Description: At the culmination of a long night comes the desperately needed dawn. Spring is a time of birth and renewal and this day is no different. Kentou came to the dojo to show her something so important to him, to show her how far he had come. In the end he showed her forgiveness and trust. For one Hotaru Futaba, the worst may be behind her, but the road ahead is far from pain free.
Foot falls racing over cobblestone. The luscious scent of freshly watered gardens.
No matter how many times Kentou visits the Futaba dojo, he never fails to be stricken by its serene beauty. No matter how focused or excited he is over other matters, the boy can't help but glance here and there to the flower beds or the immaculately cut grass; subliminally calling for him to roll around in soft, springtime bliss.
But no, the kenpo apprentice is here on a mission! He has made serious headway with Instructor Frei's training in the wake of that earlier fateful breakthrough. After a few days of very dedicated practice, the boy thinks he finally manage to crack the least of Frei's techniques.
Finally. Finally, Finally! The Monk's boundless patience and dedicated teaching has started to pay off. Of course, the moment Kentou believes he got the hang of it to the point where he managed to reproduce the move at will.. He wasted no time running to the Dojo.
Running from the forests at the edge of town all the way to the Estate! He's hardly slowed or paused, buoyed entirely by youthful exuberance and an impatient need to show her. Sensei will be so proud of him! Considering how the situation has been with Hotaru lately, he figures some good news is precisely what his Master needs to hear right now.
As the boy reaches the first wooden steps of the Dojo proper, the boy slows to a halt before the closed doorway. Stepping out of his slippers promptly his hands touch the perfectly polished frame.. Then pausing.
Heavy breathing echos in his ears as Kentou takes a moment to collect himself, and hesitate.
Yes, things have been tense for the past several weeks. Hotaru has been... She's been dealing with issues. Issues created by Instructor Frei's brother, unfortunately enough. For a time it seemed a little.. A little off. But, the boy thinks things are improving. Of late she hasn't seemed as aloof, unapproachable as she once was. A warmth is returning to her, and that's good enough for Kentou. His worries have all but evaporated. A lot of people have helped her out, a lot of her good friends, and she seems to be doing alright now.
As far as Kentou is concerned.
With that thought in mind, the boy smiles to himself with an affirming nod. Wiping the sweat from his brow with his almost equally damp forearm, the boy slides the wooden doors open, bringing fresh illumination to the vast dojo proper.
"Sensei!" Kentou announces. She should be here, she usually is at this time of day.. At least, according to her usual schedule.
The estate property is as well groomed as always. While the upkeep of the small church yard is up to the whims of its master and those few who stop by and volunteer to help out with maintenance on their own time, the Futaba household and attached dojo is kept in prime condition by hired staff, typically during the earliest hours of the day. The dojo floor is polished, the gardens alongside it trimed immaculately, and occasionally small animals such as rabbits are helping themselves to the garden's green leaves.
Spring is heavy in the air, reflected with the blooming cherry blossoms and tulips, the green budding leaves popping up on the trees surrounding one of the ponds. A time of renewal, a time of growth, a time for advancing along chosen paths as Kentou has with his studies under the two fighters that have taken him in. The door to the dojo opens easily at his touch, the wheels well oiled in spite its traditional appearance.
Truth be told, Frei had informed her that Kentou had made a breakthrough in finding his chi weeks ago when she attacked him at the church yard. She had known of the progress in the young fighter since then, but had spoken nothing of it. With how distant she had been, perhaps it was indifference. Maybe she didn't care. Or perhaps she felt awkward, struggling with her own issues in controlling chi, bringing up Kentou's advancement on that front. Or it could be that he felt he would do better without her interfering with his chi instruction. Frei seemed so much better suited for it, after all.
Kentou would have of course known of the problems the girl was having. Written all over the broadcast fights, her outbursts, her savage attacks with a technique delivered straight from the fires of hell itself. But things have been improving. The help from friends, each making a dent in their own time, getting through the wall Kataki's influence had errected in Hotaru's mind. Frei, with his eloquent comparisons of strength and power; Hayato-sensei with his concern over the suddenly wayward student; Blanka with his simple, humble, sincere friendship for the girl that had treated him horribly; Roberto with his strong, well spoken defiance to her rampage coupled with a quickness to forgive, only to have her betray his trust in another match; Sakura with her inspirational example and the spirited condemnations of Hotaru's behavior that only a friend could provides; Oswald with his lecture on power through control, rather than the out of control girl he saw before him; Raizo, with his bearish gruff yet very real concern; the connection established with the enigmatic K' as the two compared the state of their lives and he showed her what her path could lead to... Each in their own way finding their way into the girl's heart, cracking through barriers that were designed to shut them out, enduring the uncharacteristically harsh vituperations the girl heaped upon them endlessly.
But that might be all in the past now? The girl has made critical decisions. Sakura told her she had to quit fighting until she could get this straightened out, but she was certain she could control it. Until she lost it again in her last SNF. Since then she has withdrawn from all appearances, disappointing fans no doubt. She can't use it anymore. /Won't/ use it anymore. She simply has to get her mind focused back on the basics. And it is the basics in which the girl is training as Kentou enters, situated near a punching back. Over and over she crouches low, one foot slid way out in front of the other, giving her a remarkably low profile. And from that position she spins upward, into a roundhouse against the bag before snapping back down to the stance. She's been at it for some time if the thin layer of perspiration present along her hairline is any indication.
Kentou calls out for his teacher and the girl kicks one last time, before snapping her leg down and remaining standing, whirling around to face him. His voice echoed with excitment, so she knows he isn't calling for her out of concern or the need
to report some grave crisis. A faint smile greets the boy as his teacher leans her head to the side slightly. "You look like you're in a hurry." she observes quietly.
See? Back to normal!
The youth watches his Sensei practice the routine with lifting eyebrows. That's an unfamiliar form in Hotaru's repertoire, if somewhat familiar to the Wushuu arts. At least she isn't practicing anything.. ah.. untoward. A good sign, he reasons.
The boy's grin widens two-fold as his Sensei acknowledges his presence, impishly chuckling as he hastens his way down to the floor. Bare feet padding over immaculately polished wooden flooring until reaching a polite conversational distance. Immediately clicking his heels together, clapping right fist to left palm and bowing deeply from the waist. Even at his most excited, Kentou won't forget proper respect to his Master!
