Welcome to Gaia! ::

The ropes course was a little ways out, beyond the official metropolitan area, towards a corner of a suburb that was mostly taken up by a nature reserve. Outside the 20 foot fencing, but still part of what used to be contiguous forest was the HighTop Mountain Resort. They catered to ropes courses and camping in the spring, summer and fall, and closed for the winder season.

He'd taken the bus there, an early one to make sure that he was ahead of schedule and would arrive before Alexandre would arrive by driving. Arrangements had been ironed out over text, even if it had taken a little back and forth because of busy schedules, and it was their first official date, so he wanted to make a good impression. He'd arranged with the ticket office already, giving them enough to cover two tickets, but not having specification yet on what set of obstacles they'd want to try- low course, high course, or a combination. He didn't know if Alex was afraid of heights at all, as it woudl affect which course they'd take. They coudl decide to gether when the younger arrived.

The 4 hour slots were probably enough for both of them- enough for a work out, some funny stories, and getting their hands on each other during teamwork exercises (was that too forward? It was a discrete way of going about it anyway. He liked the teasing of it-touching yet not), but no so much that it took up the whole day, given both their schedules. He wondered if he could get the other youth to give him a ride back to the campus instead of taking the bus back, but that was a minor consideration.

The website had been clear about preparation - Loose fitting pants (check), Casual shirt (check), Sneakers that can get dirty (check), Sunglasses with lanyard (check), Sun Screen (check), Bug Repellent (check), Water bottle (check), and cell phones had to be turned off (not check yet as he was waiting in case Alex called of traffic or other obstacle that he would be late or cancelling). It was a little strange not to have on his usual glasses, but the sunglasses provided enough of a placebo. He'd also brought a few extra hair bands in case they were needed for anything other than taming his own hair back out of his face.

The message ringtone of the Little Clavier Fugue was hard to miss as it echoed a little through the air along the trees and fence. It could just be a coincidence that someone else was also texting and nearby-

Except that a reply came back quickly-


Quenton waited patiently for Alex to come into view, and gave a bright smile while lifting a hand palm out in greeting as until he arrived in distance not to have to yell to- "Traffic wasn't bad, I hope? I didn't tell them what we wanted to do yet, but otherwise they've got harnesses and a guide waiting to give us the safety talk and tell us what colour tape and flags we're following."

It was appropriate to offer a date a compliment, so with business out of the way and Alex come to conversational distance, Quenton decided to be bold- he leaned over to try to catch and give the other's hand a companionable squeeze while whispering in his ear, "You look cut from a magazine as always."

Even if the clothes weren't sporting 'label', Alex looked a shoo-in for Old Navy.

"The mixed seemed like it might offer us time to breath and time for the thrills of heights? No use in being entirely 'safe' and sticking to the ground, after all. If we weren't meant to fly, we'd never have had imaginations, " the mixing of conversations- philosphy on life, art, and the actual suggested decision, was deliberate. Quenton led over to the booth again, confirming to the clerk, "Mixed."

The clerk-girl came out with two appropriate harnesses and went through the obligatory safety information, explained the fastenings and how the carabiners attached to the guideropes, safety cords and zip lines before offering the equipment to each of the guys. She pulled out two clipboards with forms for them each to sign when they were done- insurance and responsibility agreements- follow the rules or it was 'at your own risk'.

She led to the first part of the course, a set of balance beams made of fallen trees that started on the ground and progressively lashed up further and further until they were replaced by rope bridges and beyond. She walk neatly across the ground, the 1ft high and the 3ft high without a hitch to demonstrate, " Just like so, don't be afraid of it taking a bit. Have fun. There's no one way with some of these to solve the problem, and some will be easier to get across if you work together. You'll be taking the blue path, so if you come to a tree with multiple paths, follow the blue arrow puzzle. There will be a ranger at the end of the course to take the gear and drive you back here to the entrance on one of our quads. "

Quenton looked over at Alex, "Do you want to go first, or shall I? My balance is terrible, so it's going to be a show either way."

"I'm glad they were well received, " Quenton refrained from lifting a hand to the blushed cheek. Discreet, courting that is discreet. It wasn't really an imposition, nor difficult a request of their relationship, and only challenged by the eagerness that came with the possibility of courtship at all to one who'd had nigh none.

"Well, then I will gladly blaze trail and hope that if you do try to catch me, I don't bring us both down in a heap." Quenton put a hand on the trunk of the tree at the course start and stepped up onto the beam. Arms out, he started walking- it was not unlike walking on the tops of parking lot cement car stops. Much the same, he got about halfway before he leaned too far and teetered, stepping off to the ground. And this was just the first one on the ground. Quenton laughed, and stepped back up onto it, "We'll just pretend there's no sharks."

The next, 1 foot off the ground, he stepped up to after hugging the tree, and looked back to see Alex's progress. "Do we have to start from the beginning if we fall off on these later ones?"

