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- 55 posts here • Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
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He took a step with he left leg to the side, as he pulled the knife hand back to the side with his left. Both hands were suddenly forced outward for what would have been considered by any other man to be a double palm strike. It was, in this version. But it had been intended to be a blast surge of intense internal power. Jack however, fired nothing. He continued his movements, eventually doing a backflip kick to finish off the Kata (Think Guile's Flash Kick).
He put both hands together, and bowed in the direction of some statues, as well as the area where his master would have usually sat.
"Torashin and Hissatsu completed." He spoke. "I'm ready to spar with any of my brothers to complete this test."
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Humming softly as she worked, she practically glided around the kitchen. Her dark hair had been pulled up into a french twist, although stray strands had long escaped their bindings, framing her face beautifully. She was dressed simply in a white sundress, her skin a healthy bronzed hue. As usual, she wore little make-up..she didn't see much point in it. Putting the water on to boil for the tea, before stepping outside for just a moment..enjoying the sun on her face.
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Several minutes past, then another sound was heard. A low rumbling from within the forest. Soon, from the dark of a bush, two glowing blue eyes could be seen and rumbling grew louder....then stopped all together, as did the wind. Time seemed to stand still, and you could hear a pin drop. Then time seemed to explode back into rhythm as a great white form leaped from the bushes. As it flew towards the young boy, it could be seen that it was a very large white tiger, claws eager to dig into flesh. At the last moment the boys eyes shot open and he let out a loud ki-yai and leaped towards the sky. The tiger passed underneath him, and when his back was directly under him, the boy struck it with a hard kick. The tiger let out a roar as it flew towards the ground. Just before it hit the ground, the tiger seemed to spin and landed on its feet. Wasting no time, the tiger leaped back towards the boy.
The boy seemed to have expected this and had grabbed a stalk and had flung himself forward, now leaping from stalk to stalk. The tiger not being able to follow on the same path due to its girth, landed back on the ground and chased after the bot on the ground with a fervor. The bamboo stalks that were in the tigers path seemed to just be obliterated due to its immense strength and size. Even so, the boy was faster in the trees, but the trees were running out. Soon the boy leaped into a small grassy plane next to an old temple. Knowing that he couldn't out run the tiger on open ground, he turned and stood to face the beast. Moments later, the beast burst from the woodwork and charged the boy. The boy jogged a few paces before he lashed out at the tiger, thrusting both of his palms forward. The tiger recognized this move and at the last moment leaped over the boy and immediately whipped itself around to charge at him again. The boy immediately turned around and delivered a hard upward kick to its jaw. The tiger went flying upward due to the force of the kick. It then seemed it actually did a back flip, taking the boy by surprise. Using the opening, the tiger snapped its lower half forward and whipped the boy with its massive tail. The movement being so fast, the boy could only block with his arms. It sent the boy flying sideways through the air. The boy managed to land on his feet and then faced the tiger with a scowl.
The tiger then moved into a sitting position, it also gave a facial expression that almost looked like it was smiling. It then gave a quick roar towards the boy. The boys scowl turned into an annoyed smile, he put his hands together and bowed to the tiger. The tiger responded by dipping its head to the boy. The boy then spoke. "I know, you got me. Now I'm it." Saulong said to his oldest friend. "We'll pick up the game same time tomorrow, okay Xinfu?" The tiger responded in a loud, almost playful sounding roar. The tiger then galloped over to him and rubbed his massive head against Saulong's. Saulong then petted him and jumped onto his back, straddling him like a horse. He then crossed his arms and sat erect. "Back to the house Xinfu, Tsubasa probably has lunch ready. It would impede my honor if I kept her waiting." Xinfu growled, then set off at a trot towards the house.
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"where you goin', Nana?" she asked, walking doen the little path and taking her grandmother's arm.
"Gonna go.. get groceries. we need...groceries, Baba." the old lady looked up at her with pleading eyes, and opened her fist. In it were two buttons and a small coin. Robyn shook her head sadly. It had ever been the same since her grandma had lost her mind. Now she was almost a child. "C'mon, Nana. We can go together." the woman smiled.