It is that respect that the boy hasn't said a word to Hotaru during this ordeal. Those whom have approached her, offered her advice or criticisms. They are her peers, friends, confidants. People who know her, who have vast experience under their belt and have insight to offer.
Kentou is most friendly, and he likes to think he can keep secrets well, but he is not her peer. Not by a long shot. Kentou is but the learner and will be for some time. To add his voice and try to tell Hotaru how to do -anything- would be grave insult. He is her apprentice and he will do as he is told - when he is told - no matter what.
If she wants his opinion, he's sure she'll give it to him.
The only thing he has to give is his faith. His dedication. To her and her teachings.
Hotaru's host of allies is a mighty assemblage indeed. Amongst them are some of the greatest martial artists of this generation. Ranking officials, war heroes, sports champions, and individuals who could only be called 'superheroes'. If they could not help her, then she was beyond all hope.
As Hotaru cracks a smile, however faint it may be, the boy instantly knows hope was warranted.
She did not smile very much before, at least, not that kind of smile.
"Hotaru-Sensei!" The youth speaks as he straightens in a huff, doing his best to not hop up and down in pure elation, "I.. I finally learned one of Instructor Frei's techniques! I finally did it!" His exclamation rising to a pitched squeak.
Pausing a moment, realizing how his voice cracked, the boy clears his throat. Good thing the boy is already a bit flustered from the run or he'd blush worse, "I..I'd like to show it to you. I..In a spar.. If.. If Sensei permits... that .. that is." Mousy eyes alternating targets from the floor back up to his superior, tip of his foot stirring on the floor.
No, the boy won't mention how concerned he's been about her. He doesn't dare lecture nor does he advise. He only offers his unconditional devotion and she can take of that what she will. Let it be business as usual and leave that hateful technique with its Mistress; dead, gone and hopefully forgotten.
Her breathing is labored at first, but it calms quickly. The girl has never slowed in her training and her health is in top shape as always. Exploring new ways to catch her opponents off guard has always been a priority for her, often fighting an uphill battle in the exchange of brute force against those she faces. Sometimes it just takes the right, varied approach to overcome a tough opponent. A lesson she's learned time and time again in the past, when not relying on what many have described as her 'shortcut' to victory.
At Kentou's enthuiastic bow of respect, the girl offers a slight now of her head in return of acknowledgement, her smile slipping away though her expression remaining calm, a certain serenity at having at last made up her mind to refrain from public fights until she has mastered herself once more. Perhaps it is the young boy's respectful silence on matters she is dealing with that has spared him much of her outbursts in the past. There were the few weeks when she was completely unapproachable, but gradually something shifted and once again she resumed instructing him in the Futaba style kenpo he had come so far along in. While she had often been quiet in their training, and at times a little harsh with her corrections or criticisms, she never laid a hand on him nor resorted to threats or insults. It was as if he served as one of the very few links to the life she used to have before her fateful encounter with Frei's younger brother.
He begins to explain the reason for his excitement - Not only has he discovered his chi, but he's learned a technique as well? Eyes widen slightly, clearly impressed at the declaration, though she is about to advise him that learning to use something outside of the pressures associated with combat is far different than what it takes to draw out and control chi in the midst of a fight. But between his gasps for breath, he appears to beat her to the punch, asking for her permission to participate in a spar in which he will do his best to demonstrate the technique he's picked up. His request brings that quiet smile back to her lips, her eyes a mixture of amusement and somberness. A spar, hm.
For a long moment she ponders her lapses of control. Against Roberto there had been the pressure of an audience. He was dealing her a number of successful attacks while avoiding most of hers. She felt foolish, outclassed, she snapped. She... should apologize, if she can find the guts to even face Roberto again. In last week's fight it was when faced with the horrifying advances of the dwarfish clawed man that she unleashed the Satsujinken once again. That was when she walked away, swearing off fights until she had resolved this flaw in her control. But the spar the boy asks for, that's hardly the same thing, right? No audience, no perverted freak. Just her and her student, engaging in the time honored tradition. What could be the harm?
"I would very much like to see what you've learned, Kentou," the girl replies after a long several seconds of hesitation. "Being able to draw it out in a spar is exactly the type of control you'll need to use it in a real fight." Clasping her hands behind her back, the girl bows her head and walks out into the center of the dojo, away from the dangling kicking bag. Once in place, she breaths in deeply then exhales slowly, bringing her hands up from behind her into a ready stance, her breaths controlled, her blue eyes on the youth. "Let us begin. When you're ready to show me, go for it." A grin flickers across her features before fading. It does seem that she's gotten over whatever it was that had changed her so.
The idea of a 'shortcut' never entered into Kentou's mind.
The boy doesn't want a shortcut to power. Never did, never will. It begs the question, what's the purpose of martial arts? If the purpose is to kill somebody then one might as well just pick up a gun. Society is long past the feudal days where farmers and monks had to make due with farming implements or their bare-hands against armed soldiers.
Tradition. Integrity. Honor.
They are the only reasons, the -only- reasons, for martial arts. Without at least one of those things, you're better off learning how to shoot people dead from a roof-top half a city away. Kentou strives to uphold all three - they mean everything to him. Without them, there's no reason to be alive.
Hard work. Discipline. Determination. Those are Kentou's chosen methods and they've done right by him. With his apprenticeship to Hotaru and Frei's training, in concert with these values, the boy is twice what he used to be. For him, everything is lining up. His goals are within reach. Kentou feels confident, if not secure, in that his family name will get the honor it deserves. He may not be the strongest fighter on Earth, nor will he ever be, but that's not really the point. The people who want to be that? Well, they'll just never be happy. There's always -always- someone stronger.
The past few weeks have been tense, but Kentou has never strayed from his learning. Sometimes Hotaru has been harsh, other times outright intimidating. Once or twice, he genuinely felt fear. However the boy was resolved in his faith. He knew good people were working with her, he knew Frei was doing his best. And now? Things are much, much better.
"Hai, Sensei!" Kentou bows in a quick, sharp gesture. The boy has learned that real measure of techniques have to be experienced first-hand in a fight. An important lesson that previously learning Hotaru's techniques have taught him. He can do the same motions over and over again a thousand times until he has them down perfectly, but they don't mean anything until he's finally managed to apply them on a living, moving, thinking target.
