<span style="color: #0080FF">Gale sighed, wringing out a towel before wiping his face and neck with it, the ghee he was wearing half hanging off so that his torso was shown. He looked at the mirror and frowned a little at the angry, red spot on his lower ribs he knew would turn into a bruise.</span><span style="color: #40BFFF"><span style="font-style: italic">So much for just sparring... </span></span><span style="color: #0080FF">he thought, draping the small towel over his neck before running his hands through his hair and heading to his locker. Club time was over so it was time to head home...<br/><br/>He draped his school bag over his shoulder and walked out of the school gates, glancing around before setting off at a jog across the street. He thought about the fight he'd just been in, counting out the motions in his head like he'd been taught to do to figure out where he'd gone wrong. His mistake was simple, he had let himself fall into a sense of security. That wasn't something one should do, particularly if you happen to be an 'outsider' who's competing for the number one spot in the club. The competition doesn't appreciate that. <br/><br/>Suddenly he smiled, chuckling at himself mostly as he took a turn off of his normal route heading towards the temple. He didn't plan on going up the mountain tonight, but he felt like at least visiting the smaller shrine closer to the town. He didn't know why, but there was just something about passing through the gates and getting to the other side of the bamboo trees that made the shrine feel like it's own separate entity from the town. There hadn't been places like this in Germany when he'd been a child, Brazil was a distant memory, Italy was unique and had been fun, but no where had the same... spirit, perhaps? He wasn't sure what it was, he just liked it here.<br/><br/>He slowed down to a walk as the shrine camp into view and smiled, setting his bag down near the tree line before walking to the  purification fountain. He took a slow calming breath and took the wooden ladle, scooping up water and rinsing off his hands. He poured himself a handful of water, cupping it to his own mouth before rinsing his mouth and swallowing. He'd been told he was supposed to rinse and spit, on the ground next to the shrine, but his Mother had also taught him not to spit in public as he grew up. Old habits died hard, so he swallowed the water instead.<br/><br/>He walked around the fountain and up towards the shrine, pulling out a few coins from his pocket and jingling them in his hand as he thought about what to pray for. He stopped in from of the hall and dropped his coins in the box, offering a couple of bows before standing and clapping his hands twice, bowing once more before standing and offering his prayer. </span><span style="color: #40BFFF">Thank you for bringing my Mother and I here...</span>