{ "submission_id": "288678", "keywords": [ { "keyword_id": "13534", "keyword_name": "multiple characters", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "10602" } ], "hidden": "f", "scraps": "f", "favorite": "f", "favorites_count": "2", "create_datetime": "2012-09-02 05:11:59.991267+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "02 Sep 2012 07:11 CEST", "last_file_update_datetime": "2012-10-06 13:31:54.515171+00", "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "06 Oct 2012 15:31 CEST", "username": "idgit", "user_id": "22907", "user_icon_file_name": "11485_idgit_weasel-fox2.gif", "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/11/11485_idgit_weasel-fox2.gif", "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/11/11485_idgit_weasel-fox2.gif", "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/11/11485_idgit_weasel-fox2.gif", "file_name": "397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "200", "thumb_huge_y": "141", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "141", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "85", "files": [ { "file_id": "397044", "file_name": "397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.doc", "mimetype": "application/msword", "submission_id": "288678", "user_id": "22907", "submission_file_order": "0", "full_size_x": null, "full_size_y": null, "screen_size_x": null, "screen_size_y": null, "preview_size_x": null, "preview_size_y": null, "initial_file_md5": "600586c3080e174ae933975e8fec0c9b", "full_file_md5": "600586c3080e174ae933975e8fec0c9b", "large_file_md5": "", "small_file_md5": "", "thumbnail_md5": "0d49c380554962e8b06c8fc17fcca8e9", "deleted": "f", "create_datetime": "2012-10-06 13:31:54.515171+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "06 Oct 2012 15:31 CEST", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/397/397044_idgit_kit_6.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "200", "thumb_huge_y": "141", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "141", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "85" } ], "pools": [], "description": "ok so I tried to add a bit of tension ALONG with some character development this time... sometime soon I'm going to start speeding things up, instead of just doing a half or a third of a day at a time i'll try to make it a few days per chapter, but it's still early in the series and I have a lot to get going... but soon enough all the fun will be beginning...", "description_bbcode_parsed": "ok so I tried to add a bit of tension ALONG with some character development this time... sometime soon I'm going to start speeding things up, instead of just doing a half or a third of a day at a time i'll try to make it a few days per chapter, but it's still early in the series and I have a lot to get going... but soon enough all the fun will be beginning...", "writing": "Kisara stood in Kit’s doorway for a moment, she’d been told to wake him up. When she had opened the door he’d been out like a light, he slept like a log, but he looked happy in his sleep, happier than he usually did when he was awake. She took a second to take it in before she nudged him awake with her foot. “Wake up! It’s time to go,” she told him irritably as she left the room. As she shut the door she looked gloomy for a moment. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that she thought. She went into her own room to change into her running clothes.\n\nWhen she came back out Kit looked like he was still half asleep. Renka was standing there chatting with him. Kisara envied her sister that, she had such an easy time talking with people, she always seemed so friendly, while every time Kisara approached people she ended up sounding a little bitchy. It wasn’t intentional, it’s just how she was.\n\nThey spent their hour teaching him for when they started their actual runs the next week. They tried to keep today’s session lighter since they all had to do their weigh-ins later. When they returned to the dojo Daisuke, Hitomi, and the Elder were all awake and ready. The students in the combative sports were allowed out the day of their weigh-ins and competitors in the masters division had to have their own weigh-ins as well.\n\nAfter dropping of Ayano it was off to the infirmary for their physicals. When they first walked in there was another group waiting. One of the young men waiting was another hybrid, he looked almost like a wingless dragon, but his body was covered in grey fur, he had shaggy dark brown hair interrupted ever so slightly by two black horns. Kit sat there and just stared at him, it sort of intrigued Kisara, so she had to ask him about it. He explained to her that for the first time in his life he understood why people stared at him and his sister. He hadn’t seen many hybrids in his life, as a rule they were usually aborted before they came to term, so seeing another now was like a shock to him. At times it was hard to remember that there were other hybrids out there that he didn’t share any blood with. Kit was mesmerized by him at first.\n\nFor his part, the other hybrid didn’t seem peeved by it at all, instead he sat there reading his magazine as if he didn’t notice at first, but after a few minutes he looked over at Kit out of the corner of his eye. “I look better when I’m naked, so would you... if you know what I mean,” he told Kit with a wink and a coy smirk. From the look on his face it was obvious Kit didn’t.\n\nHis master sat next to him, and on the other side there was a line of other youngsters. He was a severe looking Lynx. “Quiet half-breed, you’re lucky we accepted your transfer application, we didn’t allow you to train with us so you could talk. Just sit still and take the punches that come at you, and remember to surrender when you fight the others of the dojo. I understand you’re on pilgrimage but don’t think I won’t bounce your ass back out onto the streets,” the Lynx told him irritably as he turned his head to look at him. He saw Kit as he turned. “Oh... you’re talking to another freak, sorry,” he amended. “For a second I thought you were imposing on somebody who’s actually going to have some use in society, but I guess who cares if the worthless interrupt the worthless. Looks like you’ll have some competition for lowest in the district now.”\n\nA moment later Raphael peaked his head out from the other side. “Nah, our mutt can beat this one hands down... I spent my entire childhood wailing on him. Actually I owe him a little bit for some trouble he caused me the other day... him and his freak brat of a sister,” he said to his master.\n\n“Maybe I SHOULD have hit you harder,” Daisuke said over Kit’s shoulder.\n\n“I’d have hit him A LOT harder,” Kisara added irritably.\n\n“So it’s true, the Kazumi dojo really has lost all it’s honor,” the Lynx snorted.\n\n“So you know us?” Daisuke asked him.\n\n“You’re Daisuke Takahata, he’s Perrin Kazumi, she’s Hitomi Arakida, the girls are Renka and Kisara Kazumi. I’ve seen your faces on the Battle Network world tournament specials,” the lynx answered him in an un-impressed tone.