The Beach, Thursday Morning

[atreideslioness]

Cold.  Ghanima let the sand slide through her fingers in fascination.  It never ceased to amaze her, the ocean, despite so many images of it in her Other Memory.  Sand should only be cold at night, the fierce freezing cold of the deep desert at midnight.  During the day, it ought to be hot, burning the hand that dared touch it. 

Grinning, she removed her shoes and set them off to the side, enjoying the feel of sand again.  Taking a deep breath, she centered herself, allowing her mind to empty as she began moving through the basic forms of the Weirding Way.  Anyone who was walking by would see a flickering as Ghanima vanished and reappeared in various spots around the beach, kicking and twirling her way along the sand as she danced with the waves. 


[open!  entertain me?]

Comments

[intraspective]

Ino was wandering past the beach with the vague intention of maybe practising her chakra control when she spotted someone... dancing? She paused to watch, hoping the person wouldn't mind an audience.

[atreideslioness]

Ghani feinted left and vanished, only to reappear almost instantly five feet to the right to deliver what would have been a killing blow to the ocean, had it been a person. She was nowhere near as proficient as Leto or her Grandmother at this, but her technique as still clean.

Brushing the hair out of her eyes, she tossed a grin over her shoulder at the other presence she had sensed. "Morning."

[intraspective]

"Morning!" Ino was grinning, "What was that?" She was also nosy and that had looked pretty cool.

[atreideslioness]

"That was me doing my exercises for the first time in far too long," she laughed, rolling her shoulders. "It's called the Weirding Way, it's a fighting style that requires optimized muscle control and restructuring your personal reality. If my brother knew I'd been slacking, he'd have me face-down in the sand for it."

[intraspective]

"... restructuring your personal reality?" She shrugged, not getting it and figuring it was something that probably made sense if you were from whatever world this person came from. "When I first got here," she confided, "I slacked off for a bit too. I think that's kinda normal in a new place."

[atreideslioness]

"Your mind affects your reality. By picturing yourself behind your opponent, or simply knowing that a move will be performed, you can do it. It's about not only training your body, but your mind." Ghanima tilted her head and reappeared off to the other blonde's left. "It makes practical jokes so much more entertaining."

"It appears I've been letting more than my exercises slip. Ghanima Atreides, teacher."

[intraspective]

"Don't do that!" She scolded when Ghanima did the disappearing trick, then flushed because... uh, teacher. Yeah. Ino crossed her arms. "Yamanaka Ino." She figured that it was pretty obvious she was a student.

[atreideslioness]

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Ghanima looked mildly repentant and shifted her body slightly to remove herself from Ino's personal space. "I'm afraid I've never outgrown my need to surprise people. They never expect it from the pretty, blonde ones."

[intraspective]

"Well... okay." Ino said. She could understand that. "Surprises are fun to spring on other people." Other people clearly meaning 'not her'. "It's the hair," she said more cheerfully, "they see blonde and think innocent. Not that that makes sense, but it seems to hold fairly true."

[atreideslioness]

"Of course they think we're innocent, it's the halo effect. All the shiny drives rational thought away, and they think we're just pretty girls. Pretty, harmless, girls." The grin on her face probably told Ino exactly what Ghani thought about that idea. "While it can be useful, it's also rather frustrating."

[intraspective]

"I know," she said, "it's so hard sometimes getting people to take you seriously. Or to stop treating you like you're useless."

[atreideslioness]

"They figure out you aren't useless once you do something dramatic, but then they tend to forget again." Ghani twirled a lock of long pale hair in the sunlight. "Volia, shiny. I attribute it to men having short attention spans."

[intraspective]

"And some of them never learn," Ino couldn't help but laugh, "ah well, it does keep it interesting. Which is a good thing, obviously."

[not-an-answer.livejournal.com]

As much fun as sitting around the station and waiting for something to happen was, Renee found herself out around the island. Like she was a beat cop again.

She paused upon seeing a woman do something. Tai Chi maybe? She didn'y really know, but it looked interesting so she hung back, just watching.

[atreideslioness]

Ghani was re-creating for herself a sparring match she had plucked from her Other Memory, a training exercise between her Grandmother and Reverend Mother Mohiam.

Executing the final move which had let Mohiam win (and left her Grandmother sprawled in an undignified heap), Ghani shook her hair free from her ponytail and looked over at the other woman. "I see I'm not the only one who was going stir-crazy today. Is the beach always this popular in winter?"

[not-an-answer.livejournal.com]

Renee blinked, shaking her head to clear the fuzz that seemed to have gathered while she watched the woman move. "That would normally be summer."

[atreideslioness]

"Normally," she agreed easily, "but I think I like it better in winter. Fewer students to worry about accidentally creating an impression on."

She studied the newcomer steadily. "At least, I'm assuming you aren't a student."

[not-an-answer.livejournal.com]

Walking forward, Renee gave her an amused look. "A little old for that," She said, putting an hand out. "Detective Montoya." She paused, correcting herself slightly. "Renee."

[atreideslioness]

"Ghanima Atreides, Ghani." she said, accepting the hand. "I teach at the school. A detective? Here?" Ghanima considered Renee thoughtfully. "Is there much call for law enforcement?"

[not-an-answer.livejournal.com]

Renee shook her head, looking out at the ocean. "Not yet. People seem intent on fixing things without our help."

[atreideslioness]

"Humanity is proud, not to mention stupid." Ghani followed her gaze over the water and shook her head. "Combine that with the fact that at least three-fourths of the population here is under eighteen and think they have great and grand destinies? It's a recipe for disaster."

[not-an-answer.livejournal.com]

Snorting, Renee looked at Ghani again, a closer look with that kind of comment.

"And you're a teacher. How the hell do you stay sane with that crap?"

[atreideslioness]

"I've only taught four classes or so?" Ghani gave Renee a wry look. "I took over for a previous teacher after midterms. In my class, I have a boy who's an emperor of another galaxy, a girl who's never been to school, a telepath, a wizard, and a large furry child. That's just in Career Choices. I can't wait to see who or what I get when I teach Mythology this semester."

"Although I'm beginning to think the only think keeping me sane is the sheer amount of coffee and tea I drink. It keeps me too buzzed to think too hard about it."

[not-an-answer.livejournal.com]

"Coffee does seem to keep everyone relatively sane here," Renee said, laughing at that. "My-- Agent Cooper at the station can't live without some of the stuff from the Perk."

[atreideslioness]

"Perhaps we should investigate...I wouldn't be surprised if the employees were putting sedatives in it just to keep us all calm. Perhaps they're in league with the children?" Ghani tilted her head, considering. "They want to keep us pliant to their mad whims, so they get us hooked on coffee. Clever little things."