[Center][color=F0E68C][h2]Friday, September 7th, 20XX[/h2][/color][/Center] [Center][color=a187be][h2]Lucky Star, Chinatown, NY[/h2][/color] [h2][color=a187be]Xander &[/color] [color=F0E68C]Lindy[/color][/h2][/Center] [hr] The door at the entrance opened, a little chime marking the entrance of new customers. Well, perhaps not new: It was David Audrum, and his daughter, Lindy. Both regulars, the father especially so. His daughter had just gotten home yesterday, and he was an eager man to celebrate: She was his baby girl, after all. Nothing was better than having her home with a clean bill of health. Lindy had been a little shaken by the experiences she had, and a lot of things were still unclear: But she was glad to be here with her dad. Lindy still had bandaging around her head; The head injury she suffered being worrysome but she recovered in record time. She was rather glad to just be free. [color=fdc68a]"You okay?"[/color] David questioned to his daughter, as they sat at a table. It was a small place, but David knew a server would be around: The service here was 'like family' after all. They were great folk; And that boy, Xander, was a friend of Lindy's too. Though admittedly he worried about the boy, because not only was he older, but he was supportive of Lindy's more... Violent-oriented activities. But he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, so David allowed it. Lindy was happy around him. [color=F0E68C]"Yeah, dad. My head just hurts."[/color] Lindy responded, opposite side of the table from her father. She was happy this was his choice of comfort food; The atmosphere brought her comfort, and she liked the people here, too. Not to mention she did [i]love[/i] the food. She wondered who was serving today, actually. Lindy glanced back towards the kitchen, curious to see who would be coming out. Xander soon came out in a red polo shirt, black slacks, and bowtie. He still did not like his grandmother’s choice for the uniforms, but he never said anything out of respect for her. His hair was pulled back and he made his way to Lindy’s table. [color=a187be]“It’s nice to be out of the hospital, huh?”[/color] the six foot two young man smiled warmly, having been released only a couple of hours before Lindy was. He gave them a few minutes to let his words sink in before asking them for their drink orders. [color=F0E68C]"Oh, yeah. I missed my bed; And decent food."[/color] Lindy remarked, smiling up at Xander. He was a cool guy; Ever supportive, and pretty tough to boot. Her dad always worried but she didn't see a problem with him: He was nice, just effective in a competition. And there wasn't much wrong with that. [color=F0E68C]"Maybe just a water?"[/color] Her eyes squinted somewhat as her head felt like it was buzzing; Something about Xander felt weird to her. It wasn't like, a suspicion, really... It was more like a detection of something in him. It sensed similarity? Must've been their fighting spirits, or something. She figured it was just her headaches coming back. [color=fdc68a]"I'll take water, as well."[/color] David answered, calmly smiling at Xander. [color=a187be]“Alright, I’ll be right back with those”[/color] Xander smiled warmly before starting to turn around. He quickly mouthed [color=a187be]‘After my shift is over wanna head back and spar a bit?’[/color] before heading back to the kitchen. Lindy offered a small, excited nod. Then enjoyed an afternoon dining with her father... [hr] Three hours later the Asain teen changed into his street clothes and met up with Lindy in the alley out back. [color=a187be]“Why does your dad worry so much?”[/color] he asked curiously as he playfully ruffled the smaller teen’s hair. With that he began to lead her down the streets of Chinatown for about three blacks before climbing the fire escape of a seemingly abandoned brick building. [color=F0E68C]"Because he's a dad, I guess?"[/color] Lindy answered, smirking at the ruffling of her hair. She followed after Xander, having no real idea of where they were going. But continued chatting with him as they climbed. [color=F0E68C]"I mean, you remember the tournaments, right? Anytime I was out there I thought he was going to start bawling when I got hit."[/color] Once they were up on the roof Xander pulled a key out of his pocket and began to unlock the glass skylight. With that the black belt climbed in, which was immediately followed by a smoke black Maine Coon kitten jumping onto his shoulders [color=a187be]“Hey Loki”[/color] he smiled warmly. From there he stepped fully into the loft that was both his bedroom and the entire second floor. [color=a187be]“Come on in”[/color] the nineteen year old grinned [color=a187be]“He doesn’t bite, much”[/color] Lindy didn't hesitate coming in, though despite Xander having the key to the place, she was a little at odds with where she currently was. That was all side-tracked by the sight of a kitty, however. [color=F0E68C]"Ooohhh my god! Hello!"