Post lunch entertainment!

[Rhys Rockwood]

There are few things as bad as meeting a wonderful woman, having a nice time with her at a bar over food and drink, and ending the night by forgetting to get her da-...forgetting to get any of her contact information for the opportunity to enjoy a similar night. There are, however, feelings that are good to the same magnitude, such as running into that woman again by pure happy accident one weekend. In Rhys's case, he quite literally ran into her.  Fortunately, he had reacted at the last moment and threw his balance to the side to minimize the contact to fair bump instead of a wrecking collision, even if he nearly twisted his ankle and fell into some bushes. Worth it? Oh yeah. More than worth the little scrapes and bruised ego.

After some quick catching up, they sat for a brief lunch at one of the cafes downtown. He didn't mind the break from his run, and he could make it up later if he felt he needed to. The chat was enjoyable, and the food was something. The company had more or less overwritten his memory of the food. It removed his hunger, so he'd count it as good.

Rhys covered the check, and they left the cafe, Rhys of course holding the door open for Remle as they exited. "Well, now what? It's not like you're exactly dressed to jump into the middle of what I was doing," he pointed out with a smirk. "Though I wouldn't mind a detour and a delay if it meant you getting changed to join me. Nothing makes getting sweaty better than a premium companion."

The words left his mouth, and his mind immediately ground to a halt. Something sounded very much off about the last statement, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.  Nothing to do but smile and hope his hesitation was being caused by nothing of concern.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle definitely was not dressed to go running. She was dressed to enjoy a nice day of strolling through the downtown area during her two days off. She'd bought the outfit in question when she was still dating Kota and had planned to wear it out on a nice date after winter had passed. Since that wasn't going to happen and she couldn't justify throwing it out (because she REALLY couldn't afford to do that and it was irrational in many ways) she decided to just put it on and go out in it. It turned out to be a good choice since she also ran into Rhys that day. Normally, she wasn't necessarily one to preen for the attention of other's but she was very grateful she looked good, even if she'd accidently sent him reeling into a bush.

The accident had led to a nice lunch that he'd very nicely paid for (despite Remle protesting that he really didn't have to) and afterwards an offer? "Oh...you want me to run with you?" she asked in some confusion. She worriedly looked at how sunny it was. Still, it wasn't SO bad; she could run for a little bit...

The unintended sexual undertone of his comment went over her head as she attempted to try and calculate how long she could stay out and run with him. A little bit, maybe an hour, but maybe he'd be done after thirty minutes, also a plus. "Alright, I can run with you!" she agreed, pointing down the way towards her apartment. "I live just down there, it won't take me long to change," she said as they headed towards her apartment together, reaching it in about ten minutes of light, amicable conversation. "Okay, wait here," she instructed as she climbed the steps to reach her apartment on an upper floor and then ran around her room trying to find work out clothes. Remle managed to find some gym shorts and an old T-shirt she mostly used when she was on a cleaning binge but it was more or less clean (minus some bleached spots) and put on shoes and socks. She stuffed her keys and cellphone into her pocket and composed herself for a moment before she walked back down stairs.

"Okay, I'll have to admit I'm not really a runner so if I lag behind just go with it, I'll catch up eventually!" she informed Rhys as her feet finally touched the sidewalk next to him.

[Rhys Rockwood]

Rhys was pleasantly surprised when she said she was going to take his invitation to join him. He really had expected her to pass on the opportunity like any other sane individual. It was a rare person who opted to join him twice for 'decent' physical exertion. "Excellent. It'll be nice to have a running partner again," he told her during the brief walk to her apartment.

"Don't forget to grab some music for the run if it makes it easier for you. A lot people like the distraction, and while talking can be nice, you shouldn't have the breath for it," he said with a laugh as Remle headed up the stairs and tried to not watch her go. 'Well, now I know where she lives...not that thinking like this makes me feel any less creepy,' he thought, shaking his head at the line of thought.

