Atlas Gym; Tuesday [06/27].

[sword_chocobro]

There was a small tub of little flags on the desk in the lobby of the gym that day, and there was also some kid with a backpack and a baseball cap that had come in. He was both excited and determined as he asked to see the gym leader.

And then promptly challenged Gladio to a fight once he came over to see him, so that he could earn his next Gym Badge.

Gladio tried to explain that he knew nothing about Gym Badges, and he that, as much as he loved a good fight, he wasn't about fight a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kid literally half his size. Then the kid started to explain that they weren't going to fight, but that their Pokémon would, and that did not help with Gladio's confusion at all. Thankfully, one of the other staff members chimed in with a cheerful, helpful, "Not that kind of gym, kid!"

Apparently, he'd taken a wrong turn into a portal somewhere, but, once that was figured out, they got him all sorted out at Portalocity and on his way.

Atlas is open!

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Marc came in late morning. He took note of the flags but left them be. No point picking up something to carry around when he was going to be busy with weights already.

[sword_chocobro]

Was Gladio's general lack of acknowledge of Marc in the gym today a little intentional, arguably a bit petty? Maybe. But the fact of the matter was that Marc had broken his sticker streak, so, in addition to not having a sticker to give him, Gladio didn't really have anything to say to him, and the guy clearly liked being left to his own devices, so who was he to get in the way of that, when there were plenty of other things to do around the gym that wasn't going to just annoy him?

[hasaknightjob]

Which was certainly Gladio's choice. Though since Marc continued to not be a mind reader with no knowledge whatsoever of what was going on here that did mean the only thing Marc thought of this at all was that Gladio was busy. And hey: good for him. Nice that the gym was keeping him busy.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer was back on her morning schedule that day, flouncing in, as usual, in a very good mood, very eager to really sweat it out with some weights, and, of course, flaunting this week's new gear.

[sword_chocobro]

"Summer." Gladio nodded, peeling off a gold sticker for her and handing it over perched on his fingertip. "Ready to work on those arms again this week?"

[stykera]

Stark, unlike some other ginger regulars, was rather subdued when he made his way into the gym.

But he was still there and still ready to put some work in. Maybe that would help with the thoughts swirling in his head.

If nothing else he'd probably still get a sticker, right?

[sword_chocobro]

He would still get a sticker! And it was a little difficult to not notice the very pointed shift in Stark's mood this week compared to last week, or even just compared to some other ginger regulars this week, and Gladio had to admit to being a little curious there before heading over.

"Stark," he said, offering out a gold star on his finger. "Good to see you. How's it goin', man?"

[stykera]

Stark took the star and stuck it to his shirt, as usual.

"It's...fine," he said after a moment. "I'm fine. I think. How are you?"

[sword_chocobro]

Besides not very convinced by that answer?

"Pretty good," Gladio answered, with a little bit of a nod. "Pretty good. No complaints, really."

Maybe trying to figure out a few things, but that was neither here nor there.

"You have a good weekend?"

[stykera]

But Stark was so terribly convincing when he insisted he was fine!

"The weekend was good," Stark confirmed. "I like Pride. All of it. The festival and the parade."

[sword_chocobro]

He should get an Oscar for that level of convincing performance, really.

But that was an interesting distinction that Stark had made. "A little sad that it's over?" he asked, wondering if this was a situation where he'd be pulling out some kind of motivational poster level of encouragement with a line about bringing Pride everywhere inside of you, or something.

[stykera]

At least a Daytime Emmy?

"A little," Stark said. That was true! "It was a good weekend and it followed a very good week. This week is just...starting oddly. It's fine."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell was here bright and early and very cheerful. "Good morning," she said. "I've decided that it is going to be a very good day despite the rain!"

[sword_chocobro]

"Morning." Gladio, in greeting Nell back, and nodding as he dutifully handed over a gold star, looked faintly impressed and very amused by this bold little defiant statement against the weather. "And how do you know it's not going to be a good day because of the rain? I would've thought you'd be all into that. I mean, I'm sure the plants would think so, it's going to be pretty good for them, right?"

[mylandmyrules]

"Maybe it will be," she said, undaunted in her cheerfulness. "You just never know. And the plants enjoy the rain, but there is such a thing as too much iyf a good thing. I don't want my plants to feel like they're gonna wash away!"

[sword_chocobro]

"Can't imagine," said Gladio, "your plants having anything but good, strong roots that'll hold on in even the fiercest deluge, but I will give you that. We are on a island, after all."

[mylandmyrules]

"They do have good strong roots," Nell said. "And I'm sure they'll be fine. Maybe it's me doesn't always like so much rain and humidity. Makes my hair all crazy curly."

She grinned at him. "Not so bad, though. Sometimes, back home, if it was raining hard enough that I wasn't worried about being spied on? I'd just go out and dance myself silly in the woods. Don't tell anybody, though."

[sword_chocobro]

"Your secret's safe with me," Gladio assured Nell, with a wink, although he couldn't imagine it was a secret worth keeping from anyone around here. If anything, a good amount of people would probably just want to join her. And just the fact that it would have even been a concern in the first place...

"Although," he added, unable to help maybe teasing her a little bit, "now I'm wondering if that's on your agenda for later today, too, maybe before we all come over."

[mylandmyrules]

She laughed, maybe almost verging into a giggle. "M'not telling. Not that it matters here. And it's not like it was much of a dancing. More like a little tai chi happiness. Never done any actual dancing."

[grenadesandohana]

"Howzit, Gladio?" Steve asked, smiling as he came into the gym.

[sword_chocobro]

"Steve," Gladio greeted back with a nod. "Not too bad."

Assuming no more over-enthusiastic kids with weird animals stuffed into small orbs came in looking to challenge him to a fight, anyway.

"How's it with you?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Can't complain," Steve said with an easy smile. "I think I finally got all of the confetti out of the station yesterday."

[sword_chocobro]

"So if I find some in here later," Gladio snorted, "I'll know who to blame. So, what? You and the troopers have your own little Pride celebration or something?"

[grenadesandohana]

"No, they just kept bringing it in from their patrols yesterday. And glitter. And boa feathers."

[sword_chocobro]

"So at that point," Gladio noted, "you may as well have been. Guess they just weren't quite ready to let the party stop."