In a rush of motion, Kentou quickly races to the opposite side of the dojo's floor. Taking the spot across from her that he's stood close a hundred times before, the positions so familiar that they're taken unthinkingly. His Sensei's familiar grin fading into that equally familiar poker face of concentration. His own smile lingering a few seconds longer before clearing his thoughts and expanding his senses and feelings.
"HUT!"Hands whirling in a complex motion before assuming his stance. Closed fists held at shoulder level with elbows spread, rocking loosely on the balls of his feet.
Yes, things are back to normal at the Futaba Estate indeed. The boy couldn't be happier!
COMBATSYS: Kentou has started a fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 Kentou
The boy adopts his ready stance under Hotaru's watchful gaze, the small statured fighter looking unhurried, patient. In her heart she worries, though. What if Kentou's use of chi ends up afflicting him in the same way her own did. Her experience seemed to be a rare case... She wasn't aware of others burned by their own use of chi until K' should her what burns beneath that custom made red glove of his. Perhaps there's no reason to worry that the Ondori blood in the student before her would ever leave him such a painful legacy as her own has. But the thought remains nonetheless. Just another reason she's glad Frei has overseen that part of his instruction.
His stance is observed quietly. He's gotten faster, quicker on his feet over time. Time and time again he has trusted her in the utmost, but is she really deserving of such faith, she ponders. Her actions in fights in the last few months cast severe doubts on that worthiness in her mind. But it is in the past now, she simply needs to move forward carefully, working on control, returning to her own techniques like K' advised her to.
Her hands are lifted, one arm out straight, positioned for quick deflections and defense, her other arm bent at the elbow and held back, ready for striking. One foot slides forward a little further as she roots herself in place. "I'm so excited for you," she continues, the sincerity reflected in her eyes even if her expression remains very neutral. No smiling during a serious spar, after all. She expects the best from him even though her own actions during the exchange may be adjusted to whatever she feels are best for the boy that given moment. Giving him /her/ best isn't always what the student /needs/ at the moment. But that's up for her to determine.
A certain rush comes over her, however. This is the first fight, serious or not, that she has had in a week since walking off the stage of her last match. While it isn't the same as competing before the world on camera, this instant shares a small portion of that experience. Inhaling then exhaling in one more controlled breath, the girl gives Kentou the slightest nod. Time for him to show her what he's able to do now. Not just chi itself, but using it in the midst of his other techniques as well.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
COMBATSYS: Hotaru focuses on her next action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
The strengths and weaknesses of the Ondori bloodline are different than those of the Futaba, for better and worse. It seems nothing so metaphysical affects the boy as a lingering curse or imbalance of internal energies. His issues are neither so tenacious, nor so easily cured.
Kentou's trepidations about using Chi stem not from how harmful they could potentially be to his person, but whether or not it would honor his family style. That, or if he could manage the feat at all. His father never used such attacks, if only because he had always preached that flamboyant, glowing attacks were both inefficient and ineffective. True strength is internal. The proper use for such energy is to augment movement and force, strengthening purpose and intent. Such projections as balls of glowing force of gouts of flame may seem spectacular, but are wasteful. Hindrances to the true power of the warrior.
Or so his father claimed.
For the longest time it seemed reasonable to the boy. That is, until he had begun his lessons with Frei in earnest. Now Kentou has realized that such abilities are not wasteful at all. Drawing upon the natural ebb and flow of the environment, cultivating and channeling the breathe of the world is not wasteful nor excessive. Chi techniques is an exercise in harmony. Being one with the world and knowing one's place in it.
It is this lesson that Kentou intends to demonstrate to his Master in person.
At Hotaru's encouraging words, the boy is completely unable to help but allow the slightest, brief smile to slip past his otherwise neutral expression. A moment of weakness, but the boy is not made of stone.
At her nod, the boy begins to advance. Not the usual reckless charge he's known for. No, he knows that look Hotaru has. The same look she taught him to anticipate and project one's senses over your opponent. She's watching for weaknesses and flaws, probably to gauge his technique. Deciding to begin the spar conservatively the boy inches a few steps closer, shifting his feet in smooth, balanced movements. Just leaping right TO the technique in question will only belittle it's strength. Best to soften up her defenses a little bit first.
"HUP!" The boy's leading hand jabs out in a blur of motion. The strike itself virtually harmless, only to get a reaction out of her and see which of her usual gambits she opens with first..
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Kentou's Jab Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
Neither the girl's father nor older brother seemed to think much of chi as a predominant means of attacking. Gato barely utilizes it but for a couple techniques of his, and her father rarely touched the stuff. Such it is that while the girl is capable of controlling a potent amount of energy her techniques that actually utilize it are limited. A fate Kentou will not have to share with the help the monk is providing for his insights, and for that Hotaru is glad. She has always considered a varied offense the key to being an effective fighter.
If one only punches and kicks, their opponents will figure that out and counter it. If one relies too heavily on being able to grapple their opponent to the ground, their techniques fall short against the more flexible fighters out there. And if one believes lobbing endless energy is the key to victory, they will find themselves troubled by opponents that can outlast their expenditures of strenght. No, being able to vary one's techniques to the situation is so much more important, in Hotaru's mind, and having Kentou get a taste of that now with his newly learned ability is no small step in her mind.
She's clearly ready for him, giving him the inititive by holding back, watching every move he makes very carefully. He approaches, but cautiously so rather than recklessly. Good, not walking into obvious traps is an important indication of his growing awareness of his opponent's intentions. His hand strikes out, and Hotaru's leading arm sweeps in, intersecting it early, keeping him from getting a clean hit. The impact is minimal as he would expect, her arm pushed back but the girl not really worse for wear.
The other half of her stance comes into play next as she brings her back leg foward, twisting her body at the torso, drawing her defensive arm back away from his strike in the process.
In one smooth transition, she goes from defending to attacking, her right hand slamming forward from its bent back position, palm out, aiming to strike Kentou squarely in the chest with strong hit, ideally before he can recover his guard. Even quick strikes like he lobbed at her have their openings, and she is, if anything, good at finding those.