He did better on the second, crossing faster so that he didn't have time to throw his balance off, and catching himself into the far tree as instant breaks with an 'oooph' The third, 3 ft up, he didn't think he was up to trying that again and risking toppling off- but how to keep balance? Creativity and physics trumped worries of dignity, "You know, lower center of balance, lower chance of falling off. We don't have to do this standing. That's just our fist thought of what to do because we're always walking around upright. "

Quenton crouched and then started across this higher beam on hands and knees. It was easier by leaps and bounds, and faster for that. Hopefully it was a nice view? He looked back to see what Alex's choice for cross was, as well as his progress again.

It was a strange an wondrous thing to hear those words - If you do take us both down I can at least say I tried to save you. The impact took a little of mulling over before it wholly hit, bringing threat of tears for a few moments on the 3ft beam as he came face-close in distraction to the far tree and its tree-house platform that ringed where the beam met the trunk.

Would that that offer could extend to other lives and other times. How I have wanted someone to stand with, hand-in-hand, and know that if the end was going to come at least it was neither alone nor without good reason. Having a partner would give a second opinion and view on what I come across at night- whether actions were right or wrong. Is Alex trustworthy? A hard thing to tell on a first date, or so early in knowing. He's certainly discreet. But would the rest just be too unbelievable? Maybe he's even a scout himself, why not. All the others must be people as well. Like Ruthie and I. Even the Agents of chaos and senshi that serve the mirror must have other lives.

Can secrets of war be shared even after months of knowing another? I suppose not, not without risk of great consequence. Not without good reasoning. And I only in service less than a year in total. A secret that took a year before being told, or more? If I live that long, even. No, this is all brooding and unfair. Today Alex is my focus, not Thraen.

He hand over hand supported himself to standing and waited, looking back, as the other youth finished crossing the final beam. "Well, we can see who the gymnast is in this company. You don't even flinch one way or another."

The trunk was marked with their arrow around it, though to their right was a continuing of more of the same balance beams to other trees. Their path was to a triad of ropes, one below and two at about waist height above it as hand holds, forming a bridge to a large platform and oak some ways away. Their second task. The ropes were, by nature, thinner than the beams and more mobile. There was a laminated tag that indicated to clip their safety harnesses to the hand-ropes in case they should fall. Quenton took a long breath, and followed directions, "You'll get that chance to by my knight in khaki armor in about ten seconds."

Not even that long, sure enough, as he started across with knuckles whiting in grip on the waist ropes while foot-before-foot stepping across the rope bridge, Quenton's ankles didn't hold steady on the very mobile foot rope. It wiggled this way and that, possibly causing problems for Alex on the rope as well, "Oh, no-!"

And Quenton was dumped off it to hang by his hand from one of the hand-ropes, "Sorry-"

Coming here and doing this a couple times a month would be a grand way to get more mobile and better at balancing. Other than that idea about possible taking lessons in gymnastics and tumbling. Buildings are so much simpler. Quenton dangled more or less motionless other than the left over bobbing from the momentum of falling and of Alex moving along. I could at least get back to two hands?

It was a feat of core, back and arm muscles, and waiting for the bobbing momentum to be able to swing his second hand back up the grasp and re-catch the one hand rope so that he was no longer a TV-trope dangling. He didn't try to get the rest of himself back to the foot rope though. It might be simpler if he just dangled there and let Alex pass, then just hand-over-handed it along the one rope, dangling the whole way, but if the point was teamwork and the offer was already made? It would be sad not to have the opportunity and enjoy being saved for once. They were both men, and both had egos, whether they liked to admit it or not.

It was a nice excuse to get to see and show off if Alex had some muscles under those nice clothes. So Quenton waited patiently for the other to draw level to him with more skill than he himself had managed. "Going my way?"

"Mighty obliged, " Quenton took the offered hand gladly, "I guess..if you can pull me up a little more level, I can see if I can reverse-situp my legs to get them on the rope. "

It was one arming it for both of them, but maybe it would be enough. He got ready either way, grip firm but pliable on Alex's hand. "I'm maybe 120-125 pounds anymore? Less than a potted 5 year tree, right?"

Quenton's face shifted a bit with worry, "How much do you weigh? I'm already unhealthy from not eating enough. I mean, you're shorter than I am, but you should be at least 120, even at your height."

Apparently if they went on more dates, they should be DINNER dates. He wasn't sure why Alex wasn't eating the amount of calories he should be, considering the guy had money, but he hoped it wasn't an eating disorder. His own weight was the fault of living on not much money at all- plantains, rice and black beans comprised most of his diet, and he was only able to find time twice a day. He didn't expect Alex had the limit of no more than $1 a plate for meals at home.

With the haul of the other's strength, Quenton ballet-toed a leg out to get it to the foot-rope. It was enough leverage- Alex's pull on a hand and the solidity under a foot- that he reverse limbo bent up and got standing again on the bridge rope. He gave a grateful squeeze to the smaller youth's hand, "Like a charm."

"Now to try to get the rest of the way across...I don't know if its better you stay close or further in case I dump myself over again."