Biiiiiiiiggggg stretch!

Runt let out a big yawn, having gotten up at the early hours of the morning, currently wide eyed and eager to start the day.

there isn’t much that gets the ensign excited for mornings—but finally having a running buddy was one. He had put a poster or two around the base (old fashioned, a bit of a kick the cats been having lately) to advertise a ‘running club’. One sign up! Runt didn’t recognize the name immediately—finding that a little annoying. Normally he’d have a good outlook on the staff in the area.

Either way, the Caitian waited patiently at the meetup spot, tail happily swaying back and forth as the promise of a run hung in the air.

Ryke hated running. No, hated was too mild a word for it. He loathed running. With the passion of a thousand fiery suns. There were only two things he loathed more than running… running on a treadmill in the gym, and explaining to the medical officer why his cardiovascular conditioning wasn’t in the right place for a man of his age.

So… he’d joined a running club. Or rather, he’d signed up when he’d seen some posters in the corridors advertising it. A fact he was grumbling internally about as he jogged lightly down the corridor to the meetup spot, hoping that his running partner wasn’t much for conversation in the morning.

Unfortunately, morning runs is where Runt flourished in conversation….

”Hello! You’re Lieutenant Ryke, no?” The cat beamed, waving excitedly at the man. “I’m Runt. Or, er—Ensign Runt? It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

….and seemed to really enjoy the company. So much so that he even brought a bottle of charged water, with natural energy in it.

Ryke blinked. Most people who knew him knew he wasn’t particularly talkative in the morning, not when his job involved talking most days. But the ensign seemed so delighted to see him that he couldn’t not talk.

“Lieutenant Ashfield, but yeah, my first name is Ryke,” he said as he reached the caitian. “Pleased to meet you… Runt, did you say your name was?”

Moving to the side of the corridor, he used a hand on the wall to balance as he stood on one leg, lifted the other, and grabbed his ankle to stretch his quads out.

The cat beamed, that somewhat unsettling smile creeping onto his face. “Yep! Runt M’Harak. Or, well..my names Hrelle, but everyone calls me Runt. It’s stuck!”

Runt’s already stretched—very much like a typical house cat would—but does it again, just to not feel out of place or awkward. “It’s great you signed up. When I went to bed last night, there wasn’t anything. It’s a bit hard to make friends here, is all! I’ve been going to counseling a lot. My counselors been saying maybes it’s best to get myself out there, so-“ The cat rambled, before catching himself.

“Er….sorry. I’m just thankful someone showed up, is all.” He cleared his throat, before looking ahead. “So! What’re you thinking? Four laps?”

Ryke smiled, Runt seemed to be a big ball of energy. “No, no, you’re fine. I found it difficult when I first got here as well, it’s a big base. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you in counselling then. I’m on staff there.”

He finished stretching out the other leg. With his jog down here, he felt warmed up enough. “Four laps in this section? What pace do you want to set?” he asked. “Fair warning, I’m not a fast runner.”

“Ah, I like to uh…keep it more quiet. I try to meet with Lieutenant Black more than anyone.” The cat rubbed the back of his neck for a second, before shaking his head away of any negative thoughts.

“Yep! Aha, don’t worry. I can be slow….i really like clawing my way through the lower decks, though. I’ll say that much. It’s kind of like, free-running! Buuuttttt..I can stay at your pace.” The cat playfully winked, now standing kinda next to Ryker. “Ready?”

Ryke chuckled and nodded. Runt’s enthusiasm was, if not infectious, certainly cheering up his morning. “As I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.”

He set off. His pace was faster than a jog but not an all out run. While he didn’t like it, he did know how to run, and several more exercise-inclined friends had told him he was a natural runner. Personally, he thought they were full of it, and had only told him that to trap him into more running.

“Lieutenant Black is a good counsellor,” he commented. “You’re in good hands with her.”

“Thanks!” Runt was a natural runner if there was one. Agile, quick, and even narrowly missing some people: he was a few steps away from being reckless. But, thankfully, was not. “I really enjoy my time with her. She’s helped a lot!”

It was almost comical how quickly Runt would get ahead of Ryker, realize he’s pretty far away, and backtrack. “Y’know, you’re a damn good runner. It’s a sport back on earth, right? Track?” The cat smiled. “Ever since I learned to play basketball, I’ve been pretty hooked with seeing what other sports exist.”

