Owner Pose
Alexander Aaron     James Nelson is a young man who has it all.
    A family of some wealth and standing. Looks the likes of which might well make him a leading man if he tried his hand at acting. And such athleticism that whenever sides were picked for teams he was /always/ the first one chosen and fought over. He had it all.
    Okay perhaps he would have been happier with another inch or two of height. Since some girls only saw men above five foot eleven. Still. He was leading a charmed life!
    Wasn't he?
    "Ass fucking shit shit piss!" Are the words that fall from his lips, however.
    There in the Olympic Level Gym Facility in Empire State University, on the Fencing Run that allows the school's team to train, James Nelson was expressing his true feelings about his opponent. "God damn ass humping piss!"
    Only to be met with laughter as Alexander Aaron pulled his helmet off. Garbed in bright fencing whites and holding his helmet under his arm, his face shone with sweat and effort even as he smiled at his friend's... difficulties. "Hey man, you're getting better."
    "Screw you! Aaron! You... shit!" Nelson in his own whites points an accusing gloved finger in his direction, "You and your Yugoslavian pistol grip bullshit!"
    Which only caused more laughter from the young Olympian.
Kate Cha Kate was on her way by, a duffle bag slung over one shoulder. She was heading for the women's locker room. That path was taking her through a few areas as she weaved her way between apparatus and people. It was busy, which was pretty much the norm. Some areas were more popular than others, such as the gymnastics and swimming pool. Though the pool was off in a separate glassed off area, though still visible. There were a few on the weights. Some on the martial arts mats.

Hearing the sudden explosion of what had to be Tourette's from the fencing area, she peeked her head in because inquiring minds must know. To her surprise, there were familiar faces within. Nelson she had known for a bit. He was part of her friend group. Aaron she'd met and they chatted a couple of times but he was still more a mystery in a lot of ways.

"Nelson, you good? Need me to help you hide the body later?" she asked, giving Alexander a playful wink to make sure he knows she's kidding. She wasn't that good of a friend to Nelson to become an accessory.
Alexander Aaron     "Oh great!" Nelson says for some reason as he gestures with a gauntlet in Kate's direction. Not immediately obvious, but to be fair over the last few months... well he had a certain affection for Ms. Cha.
    Which leads him to /glare/ at Alexander who just spreads his arms and shrugs as if not understanding what the slightly shorter man means. Because he doesn't.
    Nelson doesn't explain, he just rips off his helmet as well, grumbling still. Then he takes a deep breath. "Sorry. Sorry. No hard feelings just. UGH!" Which has him tucking his epee up under his arm and then glowers at them both. "I'm going to get a shower and change." He points at Alexander as if accusing him of something, then just shakes his head and stalks off.
    After a few moments they likely hear that /UGH!/ again.
    Which leaves Alexander smiling toward Kate and giving a small shrug. "We all have our flaws." He offers.
Kate Cha As Nelson takes off the helmet and explains, Kate's expression showed her concern. Then he was off to get a shower and she tilted her head a little as he wandered off. A little wince as she heard that UGH even from a distance.

She moved a bit more into the room that housed the run, looking at the gear Alexander was still dressed up in. Helmet off. Hair perfect. It kind of wasn't fair really to normal people. Just some folks had that thing, that unknown quantity. Alexander was one of those.

"Should I ask what happened or just chalk it up to you kicked his ass and he's being a sore loser?"
Alexander Aaron     Well the perfect hair was really because normally he wore his kind of wild, so it was always in a subtle state of controlled chaos. But it did look good, all told. Yet he follows after Nelson's stomping off with his pale hazel eyes, then looks back to her and smiles a little. "It's... friendly competition I think."
    He holds the helmet under his arm, that white uniform hugging very close to his body with a subtle outline of black along the joints. Armor of a sort, but much more flexible and easy. The light foil in his hand is held loose as he watches after, then he sweeps his gaze back to the young woman with her duffel bag. "Just, you know, fencing is sorta my thing."
    Which is true.
    An upnod is given to her, "And you?" He looks at her duffel and smiles, "Doing some laundry?"
Kate Cha "Yes, because the laundry facilities here are so much better than those in my sorority house," Kate said automatically in response, the sarcasm dripping from her tone. But her smile was there, taking any bite out of it. She continued. "I'm guessing same as you. Came in to get some exercise though for me it was going to involve the mats." She motioned in the general direction of the blue mats that filled a large portion of the facility.

"Martial arts," she added before he went thinking it might be gymnastics. Not that she didn't have a lot of flexibility but that wasn't where her studies had taken her. "I think as a kid I got tired of everyone assuming I knew them because of my genetics. So I went hey maybe I should learn."
Alexander Aaron     When she ribs him he affects a slight tilty head waggled look as he makes a dumb face and says, "Oh is that so?" About the laundry facilities being better. It's barely a step above looking at someone and saying 'duh' or 'derp'. But still. On his face it looks pretty funny.
    But then he's walking toward the door of the room, pausing at the bench near it to pick up his backpack with his water bottle sticking out of the open top. He just hefts it for now, looking out the door and peering. "Is he waiting to ambush me?" A look at her, then he seems to listen.
    "Well, I mean, there is something to be said for recognizing a talent and training it, despite its political correctness." His lip twists as he then steps out the door and starts walking. Slowly though, expecting her to stroll along with him likely.
Kate Cha "Don't even get me started," Kate said at the mention of political correctness even as she did fall into step. He happened to be traveling in the direction toward where the locker room was, so it worked out that way. Otherwise, she'd have had to say her goodbyes. Which would be sad since she hadn't seen him in so long.

