assassins_pursuit_rpg | Stance without a Stance

Investigation 3/Event 5

I remember the first time Shui took my pulse. He stopped, listened close, shook his head that way he does, then told me to show him my stance. He had me take stance over and over, then had me stop before fully taking stance - "There! Hold that." Every few months he'd have me do it, each time, shorter and shorter. Until I didn't move at all.

"This is how you take a stance without taking a stance. You should do it more often."

I remember now and then, but I forget a lot. Today, in this cell, I remember because I don't want to alert the guards.

"How did you learn this?"
"I'm one of the few doctors the Beggar Gang will come to. Did you think they were laying about all day?"

Times like these, I wonder if I've been running around so much to avoid thinking about the past. Maybe, all the running has left me laying about all day in my head. My teacher tried to teach me so much, too much in the months before he was killed. Maybe he knew it was coming. And it's too much to think about, but I suppose I have nothing but time right now.

If I break out too early, the investigation might get shut down. If I wait too late, I won't be there to help. The Tao is about right time and right place.

So I take the stance without a stance and breathe.