“I think so, too." Who: Canaan, Lysander Scamander What: Going for a jog! When: 06/28 or so, before things got way crazy. Where: Irvine, around. Ratings/Warnings: PG-13 for mentions of a bite wound. Triggers for the same? Otherwise G-rated. Status: Complete!
It was still pretty cool in the mornings, so Canaan showed up in front of Lysander's front door in a red jogging suit. There was a tank top underneath the long-sleeved jacket to strip down to if she got too warm, but she figured it was safe to start out in layers.
Still prepared for any attack, there was a small bag strapped to her back that contained her pistol, some extra clips, and a knife. She hoped she wouldn't need them, but if it came to that she was ready to protect both herself and her new running mate.
She waved to him as she walked up, "Lysander Scamander?"
Lysander was there, bouncing in place, wearing a bright red and yellow running suit, bright neon green shoes, and a grin. “Hi! Canaan? Nice to meet you!” He offered his hand, and nodded. He was excited! They would go running and possibly fight bad things!
It was definitely bound to be an experience, especially running with a guy dressed like this, Canaan figured. He was bright and colorful, not just in his clothing choices, but something about his personality reflected it, too.
She shook his hand and then quickly bent down to make sure her shoelaces were tight enough, "It’s nice to meet you, too. This is my first run, so I hope you go easy on me."
Lysander shook her hand, and smiled as he watched her, then looked himself over. Okay!
“HI! Of course! We should jog it, anyway. Never run the first time on a course, because things can come out of nowhere and speed impedes the ability to react.” He nodded. “Jogging lets you wait and see what is there, and know the area before you run.”
Lysander was crazy, but some things he knew.
That made complete sense, and Canaan was glad that she'd decided to go running with someone who was obviously an authority on the matter. She got back to her feet and bounced on the balls of her feet a bit, then nodded, "Sounds good. I'll follow your lead and we can see where the road takes us."
Lysander nodded and then started an easy jog down the sidewalk. “We can go this way. There is a park, and a cafe, at the outer loop of what I usually do, and we can pause at either one. Remember, if you start feeling strain at all, tell me. Some things need to be worked up to.” Running was one of the few things that Lysander knew very well and it centered him.
"I've been in the area for a while, but I still don't know it very well," Canaan admitted. She followed after him, trying to match his pace. Not too fast, not too slow. The cafe sounded like a nice place to stop, and so did the park, if they needed to. Or if people were getting attacked, "Though this current invasion has helped with that. I've found myself traveling the city looking for the creatures to kill and discovering new people and places on the way."
A slow jog helped wake up his muscles just as much as pushing to a run, and he smiled over at her. “Sounds like a good use of time and effort. You seem to be settling quite well into the madness of Valarnet life.”
Lysander had made the connection also, that several others had made. When someone logged into the Valarnet , their life got weird. Er.
It was a pretty solid connection to make. Canaan's own life in Orange County had been pretty normal before she'd actually logged in, "It threw me off, actually, when I first moved here and things weren't that chaotic for me. I had a friend from this place who'd experienced all of this chaos. Things were far from chaotic before I signed up for the network. I guess all of the recent madness makes up for that."
“Heh. I would imagine. Sometimes I wonder if it is the network, and something that watches it, or if it is just that when someone is ready, they also find it.” He shrugged. He had no clue, yet.
Canaan didn't really know, either. It was enough for her that the connection was there without questioning it overly much, "However it works, it does. I try not to ask too many questions. Not unless it's important."
It was dubious what she considered important or not, considering the situation.
Lysander grinned. “Whereas I ask lots of questions, but have found few answers.” He smiled over at her, glad she had joined him this morning. “So how long have you been living in the area?”
"A few months... since the beginning of the year, give or take. Before that, I was living in LA while I took some courses there," Canaan replied. She seemed open enough about most details of her life, "And before that, I traveled around a lot, other countries. Are you native to around here?"
