The Dorm Lawn, late Friday morning [11/23]

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Cassandra wasn't sure whether it was the time she'd spent in her room or the meditation this morning or some combination of the two, but she found that she was feeling remarkably calm. It wasn't something she had expected, especially with the recent anniversary, but that didn't change how she felt.

It had been a while since she had practiced any of the softer styles she had been taught, and today felt like the day for it. So she was out on the lawn going through a series of slow graceful movements, flowing smoothly from one to the next.

[ooc: Open.]

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[intraspective]

"What's that called?" Ino asked curiously, as she paused to watch.

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Cassandra finished the form before turning to Ino. "Tai chi chuan. I haven't practiced it in a while."

[intraspective]

She smiled, "You looked pretty good to me, but I admit that I don't know anything about that style. Well, any style from this world really."

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"There are a lot," Cassandra admitted. "I know most of them."

[intraspective]

"Are you good at most of them though?" It was asked curiously, then she laughed, "If that's the case then it's no wonder I lost so easily."

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"I guess," Cassandra shrugged. "It's all I learned until I was eight."

[intraspective]

Ino blinked. "You learned all of that before you were eight?" Colour her impressed.

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"Instead of talking, yeah." It had been a pretty demanding curriculum.

[intraspective]

It had to have been. Ino stared. "You didn't learn to talk before that?"

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"I was fifteen," Cassandra explained. "I just started learning other stuff when I was eight."

[intraspective]

...

Ino was never ever going to complain about her training schedule again. Never.

"Doesn't that make it hard to interact with people?"

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"Sometimes." Most of the time. "But... not always because of the talking." Cassandra frowned, considering, "Because I didn't know how to talk, I learned to... understand the way people move."

"Most of the time what they mean is not what they say."

[intraspective]

"Everybody lies." Ino agreed cheerfully, "They even teach us how back home."

"So, like, body language?" she asked, tilting her head, "How much information can you get out of that anyway?"

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"A lot. People talk all the time, and most people don't know how to make their bodies lie."

[intraspective]

"It'd be a lot harder than verbally, that's for sure." Ino said, "But I guess you didn't have much choice if you weren't taught to talk."

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"Yeah. My dad thought it would make me a better fighter." He had been right.

[intraspective]

"I suppose," Ino said dubiously, since it was hard to argue that when Cassandra was definitely a better fighter than she was, "but I have to admit that I like talking."

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Cassandra nodded, "I... I'm learning to think it's a useful thing too."

[intraspective]

She beamed. "It's fun! I'm in Room 504 if you ever want to come and practise." Ino was always up for talking. "And we still need to have a sneaky skills match up!"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"We do," Cassandra grinned. She would enjoy that.

[intraspective]

It would definitely be fun. "Want to set a date?" Ino suggested, "That way it won't keep getting put off."

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"Sure," she laughed. "When do you want to get your butt handed to you?"

[intraspective]

"So mean!" Ino stuck her tongue out and laughed, "I told you I'm better at sneaky than fighting out and out! I won't make it easy on you!" Even if she'd still probably lose.

"In the evening, maybe?" She thought about it, "Sometime this weekend?"

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"Tomorrow?" Cassandra smirked.

[intraspective]

Ino tossed her head and grinned, "Sounds good to me!" Pause. "Where do we want to meet?"