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The bat, known as she was by some for her outlandish outfits, no longer arrived at battle practices so adorned. Still, one could sense a touch of, or at least a longing for, glamor in the black suede pants and fitted black hoodie peppered lightly with ruby rhinestones. Her sunglasses were off for once, the fading light didn't hurt her eyes the way it might have a few hours earlier. Behind her, a groggy Vimber walked with surprisingly sedateness, butting Earako on occasion with her nose, but not growling in her usual manner.

Arriving in sight of the teacher, Earako paused, taking in the situation with a haunted, uneasy glance. There was something there all right, in the way her eyes stopped on the teacher, in the way she seemed to fall still. One could almost see a cold descend over her, see her shoulders square, her expression go from amusement at Vimber's nudges to absolute blankness. She couldn't control the situation. She could, however, control herself.

"Go sit." She commanded the dragon, her voice a drifting whisper devoid of the affection one might expect. And Vimber, knowing well her partner in this room, did so after giving a growling promise that she would watch. Earako, however, was already moving forward, approaching until she was just a bit out of arms reach. At least he wasn't a magic teacher, she told herself. That at least, was something.

"Sir. My name is Earako. I believe I am to train with you?"

"Hello, Miss." It was difficult to say whether the introduction of a safe observer effected her. Her tone was still icy, her face expressionless. Still, she was polite. One got the impression that even if she was fighting for her continued existence, Earako would be polite about it.

At the teacher's instruction, she gave a short nod. "Yes, sir." She murmured, before settling to the ground and beginning to reach for her toes. She could just reach them. While Earako spent hours a day on target practice, whether it be with knives, guns, or bow, she didn't pay nearly so much attention to the immediate upkeep of her body. When she had demands of it (as she had once demanded that it be graceful) she practiced and pushed until she mastered the skill she'd set her mind on. But she was otherwise generally unaware of the good stretching and working out might do her.

So, with some hesitance, she began to follow the motions she'd seen her father do when he worked out. First reaching for her toes in front of her, then spreading her legs and reaching for each individual foot. She was a good observer, and mimicked the motions fairly well, but no tension left her, which made the stretches a bit less effective.

((Thanks for letting me know that you'd started things back up.))

Earako was not without her flaws, or her strengths. Indeed, often as not, her traits were double edged, as helpful as they were crippling. Perfectionism, for example. The fear she had of allowing others to see her at less than her best. Oh sure, it meant she often did well when she put her mind to things. But it also meant she tried to avoid doing new things. Things she hadn't yet mastered.

And here he was showing her how much better she should be doing at something as simple as stretching. If she'd been fully herself, if she hadn't already locked down, one might have seen the threat of tears in her eyes. As it was, she only frowned, which, if nothing else, was the most expression she'd yet shown.

"Yes, sir," she responded, her usual whisper still remote, but touched now with the barest hint of emotion. "I don't believe I can do it as you did."

And if she couldn't, well she wasn't about to embarrass herself by volunteering to make the attempt a second time.

The frown faded from Earako's face as Kayin spoke. In its place, nothing. But the frown was gone. Whether or not that was a good sign was certainly up to debate, though. At least a frown was something. At least a frown indicated that on some level, the being that called itself Earako was still present beneath the icy exterior.

Still, she listened. Earako was good at listening. And his words made sense. She knew how to practice. She knew how to make a fool of herself when there was no one watching. At home, when there was only family around, she could do this. Do it until she got it right. Maybe. If there was some reason. If it would make her safer, make her better.

At the instruction to sit, Earako's stillness took on a new dimension. She seemed to weigh the instruction, glancing to Vimber, then back at Kayin. It seemed for a moment that she would disobey. But, no.

She sat, once again leaving space enough that he would not be able to grab her without serious effort and movement. She was a good judge of such distance, her sewing had given her an eye for measurement. She was silent. The instruction didn't seem to require response beyond obedience.

Sit and watch and...

Huh?

Nothing was happening. The teacher didn't even seem to be moving. The ice was a facade, it was armor she had built. It was something she controlled, no matter how the situation left her grasp.

But sitting? It wasn't built for that. It wasn't intended for inaction. Suddenly Earako didn't know what to do with herself.

At first, it wasn't so bad. She folded her hands in her lap, fixed her gaze on a distant point that allowed her to avoid looking at the teacher. But even she couldn't remain frozen in such a pose forever. Her fingers began to twitch and fiddle, irritation began to find its way through cracks in her otherwise perfect mask. Her posture, though still close to ideal, eased into a slightly more comfortable pose.

Her eyes jumped to the teacher, then back to the wall, and Earako, without even intending to, sighed.

The teacher's words had her tensing again, falling back into the sharp perfect lines of disipline as the sound of his voice reminded her of why she'd built her shell at the first place. The displeasure left her expression and though she watched him as he spoke, it would be difficult to say whether or not she actually saw him.

Still, she listened. It was part of the role she played. And she was, deep down, the girl she'd always been. A good girl. An obedient girl. If anything, the ice existed to allow her the room for obedience without fear. But the order itself, well, that was difficult.

Her mind fluttered through a list of places, any place, any safe place. Home, where her Dad was, where her Cousin waited, promising to keep her safe. The quiet of the yard with Vimber curled close.

Every anywhere.

But she couldn't settle. The pose that allowed her to obey fought that same obedience, fought the danger of an order to relax.

Finally, after a slow breath inward, she let her gaze again rest on the teacher, "Sir? Why are we doing this?" A pause, "Will it make me stronger?"

She didn't sound annoyed, didn't sound much of anything, though it was the first true question she'd asked. She needed to know. Needed something to hold onto, something that justified forcing past the fear.

Earako allowed herself to hear his response, turning his words over in her mind, checking the logic for flaws. What he said made sense and that made the class, however strange, important to her. It was not such a great thing to wish to be safe. Was it? Sometimes it seemed as if classes like these were not an answer, that it'd be easier to hide away and not have to learn to cope. But she was not immune to loneliness, nor was she without curiosity. Going out was still necessary, and it was best to do it correctly.

Once again, she frowned, an expression that was fast beginning to seem the only she was willing to manage.

"I see," she said at last, as the frown left her lips. Though her words remained settled at a near whisper, one could almost read curiosity behind her clipped statements. "So, I must picture some place relaxing? And if I do it right, it will help me when there are-- when I am frightened?"