\n\n“Funny... I don’t know your name, which really, that ought to say something to you. You even know the names of our students, but I don’t know yours,” Daisuke told him.\n\n“Oh the world is going to know your name well this year, it’ll be about how you disgraced yourself,” he told them. “I’d say the same for the student, but he’s a mutt, honor to his kind is licking the boots of the right superiors,” he added in aside to Raphael.\n\n“What was that last part? I didn’t catch that,” Daisuke said as he stepped forward in an imposing stance, the lynx stood up out of his chair to stand his ground. At this point one of the nurses came to the front room and called one of the students.\n\n“Nothing,” the lynx said as he started to turn toward the nurse.\n\nDaisuke’s hand shot out and shoved him lightly to stop him. “No, I wanna hear this... say it again,” Daisuke demanded. When the lynx just stood there staring him down. Daisuke grabbed him by the collar with both hands and shoved him into the wall hard, then he moved his face forward so that there was maybe an inch of space between their eyes, he looked furious while the other man looked almost terrified. “Say it... AGAIN!” Daisuke demanded.\n\n“Daisuke,” Perrin said to one side in a serious tone. Daisuke looked at Perrin, who nodded in the direction of the nurse, Daisuke looked at her for a second before he let go of the lynx’s collar.\n\n“That’s right, walk away with your tail tucked between your legs,” the lynx said as he recovered his composure. In a flash Daisuke turned and slammed his fist into the wall by the Lynx’s head, his fist went through the wall into the next room.\n\n“You better pray we don’t meet each other this season, because if we do I’m gunna bounce your head off the pavement ‘til your brain looks like a scrambled egg,” Daisuke told him gravely.\n\n“Daisuke!” The elder said again, this time in a sterner tone. “That’s not the way to handle this!” Perrin told him. Daisuke took a steadying breath before he looked at the nurse again.\n\n“Has the district Opening Challenge been taken yet?” Daisuke asked her.\n\n“Not as far as I know, we all assumed the sisters would be taking it this year,” she said in a stunned tone.\n\n“Good, Kit, you’ll be fighting the best of these little bastards in the first fight of the season. Lets see them call you worthless when you’re throttling their toughest fighter, beating the life out of him,” Daisuke told Kit.\n\n“Fighting Sunahama on TV? This is going to be too easy, try not to piss yourself when you’re up in front of everybody,” Raphael threw in from the side.\n\n“He’s your best?” Daisuke asked as he pointed to Raph.\n\n“Hope you’re not going to try and take back your challenge,” the lynx answered.\n\n“He’s right, it will be too easy, Kit, do you think your sister would be willing to enter the Battle Network? I know she’s only in Kindergarten, but I think that she’d be a better match for him in the Opening Challenge,” Daisuke asked with a laugh. The Lynx’s face turned red as he got worked up.\n\n“Your challenge is accepted, your puny mutt will fight Raphael, don’t come crying to me if he kills him,” the lynx answered.\n\n“Why would I cry? Nobody minds when trash gets taken out, and when you get down to it, that’s all your boy’s death will ever be,” Daisuke shrugged.\n\nTo one side Perrin was speaking with the other hybrid now. “If you ever get tired of them, the Kazumi dojo takes transfers,” he told the other seriously.\n\n“I’m here for the one who fights under the name ‘Foxie the Windragon’, for the rest of you we have separate waiting rooms prepared,” the nurse announced for them all, the hybrid dragon hopped up from his chair and crossed the room.\n\nKisara and the rest of the Kazumi dojo were transferred to a smaller waiting room, usually reserved for those that are seriously injured. ~\n\nAfter hearing Daisuke get so psyched up Kit was nervous. “Can I really beat Raphael?” Kit asked him a few minutes after they got into the waiting room, he sounded unsure of himself.\n\n“Right now, not a chance in hell, but in two months... I’ve got plenty of time to get you up to the task. That kid might be his star pupil, but I can tell you right now he hasn’t been practicing for more than a few months, if I had to guess I’d say that that joke of master is probably some inbred, backwater, hick bully trying to make a quick buck teaching kids how to fight like ferals, it’s all about size to him,” Daisuke answered him irritably.\n\n“You put your entire season in jeopardy back there Daisuke, you know you can’t engage in street fights any more, if you’d done any more than you did you’d be suspended this season... again. You have to learn to control your temper, I won’t always be around to remind you,” Perrin told him sternly.\n\n“Yeah, yeah. I’d have gladly sat this entire season out to waste that asshole, you gotta do that now Kit... kick that kid’s ass,” Daisuke told him. Kit could see the anger in Daisuke’s eyes.\n\n“He was... afraid of you,” Hitomi told them all in her shy voice.\n\n“You saw it too? That guy was terrified of me, he was about to piss himself after I punched through that wall,” Daisuke laughed after a second.\n\n“No... I meant... the other one... was... afraid of... Kit,” Hitomi explained.\n\n“I don’t think he was,” Kit answered her.\n\n“She doesn’t mean out there, she meant in the past, he chose you because he was afraid of you, so he acted quickly, made sure to start on you before whatever was going to happen did,” Perrin clarified for him. “Out there, he was confident because it has worked for so long, we’ll see to it that it doesn’t work again,” the elder reassured Kit.\n\nIn the corner Renka began to giggle about something, Kisara sat next to her with a face that was trying to look aloof, but after a moment she couldn’t stifle her own laughter. The others looked over at them for just a second before they seemed to understand and they all began to laugh along... everybody except Kit. “Did I miss something?” he asked them after a moment.\n\nRenka and the others quieted their laughter for a moment so they could explain it to him. “Whenever we move, Kisara and I make a small bet, about who the boys will hit on first... it’s rare that it takes somebody this long, but this time we both lost... to you,” she said as she burst out laughing. Kit turned a deep shade of red... he hadn’t picked up on that himself. They sat there laughing at poor Kit until the nurse came in.\n\n“Kit? Come with me,” she said as she poked her head in. Kit had never been so relieved to get out of a room. He followed her nervously down the hallway where she opened the doctor for him. The nurse didn’t seem to have much of an opinion of Kit, she looked at him with an angry scowl as she walked him through the preliminary part of the physical. Kit couldn’t tell if it was his heritage, or the fuss that he’d been a part of in the waiting room. Kit was not looking forward to this now, without Daisuke around he expected to get the scorn of whoever walked through the door.