Zohvin has already been at the dojo for at least an hour by this point, finished with his warm-up stretches and well into his usual training routine. But even with one foot into a meditative state, he liked to keep an eye on his surroundings, and the commotion didn't escape his notice.

After snapping his staff back to its retracted state, Zohvin strolled over to the two of them, a sardonic edge creeping into his usual soft-spoken tone. "Better than your master is at spotting when he needs a break. Forgive my interruption, but I think you could both use some water and time to catch your breath." Gene needed it the most, of course, but Zohvin wasn't aiming to embarrass him in front of his students.