He stretched a little while waiting outside for her, trying to map a route in his head that he figured she could handle, but the mental task was difficult as he had no bar by which to judge her capabilities. Something brief, maybe a few loops in different directions near her apartment so they would never be too far to her back.

Her comment about falling behind created a laugh in Rhys' chest, and he smiled at her. "You know, if you start falling behind, I'll just pick you up and keep going. Not like someone as small as you is really going to weigh me down," he pointed out. Rhys would bet a fair bit of money he could run a few miles carrying her without it drastically increasing his time, provided no one was around to suppress his power.

[Remle Boyd]

She stretched her legs a little and shrugged her shoulders. "Nah, it's okay, sometimes I do better with just the noise in my head," she said with a rueful smile. She wasn't out of shape...persay. But she imagined that this was going to be a somewhat short run for her. Rhys MOST LIKELY wouldn't make her continue running after she wheezed her way to a stand still.

Or he was going to pick her up and run with her. "I guess I should be flattered that you think I'm light enough for you to carry while running but please don't feel like you need to!" she laughed as she finished her stretching...god she hoped it was enough. She was starting to think that maybe this was a terrible idea. The thought settled like a stone in her stomach and she nearly felt like she was going to trip over her feet. No!! She could do this! She really honestly could! And she would be amazing at it, or at least not massively suck.

"Okay! Are you ready?" she asked far more cheerfully than she felt about the endeavor but hey, it would go a long way to be polite and she could definitely be polite.

[Rhys Rockwood]

"I don't think you're light enough to carry while I run.  I know it!" he replied, laughing with her.  The extra weight of carrying wouldn't make running hard once he got used to how to properly run with her.  Rhys went over his route ideas again as he finished stretching with her, and a slightly devious idea crossed his mind.  That would at the very least be amusing to see her reaction to the circumstances. 

He nodded when she asked if he was ready then rolled his neck around.  "Sure thing.  I've got an idea of where to run.  If you need a breather, just say so.  We'll slow to a walk, but definitely don't stop.  Stopping makes starting that much harder, so when we slow down, put your hands on your head, stay upright, and keep walking, 'kay?" Rhys didn't work out with other people very often, but he had learned that it was best give a few pointers on things before getting things underway.

The pair took off, jogging away from Remle's apartment at a good pace, and Rhys gradually picked up the tempo to really get them going for a little bit.  Now and then, he'd slow it back to a jog or even a walk to let her catch her breath, but it was never long until they were back at work again.  Eventually, Rhys brought them back to a walk and wiped his brow with the sweatband on his arm.

"Well, that's a pretty respectable bit of a run, don't you think?" he asked, knowing full well that was enough for most people.  "My apartment isn't far.  How about we swing by, grab some water or whatever to drink, and relax for a bit? Then I can drive you back to your place afterward."  He was fairly certain she'd object to stopping by his apartment, but he 'couldn't in good conscious leave her to recover on her own.'  There was no way to know she'd be okay, right?  Any sort of gentleman would make sure she was fine afterward. 

At least, that's how he was going to explain things if anyone asked.

[Remle Boyd]

Remle prided herself on her normally rational decision making. At the time it had seemed like a fine idea to go running with Rhys after their nice lunch together. She was branching out, meeting new people, making friends. But as she swayed on her feet after finally coming to a stop all she could do was curse herself. She couldn't respond to Rhy's suggestion, all her energy was nearly gone. She literally had enough in her to stagger over to the nearest grass covered, shaded area and flop over, rolling pathetically closer to the coolness of the roots. Not caring about whoever was around them and a bit more reckless about exposing her powers in public than normal she pulled every available shadow towards her until she was cocooned in darkness.