\n\nA few minutes later a Parentie in a lab coat swept into the room, he looked so much like a fighter it was frightening. “Good morning Kit, I’m Dr. Hothlepoya,” he told Kit politely. The two shook hands as he told Kit to sit down on the exam table, while he took a seat on a stool.\n\n“Kitachi Sunahama,” Kit answered as he bowed before shaking the other’s hand.\n\n“It says here that this is your first week of training, that you’re fighting under the... Kazumi Dojo stable,” the doctor told him as he flipped the file open. “A lot of good fighters attached to that stable over the years: Perrin Kazumi, Jaxon Davenport, Daisuke Takahata, Hitomi Arakida, not to mention the Kazumi sisters. You have plenty to live up to, so let’s see if you’re up to it. Before we do anything strenuous, how you’ve been feeling these last couple days? Any aches, pains, discomforts, dizziness... that sort of thing?” he asked him politely. Kit sort of walked him through the events of the last two days while he listened patiently, asking important questions when he needed to. “Alright Kit, I think I have enough information so far. What I want to do is go ahead and get a full work-up done on you, the idea is that since your medical history is so scarce I want to see if I can’t find anything that might be wrong with you, so we’re gunna do a whole battery of tests here today, just to make sure you don’t have something that’s going to come back at you down the way. If at any time you start to feel that something’s wrong the first thing I want you to do is go ahead and tell me. This isn’t about training so don’t feel like you have to impress anybody, if something’s wrong then we need to know. ok?” he explained to Kit \n\nThey started by taking some of his blood, then they moved on to a urine test. When all of the bodily fluids had been extracted they moved on to some physical tests, nothing overly strenuous, but by the end Kit had worked up a rather nice sheen of sweat. “This is just what I figured, given that you’ve only been in training for two days, even with your rather advanced conditioning, you’ve been working yourself too hard these last few days. I understand that for a young fighter like you, that you want to improve as fast as you can, but you can’t push yourself too hard. I’m going to recommend to your masters that you don’t train today, and that every week you take at least one day a week without training, to ensure the optimal amount of rest I’ll recommend it be a weekend. I know you may not agree with my recommendation, but even in fighting the most important thing is safety. My job is to keep you as safe as I can while you’re fighting, do you understand?” the doctor asked him.\n\n“Yes sir,” Kit nodded.\n\n“Now I noticed in my file that you’re registering your main art as boxing, which isn’t a bad thing, just rare. Anyway given that my knowledge of hybrid anatomy is admittedly a little rusty, I’m going to talk to your masters about modifying your diet ever so slightly, to see if we can’t get you the best results for this season, and since boxing is very intense on the lower body, I’m going to give you a pass to use any of the facilities here, especially the spas, they have a great lower-body massage that will help loosen your muscles. If you have any questions feel free to call on me here at any time, I’ll leave my personal number on the back of this card so you can get ahold of me at any time,” the doctor told him.\n\n“Why are you doing all of this?” Kit asked him nervously after a while.\n\n“My job isn’t just to keep you safe, I’m here to make sure you do the best you can during the season, you’re one of ten to twelve fighters that have been put under my purview, so when you look good... I look good,” he answered earnestly. “Now it’s time for your psychological evaluation, there will be somebody waiting to escort you to your next exam room after this,” the Parentie said as he stood up to leave the room.\n\nOutside there was another attendant waiting to lead him to the next room. Unlike the physical room that had been decorated with various confusing posters about anatomy and items to help out with the physicals, it was cold, and it had a somewhat sterile feeling to it. This room was as different as could be. A library of various religious texts, academic works, and literary masterpieces adorned a wall that had been designed with shelves. This room was warm, with a fireplace in the corner, where ever there was visible wall space and not bookshelves or mahogany cabinets it was all beiges and soft colors. There was one large writing desk in one corner, but it was arranged so that the drawers all pulled out into the corner, with the chair on that same side. It looked like a professional desk, well used, but organized, and everything about the setup said to Kit that it was PRIVATE. By the fireplace there were a few plush chairs and couches, with overstuffed pillows and even blankets if they were needed.\n\nThe point of the last room was to be clinical, that was for sure, this room was supposed to be comforting, which put Kit on his guard. He settled in comfortably enough, but he didn’t trust this room... all this warmth and comfort was intentional. The books on the wall gave a hollow impression of freedom, as if he could pick up any one of them and sit on the couch, but they weren’t there to actually give him freedom, they were there to give him the illusion of freedom. Even though there was no dust around them, and the books looked well worn, Kit doubted they’d been touched since they’d come to this room. This wall... it was a graveyard for used books, and this room was a lie. No... not a lie... IT WAS A TRAP.\n\nAfter a few minutes a young leopard entered through the door. “Good morning Kit, how are you feeling this morning?” she asked him politely. “I’m Katrina, and I’m going to be evaluating you state of mind this morning,” she said as she offered him her hand. Kit shook it nervously.\n\n“I’m a little excited about everything that’s happened so far,” Kit admitted to her after a moment.\n\n“I heard about the trouble in the waiting room, would you mind talking with me about that? Explaining what’s going for me?” she asked as they sat down, she sat in a leather recliner while he fell back on the overstuffed couch. Kit walked her through his history with Raphael, all the way back to their primary school days. Katrina for her part just let him keep speaking, interrupting him every now and again for clarification. “Can you tell me more about your sister?” she prompted him when she was satisfied that she understood his frame of mind in regards to Raph.\n\n“Ayano? Well she’s in kindergarten this year... what else do you want to know?” Kit asked her after a moment.\n\n“You seem to be quite attached to her, I’m just curios as to why that is,” Katrina explained to him.