"Then, we go to t' park? and you, show me the tricks?" her face was so hopeful, like a little girl hoping for a candy. Robyn sighed, and put on a false smile. The tricks. The tricks were the martial arts style that the old woman herself had taught her. And now they only served to make her laugh and clap her hands in delight.
"Sure, Nana. Come on."
Arm in arm, they went to the store, and bought a paper bag which the kindly owner filled with simple things, and took the buttons with a smile. "I'll pay you back later, Sakina." Robyn promised, and they left.
She sat her grandma down on a bench, then stood about six feet away. "Kokutsu Dachi!" she barked, and dipped down to make a perfect starting position, leaning on one bended knee with one leg set out to the side. "Uchi waza!" She bounced up to the balls of her feet, pushing one arm out in a punch with one fist held to her chest. She continued, improvising with simple moves for minimal danger but maximum exitement. The old lady bounced on her seat, clapping her hands in obvious enjoyment.
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"where you goin', Nana?" she asked, walking doen the little path and taking her grandmother's arm.
"Gonna go.. get groceries. we need...groceries, Baba." the old lady looked up at her with pleading eyes, and opened her fist. In it were two buttons and a small coin. Robyn shook her head sadly. It had ever been the same since her grandma had lost her mind. Now she was almost a child. "C'mon, Nana. We can go together." the woman smiled.
"Then, we go to t' park? and you, show me the tricks?" her face was so hopeful, like a little girl hoping for a candy. Robyn sighed, and put on a false smile. The tricks. The tricks were the martial arts style that the old woman herself had taught her. And now they only served to make her laugh and clap her hands in delight.
"Sure, Nana. Come on."
Arm in arm, they went to the store, and bought a paper bag which the kindly owner filled with simple things, and took the buttons with a smile. "I'll pay you back later, Sakina." Robyn promised, and they left.
She sat her grandma down on a bench, then stood about six feet away. "Kokutsu Dachi!" she barked, and dipped down to make a perfect starting position, leaning on one bended knee with one leg set out to the side. "Uchi waza!" She bounced up to the balls of her feet, pushing one arm out in a punch with one fist held to her chest. She continued, improvising with simple moves for minimal danger but maximum exitement. The old lady bounced on her seat, clapping her hands in obvious enjoyment.
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The voice was of Danpachi Ryuken, the master of Ansatsuken. He came walking up, dressed only in his black kimono. Most would not think of him as the master of a very dangerous assassination art. For those people, it would be wise not to judge a book by its cover. Ryuken strode to stand before his youngest pupil.
"You are doing well, but you are not as good as you think you are. I spotted sixteen mistakes in your kata, any one of which would have gotten you killed in a real fight. Your brothers would have noticed them, too. If you were to spar with them now, it would be a waste of time for all parties involved. You have not mastered your kata. Therefore, you are not ready for sparring."
Master Ryuken walked past his student.
"It is time for dinner. Afterwards, you may have two hours of in-town time. If I were you, however, I would spend it practicing your kata and go another time."
The Master proceeded to his house, where his daughter had cooked a delicious meal. After nodding pleasantly at her, he took his seat at the head of the table, waiting for his students to arrive.
Unknown to either the Master or Jack, Joey had watched the whole thing through his binoculars. He was pleased to see that Jack had not surpassed him in any regard. It was unfortunate that the master would not let the boy spar yet. In a fight, he could crush the little pipsqueak's throat and have that much less competition for the title of successor to Ansatsuken. It pissed him off to no end that the master even thought it necessary to choose. He had been adopted first and had been training longest.
It was obvious to him that the title was his. He had aced his kata beautifully and been through several sparring sessions with Saulong and Brendon. The innovation of his style would see him triumph in the end. Joey smiled to himself and went to the table for dinner. When he was greeted by the Master's beautiful daughter, he smiled and bowed respectfully.
"Good evening, Lady Tsubasa. It is an honor to dine in your presence."
Joey then took his seat at the table.