COMBATSYS: Kentou dodges Hotaru's Strong Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
Variety is a notion that Hotaru has indeed drilled into the boy. Before she met him, he barely had four or five distinct techniques to his name. Since meeting her, his portfolio of strategies and techniques have easily doubled, if not tripled. The strategy of finding weaknesses and keeping his opponent off-balance with myriad techniques and approaches is one the boy has honed.
His current offense shows this strategy in action. His movements are looser than they used to be. More fluid and rounded.
His quick jab was only the beginning. As his strike is deflected the boy whirls immediately, ducking low as he spirals into a crouch. The striking palm misses his head by inches, the rush of air fluttering his bangs in the breeze, "HUT!"
In the same motion his leg sweeps out, trying to catch her shin in a rush of motion. Furthering the blow as he -pushes- himself off the ground with his trailing hand, completing a third revolution as his opposite leg whips up in an arc for Hotaru's middle in a double-blow, "HAA!"
Hotaru may not be necessarily trying her hardest, but the boy does no less than his best. Even in this simple demonstration! Let Hotaru see how effective her teachings have been first hand.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Kentou's Strong Kick.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
Good. Timing his attacks to leave an escape route is important. Kentou slips under her incoming palm strike, her arm whistling past - a close call. And then he demonstrates another principle for which she is proud - combining evasion with offense. Not only is he moving out of the way of her strike but he's lining up his next attack at the same time, his leg sweeping for her shin.
Impressed but not caught off guard, the teacher lifts her leg, skipping over his sweep, before slamming her foot back down and hopping backward out of the subsequent strike, leaving herself unphased. Good try, she wants to say, but she's aiming to keep the pressure on in spite having seemingly lost ground to a retreat.
Of course, distance between them gives her room to accelerate forward, which she does rapidly, hands coming in together, aiming to connect with the boy at the same time he finishes righting himself after his acrobatic kicking combination. Even with his experience with the technique, he may end up mislead as Hotaru's hands shift course out of an apparent double palm strike into snapping out for his wrists, trying to keep him from being able to guard himself.
If she's successful, he'll be re-introduced to very familiar technique as she drives that forward momentum into a series of rapid kicks up the front of the boy that's just shy of her diminutive height, before flipping forward through the air to land somewhere behind him rather than in front of him like she typically does.
COMBATSYS: Kentou blocks Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Kentou
As Kentou's second, and primary, kick is evaded; the boy knows he's in trouble.
Hotaru is incredibly fast as always, and immediately understanding the positioning he knows what technique she'll be going for next. The very move she taught him to use if he was ever in such a position.
Even that much forewarning is barely enough.
As the boy lifts his arms while still crouched, he feels her hands grip his forearms to strip his defenses. In a quick move, he twists his wrists inwards to free them from her grasp. In a rush of motion his fists strike out in a short flood of strikes, specifically intercepting each of Hotaru's 'steps' as she kicks along his symmetry like some kind of stepladder.
"HuuAAAAAH!" Thrusting himself to his feet, the boy actually assists his Master's leap up and over, letting her own momentum and strength work with him as he boosts her jump perhaps a small deal further than she anticipated.
Immediately the youth whirls backwards, his arms whirling in circular, wind-mill movements as he builds momentum towards the spot where Hotaru is juuust about to land, "SOU-SHOU-"
And with a final twist, the boy takes a hop forward and thrusts his fist forth, carrying the gathered momentum, "SHIN!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru interrupts Soushou Shin from Kentou with Hakki Shou EX.
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Hotaru 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Kentou
He's good to have defended against it. Experience, practice with that very technique, and repeated opportunities to see it in action certainly helped him pull himself together in the nick of time, his strikes trading blows with her sock covered feet as the girl ascends... Up into a slightly boosted arc through the air, her intended trajectory throwing slightly askew.
He's gotten good, the thought flashes through her mind. Maybe he's /too/ good now. Compared to what he was just over a half a year ago to now? Is he gifted? Is he just like the others that have reached heights as fighters with seeming ease - heights that she's slaved away so hard to obtain? He's so much younger than her yet... The girl shakes her head, taking control of her forward momentum, her right hand flaring to life with that vibrant blue chi of hers, dismissing such destructive thoughts immediately.
And down she descends, white socks touching down lightly just as Kentou comes to press the advantage he sought to create. Her forearm aglow with her signiture blue chi, the girl spins around toward the young fighter as he aims to deliver his strikes, using one of the other methods she taught him. And had she been on the defensive he might have slipped past her defenses just as the Soushou Shin is intended to do.
She can feel it, though, the energy in her hand. The power she has drawn to her from the world around them. Pure force, like she had always used before. Back to normal... Good. Kentou's windmill strikes impact her shoulder, driving Hotaru backward a little with a quiet grunt. But she's ready for that, catching the window of opportunity between his landing and the final, poewrful strike that the end of the attack is intended to slip past an opponent's guard.
In that window, the girl spins a little further, her right hand rushing forward, a trail of blue energy left in its wake. At point blank range, the boy has no hope of defending himself, trapped by his own momentum as it were. And it is in that moment that she unleashes the sapphire blue pulse of force into his chest. "YA!"
But something's a bit off. She can feel it. Not in time to stop what she is doing, as the blue energy discharges from her hand. But in time to see it. There. In the center of her signiture Hakki Shou, barely perceptible... a thin, sharp spike of red-orange chi situated in the core. That spike aguments the attack more than it would have done before, potentially piercing his uniform and a bit of skin. Nothing too deep, but it may have drawn blood.
Hotaru takes a step back. He may be too distracted by the distinctly harsher impact of the Hakki Shou to notice the flicker of shifted expression across Hotaru's features. That wasn't supposed to happen. She recovers quickly, her cheeks pink from exhertion doing well to hide the slightly more pale color of her skin. "Good," she remarks, blue eyes focusing back on the boy. "Regain control." she advises - a warning with double meaning, as she reminds Kentou to not get too reckless, but also remainds herself to get control over herself. It's okay... it's okay... she just needs to not use anymore chi this spar. That's all. She'll get control...
Wuh Oh.
It may well be that Hotaru is reading into Kentou's sudden burst of insight a bit too deeply. Flattered he would be that she has such thoughts on his progress, but he'd be equally fast to deny it. He was entirely familiar with the technique and is also entirely familiar with Hotaru's fighting style. The combination of training and personal experience made the difference.