Soft whimpers could be heard from the cocoon as Remle battled back the feelings of helplessness that often occurred when she spent too much time outside. Never again, she was never doing anything so stupid as RUNNING IN THE DAYLIGHT again. The company had been nice though. At least that was the silver lining. She cried a little anyway because she couldn’t move anything more than her fingers and what if someone came along and wanted to hurt her? She couldn’t defend herself, damnit she hated this!! The last time this had happened she’d been at Hammel, figuring out how this happened in the first place and why. After that last incident she realized that long exposure to sunlight drained her and adding physical activity on top of it just speeded up the effects. After that she cut off how much time she spent outside and only did light exercise to keep her figure and usually either did it at night or inside away from windows.

“Sorry, I need a minute,” Remle finally said, muffled against the ground as she finally turned her head towards Rhys and continued to lay motionless on the ground. She’d probably need about ten to stand again, fifteen to walk. “Can you just make sure no one comes around and sees this? I don’t know what you’re going to say, but I look forward to hearing your answer,” she smiled before bursting into tears again because that’s all she did when she got this way.

[Rhys Rockwood]

When Remle all but collapsed during the run, Rhys made a mental note to not push so hard with her yet. It would take time for most people to keep up with his pace, even when he thought it had been decreased to a reasonable rate. His inhuman endurance gave him more of an advantage than he typically thought.

After she collapsed, though, the shadows warped around her, and Rhys had to blink his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't just imagining that. Well, that was certainly different. "Um, sure," he replied, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Even with the coast clear at the moment, he doubted it would stay that way indefinitely. "Remle, probably best for this to happen behind a door. Would you be alright if I carried you to my place? It can be darker there than out here...seems like that might be of help."

He did not have to wait long for Remle to make a sound that seemed more likely to be permission than a denial. He scooped her up in his and started a quick walk to close the distance between them and his apartment without jarring her too much along the way. At first, it was difficult for him to not stop and stare; as he moved her, shadows stretched thinly as she was pulled away from their source while other reached out to her as she approached them, like hands grasping food to sate a hunger. For the briefest flash of time, it was enough to frighten him, but it quickly shifted to a curiosity. If asked, he would easily admit to being fascinated by her ability.

They were soon at his apartment, and he set her down on his couch before closing the blinds and turning off the lamp he left lit even while out of his home. "Remle, let me know if you need anything, alright?" he told her quietly before leaving her to recover on her own. He was willing to wager that's what she need more than anything else. The only light in the room emanated from his phone to help him move around. By the minimal light provided, Rhys began to cook. Scrambled eggs, bacon, diced peppers, slices of ham, a touch of hot sauce...his skillet was soon full and sizzling.

[Remle Boyd]

Technically it wasn't safe being alone with Rhys but she was also pretty sure that it wasn't safe for her to be lying out in the open either. Of the two it was probably better for her to be inside. She let Rhys know the best way she could and not too much later felt herself becoming more airborne. Her mind panicked a bit and she remained tense up until the moment Rhys set her on the couch. Thiiiiiis was nice. Total darkness. She shivered. Crap, now that she wasn't outside running she was beginning to feel herself cool down rapidly. She could feel something fluffyish pressed against her shoulder and with what energy she had managed to save reached for what she hoped was a blanket and turned into the couch to allow it to at least wrap around her shoulders. Finally something went right for her at least in that her shoulders were now covered. She snuggled deeper into the couch as she began to smell something that must have been food.

God she was so hungry, she could eat, if she could move. Her body felt drained, like it was just flopped on the couch as she listened to the world around her. At least the paranoia and the fear bit had worn off. She could at least try and relax more to focus on her recovery. The darkness certainly helped make her feel a bit more revitalized. She heard Rhys approach and realized that maybe she could try talking to him and that turned out to be necessary when he reached over and fixed the blanket for her so that she was more covered. "Thank you," she said quietly, shifting a bit away from the back of the couch so she could face him if necessary. "That smells good, what is it?" Her voice was hoarse from crying. "Sorry about this..." she added with an embarrassed look away. This was way too personal for someone she had now only met twice. This is what she got for making stupid decisions like running in the middle of the day.

