This RP takes place during the summer.

As Charles finished his tenth lap around the park, he slowed and began his cool down. Bringing his water bottle to his lips, he took a quick sip, not wanting to throw too much water into his system on such a hot day. The last thing he needed was for a bunch of that to slosh around and make him sick. He had slowed his pace to a light jog, and he waved and nodded to a few people he passed on the trail. It was a bit hot to be out running, and he knew he’d gotten more than a few looks as he’d started his normal routine, but it was an important part of his training and regardless of the heat or the cold, rain or fog… He’d run it.


Turning off the running trail on the outside of the park, he slowed to a brisk walk, moving toward a little spot he liked to settle down in and meditate. It was important in his mind to do it now, while his body still ached and the sweat from his run still ran down his brow. If he could learn to overcome the pain and blank his mind, then he would only improve his mental strength.


As he turned to a seldom used walking path, he reached the pond he was so fond of, only to notice he wasn’t the only person who seemed to have found the place. Another figure sat in his usual spot, and he shook his head. Well, he supposed he could share.


“Sorry to intrude,” Charles said, clearly, so the other person would hear him if they hadn’t already heard him coming in. He was dressed in his usual workout clothing. A Red t-shirt that had the words ‘Heavily Meditated’ on it in silver print. Black and red track pants, running shoes, his water bottle, and his backpack, which held his wallet, phone, ID… and about twenty pounds worth of weights. It had been too hot to wear his weighted vest, so he’d made do.


“Do you mind if I join you?” He asked, the seated figure, keeping a respectful distance for now. “I’ve found this place is a great place to meditate, and I thought myself the only one to think so, but I see that I was wrong in that regard.”
---
It had taken everything she had in her to take those steps out of the house today. The heat and her dark skin never really got along, making her more than a bit uncomfortable. Though now, as she sat in the shade beneath the circle of trees, she found that the heat was a little more bearable.


She loved this location, and it was just by chance that she had come upon it so many months ago. Those months where her stress had been at their highest. Where her nightmares had haunted her nightly and the visions of battle threatened to steal the peace of her day.


The way the light shone through the leaves, the way the wind whipped through her hair. Everything this place offered her was peaceful, gentle and welcoming.


She had been ready to relax back on her arms, to calm her mind and ready herself for her meditation when she heard the sound of rustling leaves. Her crimson eyes darted open, turning in the direction of her audience. She looked like a deer in the headlights, her eyes wide, the soft, airy fabric of her saree sliding down along her chocolate-colored skin. The bright orange a striking contrast and making the fire of her eyes blaze as she watched him.


It was when his voice hit her ears that her expression seemed to soften. There was a kindness there, a gentle tone that made Sita let those carefully placed guards down. She had been intending to spend this afternoon alone, but a bit of company would hardly kill her...would it?


She nodded her head in a coy manner, she letting her hair fall about her face as she looked down at the ground, shifting slightly and allowing him his space as well. “You are most welcome to, sir. This space has room for all those the desire to share it.”
---
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Charles said with a soft chuckle, before moving to a spot that was a respectful distance away from her. He did not sit cross legged as most practitioners of meditation did however, but instead, got to his knees, and sat back on his feet, resting mostly on his shins. The backpack remained on, and his hands moved to rest lightly on his knees. “My name is Charles, by the way, it’s very nice to meet you,” He bowed his head to her, looking out at the pond before taking a deep breath of air.


The girl was actually really cute. The demureness and her outfit almost made him wonder if she was foreign, but she did not seem to have much in the way of an accent and her english was too spot on to be anything but a local. So he tossed that possibility out of the way. Oh well… Maybe they would fall to talking once they were done with their meditations, or maybe they would not. There was no way to know the future.