And as far as the boy has come, Kentou has still not quite accounted for all advanced techniques. The boy's strategy was sound, in his mind. Hurl Hotaru off-balance and strike immediately as she lands, she'd have no hope of evading and the crushing strike would burrow through her defenses. It was flawless, he tells you. Flawless!
Except that the youth realizes a few seconds too late that Hotaru is not without resources and if he thought she had no options at range, he would be mistaken. Just as he is about to complete the technique, that blast of chi -slams- into his middle. An 'OOPH' explodes from him as he's knocked clean off his feet and sent hurtling backwards. Limbs flailing limply in the breeze as the glowing strike literally carries him a few extra feet before disbursing in a radiant blast.. Sending him skidding across the floor.
Ooph, just when he thought he had her too! HAH! She really is the best!
For a few moments the boy seems a bit stunned. Staggering to his feet in wobbly motions as he shakes the cobwebs out of his head. Trying to get a grip and stop the world from spinning.
Hmm... That Hakki Shou technique felt different this time. It still hit as hard as usual, the force was plenty strong but.. Huh, what's that?
The boy absently touches a warm, damp spot on his chest. As his fingers come away red he seems puzzled. Looking down further, noticing the slowly growing patch of wetness on his uniform Kentou makes a slight 'huh' sound.
He's hurt himself in training before, the pain of getting beat up even in 'casual' spars is not new. But this is the first time he ever felt -stabbed- by that particular technique. Or.. was it the technique or did he fall on something?
Regardless, the boy doesn't complain. Shaking his hand out in an attempt to clean it his fists re-clench. That's gunna reaaaally hurt later, thankfully he has enough adrenaline to not notice it too much. Gotta focus.. He just lost a lot of ground and momentum. Wait, watch, listen. Identify where Hotaru is coming next, keep his head in the game..
COMBATSYS: Kentou focuses on his next action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Kentou
He gets back up. He'll be fine. She hit him harder than she intended but he's going to be okay. It's more the loss of control that has her concerned rather than the literal damage done. But it will be okay as long as she avoids chi going forward, she tells herself. She's feeling better already. Just needs to keep her focus, keep her concentration.
Which is something Kentou begins to do. And she's glad. He's pulled himself together, pushing aside the pain of her last strike and any uncertainty about the small stain of blood forming at the point of impact. In a serious fight such things cannot be allowed to distract. Perhaps in a standard exhibition it would be okay, but if there was something more important on the line... Hotaru snaps her eyes back to Kentou, her expression neutral as she studies him further.
Again how fast he had grown occupies her thoughts. How long before he surpasses her? Is he a prodigy? Like that clawed youth from Justice High, Kurow Kirishima? Is the training she offers merely the stepping stone he needed to bypass her to become one of the greats? Again doubts begin to fill her mind and it takes no small amount of effort to push them back a little. Why should she worry if he does well? It reflects on her training, after all, right? "Good."
The silent war within her soul may be impossible to percieve on the outside as Hotaru gets her head back in the fight, advancing quickly to close the distance between them. Taking to the air from a little ways out, she enters an easy, low arc, spinning around once, swinging her leg out, and attempting to drop her heel against his shoulder on her way down with a fairly simple airborn kick, her left leg intended to handle her landing whether or not she even connects.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kentou with Light Kick.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Kentou
If Hotaru was genuinely starting to worry about her student getting perhaps a little too good for his OWN good, then she succinctly solved that potential issue.
As the boy watches her approach and take to the air, the boy processes the movement. Anticipating her landing point and taking a single step back. He tries to gauge the distance, determining where the arc of her kick is weakest so he can step -into- the attack. A risky gambit, but the boy figures this slow, slow kick is merely a diversion. A distraction for a greater attack from a less predictable direction, not unlike his own attempt moments ago.
The youth then charges into the kick, expecting there to be no real force behind it.. Only to completely underestimate just how much power she placed into the attack. Kentou literally charges face-first into the outstretched kick. A 'MPH' torn from his lips as his head recoils immediately from the strike. Sending him whirling through the air as his momentum is painfully rebounded in the precisely opposite direction. Awkwardly bouncing off the floor yet again, driven many paces further until his long slide is halted by the frame of the upraised section of the dojo.
If this was a regular spar, the fight would have been called then and there. Kentou clearly messed that particular bet and there'd be no further point in the manhandling. Doubtlessly followed by stern reprimands about risking too much and taking stupid chances.
But! Kentou hasn't even found the opening to try his new technique yet! This wasn't precisely how he wanted to time it, but he realizes he better do it fast while he still can.
Paused on the floor for several moments, the boy slowly pushes himself up. Arms trembling slightly with the effort as he gets to his feet. Wiping a significant amount of blood away with the back of his forearm, the reddened mark of the kick dominates half of his face. Hotaru's images slowly swirl into a single, blurry version.
Okay.. Now or never!
"HUT!" The boy regains his stance, his kiai cleansing his senses as his fists rise into position. Willing his limbs to make one more go at it, the boy leans forward steeply then -darts- into motion. Closing the distance between them like a bolt of lightning, the boy takes a short leap. A short enough hop to continue his forward momentum as he spins around one full revolution, his hands cupping together as he exercises his will.
A single emerald spark alights within his cradled fingertips.
"HIZASHI!"
As Kentou completes the spin, he THRUSTS his cupped hands together directly at Hotaru. The mote of green light -explodes- in a brilliant flash! The sphere of energy expanding in a dazzling blast of light. Seeking to thrust the sphere of energized viridian force directly against his Master. Not a terribly powerful technique nor will it last long enough to depart his fingertips, but a chi technique it is! And perhaps stunning and blinding enough to leave an opening..
COMBATSYS: Hotaru fails to interrupt Hizashi from Kentou with Maou Satsujinken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Kentou
The drop kick turns out to not be a feint by any means, the girl having intended to give him a very solid strike against his shoulder. That error in judgement results in her foot impacting the poor boy's face with a solid kick from a fighter known for her strong legs. Her left leg snaps down and she catches herself lightly, in stark contrast to the brutal landing the boy takes, sliding back several yards before coming to a stop against the edge of the large chamber.