Master Ryuken watched all of this with a small smile. Even if he did not earn the title of successor and the right to marry his daughter, Joseph was polite and courteous enough that he should not have any real problem finding a wife. He was his first adopted, and had always been a wonderful child until his brothers came into the picture. A change had come over him then, and he became more devious and ruthless. The Master only hoped that he could put aside his petty jealousy and continue to hone his skills everyday. Otherwise, he would never be chosen as the successor.
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Again he raised the blades, the sunlight glinting across their whole length. Time seemed to stop as he took a breath, tensed, then made his move. The steel in his hand slid smoothly, closing over a limb of his most hated opponent, slicing through it clean with a heavy snap.
"Goddamnit!"
Frowning, Brendon threw the shears to the floor and turned away from the bonsai, swearing further inside his head. He was mauling it. Again. How could something so simple as trimming a tree escape him every single time? Every time he tried to trim the thing he screwed up somehow, taking off too much, or slipping and hacking off a branch he hadnt meant to. It had been a gift from his master. A reminder of the life he'd promised to preserve from that moment forward, and yet every time he went near it, the tree seemed to be wilting further. How was he expected to be able to look after people if he couldnt even keep a tree alive?
Briefly, he considered picking up the shears and trying to finish the job, but knew that as frustrated as he was, he'd just screw it up further. Taking a deep breath, he rocked back on his heels, eyes rising to the cloudless sky. He'd spent several hours sparring and running through kata this morning and had been instructed to see to the ornamental gardens as was his duty. It was a beautiful day, and a walk in the park would calm his nerves. Maybe then he'd be calm enough to finish trimming the damned tree without tearing it to pieces. The rest of the students were probably finishing their days training right now. Should be long enough for him to make it there and back. Four miles. That'd take him, what, twenty minutes, maybe half an hour, tops?
Barely two minutes later and he was jogging out through the final gate, saluting the Nio that stood guard on either side as he ran through. The park was barely a mile away, no distance at all, and in truth he was relishing the run. It had been a two weeks since he'd left the dojo. Too long. Getting out would do him some good. In all truth, Brendon was bored of the near constant training. It wasnt the training itself. No, stretching his muscles, challenging himself constantly and most importantly, getting ever closer to mastering his art, that was exciting. It was just being stuck in the same place, with the same few people. It was driving him crazy, bit by bit.
Lost in his own thoughts, he didnt realise he'd already hit the park until he almost ran into a girl coming the other way. Laughing to himself, he stopped, stretching and glancing around. Just another typical day, kids out with their parents, a few young couples out walking, one girl practicing kata for her excited grandmother...
His brows wrinkled. A girl practicing kata for her granny? Now that was interesting. Padding closer, he leant against a nearby tree, dark eyes watching her every move.
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"Ossu!, I will practice after dinner until my strikes are true to the Hissatsu Principle!" Exclaimed Jack, feeling like a dog who did wrong to his owner.
He followed in, bowing for his family members, including Joey, whose hatred, he was oblivious to.
"Tsubasa, Master, Brother Joseph." He spoke simply, before taking a seat, and letting out the prayer of 'Itadakimasu~!' in a hearty tone.
"Joey?" Spoke Jack, curiously. "Bro, I heard you began wrestling a bear for training, is it true? does it use its claws?…I wish I could do my Kata right, or else I'll never be able to train with you guys…"
Jack was not only oblivious to Joey's jealousy, but practically envied his adopted brother's Kata. Not as perfect and graceful as his brother Brendon's, but not as hard as brother Saulong. The appearance of the form was in perfect simplicity, as any other more basic practitioner would have done. Something Jack felt ashamed he could not yet perfect.
Speaking of training, Jack looked out, waiting for the other two brothers. He always enjoyed Brendon's company, aspiring to be able to heal others when he wasn't fighting. He also felt Saulong would be one of his greatest challenges. The Metsu principle was always followed by explosive destructive power. And maybe he'd be worthy enough to pet Xinfu, maybe give him a treat, and possibly even ride on him, like Sau usually did.
"This is amazing food, Tsubasa…" He complimented, dreaming of the idea that once he claimed her heart, this was the food he'd get for the rest of his life: Ambroisa.