Closing his eyes, Charles tried to blank out the world, blank out the soreness of his muscles, the sweat that was dripping from the back of his hair and down his neck, from his brow down his face. He tried to seek only that calm, internal light that would allow him to completely drown out the material world, and clear his mind and allow him to just simply… be.
---
He seemed very to the point. Polite, but he did not mix words and that fact alone was something that she found admirable. So many times there were men that would try to talk to her, get her to talk back. She was always uncomfortable with them, the way they looked at her. She shuddered at the thought and lowered her head.


She bit her lip in nervousness, speaking her name softly, letting it carry on the wind to his ears should he wish to hear it. “They call me Sita…” He voice was gentle, soft and airy like the cloth she wore. Though on the edges one could hear the slightest hint of accent, one that said she spoke a second language, but hardly commonly.


She rested then, curling her legs under her and crossing them in a reverse butterfly. She took in the deep breath, letting her nervousness and doubt leave her body, letting the negative emotions flood into the void beyond her body and taking in the calm, neutral goodness of nature around her. It felt so good to cleanse her soul, feeling uplifted as a smile spread over her face. It was a look of pure serenity.
---
The words his his ears, and he took them in, only to allow them to flow out of him, he continued to keep his focus on the small, bright ball of his inner energy, focus his mind to blank out all external stimulation. There was no nature to enjoy, only a void in which he endeavoured to become one with. No body to weigh him down, no thoughts to draw away his attention from the emptiness, the blankness that he strove to embrace.


He had to tune out the feel of the grass against his shins, the ache of his muscles. The warm breeze that cooled the sweat that even now continued to drip down his brow and the back of his neck. The weight of his pack too, needed to be ignored. The sweet, airy voice of the cute girl a mere stone’s throw away, that too must be removed in order for him to embrace the void.


He must become an empty vessel, his mind must be strong to clear himself of all things, so that he could focus his mind to greater things.
---
She let her mind delve deep inside her, feeling that inner energy that stirred deep in her core. That power that kept her heart beating, the kept her alive as well as drove her to live. That pure, perfect, and untainted energy that was the whole of her being. It welled up inside her like the glowing ball of peace, the sweetness of that calm rolling over the full of her body and making her sit up taller, stronger. Her stance becoming one of true focus and peace as she used that power inside her to project her mind to that deeper dimension, that space where peace reigned.


Though even as she felt her mind slide through the fluid void, she found herself drawn back to her body, back to thoughts of the one that sat so near her. She could feel him, his energy around her and that touch made her skin prickle. It was a different feeling, a feeling of banishment, but all the same, she could feel him within it. What did it mean? Pushing away all those things that was was taking into herself?


Her mind sparked for but a moment, thinking of those dark souls that had attacked them in the Negaverse. He couldn’t be Chaos...there was no way. She found herself slipping back into her body, the jolt startling her as she blinked her eyes to focus. ‘Damn…” She whispered to herself, hardly audible to those nearby.
---
There was a stillness he found, divorcing himself from the material. Once he had finally grasped that stillness, his eyes still closed and his mind and body empty, he focused his mind. Now was the time for thinking. Now was the time to tear down the questions, to interpret them. He felt the thought come to mind.


Why is a girl, sitting alone by herself in the park, in foreign garb, with the barest hint of an accent?


Was she in trouble? Did she need help? Had she run away from some family function or some attempted wedding? Had she been trafficked by some criminals to sell to some rich businessman in India?


“Do you need help?” He asked her, voice quiet, and soft. “Because, I can help you… if you need it.”
---
The sudden whisper of his voice, threw her. She blinking and turning her eyes in his direction, the calm gone from her, but there was still a softness in the way she sat, the way she moved. As if, even though her mind ran with thoughts of fear, she was not going to let herself be overwhelmed with them.


She shook her head. Even if she could voice what bothered her, she would not have been able to to. Were he simply a normal human, she would sound insane, and if he were chaos, it would certain give her away. No, no, she would calm her mind again, banish those thoughts and greet him as she would any other. There was not an infestation of chaos in the city, she could not assume that all were the enemy. She owed the world more than that.