He won't see it, for it's gone by the time he gets back up. The faint smirk of smug satisfaction. He was getting ahead of himself, and she just put him back in his place. He probably thought he was gaining on her, a void in her mind tells her. He probably dreamed of overtaking her in no time, leaving her behind as so many others clearly have. She knew that's what he thought for her mind told her so. Now he knows better.
As the Kenpo student slowly rises, his face marred by his own blood, there is no concern reflected back at him from the girl across the way. While the smirk has faded, there is a coldness about her, as if she regrets nothing about the over-strong hit she just landed. His blurred vision no doubt spares him seeing that side of her come to life once again, as if the real Hotaru he had always known were dead.
Ah, yes, here comes the chi attack. He intends to strike her with energy as she had hoped to see from the beginning. But now she finds the little green charge nearly offensive in a way. He wants to fling energy around, does he? Let's show him what real power is. Show him the gulf that exists between them so that he will never... /never/ make the mistake of thinking he's gaining on her. He's already mid-spin as her right forearm flares to life again, this time with a burst of broiling, furious red-orange chi.
She lets him strike her full on, the brust striking her though not doing much to slow the girl. She's been struck by far more powerful energy than Kentou just brought to bear. The green chi impacts her chest, but Hotaru is moving forward through it all the same, her left hand slamming forward to sieze a grip on the blood marred front of his uniform, holding the youth tightly in place.
He'll feel it easily then. Hotaru has drawn heavily from the world around her once more, but this time that chi has been twisted with malevolent intent into something vile. It wouldn't even require one particularly attuned to fluctuations in chi to feel it at this close proximity. Something horribly wrong has been made manifest by the girl in front of him, and right now she's about to use it on him.
Blue eyes seem to be looking at Kentou, but her focus is off, as if she is seeing through him all together. In her vision she sees everyone who has ever taunted her. Kurow Kirishima, the Martyr of Might, Kain Heinlein... every school yard tough that though themselves stronger than she just because she wasn't big... the devilish fiend that had tought her this technique, may she rot in hell... Her father... his mouth frozen in a permanent frown of disdain, her brother scowling with derision... Anyone who had ever doubted her and she had them all in her grip now. She would show them all.
Her mouth twisted in a twisted sneer, the girl seems to have no idea who she is even facing anymore, lost within another world, lost within her thoughts. Her left hand twists its hold on his uniform, making her grip more sure. The energy burns her arm, the damage visible for the first time as her skin beneath the unhallowed chi begins to be burned. Yet still she seems not to notice as she builds up more of the malignant energy, consuming her right limb entirely as she prepares to land the Koga's Legacy as it was meant to be used - a lethal attack, an assassin's tool, a foe to anything virtuous and pure in life. Such is the Maou Satsujinken.
The emerald glow strikes the kenpo mistress true, but does nothing to slow her down. The flimsy technique, neophyte in its execution, flashes brightly point-blank against the girl.
For an instant in time, Kentou couldn't be more proud of himself. His emotions daring to show themselves in the middle of a fight as a smile sprouts unbidden on his youthful lips. The savage beating he just took, the daring outburst, the months and months of hard training. It was all worth it.
For a moment, he held something completely beautiful in his hands.
If this is a dream..
...Then it now turns to nightmare.
The monster lunges through the chi attack. The motion dispelling the emerald illumination as it explodes into dissipating motes. His blood-stained uniform gripped solidly as the boy is completely caught and at the Koga Disciple's mercy. His balance way off, easily hurled to the side and held aloft just off the floor. His arms slung at his sides as he's half sprawled out like a defenseless rag doll.
The fight is over. Kentou is defenseless. This is no longer a fight.
It's an execution.
The Devil's Daughter can feel that unholy power radiating from her hand. Against iron-solid defenses or aware enemies, it would inflict terrible damage. Against a helpless boy? It -will- kill him. All the Hellish girl has to do is stretch forth her hand and Kentou is no more.
During the Hizashi, the girl's vision is partly obscured. Her eyes blinded momentarily, only now beginning to see clearly yet again..
...And she can see the look on Kentou's face.
Shock. Blood splattered face gaping, his eyes glittering like a deer caught in headlights. Wordlessly begging her, 'Why?'
He can feel that hateful power. He may be new to such techniques, but he knows when he is about to die. His heart frozen in his chest.
As if the sensation and sight itself wasn't horrifying enough, the noise... the malefic sounds that accompany the attack are the stuff nightmare are forged in. She has it now. She's mastered it. It is as if Marise herself were here, opening the gates of hell to unleash a fatal surge of savage energy. Only Hotaru is further beyond that devilsh creature in her present condition, pulling more power to her arm than Marise can without her prior condition restored unto her.
The energy seems to congeal, becoming even more bright by the second, forming into almost a seething liquid of concentrated hatred. Gouts of it drop from off her arm, landing in small, smoldering pools on the floor, literally burning holes through the aged, polished wood. All those she had ever looked down on her will be finished. She will bring her arm forward and end it all in one final flare of searing, melting power.
All she need do is reach forward and end it all. The perfected technique, unleashed at last. She can't see the boy for a long moment, her eyes unfocused, her eyesight blinded by a sheen of green. It fades slowly... as do the images before her, faces and people replaced at last by a single boy held in her clutches. No, she mustn't veer from her path. That's a sign of weakness. She must strike true.
Her corrupted, right hand swings forward, aiming to plant against his chest and unload all of that pent up energy at last. And it's in that instant that different faces flash before her vision. Frei, looking angry for the first time she has ever seen him; Sakura, disappointed that the Kenpo artist couldn't control herself in the end; Mizuki, her face covered in her own blood after the violent strikes from Hotaru, reminding her that she really is stronger than that; Blanka, his expression hurt and confused at her hateful temper; Zach, lying bleeding atop the Great Wall of China as she turned and walked away indifferently; Roberto fated to feel the touch of the Satsujinken more than any other fighter; the enigmatic Oswald, his sigh of disdain at her condition; the laconic Acacia, looking back at her with silent intensity... and the fear-frozen visage of her apprentice.