"Martial arts was a big part of my life. Helped me focus so I didn't drive everyone so crazy all the time." Which made it sound like she was suffering Attention Deficit or the like but the reality was so much worse. "I learned to control myself through meditation and technique. And yeah, I happen to be really good at it."

Not okay. Not good. Really good. She had some confidence in herself in that arena. Much like him with his fencing. "Hopefully there will be someone willing to spar. It's kind of hit or miss when I come here."
Alexander Aaron     As he walks along he looks at her askance, head tilting to the side as he listens. Then his eyes widen a little as he latches onto the one thing she declares so dramatically. "/Really/ good." Those words hang there as he looks thoughtful and nods, "Like. /Really/ good." He strolls along and moves toward the locker rooms in the back, stepping now around a crowd of weight lifters.
    "Now that's saying something." He says as he strolls, and it's clear in his tone of voice he's dubious. Not sincerely dubious. But that wry crinkle-nosed teasing dubious that she had seen back when they had first met.
    "I mean, saying you're good. Or pretty good. There's a chance at modesty there. But /really/ good. That's saying you have an abundance of sincere goodness." He shakes his head, "David Carradine would throw you out of the Shaolin temple for your arrogance."
Kate Cha "I could've taken Grasshopper with one hand."

Kate went there. That's right! It also proves she knows her martial arts pop culture references, even when they were decades before she was even imagined.

"I am really good. Amazing even. It isn't boasting if you can back it up," Kate adds as she smirks up at him. "If you happen to want to meet me on the mats, I'll prove it."

Course, she could get her ass kicked. She has no idea if he even knows any karate or BJJ or anything else. For all she knows, he just fences. But if he did fight and did agree to spar and did beat her ass? Nothing wrong with that. She was willing to get her ass kicked. It meant she might learn something. Sadly, there hadn't been anyone here at the gym she'd managed to find that was better than her.
Alexander Aaron     "Well, I mean," Alexander half-smiled, "David Carradine never studied any martial arts until like, twenty years after the series was over. He was totally a jerk for stealing that role from Bruce Lee." Which shows that indeed Alex is way up on that trivia as well. He even gives an emphatic /nod/ to prove it.
    "See," He looks again at her sideways, "I think you just want an excuse to beat someone up. I could see the wild eyes of violence in you when we first met." He steps past the gymnastics team going through their warmups, small women in stature rushing past and doing multiple flips, thumping on a piece of equipment, then leaping off. Yet the way they chat it's as if nobody else is around.
    "But, if you like, I can show up and watch some. I'm much too delicate to partake." Which might well be a lie as well, considering how the young man fills out those fencing whites, it's clear that physical activity and he are no strangers.
    He looks off down the hall, "Where you going to do it at? The wrestling mats in the East wing?"
Kate Cha On that point, she agreed. The fact that Bruce Lee had been shut out of that role was a travesty. Anyone that disagreed? They were wrong.

She had ot laugh at the idea she had violence in her eyes. "Uh-huh. I am positive I am not that level of violent. I just enjoy the fight." Which was maybe exactly what he said. "To match my skills against someone else. It's competition." Which sounded better but Kate had to think about that later.

She nodded at his question. "Those are the best mats to use if the gymnastics team is here. Otherwise, we sometimes use theirs. Don't tell them. They might flip out." She can't help it. The smirk is trying to come out at her dad-joke.

"Seriously, I know you are probably busy but if you want to, you're welcome to come watch or join in. There's usually a few of us, varying skill levels. Maybe even learn something." Having no idea who she is talking to behind good looks. She stopped her forward motion since they had reached the locker room. "Going to change. Hope to see you there but if not, catch you around campus sometime."
Alexander Aaron     At the dad-joke he laughs and shakes his head as he condemningly says, "Oh god I can't believe you said that." He holds up a hand slightly as if trying to fend her off from the pain she causes to one's brainular processes. Another shake of his head, "I can't be seen with you."
    He murmurs as he picks up his pace oh so slightly, but then slows again to catch back up as she reaches the locker room. His smile is warm as he nods, "Sure, I'll try to come by, if not now then another time. You've got my number, right?"
    Those last words are murmured as he's walking backwards to the men's locker room further on.
Kate Cha "Yeah, I've got it." Just hadn't had the nerve to use it. Because for all her confidence in her fighting skill, she wasn't as confident as just reaching out to a guy and asking him out to coffee.

"Seeya," Kate added and turned to head in the locker room to change.