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"Change?" comes the question before he can stop it.
What for? What's wrong with this shirt? I'm home.
West doesn't wait for the reply, though. Like many men, he's realized that his paramour is far more committed to trivial battles than he is. With a long easy stride, he exits the room to go stare at a closet (mostly) filled with clothes purchased for him.
Doesn't she know how hard it is to get blood out of clothes without Circe?
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"Yes, change." Ankh says motioning to the wet t-shirt and swim shorts.
She shakes her head as West walks away, not sure what to do with the man. It was obvious West had spent far too much time as a bachelor. Turning back to Tam, she smiles. "Well, I think you might be served best by some meditative techniques. Your problem seems to stem from a lack of a disciplined mind more then anything else. I'm going to need your attention for those techniques though, so I'll wait until you're done exploring the kitchen."
Ankh sits down at the table and begins to leaf through some of Tam's books.
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Tam pulls her attention away from the cooking utensils and returns to the table. With a sigh, she sits down.
"This should be better than my first attempts at meditative training. You are not a monk in a business suit. I believe my initial instructor had a theory that meditation was all about boring students into mental numbness."
Tam smiles at the idea of a more interesting way to learn.
A new friend, also a student, in a kitchen. This might work.
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West reappears shortly. He Looks Nice. Or, at least, that's what Ankh said when he tried these clothes on in the store. He's wearing neat khakis, loafers, and a light blue oxford. He's also wearing an uncomfortable look, and moves stiffly, as if unsure with what to do with a shirt that doesn't have wrinkles. He's also still carrying his 'towel' under his arm.
He makes his way into the kitchen, listening to the two girls, curious to see what Ankh will say. He'll save the Taoist mumbo jumbo.
Damn. I thought they were making something to eat.
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Ankh watches West enter the kitchen, giving him a sideways look. "Er, wow. Going somewhere? Jeans and a t-shirt would have been fine honey." She shrugs, not really sure if that was what he thought she expected, or if that was what he really wanted to wear. This is why men always think their women are trying to change them. Because that is what they assume rather then actually talking about it.
Heaven forbid he communicate. Ankh thinks with a frown before turning back to Tam.
Suddenly, an idea comes to her. "You know what? I think I may have something that just might work for you. I'll be right back." She turns and headfs into her room.
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Tam watches Ankh leave. She looks over at West.
"I'm not trying to step on any toes," she says briefly glancing in the direction Ankh went, "but, I didn't have a problem with the shirt and trunks. I take it you are more than a weekend athlete? Oh! Nevermind that. What do you want for dinner? I'm not a slouch in the kitchen, and I offered a well cooked meal in return for tutoring help."
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"Ah, should I change then?" West asks Ankh. He isn't ruffled, at all, but he is seriously contemplating just saying the hell with it and casting Incognito.
It's OK," he smiles at Tam. "We're all learning, I guess. And... yeah, I do triathlons." At her question about food, he shrugs. He's never been particular about some things. "I'm just watching?" he asks as an explanation. "Ankh sounds like your tutor..."
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"Ahh here we are." Ankh says, putting a slinky on the table in front of Tam. She looks up at West and shrugs. "If you're uncomfortable, then go change. I just didn't think you'd want to be walking around in wet shorts."
She gives her attention back to Tam. "Lesson first, food later. All right, I'm going to teach you about the Alpha state of mind. It's the state that your mind slips into right before R.E.M. sleep and the state your mind goes into when you're meditating. A lot of poeple have a hard time reaching the Alpha state. So, techniques were designed to help those people reach it. Now, what I want you to do is pick up the slinky and start playing with it. Hold each end in both hands and just move it back and forth. Slow and steady.......back and forth....."
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Tam tries to suppress a smile.
"Heh, Alpha. Makes me think of animal leadership, rather than a brain state."
Tam picks up the slinky still smiling. Faint memories of childhood joy floated into her mind. She put an end in each hand as instructed, and started moving it backwards, side to side, watching the coils zip by, one way, than the other.
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Uncomfortable. That's exactly what I am. This get-up is removing the comfort from me.
"Yeah... I think I will," West replied to Ankh. He headed back down the hall to change again.
A few minutes later he re-appeared in a Pretty Hate Machine t-shirt and faded jeans. Although the jeans showed wear and tear, the shirt looked nearly new. It's appearance, and lingering resonance, were clear indicators that the twenty year old shirt had been preserved.
It was actually quite a bitch to keep finding a Matter Mage every few years... but West was dedicated, and it was his favorite shirt.
The towel has disappeared, but the pistol has not... it's tucked into the back waistband of his jeans.
Silently, he watches the Slinky handlers.
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