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Joey bowed back, putting tradition and respect before jealousy. When Jack asked him about his training method, Joey could not help but smile.
"Yes, I did start doing that for training. It tries to use its claws, but I've managed to restrain them to the point that they are useless. I have conquered the strongest animal in Japan. That is a huge milestone in my training."
When Jack revealed how he desired to train with them, Joey's eyes softened. If the truth was to be known, Joey cared a great deal about his brothers, loving them as if they were his own flesh and blood. Sure, he could get jealous and petty, but if the opportunity came to seriously harm or even kill them, he doubted he would follow through with it. There were two sides to Joey, and reconciling them would be important for his training. If he could gain control of his emotions, there would be a high probability that he would be named successor. Right now, his good side was showing.
Joey reached out and gently ruffled Jack's hair.
"Just keep training hard, little bro. I know you've got it in you to make us all proud."
He smiled at him.
"Your technique is beautiful, and once you get it mastered, it will be a testament to the greatness of Ansatsuken."
His smile went away and he turned to watch Tsubasa cooking.
Master Ryuken could not have been more proud of Joey. He admired him for putting aside his jealousy to support Jack on his path. This was who Joey really was, and who he had been prior to the other boys coming to the Hokuto Dojo. Joey was doing well, as were they all. Ryuken really wanted to see Jack make it to the level of his brothers, so that the three of them could teach him, as well. It would be a great learning and growing experience for them all to work together to reach their goals.
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She finally would take her seat, sipping her tea. Although she certainly kept an eye out to make sure no ones cup was ever empty, or left wanting more food. "Jack you really shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You'll be training alongside everyone else soon, just wait. Perhaps Joey can give you some pointers, sometimes it helps to have advice from those that have walked the same path before." If she knew of the jealousy between the two..she hid it well enough. Although one had to question how much she really knew of what was going on, she never seemed bothered by anything. She figured that the least she could do is always have a smile for her brothers, they had enough to worry about. "Oh! I almost forgot..there is dessert if any of you are interested. Just some cookies, I tried to make a lavender cookie this time. I thought it might be nice to make some use out of the garden."
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"Please forgive me for my tardiness Master." Saulong said in a very serious and respectful tone, bowing very deep to his master. He then bowed lightly to his younger brothers. "Joey, Jack." He then turned to Tsubasa and gave a deeper bow. Not as deep as to his master, but deeper than to his brothers. "A thousand pardons for dishonoring you by my tardiness. For making you wait, I shall have Xinfu deal out the appropriate punishment to me after lunch." he then stood straight up and took his normal seat and pulled out two engraved black chopsticks from his sleeve. He began filling his bowl with several things on the table and began to eat them in his normal fashion.
After taking a drink of tea, he addressed Jack, only one eye open and head slightly cocked towards him. "So little brother, how did you do in your kata today?"
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Smiling at the thought of riding the noble, majestic, and equally dangerous Tiger that he respected as much as his brothers, he just couldn't wait any longer. Xinfu was most noble to Sau, but had been a kind pet since youth to them all. Tsubasa was probably the first after Sau to tame him, followed by Brendon and Jack himself, ending with Joey, who got lucky by having some beef jerky on him.
"Hate to say so much at once, but it looks like we're only missing Brendon. Everything will go well if that Kunoichi doesn't show…" He grumbled, thinking about the lady ninja and her intrusions.
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Once there, she began to skip down the hall. When she got to the dining room, she got an idea. Instead of walking in the traditional way, she walked around and sneaked through a window, into a small patch of shadow. She moved around quietly and almost snickered to herself. No one saw her. So she stood behind the seat where Jack was sitting, the nearest one to her dark patch of shadow. She counted her seconds, watching everybody carefully and waited for the right moment to pounce.
Then, "JACKY!" she exclaimed, pouncing and throwing her arms around his neck.
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"JACKY!"
"JACKY!"
"JACKY!"
"JACKY!…."
All the times she'd ever done this echoed through his head, painfully. Well, not painfully. for some reason, it wasn't good or bad…this made him wonder.