\n\n“Well, she’s the only family I’ve got,” Kit shrugged.\n\n“Yes, you said your mother passed away a few years ago, but you never mentioned anything about your father,” she reminded him.\n\n“He was gone before mom died, so I’ve been looking out for her for the last two years,” Kit answered her.\n\n“You say your father left?” she prompted him gently.\n\n“You’re right... I did,” Kit answered her with a nod.\n\n“Kit... I want to talk about your father,” she suggested.\n\n“I don’t,” Kit responded simply. He was trying to be polite about it, but he was running out of patience\n\n“I’m going to have to talk about him at some point Kit,” she tried to get him to loosen up.\n\n“Then I suggest you find somebody else to talk to,” Kit told her as he set his jaw.\n\n“Alright... we won’t talk about your father... today. I’m going to recommend that you come here once a week so we can work any of your issues out,” Katrina told him after a moment of thought. Now it was Kit’s turn to ask the questions.\n\n“Why?” he asked her with an alert tone.\n\n“I think you might have some complicated issues, things that you’re not willing to talk about with somebody that you’re not completely comfortable with, and I’d like to help you resolve these,” she told him.\n\n“And if I refuse to come?” he pressed her.\n\n“Then I’m going to have to recommend that they pull you from this season’s roster of active fighters,” she answered. Kit began to panic at this.\n\n“WHY?! Why the hell do you want to dig up all this worthless shit?” Kit asked her, his voice rising in frustration.\n\n“I have more than just one fighter to look after Kit, if something comes up during this season, I want to be sure that you won’t go too far, that you’ll keep control of yourself while fighting,” she told him.\n\n“I don’t think I’ll be fighting my father this season,” Kit bit back.\n\n“No, I don’t think you will either, but I also want to look after your state of mind, you seem to bottle up your emotions, you hold them back, and I’m afraid that you’re going to explode from all the pressure. We won’t have to talk about your father for a long time, but you can’t keep holding everything in all the time, so we will have to talk about it eventually,” Katrina told him in a soothing voice. Kit felt his tension start to go slack.\n\n“Once a week... should there be a set time, or should I just walk in?” he asked her as he understood there would be no avoiding this.\n\nShe could hear the defeat in his voice. “This isn’t a bad thing Kit, I want to help you,” she tried to reassure him, but she could tell that he wasn’t consoled with that. “How about you come in on Monday afternoons from 2-4?” she suggested.\n\n“You don’t have to tell anybody about this do you?” he asked her.\n\n“I’ll have to at least tell Perrin Kazumi, he might decide to stop your training on his own... but I’ll recommend that he keep you working on it. It seems to me that the discipline involved with martial arts will help you, so long as you understand the time and place to use them,” Katrina answered after taking a moment to think about it.\n\n“People are going to think I’m crazy aren’t they?” Kit asked as he slumped forward, resting his elbows on his knees and hanging his head in dismay. It was hard not to hear the fear in his voice. He was afraid this was going to isolate him from the others.\n\n“No, Kit, they won’t think that... they’ll think that you’re a remarkable young man who has had an unimaginable burden placed on his shoulders. Life has been hard for you Kit. I just want to make sure that you’re alright,” she cooed him in a soft voice as she put one hand on his shoulder.\n\n“They’re not going to leave me are they?” Kit asked her desperately.\n\n“No Kit... they’re not going to leave you,” she reassured him.\n\n“Monday afternoons from 2-4, I’ll be here,” he answered her as he lifted his head. Katrina could tell he still wasn’t sure about everything, but at least he’d agreed to it. ~\n\nKit had to wait twenty minutes for the others to finish their physicals. Perrin Kazumi waited with him, explaining that those that had reached the status of elder within the Battle Network no longer fought. He waited patiently for the others and then a few more minutes for the preliminary reports. “Ok, everything looks good according to the preliminary reports. Kit... Kisara, it says you have to take today off, doctors orders, so no buts, it also says the two of you have to take at least one day off each week, and since I know you so well Kisara, neither of you can hang around the house, you’ll get out and enjoy those days. Kit it says you’ve got a standing appointment here every monday afternoon, we’ll make sure that you make it on time,” Perrin announced.\n\n“What’s next,?” Kisara asked Perrin as they stood there.\n\n“We have to meet with the producers about any special appearances,” her uncle reminded her.\n\n“Well, since that probably won’t have anything to do with me, can I go back to class?” Kit asked him.\n\n“Very well, if there’s anything they want to talk to you about I’ll relay the message to you,” the elder agreed. Kit turned to leave but he only made it a few steps before he turned around and began backpedaling.\n\n“Kisara... can I talk with you in private after class today?” Kit asked her, he looked a bit shy.\n\n“Uh... I guess,” Kisara answered him nervously. His face lit up.\n\n“Great, I’ll see you then,” he said as he took off down the hallway.\n\n“We should get going too,” Daisuke said as the others started to move. Kisara just stood there for a moment with a confused look.\n\n“I wonder what that was about,” the shrugged as she turned.\n\n“What, indeed,” Renka agreed with a half-hidden smile and a giggle, she might not have known what was going on, but Renka definitely had an idea.\n\n“What’re you thinking?” Kisara asked her sister in an exasperated tone.\n\n“Maybe he’s going to confess to you,” Renka whispered with another girlish giggle... she was delighted.\n\n“Yeah right, he probably just wants some tips on his form or something,” Kisara answered her, but even so a blush crept onto her face.\n\n“Kit and Kisara sittin’ in a tree-,” Renka started in to herself.\n\n“SHUT UP!” Kisara interrupted her sister in an irritable tone, Renka just giggled to herself as she skipped forward. Maybe he DOES like me, Kisara thought as they headed up the stairs to the offices.\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Kisara stood in Kit’s doorway for a moment, she’d been told to wake him up. When she had opened the door he’d been out like a light, he slept like a log, but he looked happy in his sleep, happier than he usually did when he was awake. She took a second to take it in before she nudged him awake with her foot. “Wake up! It’s time to go,” she told him irritably as she left the room. As she shut the door she looked gloomy for a moment. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that she thought. She went into her own room to change into her running clothes.

