[h1]Luna’s House - A Week Later[/h1][hr][sub][@Gentlemanvaultboy][/sub]

A loud yawn filled the room as the disciple slowly opened his eyes. Lifting himself off the sofa-bed, he wiped his eyes and slipped on his wooden sandals. Click-clacks sounded against the wooden floor as he made his way to the bathroom to freshen up. 

While the process of brushing his teeth with something other than a mint-infused tassel branch came naturally to him, his immediate surroundings were still a mystery to him. 

The man continued to clean his canines, brushing vigorously in circles as last week’s memories came and went. Yuri had left prior, wishing them both a farewell with pendants that now hung around their necks. It glowed faintly in the dim morning sun, the color of ashen jade seeming its brightest at this time of day. This mission was expected to be difficult, never once thinking he’d be away from home for so long.

Upon agreeing to Luna’s suggestion, they both ended up at a wooden house that allowed the sea breeze to waft in and out of it. If he could describe the place in one word, it’d be ‘refreshing’. It was built with a unique type of wood, designed not for luxury or defense, but for comfort. A thought had occurred to him then, upon stepping foot inside the first time - he just could not remember the last time his guard was up! Of course, the fight with Sign Master came to mind, but the sense of calm his new allies brought him was something he just wasn’t used to.

Luna’s home was the epitome of peace, and it was clear to Gou that her relaxed demeanor extended to this place as well. Staying there brought a familiar feeling; not much unlike his rooftop spot back at Yuheng. However, he knew that the longer he allowed himself to relax, the more issues it would bring. As great as this new world seemed, his training came first and foremost. At the very least, should another abomination show up, he would [i]not[/i] be caught lagging behind. The disciple had felt much respect for his martial sister in this regard - not only was she endlessly accommodating, but she took the time to train every day… even if, to him, the movements seemed strange and rather foreign. The water-based sects around the world did seem to cultivate differently.

He spat minty foam into the sink and rinsed, shaking leftover droplets of water from his face. The day was young. And since he had spent the last week being brought out to explore, then laze around the beach, he needed to make this one count for his training. With teeth and face cleaned, he slipped on his inner robes and stepped outside of the house.

Luna happened to be there, continuing her days of practice to come up with a skill that involved salmon. Thinking of salmon, Gou found it both funny and painful - he had eaten more fish in this week than he had in his entire life. Wooden sandals smushed against the sand, the warmth enveloping his toes as he approached Luna with his sword in hand. She looked calm, focused, but mostly at peace in her pursuit of the salmon ways. Positioning himself further from her, he swung, and brought a torrent of wind down with the motion. Another swipe up followed, the precise movement raising the sand as air rushed up to meet his blade. Training was usually peaceful this way.

[color=silver]“Elder martial sister,”[/color] the disciple kept swinging while he commented on her form. [color=silver]“Your salmon keeps getting better. I look forward to seeing you use it in battle!”[/color] From the looks of it, the technique was still unfinished, but it brimmed with an intense energy that only came about when one's chi was at its strongest. Could it be that these forms were the key to mastering the elements? 

Gou's arms began to feel tired, but he had left mountains of sand all around. It looked awkward with the rest of the beach, so he motioned carefully to sweep the wind and level the sand back down. 

[color=silver]“Sister Luna, perhaps we could try what you mentioned the other day-- shall we “film” our fight should the next opponent show up?”[/color] He was not sure of what this plan of his entailed, but aside from excelling in his training, he’d also like to bring something back for his Master and the rest of his sect.