-
Jack was about to dig into some of his meal, when the pounce came, right when he mentioned the "Godforsaken" Kunoichi herself. He suddenly sent some of the food into the air, about to land on his body, and the floor. Knowing it would be wasteful, and it would possibly hurt Tsubasa's feelings, he snatched at a pair of chopsticks, and managed to catch most of the food, infusing Ki into the chopsticks to hold the large amount food securely, and land into his bowl again, as he caught the last few pieces with his mouth.
"Damn!" cursed Jack, who then hit himself on the head for cursing and mumbling a 'Forgive me, master, brothers, Lady Tsubasa'
He turned to glare at the Kunoichi, who had caused this trouble. "And what do you want, Cori?" He demanded. "You nearly spilled Lady Tsubasa's food!"
With that said, he proceeded to finish up, so he could get back to training, as well as not opening the potential for a mess to be made.
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After this, she took her place at the table and began eating the delicious food. It had actually been several days since she had a good meal. She refused to eat with the family all the time, since she technically lived on her own. She was a pretty good cook, but only made so much money from her part time job as a waitress in the local bar/cafe, so she didn't always have a lot on the table.
Now she sat, stuffing her face in a most unladylike way. "So how is everyone?" she asked between mouthfuls of rice, trying to make some sort of conversation.
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She seemed more amused than anything by the attack, and Jack making sure that not even a bit of the food hit the floor. "Dinner and a show!" Clapping her hands lightly together in her glee. "Bravo Jack, that was wonderful." Rising from her chair to gather dishes as they emptied, bending over to whisper something to Cordelia. "I need your help..I got a bit carried away with cooking..would you be so kind as to take some home? Otherwise I fear it'll go to waste." She didn't even give her a chance to turn her offer down, breezing back into the kitchen to begin cleaning up.
Of course she wanted to make sure everyone ate well, the training that her father put them through was tough. She could at least make sure there was always a nice meal ready for them to eat, rather than resorting to junk food because time was short.
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Saulong retained his composure even when Cordelia jumped Jack. She came over and hugged him and the only recognition he gave was. "Good afternoon Cordelia." He said it with no love or malice. The kunoichi was endless trouble, but she was also a good motivator for the younger boys, not wanting to be beat by a girl and what not. She was pleasant enough company. "Well, Cordelia, In our training session today, my 3 month winning streak was cut short by Xinfu. He finally caught me, by using his tail of all things." He opened his eyes after he said it and looked around, suddenly remembering what Jack had said. "Where is Brendon? It's not like him to be late."
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Jack nodded. "Ossu! I thought the same thing, Brother. I must remember to fit in the lesser portions of the form. Like a stack of cards. If I am missing even the smallest card, It all falls apart. Only with Ansatsuken, it means I'm Already Dead…"
He nodded. "Of course. That is why This school is guarded by the mighty Tiger. There hasn't been as much as a mere rat's school, let alone a Dragon. Defeating the Bear is only the small step towards facing a Tiger, especially Xinfu, and his might!"
Then his eldest brother mentioned Brendon again.
"Maybe he's finally taken up helping around by making medicine with his skills?" Suggested Jack. "We always did say it'd help us. And if he began selling it to people from Nanto City, they'd pay top dollar for the medicine of the student of an illustrious martial artist."
he turned back to Cordelia finally, annoyed.
"Scared? maybe its because of that 'rumor' I heard. That you're so good at ninjutsu, you nearly raped a man!" lied Jack jokingly. Then came the kiss, however, and that just felt odd. Cordelia was sort of like Tsubasa, but with the power to fight, in ways…What was he thinking?! His heart belonged to the TRUE Lady Tsubasa, whose beauty had caught the eyes of all, every single day, coupled with her warmth and kindness.
That same warmth and kindness Cordelia had, but in a different way…Damnit.
Rubbing the spot where he got kissed, gently at first, before snapping out of it, and getting back to his annoyed self, he didn't want to eat his entire meal, wishing his other eldest brother could have been there to share another warm night with the family. Time would fly. And the successor would be chosen. Someone could die in that time, especially with this dangerous life. Especially with the nightmares of a figure shrouded in dark purple aura he sometimes had...