[Rhys Rockwood]

"Don't worry about it. As far as adverse reactions people have had to working out with me, this is pretty mild. Other people have lost the ability to walk. Or stand. Or think. I've turned people into babbling, jelly-legged simpletons. You can talk, so congrats!" Rhys replied with a laugh.

Her cocoon of shadows seemed to have been an involuntary reflex of some sort, likely tied to a handicap of his power. Rhys wasn't certain if she would be comfortable with him asking about it, so he skipped that part and set the spare fork on the coffee table. "Well, I have a skilled with scrambled eggs, some meat, some peppers, and a bit of hot sauce if you're hungry from the run. Eggs are great for a post exercise snack."

His use of the word 'snack' was likely a bit exaggerated; there was enough food in the skillet for a full breakfast...for two people. His oversized appetite was the cost he paid for his power, but Rhys had no problem indulging his stomach if it helped him maintain his physique through a intense exercise. "If you're thirsty, there's a pitcher of tea in the fridge. I'll get you a glass whenever you'd like," he told her between bites.

[Remle Boyd]

"Hm..." Remle grunted in something a bit akin to wonder as she suddenly considered herself even a little lucky. "In that case whooooo," came the weak voice in what could only be described as dry amusement. She could use the food, but not right this moment despite wanting to reach for the fork. She didn't have enough energy yet to do that. Unless Rhys wanted to feed her (and she didn't want that anyway) she was going to have to wait. "That sounds good," she said instead with interest so he didn't eat it all as she laid here useless on the couch.

Oh wait, she could move a bit and she really wanted to see Rhy's apartment. She wiggled a bit until she was able to move her head and rest it onto something near her head as she looked around. It seemed tidy enough, there was a shirt over one of the chairs that she could make out and a pile of mail on the counter but overall it seemed clean and homey. The couch was also comfortable where she was sitting she assumed the rest of the L-shaped contraption was as well. She was busy for a moment taking in her surroundings when she felt her head rest flex under her cheek.

She didn't think pillows flexed...damnit her head was on his thigh and she couldn't move it. Maybe if she didn't move much he wouldn't notice? Yes, she'd go with that idea. "So breakfast for a before dinner snack?" she asked curiously looking at the giant skillet he was eating out of. “Oh right, you need to eat a lot, I forgot,” she declared. “Sorry about the shadow thing, that kinda happens when I can’t move anymore. I can’t really be out in the sun much.” She tried to make it sound casual when in fact she was very embarrassed. Her cheeks heated up with a blush and she tried not to wiggle again. “Is breakfast the only thing you’re good at cooking or is it the easiest?” she teased before sue realized that it didn’t really sound like teasing.

She cleared her throat and decided to try again. “Anyway, yeah, maybe tea later would be nice,” she said conversationally. “I don’t drink a lot of tea, too much coffee, not much tea,” dear lord she was rambling. “This is a nice place by the way. Your couch is comfy,”

[Rhys Rockwood]

Rhys smirked when Remle gave the sound of not-quite-amusement. He continued eating while she made her unnecessary apology for the burst of her power; her embarrassment was apparent to him. "Breakfast isn't the only thing I'm good at cooking, nor is it the easiest. But eggs are full of protein, bacon is delicious, cheese is nice and fatty, and peppers add some color and a bit of flavor. The tea is basically just water with non-sugary flavoring. It's just a diet thing," he explained.

When Remle shifted and settled her head on his leg, his muscles tightened reflexively to the sudden contact. He saw her blush and decided to continue ignoring the things that seemed to make her uncomfortable. She'd talk to him about those issues when she decided she was comfortable having the conversations with him, even though watching her shadow power had been fascinating. He definitely wanted to watch her flex her power more.