“I give my word that I am alright. Though I am curious as to what brings that question to mind?” She drew the soft fabric of her saree up and over her shoulder one more, covering the dark skin in a modest action.


“You meditate here as well? It...it is interesting that you would do so. You are not Hindu?” She uncurled her legs, letting them rest to the side of her, she laing out in the grass, bracing her head up on one arm. Her golden bangles jingling as they rolled down her wrist.
---
“Your clothing isn’t… normal wear for the park, and I wasn’t aware we had a large Hindu population in Destiny City… But really, that is just me speculating… I worried you might have escaped some captors and had come here to clear your mind… I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense…” He said with a small laugh as he opened his eyes finally. He would give up on meditation for now, his stillness was broken.


“But to answer your question, no, I’m not Hindu… I’m a Buddhist.” He said with a small nod of his head. “I’m an assistant master of a Dojo here in Destiny City… I come here often to clear my mind and focus on the road ahead.”


He gave her a smile. “What about you? Why do you come here to meditate?”
---
A Buddhist. Well if nothing else it answered her questions about the banishment of energy. To disconnect from the material things in life, to disconnect from those things that made life worth living, that was how they were to reach their higher plane.


She nodded to herself, chuckling lightly at her own unfounded fears. “You banish that which I take in. Disconnection from life, to gain a higher understanding.” she was not mocking, but more attempting to show him she understood him.


“I come here to find peace. There is a perfect connect for the elements here, a serenity that few other places hold.” she ran her finger through one of the slowly migrating spots of sunlight, she caressing it like it were a treasured pet, smiling softly as she looked up at him once more.


“You thought I the maiden from the tales then? Escaped the great demon king and running back to her village to restore peace?” now she teased, using the epic tale of Sita and Rama, to take his idea and give it a new spin.
---
“Perhaps, I am grateful that I was wrong,” Charles said with a nod. “We should be proud of our heritage, our traditions. My father once told me the story of a princess, who had to wait as each of her seven sisters were married to a horrific beast with many heads. Each one was devoured on her wedding night. The god Susanoo saw the princess in distress, and fell in love, and so he promised her parents he would slay the great beast if they would allow him to marry their daughter. So they crafted giant sake bowls for each of the beasts many heads, and got it so drunk that Susanoo was able to slay it easily, and thus, he married the princess…”


He gave her a wink. “So perhaps I thought I might slay the great beast that was chasing you. But I am glad to know that you are not pursued.”


Her talk of peace he understood, and nodding a bit more he smiled. “It is peaceful. I come here after my runs because it is so, I can focus on removing myself from the chains of this world, to focus on the true questions.”
---
“Were some great beast chasing me, I do think I would be doing more than simply hiding here amongst the trees.” She giggled to herself, one dark-skinned hand raising to her lips to cover them as she laughed. She was a proper lady, one did not laugh so loud that they could not keep some sort of composeur. Her mother would have thought her mad.


“Though I thank you for the idea that you would save me all the same. Though I am sorry to say that you will not be winning my hand this day, sir. Though I am certain that could be a pity in your eyes.” She let her legs uncurl from under her, she lounging in the grass as she turned just enough that her fingers could slide over the pond’s clear water.


She did so love being near the water. The sound of it trickling about her had always been so calming. Even in her dreams, images of waterfalls falling down large, towering mountains, were common. Oh how she adored them, treasured them.


“What are the true questions? If I might be so bold as to ask? For if this world does not matter, then surely the questions pertaining to it matter all the less.” She blinked her large yes at him, cocking her head to one side. She had always been confused as to how one could release their hold on this world. A hold that seemed to tether her down and keep her grounded, seemed like such a burden to some.
---
“Quite the pity, you’re rather cute,” Charles replied without a moment’s hesitation. Her next question though, gave him a moment of pause. While it was not the first time he had been asked this question, in fact, he’d been asked it many times by his father and the other buddhists he meditated and worked with, but coming from her… it was an earnest question, borne from curiosity of another way of thinking… of doing… of… being.


