Cowman

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"Well, when you kids are finished with your bath, meet on the Third Mountain Field. It's the one with the white lines. We're playing soccer!" Reishi said, "And don't worry about the validity towards your training. You'll understand when you get there."

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Nodding to Reishi, Yin rinsed off once more before hopping out of the water. He spent a few minutes giving his robes a generous shaking to clear them of the dust of travel. By the time he'd finished most of the water on him had dried, so he began slipping his clothes on. His sneakers were stowed away in his pack, being used mostly for the long walk here.

Eager to learn any skill that anyone was willing to teach him, Yin headed off in the direction Reishi had indicated.

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Reishi was rather taken aback.
"So you've never played soccer? Or dodgeball? Or baseball? Jeez!" she exclaimed.
"Perhaps you should teach them, Reishi?" Ran suggested.
Reishi grinned.

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"No, I've never participated in any of those activities," Yin admitted, looking a little warily at Reishi's grin. He hadn't known her for that long, but he already knew that this particular expression was most likely NOT beneficial to the recipiant.

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"So, do any of ya enjoy sports other than martial arts?" she asked.

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"Sadly we had nothing of that sort at the temple," Yin answered. "I am always eager to learn new skills though. Do the Temples have such things?" He hadn't really thought about what kinds of differences there would be between this school and his old temple.

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"Please, please," Ran said sweetly, "Call me Ran, Master Xiao basically means 'Little Master' you know. Besides, I'm not much older than you, I don't deserve to be called master."

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"You are my superior in knowledge and skill and therefore deserving of respect and honor. Age has little to do with the honoring of skill. But if you would prefer I call you Ran, then I will be happy to oblige."

The boy smiled, bowing again.

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"She's young, but she's a master at using poison and the best gardener you'll ever meet."
"Please, Reishi," Ran giggled, "I prefer 'botanist'. And it is a pleasure to meet you all! Especially you Kagura!"
Oddly, Ran indicated Yuri, not Kagura.
"Uh, that's not Kagura," Reishi said.
"Oh, forgive me, it must be her then?" this time she indicated Megumi.
"Try again..." Reishi said.
"Oh my..." Ran said, finally realizing who Kagura was, "She's very cute! But I expected your student to be...more well endowed..."
"She's got it where it counts!" Reishi said proudly.
Kagura flushed, embarrassed at being essentially told she was flat chested, and almost fell backward.

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The talk of "endowments" seemed to fly right over Yin's head as he hopped back to his feet to bow to Xiao Ran.

"Master Xiao," the boy greeted respectfully. "I am honored to meet you. I am Fang Yin."

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“Not to be nosey or pry but usually a pupil of the physical and spiritual arts manifest special skills different from others.”

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"Nothing outside the abilities of any of the other monks," Yin answered. "I have learned those lessons well. Utilizing the power of the body, control of the body through meditation and focus; those kinds of things."

He smiled when Kagura joined him on the rock and happily played along when she upped the ante on the excercises, doing his best to match her actions.

"If you are talking about chi-energy manifestation and things like that; then no. Shaolin training does not focus on such things. A few of the monks have learned such arts in their travels and it was they're stories that eventually led me here."

Yin held his right arm out to the side so he was now balanced on only his left.

"It would be nice to talk about your master's training techniques sometime Miss Kagura," the boy said, smiling from his upside down position. "Where did you train Miss Yuri, if you don't mind me asking? You also..... oh, I'm sorry. I didn't ask your name." He bowed his head in apology (looking a little strange given his current position) to Megumi.

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"Hey, Walt I gotta go. Thanks for the talk though," he moved backwards toward the elevator as he spoke, "we'll have to have some lunch sometime and get you a swimsuit calendar or something for that office space of yours," the words got louder the farther away he got.

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"Um... yeah," Walter called in return, the fine art of the witty comeback once again escaping him. Finishing up for the day, Walter packed up his things and headed out.

He took the root he always did. Stopping by the small 7/11 to grab something for dinner (frozen pizza this time) and caught the train to Prosperity. His apartment building wasn't much to look at, but it was, of course, respectable. There were worse parts of town to live in. There were better ones too though.

Walter climbed the stairs to his floor, unlocking his door after dropping the keys once. Once inside he popped his dinner in the oven and flopped down on the old couch, taking off his jacket and loosening his tie. Walter's apartment was much like his cubicle, sparsely decorated with mostly just the essential objects to maintain functionality. There were some family photos laying around; parents long dead, a sister out of touch for more years than he cared to count.

A sound brought Walter's head up. It was soft. Almost too soft to hear, but he was sure he'd heard something. Straining his ears for awhile he managed to catch it again. It seemed to be coming from the ventilation ducts. A scratching sound, like the tiny claws of a rat or squirrel scraping on the metal surface of the vents.

Walter sat stalk still for several minutes, listening to the soft scratches, his mind nervously going through as many explanations as it could as to what they were. Finally they faded away and Walter was left in silence once more until the ding of the oven timer made him jump. He'd have to say something to the Super. After all, it seemed like they had rats in the building. Yeah, it HAD to be rats.