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Joey's rage was such that his eyes started to cloud over. His hair started to blow a bit in the slight breeze he was causing, and his aura even showed a little bit. It took everything he had not to reach across the table and strangle the life out of Saulong. Instead, he stood up, his aura going away. Without a word or a bow to anyone, he left the dining room, closing the Japanese style door with an audible snap. The sound of a motorcycle could be heard roaring to life as Joey headed into Nanto City to cool off.
Master Ryuken sighed as he put his napkin down.
"Saulong, you really should show more tact in what you say. Just because your training is different does not give you the right to demean the training of others."
The Master stood up.
"I must retire to my chambers. The rest of you may do whatever you wish for the next two hours until curfew."
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"Yes, Master. If worst comes to worst and you feel Joey is causing trouble in town, I should go. He hasn't got any beef against my training, seeing as he's still above me. I just hope he listens…I was praising Saulong's training also. He might take it the wrong way."
Taking his dishes and washing them himself, he bowed, before returning to practice the Kata once more, eager to begin his Kata. If Cordelia followed, he would pay no attention. The echo went through his mind: With Sixteen mistakes, it only takes one to die.
"Then I would die sixteen deaths over…" He sighed, inhaling a deep breath, and beginning the stance. "The Ultimate Grandmaster of Ansatsuken cannot have doubts, nor any failure. Like when Master Ryuken gave us our homeschool work: We could put college experts to shame with our most basic knowledge. But only because we perfected it…"
He began with the first move: no, wait. It went slightly different from the first, most importantly with the left hand, followed by right leg and right hand, and then left knee…
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She couldn't help but to overhear what had been said, brows furrowing as Joey stormed off in anger. Of course..she would have to make a trip to the temple this afternoon. Perhaps a couple prayers could help..at least they couldn't hurt. Peeking back out into the dining area to see Saulong and Cordelia still seated, everyone else had left it seems. "If you two need anything else, just give a shout." It was an easy thing to pass the time while they finished, clipping some fresh herbs and drying them in neat little bundles. Humming quietly to herself once again, halfway gliding as she walked..as if practicing some obscure dance step.
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She finished eating just as the tension between the boys (specifically Sau and Joey) began to heat up, and she just quietly watched as Joey stormed out. She knew all of their attitudes like she knew the shadows. They always had some sort of rivalry or argument rising between them. They were all four just too opposite for their own good. Jack stood up and offered to go find Joey if need be as the master got up to leave. Cordelia immediately stood and bowed as he walked out, and then took her now empty bowls to the kitchen to aid Tsubasa. When she got there, she found a basket of food, and Tsu already gone off doing something else. She finally found her and approached her to give her a hug.
"Thank you so much," she said. "The food will keep me and Iggy happy for several days, if I portion it right!" She smiled at her.
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He didnt move as she strode towards him, smiled gently as she stopped, close, closer than he would have expected. Confrontational, aggressive, confident enough to challenge a guy she simply saw watching her practice, a skilled martial artist. This certainly was a chance meeting. Refreshing, too.
"You were watching?"
Short and to the point. Exactly what he'd expected. He took a breath, drawing out the answer longer than was necessary, just to see how the girl would react, then, slowly, made eye contact and smiled wider.
"I was." He said, leaning in slightly, towering over her and purposefully not telling her his name. "That a problem?" His eyes moved to the lady on the bench, and his head tilted to the side like a questioning puppy. "Is that your Grandma over there?" His tone was light, easy, as if nothing in the world was more natural than their conversation. "She seems to like watching you move. You're not too bad, either, I guess." With the last words, he grinned, waiting to see how this fiery little girl would react.
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Although, really..what did she have to worry about? She had a wonderful family and friends..people she wouldn't trade the world for. Not to mention the fact that she never had to worry about anything..well..almost anything. The choice she knew she had to make loomed over her, knowing that she would have to hurt her brothers when she did choose. There was no doubt that she felt expectations were high, even if people did not mean them to be so. But that was life!
"You know..if you have some time one of these days..I might just steal a bit of your time and make some clothes for you. Your just so cute in anything you wear."
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