“There are many, and there are few,” Charles said with a small chuckle. “Some you have probably heard, such as… What is the sound of one hand clapping? The truth questions are not really questions to be answered, but to be considered, and deconstructed, and pondered. The Koans - as we call them - are designed to open our mind and teach us to think beyond the simple box of this world.”


He lifted his hands then, from his knees, and reached out and scooped some water from the pond. “Why is water wet?” He asked her, his eyes locking onto her fully.
---
A blush swept over her face as his words fell on her ears. She was cute? Did this young man actually tell her such a thing? It was a bold statement to be certain, and not one that she often heard from men.


She simply nodded, smiling softly in response to his words. She could not for her own, afraid that her blush would spread to her voice and leave her shaking.


She was grateful when he changed the subject, glad that the attention was no longer on her and instead of her questions that she posed. She sat there, watching him, listening to his words as he tried his best to explain what it meant to ask these questions.


“It is not our place to question why. It simply is as it is. A liquid and a force of life that we must respect and honor. The wetness of water does not matter, the nourishment and energy that it gives, that is its reason for being.” She smiled at him. Hoping her words were not too forward.
---
“An interesting answer,” Charles replied, letting the water flow from his hand back to the pond. “But why is it important for it to give us nourishment, this world is fleeting, our lives short. Water has no reason to care for us. It is a force unto itself, an element of nature. It kills as often as it saves.” He said, looking at the pond with a small grin.


“Water does not care if we consume it, or we are consumed by it. It purely is. Its nature is to be wet, yes, but why? Why provide us a means to survive and continue to suffer the needs of the material world?” He continued, knowing that this line of thought could be seen as depressing.


“By and large, the universe does not care if we live or die. Our existence is one of suffering, interspersed with periods of joy brought on by a connection to this material world. If we can deconstruct that connection, that attachment, then we can find peace, and transcend our need for the material, and thus, find true peace… Nirvana.”
---
“Though who is to say that the way to your...enlightenment...is through such means? Should not he power to perfect ones soul come from within and not from without? To release all that is true in this world only to release your soul into a void of nothing seems so pointless.” She blinked at him. It was interesting to hear his views on things, though she had to admit she had never truly understood the buddhist ways.


“To find peace in one’s self. To become that perfect being without flaw and learn those lessons that are meant to be learned through lifetimes. Do you not think that being such would also be a release? To know that one can no longer strive to reach a higher plane?”


Sita smiled, she tracing her fingers through the dirt below her. She had heard so many tales of Nirvana. Reaching that perfection that was expected by so many. She knew she had a long way to go.
---
“To achieve true enlightenment, one must no longer need the material world. Our needs, our desires, are chains to be broken and cast off, so that we may be free to transcend the physical and join with the cosmos. It is not a void we which to become one with, but with all things. We cannot become one with the universe if we are bound by the material suffering of this world.” Charles countered, but with humor in his voice, as this was a friendly debate between conflicting views.


“We are born again to continue to break these chains that bind us, though I will be the first to admit that I am far from the end of my journey. As I will admit that I rather like being bound to this physical world, and the pleasures it contains… like cute girls.” He gave her a wink with that, his tone becoming slightly teasing as he spoke.


“But I can see the merit in living to relearn lessons, to strive for perfection and unity with the world. It sounds like a very noble cause.”
---
“It is as hard of a task add your own. For we are not made to be perfect. No matter what the definition.” she gave a gentle nod, she rolling to lay on her stomach near the water.


“why is water wet?” she whispered it to herself a few times as her fingers trailed along the surface.


For a moment it seemed as if she had forgotten he was there, but moments later, she returned to him, she breathing in deep. “cute girls with noble causes seem to be a weakness for you then. A thing to focus on in your next life, perhaps?”


