Description: Zach and Hotaru do a little catching up after some of the insanity in their lives.
The Futaba Estate, located in one of the more upperclass regions of Southtown Village, is surrounded by a wall but hardly hidden, as the wall has many sections of white, metal fencing that's easy enough to see through. A gate at the driveway and gate off the sidewalk both provide access.
A sizeable abode, the property is sizeable even without considering land values in Southtown Japan. A second structure, a squat, traditional looking building off to the side, appears to be a dojo as well. No people appear to be around at the moment but the landscape is well manicured, suggesting that there is some kind of helpstaff or grounds keepers around at times.
Neither gate is locked so access is hardly restricted. The walkway leading up to the front door circles a large water fountain that is presently in operation. Other than that, and the swaying of early spring leaves and blossoms in the gentle breeze, there is very little activity to notice.
Zach, however, is not so rude as to go barging into this place. It represents more money than he has ever seen in one place his entire life. So, like that time at the church, he takes in the scenery with more than a touch of respect as he stops at the gate and, basically, rings the doorbell.
Zach looks like he has seen better days, but not terribly so. The clothes are clean and relatively new; fighting is good money even for a lower-tier fighter like Zach. However, he does not just come right in through the gate. He's impetuous and occassionally foolhardy, but he's not rude.
From the gate, no sound can be heard as the doorbell is rung. But that doesn't mean someone up at the house didn't hear something. It takes a while for there to be any sign of life at the sleepy estate, but eventually there is movement behind one of the current covered windows, a shade drawn aside for a moment as someone within checks to see who it is that's at the gate.
More time passes before the front door itself finally opens, Hotaru Futaba herself stepping out of the home to walk down the walkway toward the gate. Not dressed for fighting, she's clothed in a simple white blouse and blue skirt, hands clasped in front of her as she comes up to the gate. Her expression is guarded as she draws near, but she doesn't hesitate to pull open the white iron gate.
"Hello," comes her quiet voice as she looks the young man over. Not noteably taller than herself, she looks at Zach levelly. She can only guess as to the purpose of his visit. Surely his name has come up a lot in recent months when others have confronted her about her ruthless aggression as of late. Taking a step back from the opened gate, she makes room for Zach to step through and onto the property itself, but otherwise remains quiet, leaving it to him to move the conversation forward. If this is even intended to be a chat to begin with. It wouldn't be hard to sense the tenseness about the girl, as if she was expecting a possible fight out of this.
Zach's eyes are surprisingly soft for someone who is facing the girl who nearly punched two holes in his chest. He has his hands in his pockets, and a faint look of concern on his face. There is no tension to Zach, no visible desire to fight in his stance or demeanor.
"Heard about the fight you had with Mizuki. You okay?" Zach asks honestly.
Oh yeah, that. That wasn't a friendly spar by any stretch of the imagination. Hotaru's expression is neutral as Zach mentions Mizuki, her eyes shifting off to the side as she folds her arms at her chest, her demeanor becoming somewhat defensive. "Yeah. I'm fine. She's the one that needs the concern," the girl remarks.
Struck by the same technique Sakura said she felt lingering effects of for days after being hit by it, the girl can only wonder how long it took for Mizuki to get over it. Hopefully her gift for healing aided her in some aspect for a more swift recovery, the girl muses, but otherwise remains quiet, blue eyes shifting back to focus on Zach eventually.
"I'm pretty sure she's recovered okay," Zach says dryly before taking in and letting out a long breath. "I'm not here to play the broken record," he says finally. "But I think if anyone should be outraged by our fight, that it should be me." Zach shrugs. "But I'm not. If anything, I'm kind of embarrassed that a bunch of high-school kids think that they need to bring me up in order to confront you."
At this point, Zach finally enters the grounds. "Would have stopped by sooner to tell you, but..." Zach falters a bit. "...I ended up taking an unexpected sidetrip to Metro. It took a while to get everything together to get back to Southtown." He grins. "But I did get to see my folks," he says cheerfully. "I haven't seen them since that first accident."
The girl continues to regard Zach quietly, blue eyes fixed on his green irises, arms folded in front of her. He states that he isn't upset by the fight they had so many weeks ago and Hotaru shifts a little, as if not certain what to make of the remark. He expresses his awkwardness at how many others have brought up her match with him in making their case against Hotaru's unwarrented use of that technique of hers and she turns her face to the side a little. "Well," the girl states, "There was just concern that I went too far for a friendly match." She excuses their behavior, not particularly surprised that Zach found it uncomfortable. "If it bothers you," she continues, looking straight at him again, "You should take it up with them."
He mentions Southtown and Hotaru smiles just faintly. Visiting parents, after having stayed away from them for so long. "That must have been nice," she remarks. "I've heard things are rather crazy in Metro as of late." She's quiet for a moment before she finally adds, "And your parents, how did they react?"
"Oh, I will. Already knocked that Miura kid down a peg," Zach says with a chuckle. "The others, I'll talk to."
"Someone was kidnapping people like me, taking them to Metro. I busted myself out. Some kids from Gedo, and that Adelheid Bernstein busted out some others," Zach answers. "They may have more, but I intend to find out," he says grimly.
"Mom and Dad were happy to see me in the flesh," Zach answers, eager to get back to more enjoyable subjects. "They've been following my matches since that Jinchuu tournament, apparently," a touch of surprise in his voice. "They were glad to know I'm alive."
At the mention of Taiyo's star soccer player, Hotaru merely nods her head slightly, "Roberto meant well. Shouldn't be," she pauses, searching for the words, "So eager to prove you're so tough." Coming from her, given her motivations as of late, the remark certainly seems out of place.
