Right to a Bear's Arms, Ch. 1 (Patreon)

The dull beats and rapid-fire Celtic instrumentals droned on in the ears of Kelin Leod. Mist, thrown up by the passing cars, hung in the air as if suspended in slow motion, drenching and clinging to those walking on the sidewalk. His hoodie was damp, as was his long-black hair, but he had sealed his phone in a plastic bag, Bluetooth headset protected by his thick collar. It was a miserable evening. With the weather, teachers had canceled class, leaving him stymied for something to do. His sketchbook, notes, and folders weighed heavily on his shoulder within the thick, black nylon backpack, his faded Adidas shoes at least cleaner thanks to the water.

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He watched his own feet for a while, noticing how his toes kicked out every time, sending small trails of water flying. He nodded his head along to the music; a mixture of bagpipes, guitar, flute, and drums hammered into his ears, keeping his spirits light even if he felt down. Maybe it was just the weather. He had heard that listening to music could cause one's mood to shift if it could be matched to mundane activities, like cleaning or jogging. He wished he could slip on his running shoes, but the idea of going home, just to dump off his bag and change into his workout clothes that he brought with him, and go back out when it was so grey and wet wasn't appealing enough. Besides, running in the city wasn't safe. He couldn't predict if the downpour from yesterday would resume, or if there was a good route to go on. He definitely needed something to distract him.

Passing a long line of storefronts, he paused and looked through the windows. One was a Pet store, which always seemed a slightly odd idea to him, given that the proprietor was an Anthro. The grey-furred Wolf was standing idly behind his glass desk, looking bored, with glasses perched on the tip of his lupine muzzle and leaning on the counter, reading his phone. The sounds of yapping puppies and the caws of birds were audible even through the glass. Shrugging, Kelin readjusted his headphones and moved on to the next store. He had to sidestep as the door opened, and a pair of much older Feline women came out, struggling to open an umbrella. As wizened as they were, the pair of Anthros were still almost even with his shoulder. He gave them what he hoped was a polite smile, no teeth, like the sensitivity training had said to do. They returned the gesture, so he felt a little better.

He kept walking. The nightlife of the city outskirts where he lived and often roamed was nothing too wild, with a variety of stores, shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants lining the road. Most of the people here were Anthros, as was the case with a large part of the population here in Arknought, and Humans, like him, while not as exotic or rare anymore since the most recent Cohabitation Bill had been implemented, were not a common sight. The stigma and prejudicial fear was still there, but with the right attitude and training, Kelin had no issues getting around without trouble. You just had to watch where you were going, not go into Anthro-only establishments (if only because nothing was sized for Humans there), and always be polite. In return, life was as ordinary as could be. Sure, not everyone saw it that way, but only willing and law-abiding Humans were allowed to move here. And with one of the top-rated Universities in the country, it was well worth the bureaucracy to get here. Being a Human also meant Grants and tax-breaks.

Sighing, Kelin reached down and clicked the button to skip to the next song. In between the intro beats and the choir slowly building up to a chant, he heard high-paced techno, mixed with heavy metal, blaring from somewhere. Looking around, he couldn't see an obvious source, and with his own music now humming along in the background, it was even more obscure. He paused his, and strained his ears, popping off one of the headphones. Sure enough, he heard it again; deep basso notes and high-paced thumping. It was an odd mixture, but he kind of liked it. Pulling out his phone, he turned on his Music-Identifier app and started walking. Music was his lifeblood, in fact, it was one of the reasons why he had been excited to be accepted by Arknought University for their extensive music programs. Finding new genres and songs sometimes was enough to make even a day like today worthwhile, as inspiration could come from anywhere. Whether it was when he was cooking, writing a paper, jogging, or even just sitting in his chair at the library, music gave everything color and made his mind go into overdrive.

Dodging around a small restaurant, he apologized for having to squeeze past a group of burly Anthro males who were chatting on the corner, all wearing tight work-out clothes over their furry, bulky bodies. They eyed him up and down, mostly down due to the height difference, but side-stepped enough to let him through, and he came into sight of a large independent building. Brightly lit by strobe lights, the sign outside was a mixture of greens and blues, the logo some nondescript Anthro flexing while lifting a barbell. The sign read "Right to Bear Arms, Gym & Training Center". The glass was fogged slightly, but even from here, he could hear the music much more clearly. Through the glass, he saw a whole line of people, Anthro and Human alike, all pedaling like mad on stationary work-out bikes. A spandex-clad group coach, a lithe and not-unattractive Tiger, was egging them on, hopping around and clapping paws and hands alike with the people.

