heat, sweat, and socializing [Invite]

It was a beautiful day for it being in the middle of summer. A very rare and treasured day for those who enjoyed exercising or simply the great outdoors; a change of pace from the usual melting heat. Along with all the other people enjoying the park was a brunette teenager in jean shorts, a light blue track jacket over her white tank top and black boots with pink laces.

Touko was jogging like usual, starting out from the gym and making her way through the neighborhood til she reached the park, doing a loop around. She had her earbuds in as she ran, pausing occasionally to do her standard shadow boxing, throwing punches and blows at an invisible opponent before stretching and continuing with her jog. She had noticed another jogger, a girl that looked about her age.

Touko had just stopped for a breather at the center of the park, bending over to rest her hands on her knees and took in a long deep breath of fresh air before raising her arm to use her sweat band to wipe sweat away from her brow before noticing that the girl she had noticed before was doing the same. Standing straight, she nodded her head in greeting to the other girl. "Hey there." Touko then unclipped her water bottle from her waist and held it out. "You thirsty? I haven't opened it yet."

Touko nodded in acknowledgement of the other girl's greeting with a small friendly smile. As she said yes, the teen held the water bottle out more to her before stopping as she changed her answer. Tilting her head in mild confusion and amusement, Touko couldn't help but giggle along with her.

"No really it's fine. Look." She broke open the top and then popped up the secondary lid before holding the bottle up and squeezing it, causing a fountain of water to shoot into her mouth without the bottle ever actually touching her mouth. Her aim wasn't spectacular though so she sort of missed and got some on her lips and chin, which she wiped away somewhat bashfully before holding out the bottle to the other girl again. "You can have a squirt or two at least if you want."

As Touko fanned herself with her free hand, she couldn't help but grin as the girl commented on her shadow boxing before asking her a series of questions. "Uh, well yeah I am in school. Karakura high school, but they don't have a girl's boxing club or anything." That last bit was said a bit bitterly before she explained, "My dad runs a boxing gym though."

Then Touko looked over the girl and upon closer inspection, she realized that she might be older than she first thought. "You're...not in high school I take it?"

Touko nodded sadly in agreement as Asuka lamented the shutting down of the school's female boxing team. That had been her last chance in being able to compete in boxing since her father wouldn't allow her to try professionally. But she tried to smile as the girl stated that she'd be sure to visit Saitou Gym. "That's great. We always welcome new members." The teen left out that her dad didn't always particularly like when those members weren't boxers or male, he needed to broaden his horizons.

Touko linked her thumbs into her belt loops of her shorts as Asuka explained more about kickboxing. Her eyebrows raised, impressed. "That sounds pretty cool. Hm...So...you're a kickboxer. And I'm a boxer..." The teen's expression slowly turned into a hopeful sly smile which only grew into a full blown grin at hearing the extent of Asuka's experience. "Whoa! Seriously?! That's amazing! Wow, I wish I could've seen you... You're so freaking lucky!" Touko's eyes were lit up and she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.

It dimmed a bit when the other woman took out her phone before she voiced that she hoped she wasn't keeping Touko or anything. The brunette raised a hand and began to shake her head in the negative when Asuka continued that Touko was the one to stop her rather than the other way around. Laughing, the teen replied, "What? You looked thirsty! You're not really keeping me from anything. But do you need to go?" Honestly Touko wanted to talk with the girl more, but wasn't going to keep her here against her will or anything.

Touko felt Asuka's critical eye on her and felt her bristle and blush all over at her statement and question both. The teen felt her eye twitch slightly in annoyance but tried to keep her aggravation to herself as she answered, "N-Not really. My dad won't let me fight but I still practice and train and sometimes spar... Though none of the boxers at the gym will usually, my brother does." The brunette seemed to deflate more and more as she explained and made excuses, feeling rather pathetic. It was true, she didn't really have that much experience, no matter how much fighting spirit she had. "I've been around boxers my entire life, it's all I ever wanted to do." She shrugged.

Touko watched the other girl as her face fell somewhat as she mentioned the championship before saying that it was some time ago and now she was training to claim the Worldwide title. The teen's eyes widened, impressed at the goal and cheered with optimism, "You'll get it for sure!" She had never encountered a woman with so much fighting experience and lofty goals before and couldn't help but root for her.

As Asuka explained that she was free since she had only planned on training without any real schedule today, Touko nodded before shrugging at the question directed at her. "Just jogging. Trying to clear my head."

Touko's mouth quirked in a rueful crooked smile as her companion stated that it was good to have a goal and not to be embarrassed of her own inexperience as she was still young. As she complimented her background, the teen nodded with a more genuine smile. "Thanks. I've always been proud of my family." Even if they didn't always get along or weren't always together.

Watching as Asuka jumped up on the bench, sitting on the top of the back, Touko giggled before choosing to sit beside her on the intended seat of said bench, relaxing her still somewhat sweaty back against the wood. Looking up at the other woman, she momentarily wished that she had worn her hat to block the sun but brought up a hand to shade her eyes as she listened to her explain that it would be hard for her to achieve her goal of the World title. Nodding, the brunette acknowledged, "Every goal requires some sacrifice."

As Asuka offered to spar with her, saying that she'd go easy, Touko gave an incredulous laugh, "I bet I could hold my own! You're past your prime lady." She teased back, pretty sure that the woman was only a few years older than her.

The brunette's expression fell somewhat as she looked away to the other patrons of the park. She was silent for a moment as she considered the offer. She couldn't really tell her...but maybe she could get at least talk it out. Staring down at her linked hands as her elbows rested on her knees, Touko began to speak. "Do...you ever feel that no matter how much you train or practice or spar that you'll never be strong enough? Never be...enough to protect yourself or anyone else?" Her hands had tightened on themselves, her gaze still carefully down, concealing her expression from Asuka.