Welcome to Gaia! ::

The building was rather sizable, being an urban facility that serviced not only fitness enthusiasts but suits who wanted to get a rush during their lunch break as well. The white block letters of the logo spoke of cleanliness and hyper-cool technology to trim customers down or power them up with the newest science available. It was a little like walking into a video game.

The front lobby was clean and stylish lines and tiled floors , tulip-style benches and chairs around posh magazine tables. There were a variety of vending machines that brightly splashed light and colour over the walls, offering reasonably priced whey shakes, organic liquid supplements, electrolyte waters and purified juices. It looked like a side archway led off to a small, short-order cafe. The sandwich board proclaimed today's specialty were breakfast style sandwiches with egg whites and hormone free turkey.

Björn adjusted his duffel and went up to the counter. "Are memberships needed? Can I sign up here?"

"Oh, yes. They are open. We just have a small set of forms you'll need to fill out, Total weekly dues equals weekly dues plus amenities. Amenities would be our swimming pool or the courts for tennis and handball, an extra two dollars per week. Personal Training and the Juice Bar & Cafe are not included..."

He started to zone out while she went into a well practiced, if deliberately overwhelming script. It took some moments of smiling and lifting his eyebrows to look like he was still engaged, and then she handed him the clipboard with pen to fill out. "Is there a guest pass I can use today? It says here 18 or younger require the signature of a guardian or sponsoring adult. It won't be a problem to get, but obviously I am alone today. "

"You....are under 18?" She looked dubious.
"Sixteen, miss."
"Oh, well, yes, you can fill out as much as you can, and I'll get you set up with one of our seven day trial passes. Just bring your sponsor in when you can sometime during this week, we'll hold the papers in a file started for you, and they can sign it when it is convenient."

An hour later, he was blessedly sporting a clipped visitor id on the waistband of his shorts and walking around the facilities to see what was available. What he really wanted to see was the free weights room. No tech, no buzzers and bangles, just good old fashioned metal, sweat and muscle.

The place was all that its logo and sign promised, he noted while walking around. All that and a bag of crackers. The weight room actually had another patron, a man who looked older than himself, at least by normal person standards. It was his eyes that were the more striking, though, fierce beyond what must be only twenty some years. Strands of his red hair caught on the towel, and on the sweat of his neck, dressing his face like war feathers. It did not diminish the impression of danger.

The whistle and approach though, that was unexpected! Björn smiled warmly, putting one hand to his hip and shifting from walking to contrapposto to greet the man. This one might not be at a professional level of body-building, but he looked fit to do well in local body-sculpting. Very well. Closer up the smile seemed as predatory as the first impression had led to. Björn wondered if he’d stepped into a rivalry just by existing. He’d prefer something more pleasant, though something combative had charm. In this case, a lot of unsettling charm, like petting a caracal. It was probably the combination of a whistle and the smile, which might as well have dropped from the old black and white movies he’d watched. “Sometimes. Eating regular food, in the right amount and right kind, does well enough. After that it’s just work until muscles and machine become one.”

A quick glance at the equipment the man had been at showed well. “It doesn’t look like you need any secrets, though. Fit and cut in equal measurements.”

“Björn, “ he held out his hand to shake, “Guildson. You must be a regular?”

“Six years seriously, eight since I really started. It takes about 6 hours a day, preferably more when competitions are nearing. “ It was always a rush to shake a hand that had power behind it, not just confidence…but real strength. Collins’ grip was well steeled. And the Gym teacher at Hillworth! His horseshoe had finally turned up! He let the teacher have his hand back, though he would have rather picked the man up in whirled him around in triumph.

This was something he never did. People really didn’t like that once they were past eleven or twelve years old. Still!

“At Hillworth! I’ve just transferred there. You may not have seen me yet, but school starts fairly soon. “ He’d guessed his age right, then, and why wouldn’t he have! A teacher of all people would be used to students. It meant they could skip a lot of awkward, unfortunate paths of conversation where invitations to drinks would come up and he’d have to say he couldn’t enter bars that weren’t also restaurants. Though maybe with the established hierarchy of teacher and student the possibility of being friends at all outside of training or class was removed. He really hoped not.

That smile again, like being eyed up for dinner. With the school’s reputation, maybe they had to employ teachers that weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty to keep the boys in line. Well, a few beatings here and there were kind of pleasant actually, and from such a hand, who could complain? Here was obviously a warrior of some sort. A Ridder….or maybe something older. When there were wilds, and the kingsmen only just more civilized than the dragons and giants they fought. A hirdmann?

His own eyes calmed from flashing joy to easy respect and admiration. A superior, but a comrade. Björn was confident in this arena: fitness and health were areas to be enjoyed whether for battle or rest. He had nothing to hide, nor anything to be ashamed of, and the older man was welcome to look on him critically, appreciatively, haughtily, or otherwise.

"You are the only one? " gym teacher... "I hope it is so." Andrew was something nice to look at during class, anyway.

"Yet you come here to train. For peace or the unfortunate facilities, I wonder?"

“New York” The answer was cheerful, quick coming as if long rehearsed or often given. “At least half of my life has been spent abroad, though, and we only spoke English at home when Mama was told by the schools that my grades were so bad late in Elementary. “

“Don’t get any ideas of my Norwegian or my Swedish being any better. They are both just as bad. In America people think I sound like I am Scandinavian, and in Scandinavia people think I sound like I am from North America. “

“Just as well I love all three. But New York is home. I have to make Destiny City home now. Easier to do with a few names and faces to call on, Ja?”

“Do you prefer Andrew, Drew, Collins, Mr. Collins? Mr. Collins in class, of course. You deserve respect as a teacher among such charges as us. “

“Have you done free weights already? I could help by spotting you. “ he didn’t want this to end at just introductions, and he was curious to share some sort of experience with the man. To see how far Andrew’s will could push his frame and learn from that experience himself. "I'd rather help than wholly interrupt your work. I will become a regular soon, though, you are right. I've got the visitor's pass for the week, though my application for membership won't take that long for a signature. "

"Fall season is the start of time for Highland Games, and I intend to compete. Any suggestions for trainers around here? Do you ever attend Highland faires?"