“Thanks. And yeah, track,” Ryke nodded, settling into his pace and lengthening his stride a little. “They call it a sport but I think they’re delusional. Now boxing… that’s a sport.”

For all his running off and backtracking, Runt was actually a good running partner. “You have good reflexes,” Ryke added, nodding back over his shoulder at three yeomen Runt had managed not to bowl over.

“Comes with the feline in me, I like to think. Maybe the Kitizan?” He shrugs, nearly toppling over a science officer. “Sorry! Coming through!”

He cocked his head to the side at the mention of boxing, however. “People find fighting one another a sport, right…it seemed awfully….eh, in my opinion. But I’m a bit of a hater, what can I say?”

Ryke smiled as they turned into a new corridor. Thankfully this one was less populated, so there were fewer people for Runt to almost mow down.

“It’s a traditional sport from Earth, seen as a gentleman’s sport. There’s a lot of discipline to the training, which is what draws me to it. And…” He shrugged. It wasn’t a secret that he dealt with the more risky and flighty patients on the counselling list. “Well, I deal with violence a fair bit in my job, so occasionally I need to be able to counter it. Usually not with boxing, but it helps to be able to move easily.”

Runt slowed his pace a little, furrowing his brow at the idea of fighting people for a sport. Truly, the cat couldn’t get behind it.

“I guess that works. Now—sparring? That’s something I’ve grown accustomed to doing back home. I have ten siblings, after all….BUT, why not ask the head of security to get lessons? I’m sure they’d understand for medical detail.”

The cat suddenly jumped up on a bit of a larger ledge with plants above it, seamlessly running through them (albeit making a few rock for a second or two).

”Odd question, what’s your favorite fruit?”

“Oh, Security makes sure to give us all training.” Ryke smiled. He didn’t add that sometimes they helped people with far more extensive combat experience, which meant they had to do expanded training as well.

“Fruit…” He paused for a moment before answering. The pace was fast enough that he could talk, just… if he was careful about it. “It would have to be melon. Honeydew, not watermelon. You?”

“Gross.” Runt stuck out his tongue playfully. “That’s the WORST choice you could’ve picked.”

Runt ran ahead for a moment—seemingly leaving Ryker behind. But as Ryker came around the corner, the cat stood there with two ice cold smoothies in his hand.

”Ta-da! Honeydew and Mango smoothie, packed to the brim with protein and energy. One for you, one for me. I like to take good breaks during my runs!” He smiles like a goof, tail swishing side to side.

”Besides. Feels like we may need it.”

“Oh, stars, definitely. Thank you,” Ryke slowed to a stop, accepting the smoothie. It was good, better than he expected.

“I really am getting too old for early mornings,” he admitted, groaning as he rubbed his lower back. Although it was less about the early mornings than the late night he’d pulled last night.

“So… what do you do onboard?” He asked Runt, leaning against the wall as they drank their smoothies.

“Mm, odd jobs. Or technical work. I want to go into the research and science field—“ Siiiiiiip. “But I’m taking some time here to learn other trades. HOPEFULLY, my first starship will have me be able to do both!”

The cat takes a big gulp. “I’m just happy to be in starfleet, personally.”

“Well, it’s a big station, so there are a lot of departments you can shadow to learn from. Are there any you’re particularly drawn to?” Ryke asked. He’d been lucky when he’d joined the fleet. Not only had he been much older than most, but he’d also known that he wanted to be a counselor.

He used his straw to smoosh down the last of the fruit in the smoothie. He wouldn’t run so much as just roll down the corridors after this.

“Not particularly.” Runt finished up his smoothie, tossing it back to the replicator. “I specialize in Chemistry, though. My best class—even got a little nomination for it!”

the cat smiled at Ryker. “But I’m always open to learn new things. If you want me being completely honest, I’d love to be a captain at some point. Maybe a first officer.”

Ryke finished the smoothie and his cup followed Runt’s into the recycler. He rolled his neck and shoulder, making it click as he nodded. “That’s a good ambition. Perhaps on a science ship? Shall we?” He said, indicating the corridor ahead of them. He was going to have to keep an eye on the time if he was going to make his first consultation.

“Sure! Race you to the first bathrooom!~” Runt called, suddenly taking off down the hall and leaving Ryke in the dust.

Ryke chuckled and set off after him. He hadn’t been sure how he would take to a running group, but this wasn’t so bad. Not so bad at all.