Her right hand is already moving forward, of its own violition, but it is her left hand that acts, wresting him to the side, out of the path of the killing blow. The energy shouts forth, a tongue of concentrated murderous intent, but it misses the student, screaming past him into empty air. Blue eyes stare forward, unseeing, as her left hand releases its grip, letting him fall to his feet if he can still stand. Her right arm remains extended for a long moment, ugly burn marks covering the surface of her flesh, before the limb finally falls limply against her side as if numbed dead.
Her face having lost all its color, Hotaru stands still for a long, silent moment. Her mind reels at trying to make sense of everything. Everything she had done, everything she had said over the last few months. It seems impossible that she could have been the one to do those things, but she knows it's true. Awakening from a nightmare only to find that it doesn't scatter to the corners of her brain once conscious, but rather remains sickeningly real.
In a state of abject shock, the girl slumps to her knees. She looks as if she might be sick to her stomach as she leans forward, resting her forehead against the floor right alongside one of the smoldering holes created by the residue of that technique, and begins to sob.
Kentou has not the will to stand.
As that horrific power illuminates the Dojo as a crackling storm swirling from the pits of Hell, the boy can only mutely stare in abject terror. He'll never forget the sound of the screaming, the crackling choir of Hell itself erupting from that horrible power. Kentou had never known true Evil until he saw it in this very moment. His last moment.
As the strike descends, his whole world erupts into a wicked sunset of orange and crimson. For a split second, he wonders if this is what death feels like.. The brief falling sensation coupled with the sound 'thump' of the floor under his back.
Out of raw shock, it takes many moments for Kentou to realize he isn't dead. Simply laying there, half-propped on his elbows. Breathing heavily with his eyes as wide as saucers, wetness trailing in the corners.
What...What just..?
The fading echoes of that unearthly technique die away. Leaving a scar upon the world in its passing. The air fills with the scent of corroded flesh and wood alike, along with the odor of fresh blood. The ache of his wounds jars him to his senses. The shock of nearly dying at his Master's hand processed just enough for his eyes to trail down to the fallen figure a few paces away. On her knees, sobbing.
Kentou would not be human if he did not feel betrayal on some level. He trusted her, he trusted her with everything in his world. He entrusted her with his life and she nearly took it. If she was anyone else, -anyone- at all Kentou would run out of the Dojo and never look back.
Seeing her now, listening to the sounds of a supreme grief over a ruined life.. His own hurt dissolves away. That mote of betrayal disappears utterly, giving way to forgiveness.
Wordlessly, the boy forces himself to crawl. Flopping over awkwardly to crawl on his hands and knees across the pitted, smoldering floor. Dragging himself to Hotaru's side and simply covering her shoulders with his arms. Settling his cheek at the base of her neck, his hands squeezing her shoulders firmly. Touch speaking with more sincerity than words ever good.
'It's okay. It'll be alright. It's over now.'
With her head pressed to the floor, her hands flat out at her sides, her right arm an ugly mess of scorched flesh, it may look as if she was in the state of supplicating herself before any divine presence capable of giving her the life she had before back. When she was happy, struggling to improve the honest way. Back when she could look others in the eye and speak to them honestly, with no malice or deception even remotely crossing her mind.
In truth, the girl wishes she were dead. If one were to reach out that very moment and place a knife in her hands, she may very well end it all then and there. "What... have I done," she utters between grief-striken sobs as Kentou draws near. How can she ever face anyone after this? How can she even begin to atone for what she has done. Even if she goes on living, she can never fight again. Everything she has dedicated her life to has been a waste. Like a dancer who loses her limbs in a tragic car wreck, her own skills may well not even exist anymore.
Recollections of every cruel thing her tongue spoke, every ruthlessly aggressive strike she landed with the intent to harm and maim... it all flashes through her mind. She doesn't want to see anyone now. She just wants to find the most hidden, dark place, and curl up in it forever. Mortified at the memories that are without a doubt genuinely hers, all hope of redemption seems lost to her. Those are actions others may find acceptable, but not her. She would Never. Do. Those. Things. And now she has. Reconciling that fact seems almost impossible for her to comprehend. The girl wishes nothing more than to disappear completely. Maybe leave the country like she did two years ago. Only this time she would /never/ come back. Her hands clench into small fists as she makes this decision.
And it is in that moment Kentou draws near, his hands applying gentle pressure against his beleaguered teacher's shoulders. The sobbing doesn't let up immediately, but there is a shift, a quiet, gradual calming. She remains still, not even lifting her head, but her fists relax back into flat palms. "Oh Kentou..." the girl murmurs into the foor. "I'm... so... sorry. I can't-" she begins, her voice choking up.
In her he found his hope, and in him she found her purpose. But now that accord can exist no longer. How could it? She almost killed him. Almost murdered her own student - the one who had looked upon her with absolute faith, unwavering trust, and she betrayed it all. "...I can't... I'm sorry," she falls silent, struggling to utter that which she wishes she wouldn't. "... I can't teach you anymore. I can't... I can't do any of it anymore." She finally moves, lifting her tear streaken face, hands pressed against the floor to prop her up, "Y-you should go." she states, unable to look at him directly.
%Almost.
But she did not.
For all the shock and pain she feels at what she has done, no matter how mortified and wrecked she might feel.. She stood at the very precipice of the abyss and forced herself back. For a moment in time she was nearly a thing monstrous - Before finding herself at last.
Kentou may never really know 'why'. He may never understand why people, even good people like Hotaru, can find themselves driven to do such horrible things. He cannot pretend to understand her pain or tell her what she deserves or deserves not. It seems so senseless to him, why she was so pressed to the point of utter ruin.
Kentou does know one thing for certain.
No matter what Hotaru decides to do hence forth, no matter where she goes or how she chooses to live her life Kentou knows one thing with every iota of his being.
He will not leave her.
Kentou pledged himself to her and nothing will change that. She has but to ask and he'll give his life to her.
"..No.." Denying her order for the first time and possibly the only time. His brow lifting from her neck as she rises, his hands remaining on her shoulders. Blood clinging to half of his face, jaw moving stiffly and painfully with his words. His chest a crimson-painted ruin. Wetness trickles from the corners of his eyes. Through it all, in spite of it all, he forces himself to smile. A weak-lopsided thing but he forces it into existence none-the-less, ".. I won't.. I.. I won't go."
If she truly wishes him gone, all she needs do is finish the job her fist started. Nothing short of that will make him budge from her side.
