Seeming more than happy to get back into motion, Tenma adjusts her mask before giving a nod. Everything in place, including her thoughts, the Scorpion girl slips off into the water with almost nary a ripple, seeming to glide through it more than anything else.

He gave her a bit of time to build distance, then jettisoned himself into a crawl.

Tenma preferred a dolphin kick stroke, breaking to the surface occasionally but spending much of the time fluttering underwater. It helped that she had special clips for her mask to keep the water out of her eyes. Made it... peaceful, under the water. Even the Moto in the pool just seemed like part of the environment down here. She even did a playful pass underneath him to his other side.

Ruhe liked all kinds of stuff, and it included different strokes. As she dove underneath him, he instinctually slowed down and calmed his moves as well for a moment of appreciation for the graceful strokes of her form against the backdrop of the shimmering canvas of the pool bottom, a dance of refracted light on her skin and swimsuit.

Reaching the other end of the pool finally, Tenma came up for air and a chuckle, doing some circles as Ruhe approached, "Mmmm... it's nice that this pool isn't too chlorinated; The water itself is crisp and clear, even if the actual facilities are a bit shabby. I guess that would be the case with Phoenix concepts of purity. Or maybe it just doesn't get used much."

"I guess the Phoenix have plenty of magic tricks up their sleeves to make such places self-maintain." He wasn't far behind. "Would hate to swim in murky water though."

"I'm sure the water kami wouldn't be too fond of it either. I think."

She swam up to him and did another little circle.

"Ever stop to think about how we're always surrounded by them? The kami I mean. The air, the earth, the water... If I were a shugenja, I think I would have the urge to always be asking what they're thinking about, what they think of me, what they've seen... that sort of stuff."

"Sometimes. But I tend to enjoy things that life gives me as I go rather than those I can't grasp. In the end, all is filtered by our own experience, so getting real with things beyond us is a chase that'll never end." He smiled at her. "But it's grand to keep chasing as long as you don't lose the joy of the ride from sight. Life's too short to bet all on getting somewhere." It was her who was surrounding him at the moment, so the imperceptible kami were an afterthought.

"Hmmm... well, I think I can give you a water kami, neh? See, watch this."

And then she cupped her hands together and squirted him with some pool water, right on the top of the head with a grin.

"See? I'm so generous."

"Very." He snickered, water dripping on his face. He shook it off like a dog would. "I can't stay indebted." And he flicked a streak onto her nose right from the surface.

Fortunately the nose was under the mask, though it dripped from there onto her chin.

"An excellent shot, Moto-san. Is that the dexterous fingers of a music at work?"

Slipping out of the water Tenma took a seat on the edge of the pool, taking off her mask to get water out of it, setting it on her thigh before stretching her arms a liitle.

Okay... Ruhe's heart skipped a beat and he gulped silently at the appeal of her pose. Were he to allow the image to be nurtured by his cognition it could lead to rather visible embarrassments. So he dove to the bottom and emerged just to her side, elbows on the rim, looking at the wall.

"There's that, yeah. But if it contributed to you showing me your face then it was also an intuitively cunning move. It's quite a beautiful sight, the whole of you."

"Oh? ...well thank you, Moto-san. I will take that as a compliment to my workout routine. Though I'm more concerned with the results as far as ability goes than looks. Still, I suppose none of that really effects my face, since you mentioned that. Wanna see what I can do with the ability part quick though?"

A brief blush but then she was on to talking about her passions, as was her way.

"Sure, whatever you want to show me." He leaned on one elbow, shifting the body in water to face her, looking up from his mostly submerged position.

Wanting to show off, Tenma stood up and found a spot that wasn't so wet. She pyched herself up a bit by bouncing on the balls of her feet, "Okay. Well, it's been a few months, so I hope I don't fall over...."

Letting out a long breath, she flipped into a handstand... and more.



After making sure everything was working, she flipped forward onto her feet again.

"Phew! Maybe not the most practical set of skills for a magistrate, but it feels good being able to do something as the result of hard work and dedication, neh?"

Tenma positively beamed with pride.

She found Ruhe on his elbows, chin supported by one hand, in an entranced pose, his gaze having obtained a dreamy quality.

"I think it's... mesmerising. So daring it's quite metal. I could watch much more of it, but it looks rather draining, neh?"

"I suppose so. That's not much compared to a full floor routine though. You haven't watched gymnastics before then or something?"

She sat down cross legged on the pool's edge nearby, hands on her knees as she looked at him curiously.

"Maybe, but not as a live performance, and as a stage musician I can assure you there is a difference." He followed her with his gaze. "There is also the miai factor, the pool factor, the swimsuit factor, the up close factor and... the athletic you factor."

A light blush, mood not diminished, "You like athletic women then? I suppose it's not very maidenly... but I guess I am also a samurai, not a maiden. For whatever that means."

"I don't have a type. I like it when life exposes me to unforseen things. Who we are and we aren't is something for another day though. Right now I am enjoying a moment with you, regardless of your deeper identities, and it feels great." He lifted himself out of the pool and sat by her." Besides, labels imply comparison. And I don't feel like comparing you to anyone else right now."