When she came back out Kit looked like he was still half asleep. Renka was standing there chatting with him. Kisara envied her sister that, she had such an easy time talking with people, she always seemed so friendly, while every time Kisara approached people she ended up sounding a little bitchy. It wasn’t intentional, it’s just how she was.

They spent their hour teaching him for when they started their actual runs the next week. They tried to keep today’s session lighter since they all had to do their weigh-ins later. When they returned to the dojo Daisuke, Hitomi, and the Elder were all awake and ready. The students in the combative sports were allowed out the day of their weigh-ins and competitors in the masters division had to have their own weigh-ins as well.

After dropping of Ayano it was off to the infirmary for their physicals. When they first walked in there was another group waiting. One of the young men waiting was another hybrid, he looked almost like a wingless dragon, but his body was covered in grey fur, he had shaggy dark brown hair interrupted ever so slightly by two black horns. Kit sat there and just stared at him, it sort of intrigued Kisara, so she had to ask him about it. He explained to her that for the first time in his life he understood why people stared at him and his sister. He hadn’t seen many hybrids in his life, as a rule they were usually aborted before they came to term, so seeing another now was like a shock to him. At times it was hard to remember that there were other hybrids out there that he didn’t share any blood with. Kit was mesmerized by him at first.

For his part, the other hybrid didn’t seem peeved by it at all, instead he sat there reading his magazine as if he didn’t notice at first, but after a few minutes he looked over at Kit out of the corner of his eye. “I look better when I’m naked, so would you... if you know what I mean,” he told Kit with a wink and a coy smirk. From the look on his face it was obvious Kit didn’t.

His master sat next to him, and on the other side there was a line of other youngsters. He was a severe looking Lynx. “Quiet half-breed, you’re lucky we accepted your transfer application, we didn’t allow you to train with us so you could talk. Just sit still and take the punches that come at you, and remember to surrender when you fight the others of the dojo. I understand you’re on pilgrimage but don’t think I won’t bounce your ass back out onto the streets,” the Lynx told him irritably as he turned his head to look at him. He saw Kit as he turned. “Oh... you’re talking to another freak, sorry,” he amended. “For a second I thought you were imposing on somebody who’s actually going to have some use in society, but I guess who cares if the worthless interrupt the worthless. Looks like you’ll have some competition for lowest in the district now.”

A moment later Raphael peaked his head out from the other side. “Nah, our mutt can beat this one hands down... I spent my entire childhood wailing on him. Actually I owe him a little bit for some trouble he caused me the other day... him and his freak brat of a sister,” he said to his master.

“Maybe I SHOULD have hit you harder,” Daisuke said over Kit’s shoulder.

“I’d have hit him A LOT harder,” Kisara added irritably.

“So it’s true, the Kazumi dojo really has lost all it’s honor,” the Lynx snorted.

“So you know us?” Daisuke asked him.

“You’re Daisuke Takahata, he’s Perrin Kazumi, she’s Hitomi Arakida, the girls are Renka and Kisara Kazumi. I’ve seen your faces on the Battle Network world tournament specials,” the lynx answered him in an un-impressed tone.

“Funny... I don’t know your name, which really, that ought to say something to you. You even know the names of our students, but I don’t know yours,” Daisuke told him.

“Oh the world is going to know your name well this year, it’ll be about how you disgraced yourself,” he told them. “I’d say the same for the student, but he’s a mutt, honor to his kind is licking the boots of the right superiors,” he added in aside to Raphael.

“What was that last part? I didn’t catch that,” Daisuke said as he stepped forward in an imposing stance, the lynx stood up out of his chair to stand his ground. At this point one of the nurses came to the front room and called one of the students.