The energy and sound of it all made something within him rise, and he felt almost drawn in by the wild, exuberant attitude. Glancing around, he did indeed see a sign that said "All Species welcome," which explained the mixed group up front. It didn't take him long to decide, as the group of Anthro males were right behind him. A polite "'Scuse me, mate" came from one of them, a powerfully built Bovine with dark glossy fur, and he hurried to step out of their way. The males all reached the door, happy enough and waving at people they knew inside, but the Cow hovered by the open door he was still holding open. "Ya coming in?" he asked, giving a small, polite smile.

Kelin didn't even think about it, he nodded, hiked up his backpack more, and strode quickly inside, past the Bovine, and into the gym. "Thanks," he said, slight accent coloring his voice, to which the larger man just nodded and let the glass door swing closed. His friends were all hanging around a reception desk, so Kelin just followed suit. He didn't try talking to them, just gazing around with interest. The whole place was immensely bright, with various workout machines ranging from casual to hardcore, and all of the different sizes. He could see intermingled here and there were other Humans, but predominantly the people scattered around were Anthros, and most of them towered over him by a good head or more. The machines were brightly polished and of all different kinds. He suddenly felt woefully ignorant of how some of them even worked, all he had at home was some dumbbells that he curled during online assignments and his running shoes. The clientele here as well was of all kinds of Species, and every single person here looked incredible, built and hardened, filling out their workout clothes as if they did this professionally. It was so easy to forget how much more physically endowed Anthros were, and ergo easier to put on extra muscle or bulk compared to a human's best efforts.

"Excuse me, sir?" said a voice, and he jerked back into reality just as the group of men were leaving. "Can I help you?" asked the bushy-haired receptionist, a Raccoon girl with brownish fur and a bright, charming smile. She wasn't that much taller than him, but she still had to look down a bit from behind her desk.

Feeling awkward, Kelin shrugged. "I just...came in on a whim. I don't have a membership or anything. Is it expensive?"

"Not at all sir! We have a variety of membership plans depending on what kind of equipment and workouts you wanted to cover. We offer any and all kinds of strength-building and endurance training programs, along with personal trainers as needed. We also have a swimming pool in the back, and a rock wall area, and a sauna. If you are also interested, we have a wrestling or sparring ring downstairs if you are interested in boxing, martial arts, or wrestling. We even have meditation trainers and therapists if you're looking more for a spiritual or emotional cleanser rather than just working out." She said it all so quickly that he could feel his head spinning a small bit.

"What does a...general membership entail? No personal trainer or anything, just come in and work out for fun or whenever I have time?" He felt sheepish even asking, as if he was going to be wasting her time.

"Well in that case," she said, pondering, and then clicked something on her desktop. "General membership offers you full access to all of our areas, but you will have to sign a waiver in case you are forced to use Anthro-only equipment. Not everything is sized for Humans," she said, glancing down at him and smiling again. It didn't even feel condescending.

"And how much is that?"

"$65 dollars a month, $75 for if you did want to try out a personal trainer in any area you found interesting. There is only a cancelation fee if you decide you didn't want the trainer afterward." She beamed down at him,

Doing quick calculations, Kelin tried to think of the monthly budget he got from the Human-Integration grant and his income from being a YouTuber. He was no big name, but he did decently enough while still getting through college on a loan and help from his parents. He did need something to get out of the house and do so he could stay in decent shape. "I think I can swing that," he said, and reached for his wallet.

The woman waved her paw. "Oh no sir, as part of our protocol, we would encourage you to take a free week and instead just look around. We only ask that you sign your name onto any room or equipment you will be using, and I'll have you make up a profile with us as a Temporary customer. Policy is made to make sure you get the most enjoyment out of Bear Arms!" She beamed down at him happily.

"Sounds...very agreeable!" he said, breaking his usual, morose expression, and he smiled up at her. "Thank you, Jenni?" He tried to read the nametag on her shirt, but the curves of her chest were...prodigious enough that the letters were a bit hard to make out. He blushed as she purposefully took a hold of her tight shirt and pulled it flatter for him. "Jennile!" he said, laughing, his fair skin a bit brighter from the flush on his cheeks.

Jennile only giggled and she walked him through the paperwork, gave him a guest badge, and pointed him towards the locker rooms. He waved goodbye, feeling only a little foolish, but when he glanced back, she had turned to look at something on her computer. Her long, ringed tail waved happily and he couldn't help but appreciate how pretty it was. He shrugged, shook himself a bit, and went to go get changed. This was one hell of a lucky break...thank god he had packed his shoes and clothes today!