See? Even when I'm away from home, I can't stop writing. *L* Poor pitiful handwriting....

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"With all due respect, Master Setsu," Kirin said with grave dignity, "I never found comments about my weight amusing when I was younger and I find them less so now."

He had kept his words cool and even but there was no mistaking the underlying tension behind them. Setsu blinked and drew himself up defensively but before he could speak, Kirin continued.

"My students know me as I am now. I would appreciate it if you would not belittle me in their eyes." Bowing deeply to his former teacher, Kirin turned and left the dojo.

The worst of his anger had begun to subside by the time he reached the pavilion the eastern edge of the compound. Kirin berated himself for losing his temper; Setsu couldn't help remembering the plump fledgling that he turned into a skilled warrior like a steel bar being forged into a sword. He winced at the twinge of pain in his back as the lactic acid began to pool in his overworked muscles. Pulling his left arm across his collarbone in a lateral stretch, he grimaced as his muscles screamed in protest.

"Stupid fool," he muttered. "I should've taken the time to cool down."

"Yes, you should have." There was no condemnation in her voice; if anything, Ariana sounded vaguely amused. "That was quite a workout."

"You… saw it?"

"Uh-huh."

"All of it?"

"Yup."

Kirin closed his eyes. "You saw me lose my temper with Master Setsu?"

"Well, he and Kai weren't being all that subtle." Her hands framed his face and his barbels draped through her fingers. "Sometimes family can be a real pain, dragging up stuff that you never want to want brought up again. So you were a chubby kid, so what?"

"Ari-chan!" he protested. "I never--!"

"Please…," she snorted. "I've seen you eat Pocky. It's like a religious experience with you."

He finally worked up the nerve to look at her. "It's just --," he said haltingly, "I was so unhappy after my mother died. The clan mourned but it was like they were relieved. A lot of people felt the way my parents and I formed a family group when against tradition."

"So you fell into a self-indulgent destructive cycle."

"What?" Kirin raised both eyebrows. "Where did you get that?"

"Psychology 101." Ariana laughed. "Hey, I may not be the technogeek that Graeme is but when he first started school, I felt left out so I decided to take a few on-line courses. I always liked figuring out what makes people tick."

He shook his head and smiled in spite of himself. "You constantly surprise me."