[@Zelosse]

Jordan woke at the usual time.

Rolling out of bed, he thumped to the floor, face flaring in pain. "Oh happy day." Jordan's room was still shadowy and gray, and as he drew himself up into a facsimile of standing position, a beam of light shot over the horizon and flashed in his eyes. Grumbling faintly, he rummaged through his bedside table and found his toothbrush. Plucking a few remaining items and wrapping a towel around his neck, he made for the door.

As he was opening the door, Jordan's foot happened to be in the right place at the wrong time, and he-

"Son of a bitch!" Jordan yelled, dropping his things and reaching for his injured toe. Cradling his foot in the doorway, Jordan whimpered. [i]She did a number on me, that's for damn sure.[/i] Jordan coughed, dropped his foot and gathered up his things. He had a full day ahead of him.

[hr]

A half-day, actually, as the note on the door of his office helpfully informed him. He'd also spotted a notice on the Headmaster's door. Hadn't bothered to read it though, since he could do that when he was actually fully alive. The short walk to the Hot Springs had helped, in that the still cold morning air had made his breath cloud ahead of him, and in the early morning wakefulness came at the behest of exposure to the elements, or so his drill sergeant had so stolidly proclaimed all those years ago.

Jordan was still reminiscing on the arduous task of pulling whole logs through mud and sleet in torrential downpours when he absent-mindedly wandered over to the baths. Setting down his towel and other amenities, Jordan stripped down. Based on the assumption that there were still no students awake at this hour and the knowledge of the scheduling for the hot springs which he used regularly, Jordan could go naked in the hot springs without any real worry of being seen. He could still feel the aftereffects of his old injury and his muscles were taut and raw. 

Jordan sank down into the water with a contented sigh, feeling the heat work its way through his bones. He might not be a huge fan of water when trying to wield sand, but he could appreciate the beauty of the Hot Springs every morning he had a soak in one. Jordan was about to close his eyes when he spotted something odd floating nearby. [i]Did somebody leave a towel behind? In the middle of the pool?[/i] A faint sense of recognition dawned on Jordan and he lay his head back and exhaled slowly.

"Hey Kano."

[i]That must have been what the note was about,[/i] Jordan realized, as he'd known the Headmaster to frequent the Hot Springs on several occasions. He simply hadn't ever accounted for the fact that their schedules might overlap. A long silence fell.

"Did you see my-"

Jordan cut himself off, and decided to be on his best behaviour. Despite the relaxing nature of the steamy waters, an uneasy awareness spread over him at the realization that he was very much at the mercy of Kano, should the Headmaster decide that Jordan was acting too brash. Which of course, reminded him of the note he'd received before the Night Run. Which reminded him again of the Night Run, and what had happened during. [i]Damn, but I am good at pissing off people who can mop the floor with me.[/i]

"I'm going to beat the pulp out of a student again. Thought you should know. Figured if anybody's going to be cleaning up after me, they could do with some warning in advance. He's a real hot-head. Reminds me of myself. Of course, if he keeps picking fights with teachers, he'll soon realize exactly what happens when you bite off more than you can chew."