Teja was standing by the water's edge, feeling cold. Wherever the lake was supposed to be, it was turning towards winter in that place. Sharply
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Miho trains outside in all weathers, and all times of day. Also, inside, on the roof, up trees - any kind of footing she can think of. It's good to keep in shape.
In this case, she's been swimming. It's cold in the lake - very, very cold, and her skin is distinctly blue. Still, when she walks out of the water in her one-piece swimsuit, she towel dries briskly - and then sets to some kind of aerobic exercise. If her body can't warm up on it's own, she's not working hard enough.
Teja, cold already, almost shudders as he sees a bather emerge from the lake. It used to get cold in Italy, of course -- but somehow the icy fingers of the wind never used to pinch as cruelly as they did in this place. Or that early in the year.
Then he looks again, and by the shape of the bather, now going through some sort of training, can tell that it is a woman.
Barely so.
He pulls his cloak closer and looks in the other direction, deeply embarrassed by the thought he might be thought to be - peering. But refusing to be driven away!
Once she starts to warm up, and her suit is drying a little, she switches from aerobics to regular martial arts training. Kata are fun! Well, they are when you're Miho, anyway. They take just enough concentration to occupy the brain, just little enough that she can drop into a half-trance.
She knows he's watching, of course - what would be the point of having almost preternaturally sharp senses if you're not going to employ them?
Not only going through them - getting faster. Miho's real advantage - the thing that lets her stay on an even footing with people bigger and stronger than her - is her speed. She's like an oiled cat. Scalded cat. Both?
Finally getting the move she was working on down to perfection - although probably only she could tell that it wasn't spot-on to begin with - she stops moving, and bows to her observer. It's only polite.
Miho shakes her head with that silent laugh again, eyes twinkling. She's just a plain old human, thank you very much - and one who has regained her sense of humour, at least while she's full of exercise endorphins, anyway.
In this case, she's been swimming. It's cold in the lake - very, very cold, and her skin is distinctly blue. Still, when she walks out of the water in her one-piece swimsuit, she towel dries briskly - and then sets to some kind of aerobic exercise. If her body can't warm up on it's own, she's not working hard enough.
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Then he looks again, and by the shape of the bather, now going through some sort of training, can tell that it is a woman.
Barely so.
He pulls his cloak closer and looks in the other direction, deeply embarrassed by the thought he might be thought to be - peering. But refusing to be driven away!
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She knows he's watching, of course - what would be the point of having almost preternaturally sharp senses if you're not going to employ them?
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Wearing almost nothing. It is disconcerting! Surely, she would see him. Has she no modesty?
Teja considers retreating to the forge there and then, but then, he is running from nobody, is he?
In this confusing place, most people come from Britain, most new inventions are named in Greek, and most women fight.
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Perhaps fox spirits' modesty is different, like that of cats?
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To make sure it was abundantly obvious that he isn't looking anywhere else!
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Briefly, he wonders if in summer, this place will be full of bathing, fighting woman - and if it really is the right place for him to have come to.
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Still, it is cold, and he has to suppress a shudder at the season and the general situation.
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"Do you not have human speech?" Teja asks.
Cats talk in this place; fighting girls maybe don't?
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