“Nothing,” the lynx said as he started to turn toward the nurse.

Daisuke’s hand shot out and shoved him lightly to stop him. “No, I wanna hear this... say it again,” Daisuke demanded. When the lynx just stood there staring him down. Daisuke grabbed him by the collar with both hands and shoved him into the wall hard, then he moved his face forward so that there was maybe an inch of space between their eyes, he looked furious while the other man looked almost terrified. “Say it... AGAIN!” Daisuke demanded.

“Daisuke,” Perrin said to one side in a serious tone. Daisuke looked at Perrin, who nodded in the direction of the nurse, Daisuke looked at her for a second before he let go of the lynx’s collar.

“That’s right, walk away with your tail tucked between your legs,” the lynx said as he recovered his composure. In a flash Daisuke turned and slammed his fist into the wall by the Lynx’s head, his fist went through the wall into the next room.

“You better pray we don’t meet each other this season, because if we do I’m gunna bounce your head off the pavement ‘til your brain looks like a scrambled egg,” Daisuke told him gravely.

“Daisuke!” The elder said again, this time in a sterner tone. “That’s not the way to handle this!” Perrin told him. Daisuke took a steadying breath before he looked at the nurse again.

“Has the district Opening Challenge been taken yet?” Daisuke asked her.

“Not as far as I know, we all assumed the sisters would be taking it this year,” she said in a stunned tone.

“Good, Kit, you’ll be fighting the best of these little bastards in the first fight of the season. Lets see them call you worthless when you’re throttling their toughest fighter, beating the life out of him,” Daisuke told Kit.

“Fighting Sunahama on TV? This is going to be too easy, try not to piss yourself when you’re up in front of everybody,” Raphael threw in from the side.

“He’s your best?” Daisuke asked as he pointed to Raph.

“Hope you’re not going to try and take back your challenge,” the lynx answered.

“He’s right, it will be too easy, Kit, do you think your sister would be willing to enter the Battle Network? I know she’s only in Kindergarten, but I think that she’d be a better match for him in the Opening Challenge,” Daisuke asked with a laugh. The Lynx’s face turned red as he got worked up.

“Your challenge is accepted, your puny mutt will fight Raphael, don’t come crying to me if he kills him,” the lynx answered.

“Why would I cry? Nobody minds when trash gets taken out, and when you get down to it, that’s all your boy’s death will ever be,” Daisuke shrugged.

To one side Perrin was speaking with the other hybrid now. “If you ever get tired of them, the Kazumi dojo takes transfers,” he told the other seriously.

“I’m here for the one who fights under the name ‘Foxie the Windragon’, for the rest of you we have separate waiting rooms prepared,” the nurse announced for them all, the hybrid dragon hopped up from his chair and crossed the room.

Kisara and the rest of the Kazumi dojo were transferred to a smaller waiting room, usually reserved for those that are seriously injured. ~

After hearing Daisuke get so psyched up Kit was nervous. “Can I really beat Raphael?” Kit asked him a few minutes after they got into the waiting room, he sounded unsure of himself.

“Right now, not a chance in hell, but in two months... I’ve got plenty of time to get you up to the task. That kid might be his star pupil, but I can tell you right now he hasn’t been practicing for more than a few months, if I had to guess I’d say that that joke of master is probably some inbred, backwater, hick bully trying to make a quick buck teaching kids how to fight like ferals, it’s all about size to him,” Daisuke answered him irritably.

“You put your entire season in jeopardy back there Daisuke, you know you can’t engage in street fights any more, if you’d done any more than you did you’d be suspended this season... again. You have to learn to control your temper, I won’t always be around to remind you,” Perrin told him sternly.

“Yeah, yeah. I’d have gladly sat this entire season out to waste that asshole, you gotta do that now Kit... kick that kid’s ass,” Daisuke told him. Kit could see the anger in Daisuke’s eyes.

“He was... afraid of you,” Hitomi told them all in her shy voice.

“You saw it too? That guy was terrified of me, he was about to piss himself after I punched through that wall,” Daisuke laughed after a second.

“No... I meant... the other one... was... afraid of... Kit,” Hitomi explained.

“I don’t think he was,” Kit answered her.

“She doesn’t mean out there, she meant in the past, he chose you because he was afraid of you, so he acted quickly, made sure to start on you before whatever was going to happen did,” Perrin clarified for him. “Out there, he was confident because it has worked for so long, we’ll see to it that it doesn’t work again,” the elder reassured Kit.

In the corner Renka began to giggle about something, Kisara sat next to her with a face that was trying to look aloof, but after a moment she couldn’t stifle her own laughter. The others looked over at them for just a second before they seemed to understand and they all began to laugh along... everybody except Kit. “Did I miss something?” he asked them after a moment.

Renka and the others quieted their laughter for a moment so they could explain it to him. “Whenever we move, Kisara and I make a small bet, about who the boys will hit on first... it’s rare that it takes somebody this long, but this time we both lost... to you,” she said as she burst out laughing. Kit turned a deep shade of red... he hadn’t picked up on that himself. They sat there laughing at poor Kit until the nurse came in.

“Kit? Come with me,” she said as she poked her head in. Kit had never been so relieved to get out of a room. He followed her nervously down the hallway where she opened the doctor for him. The nurse didn’t seem to have much of an opinion of Kit, she looked at him with an angry scowl as she walked him through the preliminary part of the physical. Kit couldn’t tell if it was his heritage, or the fuss that he’d been a part of in the waiting room. Kit was not looking forward to this now, without Daisuke around he expected to get the scorn of whoever walked through the door.