She listens to his account of kidnappings going on, the question going through her mind in wondering if Jiro has been tangentally involved with trying to solve any such problems like that. Usually he tells her about what he's up to, but she's been the distant one as of late, so that might make it hard to do.
She nods slightly as Zach describes his parents following his fighting career ever since he made an appearance in that big Jinchuu to-do. "That's good," she states, her voice sounding sincere enough. "I hope they're proud of your progress."
Zach grins a bit. "That's good advice," Zach says without a touch of reproach. He's not here to play pot and kettle games with Hotaru. "On the other hand, if I can't at least fight my own fights, then I'm in the wrong business, yeah?"
Zach shrugs good naturedly. "They were surprised, I think. Not exactly sure why though," he says thoughtfully. "So... how are you doing? Can't be easy having people dogpile you about this recent change in attitude," he says softly.
"Perhaps," Hotaru replies as Zach mentions needing to be able to fight his own fights or be dismissed as being in the wrong business. Her voice is quiet, reserved, as if her thoughts are mostly elsewhere, though she's clearly paying enough attention to follow what he's saying.
"But sometimes there's fights you can't fight on your own. Being too proud to recognize that even, yes, High School students might have to fight on your behalf sometimes, Mister Glen, is ignoring the way the world works now days. You said yourself it was a group of teens that broke into that kidnapping ring in Metro and rescued others." Her smile wanes, the girl shifting posture just a little, "Something you couldn't have done by yourself, I imagine, or you would have." There's a distance to her tone, as if she's only half addressing Zach and half simply speaking out loud to herself.
"I'm fine," she remarks, no warmth in her voice. "Not easy, no. But I can see when they have a point. It's a matter I have to spend a lot of time thinking about."
Zach blinks once or twice, then smiles again and waggles a finger at Hotaru. "Mister Glen? I let Mizuki get away with that," he says in a tone of mock offense. The laughter stays out of his voice for now. "Not you, though. Not from the first friend I've had in four years."
His expression sobers a bit. "Though it does look like you have a lot to consider," Zach says thoughtfully. "Whichever way you decide about things, though?" Zach grins a bit. "You have my support on it."
He corrects her on being so formal with him and Hotaru merely smiles faintly, the expression one of mild amusement, "Ah, sorry. I thought that with how you were embarrassed by the way a 'bunch of High School kids' routinely brought you up when talking to me about the last few months that perhaps you wanted to distinguish yourself as being more adult than they."
"Fair enough, Zach." she corrects herself before leaning her head to the side a little. "Really? You support the path I chose no matter where it might lead?" She looks unsure what to make of the vote of confidence. It's certainly quite different from what she's heard as of late, to say the least.
Zach grins, and shrugs a bit sheepishly, "Honestly? That's what friends do. They stand by you regardless of whether you're right or wrong." He chuckles weakly as he scratches the back of his head.
"It's complicated," Zach says, answering to both Hotaru's choices and his consternation over the whole situation in the same sentence.
"Hn," Hotaru replys with a slight nod at the mention of friends. "Some might say that blind support is simply enabling destructive behavior. But... I think I understand what you're getting at," she replies after a moment's thought.
"It is," she adds with regards to it being complicated, and leaves it at that. It really, really is. "But thanks." It's the first time since he arrived that there was any warmth to her tone, as if she's softened up just a little over the course of the conversation.
"Support comes in many different forms," Zach admits. "That, and I figured that an exploding man is in no position to lecture anyone else about control or application." A faint grin, a slight shift of the shoulder. "So blind support is all you'll get from me. Although," Zach says thoughtfully, "Frei told me once that strong power responds to a strong will."
"Frei says a lot of things," Hotaru replies, her expression strained for a moment. "Some of them probably true." she finally allows, exhaling softly, thoughts of her encounters with the troubled monk over the last few months coming to mind.
"He seems to have a good grasp on things," Zach says, "And he makes really good cookies." People who make good cookies cannot possibly be bad, right?
"Maybe. But I think he has problems of his own weighing him down." The girl exhales softly, falling awkwardly quiet then, her arms still folded in front of her though most of the tension from before seems to be gone now.
Zach is quiet for a moment, watching Hotaru thoughtfully. "Who doesn't?" he asks. "You've got this red chi murderfist thing going, Frei's got his... whatever it is that he's got."
"My biggest fear," Zach says quietly, "Is that one day, I'm going to slip. That one day, it's going to just be too much, and this," Zach spins up a little baseball of psychic energy in his palm. It's purple, although a darker shade than his hair. "Will go wild and kill me." He snuffs the ball out with his fist.
He shakes his head as if to dispel the self-doubt. "My point though, is that we all have our crosses to bear. Having friends helps lighten the load in most cases."
Zach's words are regarded with silence from the girl. Murderfist, eh? That's what people are calling it now. No matter. She's already made up her mind with regards to the technique, so what people think of it doesn't concern her much now. "Yeah... Yeah it does," Hotaru agrees. "Thanks."
No, that's what Zach's calling it because it hurts like death. He hasn't shared the term with anyone. Zach's watch beeps insistantly, and he checks it. "Welp. No rest for the traumatized. I have a match to go get ready for... with a bunch of high-school students," he says with a trace of a chuckle.
His chuckle provokes a faint grin from the girl as she nods, "Sure. Thanks for stopping by." She pauses for a moment before taking a step backward, intending to head back inside. "Glad to know you're okay."
Zach turns, and waves over his shoulder. "Same to you," he says simply as he walks off.
Log created on 13:08:33 04/05/2008 by Zach, and last modified on 16:00:57 04/05/2008.