She giggled, kicking her feet a bit, one golden sandal flying off and into the lake.
---
“Cute girls with noble causes are the best kind of girl-” The splash of the sandal hitting the water of the pond caused him to cut his statement short, and instead turn to look out at the water with a bit of a frown. Well that certainly would not do.


Slipping off the backpack, it landed next to him with a dull clunk as the weights shifted in the bag as he placed them down. He double checked to make sure his phone was not on him, before standing up, and wading into the water to get her shoe. Scooping it up from where it floated, he walked back to her, and doing his best to shake it dry, he placed it next to her on the grass before returning to his own spot by the pond, soaked to the bone up to where he had waded.


“Water is also cold, remind me to add that to the list of truths.”
---
She had not expected him to go after the sandal. So, when he did, she was a bit startled, she moving to sit up and lean over toward the water. She giggling light-heartedly as he made discontent noises at the wetness of the water.


“Cold and wet, I do think you have effectively described what water is, yes. Though I did not think you would go in after the shoe. I thank you for that.” She took the shoe in hand, shaking the water from it and pulling a face.


“I suppose I will be walking home barefoot now. I will not put my feet in a wet sandal.” She pouted and moved to kick her feet back under herself. This boy was kind and odd. She had not met someone before that would help another so easily. “I owe you a kindness for your actions, sir.”
---
“You really don’t owe me anything,” Charles said softly with a chuckle. “But if you insist, I’d gladly take a date.” He said giving her a wink. “With classes not starting for a few more weeks… I have some free time, and you seem to be a person who would be fun to spend time with.”


He would be walking home in wet clothing and shoes, but he was okay with that. He plopped down onto the grass very happy that his phone was in his backpack and not on his person - that would have been fun to explain to his mother.


“Doesn’t have to be fancy or anything… Coffee? Say… Tomorrow afternoon?”
---
She had been expecting a rebuttal, what she had not expected was the sudden request made in return.


She blinked for a moment, trying to process the fact that he had asked her such a thing. She had never been asked out before, and certainly not by such a handsome young man. This was certainly a new thing.


Her cheeks flushed a deep rose, she looking down at her lap as she tried her best to think. Was she doing anything tomorrow? She shook her head, she biting her lip it if nervousness before looking up at him. “i can meet you at the coffee shop. I can tell my mother i am running to the library to return a book on sheet music i had taken out.”


She had been meaning to return that very book before now, but her patrols had gotten in the way. This was as good a time as any to do so, right?


“which one did you want to meet at? I know there are many near the DCU campus, but other then that, i have little idea”
---
“The Starbucks, it’s probably a bit more trite than what we’d like, but it’s the easiest one to find and we can always head elsewhere from there if need be.” Charles said, before slowly gathering his things and rising to his feet.


“And on that happy note, I suppose I should bid you farewell and count away the hours until we meet tomorrow - a bit dryer I would hope.” He added with a slight grin and a small wave of his hand.


Charles paused for a moment before he moved to walk away. “My name is Charles, by the way. Charles Nakahara.”
---
As the location was set, Sita nodded, she rising from the ground and raising her own, dark, hand to wave to him.


There was a slight blush to her cheeks as he gave her his name. Only then did she realise that she had not yet given him her own. She bit her lip and lowered her head slightly. “Sitara...Sitara Brennan. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Charles.”


She did not understand why this boy had her blushing so much. He was sweet, kind, but...what?


She continued to wave to him as he took his leave. Her heart racing as she watched him go. Oh her mother would not hear the end of this. Not tonight.
---
“Yes, I look forward to seeing you too, Sitara,” Charles said, before making his way out of the shaded area and back onto the park’s trail. He of course, would have to make sure he dressed appropriately tomorrow, probably what he normally wore for classes instead of what he wore to workout. But all the same.


He wanted to make a good impression after all.


And with that, he made his way out of the park, to head home to dry off, and plan for the next day.
---