A few minutes later a Parentie in a lab coat swept into the room, he looked so much like a fighter it was frightening. “Good morning Kit, I’m Dr. Hothlepoya,” he told Kit politely. The two shook hands as he told Kit to sit down on the exam table, while he took a seat on a stool.

“Kitachi Sunahama,” Kit answered as he bowed before shaking the other’s hand.

“It says here that this is your first week of training, that you’re fighting under the... Kazumi Dojo stable,” the doctor told him as he flipped the file open. “A lot of good fighters attached to that stable over the years: Perrin Kazumi, Jaxon Davenport, Daisuke Takahata, Hitomi Arakida, not to mention the Kazumi sisters. You have plenty to live up to, so let’s see if you’re up to it. Before we do anything strenuous, how you’ve been feeling these last couple days? Any aches, pains, discomforts, dizziness... that sort of thing?” he asked him politely. Kit sort of walked him through the events of the last two days while he listened patiently, asking important questions when he needed to. “Alright Kit, I think I have enough information so far. What I want to do is go ahead and get a full work-up done on you, the idea is that since your medical history is so scarce I want to see if I can’t find anything that might be wrong with you, so we’re gunna do a whole battery of tests here today, just to make sure you don’t have something that’s going to come back at you down the way. If at any time you start to feel that something’s wrong the first thing I want you to do is go ahead and tell me. This isn’t about training so don’t feel like you have to impress anybody, if something’s wrong then we need to know. ok?” he explained to Kit

They started by taking some of his blood, then they moved on to a urine test. When all of the bodily fluids had been extracted they moved on to some physical tests, nothing overly strenuous, but by the end Kit had worked up a rather nice sheen of sweat. “This is just what I figured, given that you’ve only been in training for two days, even with your rather advanced conditioning, you’ve been working yourself too hard these last few days. I understand that for a young fighter like you, that you want to improve as fast as you can, but you can’t push yourself too hard. I’m going to recommend to your masters that you don’t train today, and that every week you take at least one day a week without training, to ensure the optimal amount of rest I’ll recommend it be a weekend. I know you may not agree with my recommendation, but even in fighting the most important thing is safety. My job is to keep you as safe as I can while you’re fighting, do you understand?” the doctor asked him.

“Yes sir,” Kit nodded.

“Now I noticed in my file that you’re registering your main art as boxing, which isn’t a bad thing, just rare. Anyway given that my knowledge of hybrid anatomy is admittedly a little rusty, I’m going to talk to your masters about modifying your diet ever so slightly, to see if we can’t get you the best results for this season, and since boxing is very intense on the lower body, I’m going to give you a pass to use any of the facilities here, especially the spas, they have a great lower-body massage that will help loosen your muscles. If you have any questions feel free to call on me here at any time, I’ll leave my personal number on the back of this card so you can get ahold of me at any time,” the doctor told him.

“Why are you doing all of this?” Kit asked him nervously after a while.

“My job isn’t just to keep you safe, I’m here to make sure you do the best you can during the season, you’re one of ten to twelve fighters that have been put under my purview, so when you look good... I look good,” he answered earnestly. “Now it’s time for your psychological evaluation, there will be somebody waiting to escort you to your next exam room after this,” the Parentie said as he stood up to leave the room.

Outside there was another attendant waiting to lead him to the next room. Unlike the physical room that had been decorated with various confusing posters about anatomy and items to help out with the physicals, it was cold, and it had a somewhat sterile feeling to it. This room was as different as could be. A library of various religious texts, academic works, and literary masterpieces adorned a wall that had been designed with shelves. This room was warm, with a fireplace in the corner, where ever there was visible wall space and not bookshelves or mahogany cabinets it was all beiges and soft colors. There was one large writing desk in one corner, but it was arranged so that the drawers all pulled out into the corner, with the chair on that same side. It looked like a professional desk, well used, but organized, and everything about the setup said to Kit that it was PRIVATE. By the fireplace there were a few plush chairs and couches, with overstuffed pillows and even blankets if they were needed.

The point of the last room was to be clinical, that was for sure, this room was supposed to be comforting, which put Kit on his guard. He settled in comfortably enough, but he didn’t trust this room... all this warmth and comfort was intentional. The books on the wall gave a hollow impression of freedom, as if he could pick up any one of them and sit on the couch, but they weren’t there to actually give him freedom, they were there to give him the illusion of freedom. Even though there was no dust around them, and the books looked well worn, Kit doubted they’d been touched since they’d come to this room. This wall... it was a graveyard for used books, and this room was a lie. No... not a lie... IT WAS A TRAP.

After a few minutes a young leopard entered through the door. “Good morning Kit, how are you feeling this morning?” she asked him politely. “I’m Katrina, and I’m going to be evaluating you state of mind this morning,” she said as she offered him her hand. Kit shook it nervously.

“I’m a little excited about everything that’s happened so far,” Kit admitted to her after a moment.

“I heard about the trouble in the waiting room, would you mind talking with me about that? Explaining what’s going for me?” she asked as they sat down, she sat in a leather recliner while he fell back on the overstuffed couch. Kit walked her through his history with Raphael, all the way back to their primary school days. Katrina for her part just let him keep speaking, interrupting him every now and again for clarification. “Can you tell me more about your sister?” she prompted him when she was satisfied that she understood his frame of mind in regards to Raph.

“Ayano? Well she’s in kindergarten this year... what else do you want to know?” Kit asked her after a moment.

“You seem to be quite attached to her, I’m just curios as to why that is,” Katrina explained to him.