The 'No' echoes out into the large, mostly empty dojo. A single, simple declaration of defiance and faith in one. It strikes her like a verbal slap. How can he deny her that request? How could he possibly want to stay after that? The expression that crosses her features initially is one of bewilderment. That he doesn't take the easy out and just turn and run at the first available excuse seems to have baffled her. The thought that he would want to stay in the company of someone was wretched as her just doesn't make any sense. Silently she lifts her head, turning her face toward his, her hands still propping her up as his hands continue to rest on her shoulders.
Her face a wet, tear stricken mess she lacks the sticky blood the poor youth is covered with. But between the two of them it's hard to say who really looks the worst off. Her confusion doesn't fade in the slightest as she looks at him. Even his faint smile doesn't seem to get through to her, though she does begin to look at him more intently.
It's when he speaks again, his words coming out weakly yet... certain at the same time. Irrefutable, undeniable. Her mouth opens as she attempts to protest, but he speaks first and she falls quiet, his words sinking in. If he won't go... she can't make him. The girl, mired in the depths of remorse, can't ever imagine enforcing her will upon him by strength of fist or foot. Slowly she blinks, before allowing her head to hang again. Tears come once more, but of a different nature. Mingling with the rivulets of anguish that had already coated her cheeks, this fresh batch comes from the small glimmer of light in her life that is Kentou's undying faith in her. A sliver of hope, a small brick of unbreakable support in the empty void she thinks she's fallen.
"Such a stubborn apprentice," the girl whispers, her voice just audible, the amusement shockingly different from her tone just half a minute ago. "Who taught you, anyway?"
The worse off? As if that was in question.
Kentou was only almost killed. Hotaru really did die, if in part.
The boy cannot say if this is the end of it for certain. He thought she was mostly recovered before - until that horrible moment. He thinks that this is different. He can see the difference in her eyes, in her tears.
Before it was a young woman who vaguely realized she should be remorseful about something, that she should behave better. Now? There is no question about what she feels. Sincerity has returned to her eyes, and Kentou can see that. She feels different now, she sounds different. Before she was listening to the words of others, but now she has truly heard them. Maybe Hotaru had to reach her darkest before the dawn?
'Dawn'. Hizachi. Hah, what a wonderful technique. Thank you, Frei. The monk really has absolved the sins of his brother. By his teachings.
As far as where Hotaru learned that ugly technique, or what she must do to regain the respect she has lost? Kentou cannot say, or even begin to think about that. Hotaru has a long road ahead of her.
With a glance to Hotaru's ruined, lifeless hand.. The boy knows she may fully regain what she has lost. Her days of fighting may be truly over.
Or maybe they've just truly begun?
All Kentou knows, whatever the future holds for Hotaru, he'll be there to see it through.
A somewhat pathetic sounding laugh manages to escape Kentou's pained lips at Hotaru's tearful, agonized quip. The boy responds softly, suffering the pain of his terribly bruised jaw, "..Oh..I.. I think you may have..have heard of her.."
Soon he should go fetch the first aid kits. Her hand needs serious bandaging at the very least, and almost certainly major medical attention. Dimly he realizes he could probably use some bandages himself. For now, however, Kentou will remain where he is. Kneeling at her side and offering his support. His presence, if nothing else. Not wanting to leave her alone for even a moment just yet. He'll lend her a fraction of the support she gave him. Its the very least he can do for her now.
As he speaks up, Hotaru lifts her head once more, blue eyes focusing on the youth's face, her expression somber. Her mind processing so much at once. The terrible memories, the exchange of words between her and Kentou, her and everyone else... If she had beaten Kataki's influence while alone, there's no telling what would have happened. Here and now, Kentou is where he is most needed. Medical attention can wait just a little bit.
Her left hand lifts and comes to rest on his shoulder as Hotaru leans closer to him. "I... don't know what the future is going to bring." she speaks, her tone completely honest. "I... I won't fight again until I know for sure I've beaten this..." She exhales softly, her arm pulling back to wipe across her face, taking with it some of the tears, leaving plenty streaks in its wake.
"But... If you're stuck with me, I can't give up." she finishes, returning her hand to his shoulder, doing her best to ignore the burning pain in her right arm. "I have a lot of explaining to do. I... I'm worried some of it might end up reflecting back on you if you insist on remaining at my side through this."
She falls quiet, letting that sink in, making sure he realizes that there's a chance of things going really poorly for her for a while. She's... done a lot of damage, strained or shattered ties she used to hold close to her heart. "I'm going to try and find some help though. I... I don't think I can get over this by myself."
She exhales, her hand tightening on his shoulder before pulling him in closer into a one armed hug, the girl holds him there for a moment before releasing him and pushing herself to her feet. "I need to have my arm looked at. You should get checked out as well," she states, offering her left hand to Kentou. It's going to be a long road ahead, she ponders quietly. But there is at least one person she needs to walk it for, at all costs. If he isn't going to leave her then she can't hold him back by just curling up and dying. A quiet sigh is offered, her expression still very somber as the girl glances toward the still open dojo door. He came here to show her something so important to him, to show him how far he had come. In the end he showed her forgiveness and trust.
"I don't know where I would be without you, Kentou."
This sounds more like the Hotaru that he came to know.
Life is full of uncertainty and the path before her is very hard. There will be no shortcuts to respect or rehabilitation. No easy way out or potent technique.
That, more than anything else, is the best indication that Hotaru is on the right and honorable path once again.
The boy speaks no further words, Hotaru says it all. A firm nod of acceptance and the boy's smile widens just a fraction brighter. The boy accepts that hug and returns one of his own, arms curling around her middle as he sets his less aching cheek upon her shoulder in a moment of comfort. And that comfort remains as he rises to his feet a moment after she does, his hand secured within her own.
Her friends will help her, he knows. Some may be less forgiving than others: but her true, close friends will forgive her. He knows this.
His eyes likewise move to the open door and the springtime sun beyond. Her last words making his hand grip hers a fraction tighter.
That Kentou's made a difference to Hotaru as much as she's made to him.. He couldn't be more proud.
"Welcome back. Sensei."
Log created on 00:25:25 04/12/2008 by Hotaru, and last modified on 03:46:05 04/13/2008.