"Coffee? I suggest you switch to tea gradually. Better for your health in a variety of ways while still providing a bit of the glorious caffeine our generation is adicted to." Rhys picked up his glass and took a drink, breathing deeply and feeling content. In his opinion, it was difficult not to feel content with good food at hand after a nice run and a nice looking girl lounging on his couch with him, though it was unfortunate she was only there for feeling ill. "I'd suggest eating sooner rather than later. Eggs are...more akin to rubber than food when they get cold. Glad you like the couch, though!"

[Remle Boyd]

Remle felt her stomach growl when Rhys described his breakfast food choices for the benefits they had. It was refreshing actually since Remle often forgot to remember the good things in her life. She took a deep breath and squirmed, that hadn't taken so much effort, maybe she could finally sit up. She wanted to eat the non-rubbery eggs he was offering her because now that she wasn't busy trying to die she realized that she'd definitely not eaten properly for a run in the first place.

"But drinking coffee makes me look so cool," she joked with a grunt as she squirmed again and managed to get her hands up this time. If she took it slow she could start to move a little. She would definitely not be moving again when she got home so it was best to eat something now. Steeling herself she slowly pushed up and leaned back against the back of his couch and grinned at the small victory. "Alright. I want to eat this breakfast snack that you have made," she announced. "Please," she added after she remembered her manners. "You might have to hand me the fork though...I'm not sure if I can lean forward yet without falling," she said with some seriousness despite the fact that the words themselves seemed a little bit ridiculous.

[Rhys Rockwood]

Rhys passed the extra fork to her then held the skillet where she could easily access the offered food. "Eat as much as you want. The body needs the nutrients to recover after something like that. If we somehow finish off this skillet, then I'll just cook another." His budget allowed a rather large portion of his salary to go into the grocery store; it was a necessary circumstance due to the side effects of his own power.

"I hope you don't let this accident put you off of working out. First time is always the worse, and I always cook afterward for anyone who joins me," Rhys said with a bit of a laugh. Without many repeat partners, he made a point to reward those who stuck through it with him, even if they only did part of his routines. Effort and company was more than enough for him to feel the desire to give back, even if was just a meal.

[Remle Boyd]

"Thanks," she smiled as she reached out and began spearing food with her fork and eating it. It was good, she wasn't sure if she should admit her surprise or not but it's not like people cooked for her often. Remle's eating faltered a bit when Rhys mentioned "the first time" as if there would be others. She coughed, chewed and swallowed before she answered. "Well, yeah I imagine." Her mind was quickly trying to think of a plan. She hadn't hated the running, she did exercise by herself but mostly at night or inside where she wouldn't exhaust herself so quickly. The bad news was that she worked late night so...actually that might be okay. Summer would suck but maybe she could convince him that indoor work could be just as fun as outdoor...if they were still doing this by summer.

"Okay but only at night, no more of this mid-afternoon in full sun bullshit," she surprised herself by saying. "And food afterwards," she added as she speared another helping of food onto her fork and popped it into her mouth. "I work late, from like ten to five AM, so we'd have to work out around... I don't know, seven or eight if you're around?" she shrugged. This food was pretty good and she wasn't as tired as she was before. Maybe she should drink more than water and some protein shake after her workouts.

[Rhys Rockwood]

Rhys nodded.  She seemed to be coming back to full alertness and wasn't opposed to workout number two.  The second fact was a massive number of points in her favor for a lengthy friendship.  "Nothing in the full sun, and food afterward.  Done.  As far as timing, that sounds fine, but I'm curious if you mean seven or eight pm before you work or seven to eight am after you work," he wondered aloud.  Either would work for him, just reversing the before/after relative to his work schedule.  Even that didn't matter too much; he already exercised before and after work.

"If there's anything else that can help you, definitely let me know.  I'm sure we can find a way to accommodate anything.  Who knows, maybe we can get a nice group of people working out together, and I can go through two cartons of eggs when I cook afterward." Rhys didn't know if she would be comfortable with that, but he had no problems with the idea of working out with a group some nights and just Remle other nights. It was bad for most people to over do it, anyway.  Rhys would just have to eat a bit extra.