

Eventually a cab picked them up and dropped them off a few blocks away, where a relatively quiet bar's neon sign shone brightly against the evening skies. Ara halted by a row of swoops lined up in front of the building with an amused smirk on her features. "Posers. Got the double intakes but no overflow or nothing. Wanna bet how long it's gonna take for them to try and start trouble?" She flashed a grin at Silas before entering the bar.

"How's training going, by the way? You finally able to survive a punch or two?" She teased as she ordered a beer for the both of them.

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Work out
Tag: Ara Sheridan

"She's my master though Ara, knowing her she'll make me do laps all day if I do anything too bad" Silas stated, clearly not wanting to have any Valery Noble punishments. The last time he had one, she made him do a week's worth of community service to make him think about his fight with Ara. He didn't fancy going through that pain again.

Silas thought for a few moments to think about the last time he did something different "I had a burger after winning a spar against a Mandalorian, had to sacrifice my face to get it though" he chuckled, knowing Valery probably had a feeling what happened. Considering he walked into her training with bruising across his face, it wouldn't surprise him. Although, by the time he had finished explaining himself she was already a distance away "Sod it..." hesitantly, he began to follow her.

Soon enough a cap picked them up around the corner and dropped them off at a quiet bar. It was the first time he had been at a proper bar since the gala, at least he was old enough to get himself a drink now "Thirty minutes at the most, five credits?" he said to her with a small grin on his face, pulling out a chair to sit down and get a drink.

"I was able to survive a punch or two way before I faced you," he said with a roll of his eyes "I was taking punches daily before I joined the order, if that didn't toughen me up I don't know what will," he said as the barman placed two beers in front of them. Grasping the cold brew, he chose to sip on it for now "What happened to you by the way, I've heard some stories here but not the full picture" he said with a shrug "You don't have to tell me, but I'd love to know where you've been"​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara snickered away at his comment as they entered the bar. "Thirty minutes? Aight then, you're on." She quipped as she spared a glance over her shoulder. Their drinks came in short order luckily, though Ara didn't get a chance to take a sip before Silas spoke, asking her a question that made her pause.

A sad smile graced her lips for a moment as she looked at him. "Yeah, people weren't so quick to talk about me surviving." She muttered, finally taking a long sip of beer. "Shuttle that was supposed to take me to prison got shot down over Panatha. Had my ass handed to me by some psycho sith lady. She would've killed me if a Jedi master didn't get in the way. She saved my life." Her smile was gone as she took another sip, an empty gaze looking off into nothing. "When I got back, Master Valery helped me out. My sentence got reduced to community service in the hangar and I can't go too far without permission or supervision from a master. That's why I've been workin' so hard in the hangars. Other paddies didn't exactly make it a warm and fuzzy comeback." A smile finally returned again as she glanced at Silas.

"That's why I got more muscle than you, toothpick." She gave him a nudge as she cackled away. "Stuff's doing good now, though. Training and hangar work's keepin' me busy. I'm workin' through my list of names as well on who to say sorry to. Oh, and Iris bought me a super dope guitar." An act that Ara was still incredibly thankful for. A healthy portion of people in the temple were well acquainted with Ara blasting away on her electrical guitar, particularly during awkward hours for everyone else. Narrowed eyes and a smug look faced Silas as Ara leaned back against the counter. "And you? You clearly learned to lighten up a little. What else have you been up to?" She asked him casually, the glimmer in her eye indicating that she was waiting for ammunition.

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Work out
Tag: Ara Sheridan

"Deal" he laughed back to Ara, who seemed to show a hint of sadness soon after. The reason was because of what happened to her on the way to prison. Her ship was shot down and only to make matters worse a sith gave her a good hiding, thankfully she was able to survive such chaos being put in front of her "It's good that you're too stubborn to die" Silas smiled and took a sip of his drink, savoring the rare taste of alcohol on his lips "You're lucky Master Noble isn't mean either, she could have got you to do worse things than helping out in the hanger"

Taking another gulp he was soon interrupted by the toothpick comment "Damn, I think it's about time you got a pair of glasses" Silas was quite lean, and it was safe to say he was in peak physical condition from the constant training and tough eating restrictions. Nodding slowly, his eyes seemed to light up from the fact Iris got her a guitar "Damn, that was pretty good of her. You'll have to show me one of the days what you can play" he said curiously, knowing that one of his ambitions was to learn an instrument.

"I've done a good few things really. Built up some more strength, took part in more battles... but the best thing I've done so far was meet this girl. She's a bit awkward, but at the same time, she's pretty cool and sweet. Right now we're training together and getting along well, maybe if you ever need any clothing fixed you'll get to meet her"
​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

"You're lucky Master Noble isn't mean either, she could have got you to do worse things than helping out in the hanger"

Ara looked at him with a raised eyebrow, making sure that he got the message really well before she decided to comment on it. "You think I didn't see that? I was accepted back in because of her. I could've ended up on Kessel or some sketchy place like that if people pulled the right strings. I could've been thrown out and left to sit in that prison for real." She stared ahead and took a long sip of her beer. "I could've ran away and stay with my mom. Join the Mandos. Nah... I'm here because I wanted to be... and because of Master Valery." She set her empty bottle aside and ordered another for the two of them.

"I've done a good few things really. Built up some more strength, took part in more battles... but the best thing I've done so far was meet this girl. She's a bit awkward, but at the same time, she's pretty cool and sweet. Right now we're training together and getting along well, maybe if you ever need any clothing fixed you'll get to meet her"

The moment the words left his lips, Ara was staring at him with a particularly smug look for a few long seconds. "Toothpick got himself a squeeze, huh?" She remarked, leaning in closer with unwavering eye contact. "You kiss yet? She knit you a sweater?"

She leaned closer just a little bit more, just for a pinch of extra discomfort for Silas.

"Yeah, you're chasin' that tail hard."

She pulled back with a hefty laugh. "I can't believe it! Look at you! Just don't punch her in the face, that's not cool." She was loving this way too much, the ability to pester Silas like this. She only hoped that word didn't get out about her own "new acquaintance". "But for real, Silas. I'm glad everything's falling into place. For you, Jasper, Iris... the whole gang. Is this what high school feels like? When the whole year class finishes with school and have to go their own ways now?" She spoke with a lot more sincerity at least, taking a sip from her new beer.

Silas Westgard