“Cool! I’ve lived here most of my life, except some time in England to see grandad.” He nodded. He liked Irvine and the rest of the OC. A lot.
"I never got a chance to travel to England. Is it true they drink a lot of tea there?"
Canaan sounded genuinely curious about this. She found what other cultures got up to very interesting, though she rarely had the time to do the research herself. It was more fun to learn about them through other people's experiences.
“Some do, some don’t. Dad and I always drank a lot of coffee and grandpa drinks tea all the time. It seems like tea is more out and about there, but coffee is still huge.” He smiled at her. It was interesting to him, as well.
"I don't think I could live without coffee. I grew up on it, it was one of our staples." Canaan smiled a bit as she jogged, remembering mornings with Siam. Waking up to the smell of him brewing coffee in his old pot, pretending she was sleeping for a bit so she could inhale the scent of it before he nudged her awake with a mug, "Tea just wouldn't have been the same, though it was readily available."
Lysander laughed, and nodded. “I still prefer running to either. It invigorates the mind and body.” He nodded, as he moved with her, smiling. “Everyone has their own way though, so, I am glad yours worked for you.”
"I do feel more invigorated right now than when we started," Canaan agreed, amiably. She'd probably still go for a cup of coffee afterwards, but coffee wasn't always for energy. It was a lifestyle.
"And even with company, it seems to give your mind more space to think."
“I think so, too. I often come up with new art and new ideas when I am running. New things to try and new things to do.” And he felt like he was bursting at the seams these days. So much was happening.
“Have you been being okay with all the wildness on the streets?”
"Yes. I actually got in the habit of making small patrols here and there, to pick off the one or two I could find." Canaan sounded pretty confident in her abilities, though she didn't show him the weapon she carried. She'd told him before she trained in self defense, "One got close enough to bite me, but there haven't been any bad side effects."
Lysander blinked. “OH wow. Good. Cause... ew.” He eyed her, then nodded. “IF anything happens, let me know. I’m pretty good with herbs.”
"It wasn't that bad. It barely broke the skin before I was able to break free," Canaan rolled her sleeve up, in fact, so that she could show him the still-healing bite. If he knew herbs then he might know if a wound was looking worse than it was supposed to, "I think it's healing nicely but I wouldn't mind a second opinion."
Lysander slowed to a stop and peered at the wound, eyes skimming along it, wishing he had his hebs right there. He could make a poultice. His fingers were gentle as he touched the skin around it, bending close.
She hadn't meant to bring them to a stop, but it was probably the only way that he'd get a good look at the wound. Canaan tilted her head to one side, slowing to a stop as well and watching him as he inspected it, "It barely hurts anymore."
Lysander peered at it and nodded. “It’s healing. Looks nasty, but then, most do. When we get back from the run I can offer a topical that will reduce any swelling, any itching, and any discomfort, if you like.” He nodded and started walking again, preparatory to jogging.
She stretched a bit, to ease any stiffness that might have come about while they'd paused, and then matched pace with him, nodding her head, "I would appreciate that, yes. I actually do not have any medical insurance in this country yet, and tend to avoid doctors. You are an herbalist of some kind, I take it?"
Slowly moving back to a jog, he smiled. “Yeah. I started that way because some herbs help make wood and stone softer or harder, but along the way I discovered some medicinal ones as well.” He smiled to her wider. He liked helping people.
"I trust home cures more than traditional medicines," Canaan replied. Siam had taught her everything he'd known about wilderness survival, especially in the desert climates they'd spent most of their time in, "It's good to know which of the available plants might help you if you get stuck out there."
Lysander nodded, as he picked up the pace a little. “Me too. You never really know what those pharmaceuticals will do, but home remedies have thousands of years of testing done, mostly. Exact information isn’t hard to come by.”
He smiled for a minute as he jogged, then glanced at her. “Now let’s see... ahead there is a hill that is a little steep going down, but not bad going up and...”
And he told her more about the track, and about how he had discovered it when he was younger, as they jogged on.