“Well, she’s the only family I’ve got,” Kit shrugged.

“Yes, you said your mother passed away a few years ago, but you never mentioned anything about your father,” she reminded him.

“He was gone before mom died, so I’ve been looking out for her for the last two years,” Kit answered her.

“You say your father left?” she prompted him gently.

“You’re right... I did,” Kit answered her with a nod.

“Kit... I want to talk about your father,” she suggested.

“I don’t,” Kit responded simply. He was trying to be polite about it, but he was running out of patience

“I’m going to have to talk about him at some point Kit,” she tried to get him to loosen up.

“Then I suggest you find somebody else to talk to,” Kit told her as he set his jaw.

“Alright... we won’t talk about your father... today. I’m going to recommend that you come here once a week so we can work any of your issues out,” Katrina told him after a moment of thought. Now it was Kit’s turn to ask the questions.

“Why?” he asked her with an alert tone.

“I think you might have some complicated issues, things that you’re not willing to talk about with somebody that you’re not completely comfortable with, and I’d like to help you resolve these,” she told him.

“And if I refuse to come?” he pressed her.

“Then I’m going to have to recommend that they pull you from this season’s roster of active fighters,” she answered. Kit began to panic at this.

“WHY?! Why the hell do you want to dig up all this worthless shit?” Kit asked her, his voice rising in frustration.

“I have more than just one fighter to look after Kit, if something comes up during this season, I want to be sure that you won’t go too far, that you’ll keep control of yourself while fighting,” she told him.

“I don’t think I’ll be fighting my father this season,” Kit bit back.

“No, I don’t think you will either, but I also want to look after your state of mind, you seem to bottle up your emotions, you hold them back, and I’m afraid that you’re going to explode from all the pressure. We won’t have to talk about your father for a long time, but you can’t keep holding everything in all the time, so we will have to talk about it eventually,” Katrina told him in a soothing voice. Kit felt his tension start to go slack.

“Once a week... should there be a set time, or should I just walk in?” he asked her as he understood there would be no avoiding this.

She could hear the defeat in his voice. “This isn’t a bad thing Kit, I want to help you,” she tried to reassure him, but she could tell that he wasn’t consoled with that. “How about you come in on Monday afternoons from 2-4?” she suggested.

“You don’t have to tell anybody about this do you?” he asked her.

“I’ll have to at least tell Perrin Kazumi, he might decide to stop your training on his own... but I’ll recommend that he keep you working on it. It seems to me that the discipline involved with martial arts will help you, so long as you understand the time and place to use them,” Katrina answered after taking a moment to think about it.

“People are going to think I’m crazy aren’t they?” Kit asked as he slumped forward, resting his elbows on his knees and hanging his head in dismay. It was hard not to hear the fear in his voice. He was afraid this was going to isolate him from the others.

“No, Kit, they won’t think that... they’ll think that you’re a remarkable young man who has had an unimaginable burden placed on his shoulders. Life has been hard for you Kit. I just want to make sure that you’re alright,” she cooed him in a soft voice as she put one hand on his shoulder.

“They’re not going to leave me are they?” Kit asked her desperately.

“No Kit... they’re not going to leave you,” she reassured him.

“Monday afternoons from 2-4, I’ll be here,” he answered her as he lifted his head. Katrina could tell he still wasn’t sure about everything, but at least he’d agreed to it. ~

Kit had to wait twenty minutes for the others to finish their physicals. Perrin Kazumi waited with him, explaining that those that had reached the status of elder within the Battle Network no longer fought. He waited patiently for the others and then a few more minutes for the preliminary reports. “Ok, everything looks good according to the preliminary reports. Kit... Kisara, it says you have to take today off, doctors orders, so no buts, it also says the two of you have to take at least one day off each week, and since I know you so well Kisara, neither of you can hang around the house, you’ll get out and enjoy those days. Kit it says you’ve got a standing appointment here every monday afternoon, we’ll make sure that you make it on time,” Perrin announced.

“What’s next,?” Kisara asked Perrin as they stood there.

“We have to meet with the producers about any special appearances,” her uncle reminded her.

“Well, since that probably won’t have anything to do with me, can I go back to class?” Kit asked him.

“Very well, if there’s anything they want to talk to you about I’ll relay the message to you,” the elder agreed. Kit turned to leave but he only made it a few steps before he turned around and began backpedaling.

“Kisara... can I talk with you in private after class today?” Kit asked her, he looked a bit shy.

“Uh... I guess,” Kisara answered him nervously. His face lit up.

“Great, I’ll see you then,” he said as he took off down the hallway.

“We should get going too,” Daisuke said as the others started to move. Kisara just stood there for a moment with a confused look.

“I wonder what that was about,” the shrugged as she turned.

“What, indeed,” Renka agreed with a half-hidden smile and a giggle, she might not have known what was going on, but Renka definitely had an idea.

“What’re you thinking?” Kisara asked her sister in an exasperated tone.

“Maybe he’s going to confess to you,” Renka whispered with another girlish giggle... she was delighted.

“Yeah right, he probably just wants some tips on his form or something,” Kisara answered her, but even so a blush crept onto her face.

“Kit and Kisara sittin’ in a tree-,” Renka started in to herself.

“SHUT UP!” Kisara interrupted her sister in an irritable tone, Renka just giggled to herself as she skipped forward. Maybe he DOES like me, Kisara thought as they headed up the stairs to the offices.

", "pools_count": 0, "title": "Kit: Challenge", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "0", "rating_name": "General", "ratings": [], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "4", "views": "41" }