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"I mean its not my fault I'm in shape. Its not my fault I can finish puzzles faster than him. Or that I know how to speak up and not be talked down to. I mean... whatever," arms folded, he gave up on trying to figure any of it out.

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"Sounds like he's depressed," Walter said, stating the obvious. "Either that or he's just burning out on the job. I've seen it happen before. Just gets too monotonous for them." He fiddled with his glasses again as he thought.

"How old is he now anyway? Some kids get to a certain age and it's like an early mid-life crisis. Not where he thought he'd be at that age or something." Walter wasn't one to offer advice since he didn't think he had that good a handle on his own problems, let alone other peoples'. But if asked he'd try his best. Even if only to be polite.

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“That doesn’t seem like proper training,” Yuri said while scrubbing her arms and legs in the water. “Not many can aspire to be something great without friends, loved ones and rivals to keep pushing us forward.”

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"Perhaps that is why Master Reishi has brought her here," Yin piped up, still upside down. "All training must start somewhere. Even if it isn't in ideal circumstances."

Having finished with washing off, Yin was now simply enjoying himself for a little. He was currently upside down, walking and hopping his way across the stones near the waterfall on his hands.

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(Just asking the obvious man.

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((But he's only eleven. ))

Yin waved happily at Kagura, swimming about the pond lazily and simply enjoying the water.

((Sorry for the short post. All I could think of right now. ))

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"Heya Walter," Travis sat his arm on the top of the cubicle wall as he leaned, "ya got a minute?"

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Walter jumped a bit in surprise, fidgeting with his glasses as he looked up at the younger man.

"Oh, Travis," he said after recognizing the other employee. "Yeah sure. Just let me back this up real quick." He made a few quick taps on the keyboard and minimized the screen.

"There," he adjusted his glasses again, turning back toward Travis. "So, what did you need?"

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“If you’d like, I can wash your clothes for you. It would only take an hour or so for them to dry.”

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"I thank you most kindly, but I will simply shake the dust out of them for now," Yin answered, smiling. "I have some others I can change into should I feel the need. I also apologize for misunderstanding your earlier question. You are quite right; this is not an adequate bathing technique. I was merely taking a few moments to calm myself before continiuing."

Yin lapsed out of his stance to stand normally on the rock.

"However, I am quite anxious to explore our new home, so I think that is enough meditation for now." Diving into the water, Yin stayed submerged for a little, wiping away the remaining dirt from his skin. Finally he resurfaced, sputtering a little and rubbing his eyes, actually resembling the 11-year old boy that he was for a moment. His hands detected the faint feeling of stubble as he ran his hands over his head. He made a mental note to shave it again later.

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“What do you think you’re doing?” she said almost laughing, “Why are you in that stance?”

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"It is a form of meditation," Yin answered, opening his eyes to look over and bow toward Yuri. "Back at my temple I was taught that, as one can find their center through meditation, the body can also find its center as well. This aids in achieving perfect balance; a most important skill. This stance is meant to focus both my mind and body. The water just provides a distraction to be overcome."

Most of it was just reciting the lessons given to him by the masters at his old temple that he had memorized and taken to heart.

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"Those who wish to take baths, you may now do so. However, you are not going to use the Mountain baths. No, there," he said, pointing to a waterfall near the Mountain temple structure, "is where you will be taking your first bath."

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Yin was actually quite anxious to get started, but ambition was something to be watched lest it prove your downfall. His traveling robes were quite dusty from his long walk and the water would refresh him quite a bit. Thanks to his training the pain in his back was pretty much gone by now.

"Thank you Sensei," Yin bowed to Halven, walking over to the waterfall. Nakedness had never been taught to him as a taboo, so the boy carelessly stripped out of his robes and hopped across the rocks to the falls. His feet remained sure-footed on the slippery rocks as he stood under the falling water.

Yin changed to a one-legged stance and pressed his hands together in front of him, bowing his head to meditate while the water washed the dust and dirt from him.

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"Chill shortstack, just sayin I already have a foundation on defence, I came here to get stronger, not learn to block better.

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Yin was still not convinced. It still seemed to be too narrow a focus to him, but as stated before, he did not feel qualified to impart lessons to his peers.

Walking over, Yin bowed respectfully to both Masters before moving to stand near the other Mountain students.

"Thank you Master Reishi," Yin smiled. "I will take your advice." His smile turned to a concerned frown at Mr. Millions comment however. To so easily dismiss an important aspect of combat so carelessly was most foolish. Defense, like any skill, was an artform that should be respected as much as the offensive. Still, given his age, Yin was reluctant to try and give any grown-up advice.

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In age-old tradition, after the Mountain Master had freed his path, they would utter together, "Time to choose..."

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Fang Yin looked carefully at the two masters, seeming to be at an impasse as to which path to take. Turning back to Reishi, the boy bowed casually.

"I'm afraid I am unsure which school to choose," he said, sounding a little perplexed. "I admit that both hold interest for me, but I realize that I must master one before considering the other. You said before you may be able to aid my decision. After seeing what skills I have, can you give me any advice on which path I should begin with?"

((Crap in a hat! Leave for a few hours and this thing explodes. Okay, let me try to get back into things here. I'll throw in a teacher if no more show up soon.))

Yin began to prepare to meet Kagura's charge, but the sudden commotion nearby brought their match to a stop. The boy watched the tussle between Reishi and Mr. Millions carefully. His assumptions about Reishi's abilities earlier proved correct. She was quite obviously unfazed by the man's attacks and Yin was sure it would be quite awhile before he could go head-to-head with her.

As for Mr. Millions. Well, Yin could only conclude that fighting like a 'punk' was simply attacking with no thought of honor or discipline. The boy knew of the 'street fighting' method of combat and even found some merit in the style, but to have no focus whatsoever in one's mental conditioning.... he just couldn't imagine it. Where was the honor in a battle cheaply won? That wasn't winning, it was simply surviving.

Yin's young mind took in move after move, cataloging each away for further study later. When the fight ended he turned back to Kagura to offer to resume their match, but it was cut off again by the ill woman. Yin kept his distance to let the 'grown-ups' handle it. He had training in the healing ways of course, standard for any shaolin monk. But the others seemed to be a little more well versed and Yin was content to leave it to them.

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"Here, take this. Don;t mind the smell. I'm told it tastes horrible, but it'll make you feel better."

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"I thank you kind sir, but will decline. Some pains are best left to linger so one may better remember the lesson they teach." Yin nodded thankfully to the old man, quoting one of the many teachings the old temple master had given him.


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"Work on your flexibility too, I can't tell you how many young punks I saw get their limbs dislocated by wannabe pro wrestlers because they thought martial arts were all about speed and power. Not to mention it makes falling easier."

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"Quite so," Yin acknowledged. "Sadly my walk here was a long one and I'm afraid some stiffness still remains. I will endeavor to improve my flexibility. After all, I'm sure I have no desire to be considered a 'punk'."

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"Looks like Kagura wants to fight ya too, are ya up for it? She's not even close to as good as me," Reishi laughed.

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"If she wishes to, I will accept," Yin smiled, bowing to the other girl. "I have yet to turn down a friendly challenge and see no reason to start now. Since I was given the privilage of first strike before, I will do the same for you now." He lapsed back into a more standard 'ready' stance, allowing Kagura first attack.

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"Don't feel bad 'bout gettin knocked around, I've been trainin since I could make a fist. Add ta that I'm a mutant, I heal a lot faster than normal people."

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It took a few seconds for things to come back into focus and even then his vision seemed to consist only of dirt. Yin had rather expected the girl's skill to dwarf his own, but that didn't help the ache in his spine.

"Indeed," Yin winced painfully as he hesitantly pushed himself to his feet. "Your technique is most impressive. I look forward to another match when I may offer a little more of a challenge." He smiled, bowing to her in respect (though maybe not quite as low as before as his back refused to move too much at the moment).

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"Hm, not enough oomph to it. Are you focusing your chi? Or maybe you call it ki...or chakra..."

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It seemed the girl was evaluating a little more than sparring, which was fine with Yin.

"You are correct," the boy nodded, easing back into his starting position. "It was not meant as a powerful blow. If you would rather test my strength, then I will oblige." His position shifted, abandoning the one-legged stance and placing both feet on the ground, legs spread widely, still facing her from the side.

Both hands were held palms toward Reishi, his left straight out, his right bent at the elbow. His fingers were kept half-curled and rigid in a claw-like position. Every muscle in his body seemed to flex at once, shaking a little with the strain as a growl began forming in his throat.

Yin held the position, almost vibrating with the tension of his body until it seemed he'd explode. Finally he shot forward, the stored up power sending him flying at Reishi like a bullet, his right foot actually leaving a few small spiderweb cracks in the dirt where he pushed off.

All the pent up energy focused on his right arm as he drove it forward with all his might, the growl turning to a sharp cry meant to aid in the power of the attack. The strike was aimed at the girl's sternum, palm facing forward with fingers curled tight.

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"The first move is yours."

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"Thank you," Yin said, nodding to the newly arrived elder and then bowing more formally to Reishi as befitted a serious match. The young monk knew that a straight-forward forceful attack would be useless. An alumni of the Temples could easily overpower him.

His right leg slid back behind him, turning him so his left side faced his opponent. His left leg was drawn up, bending at a 45 degree angle with the sole of his shoe resting against his right leg. His left arm extended out in front of him, palm facing upward while his right was held at an upward angle on his other side.

The style of the crane. Made for facing stronger enemies. Yin held no delusions of victory, the girl was an alumni after all. But he also intended to try his best. After all, he who expects to lose has already been defeated.

Holding the position for a few seconds, Yin pushed himself off the ground to bring his leg up in a spinning kick at Reishi. It wasn't a very determined attack yet. More of a feint to get things going and feel out his opponent.