[/color] Lindy excitedly spoke, on her toes in front of Xander in order to reach the kitten's head to scratch it. The purrs were enough to warm her heart to the point of melting, though she quickly disengaged as to get back to her train of thought. [color=F0E68C]"So,"[/color] She began to get his attention, [color=F0E68C]"What's this place?"[/color] [color=a187be]“This was my Uncle Frank’s place when he was still alive, the first floor is his old Muay Thaii dojo”[/color] Xander informed honestly as he handed Loki to Lindy. With that he pulled off his hoodie, but left his black tank top on. [color=a187be]“So, you want to spar a bit or just cuddle with my kitten?”[/color] the towering teen asked curiously before closing the skylight behind them. [color=a187be]“This is where I trained from five to seventeen”[/color] He explained further as he walked around his futon to get to the door that led down to the dojo below. With that he opened the door and waited for an answer. [color=F0E68C]"I'm sorry for your loss, Xander."[/color] Lindy spoke softly, cuddling her new fuzzy friend in her arms. She followed after Xander, figuring they could at least head downstairs. It was a little weird being in his room, though she wasn't one to speak those concerns out loud. [color=F0E68C]"Why not a bit of sparring? We just got to be careful, my head is still messed up."[/color] She comments, pointing to her head bandages. Admittedly she probably wasn't in the best shape for this; Though despite just exiting the hospital, she felt great. Maybe better than usual. She was just worrying about the injury, if anything. [color=F0E68C]"I knew you trained a lot, but from so young? I've only been in Krav for like a year. No wonder you were able to beat Matty."[/color] [color=a187be]“I actually had to hold back a bit because I was afraid I might hurt him”[/color] Xander informed honestly with a sigh as he led Lindy into the abandoned dojo and turned on the lights. With that he opened a closet and began to lay down some fresh mats, after all he had to throw out the old ones do to the stains of blood and sweat. Soon Loki jumpped out Lindy’s arms and began to walk along the rafters. [color=a187be]“There are locker rooms if you want to shower or change”[/color] he offered as he started to take his shoes off. Lindy kicked her shoes off with enthusiasm; Finding herself stretching a little to make up for the time lost in the hospital. She approached Xander, stopping a short distance from him, grinning ear-to-ear. While he was scary, especially with his regard to Matty just now... She was excited, and in her element around him. [color=F0E68C]"I know I said be careful, but I won't forgive you if you take it too easy on me. Showers are also more for after exercise, huh?"[/color] She commented, fist meeting her palm as she popped her knuckles, following up with doing the opposite hand. [color=a187be]“No shoes on the mats”[/color] Xander instructed as he cracked his neck. With that he took off his socks too and made his way onto the nearest clean sparring mat. [color=a187be]“Since you have seen me fight, but I have not really seen what you can do why don’t you come at me first?”[/color] the black belt offered, not being cocky, but rather seeing this as a potential learning opportunity for the both of them. At the same time Loki as sitting near one of the lights hanging above them taking a bath. Lindy hobbled forward, one foot each hop as she pulled her socks off. [color=F0E68C]"Aw, you saying you didn't watch my fights?"[/color] Lindy questioned with playful disappointment, tilting her head as she looked on at him. [color=F0E68C]"I spent every round rooting for you!"[/color] She wasn't entirely comfortable with how eager he was to be approached; Specifically because her Krav was much more effective when [i]she[/i] was under fire, rather than while attacking. Counters and counterstrikes; Rather than plain strikes. But she had to attack of her own will sometimes; Just countering would never work. She knew that for sure. [color=F0E68C]"Don't get scared of me approaching you."[/color] Lindy teased, stepping onto the mat. While Lindy wasn't sure about her offense, she knew once Xander suggested her to approach, he'd probably not budge until she made a move. He was stupid patient about this stuff; So she decided to warily inch closer with her arms raised, keeping proper stance in front of her. These were two [i]heavily[/i] different styles. And if she learned one thing from watching Xander, and her own fights during tournaments... She had to watch her legs. Xander quickly came to the realization that Lindy would not make the first move, so he had to. So out of habit he went for his signature roundhouse. Because of this the short young lady soon had the much taller man’s knee coming directly at her face. Maybe he wasn't so patient, after all? Lindy was caught surprised, but not out: The knee approached fast, and Lindy was sent into full alert as her view became more encapsulated by the view of his approaching attack. Her hands were out; distancing from one another enough to give space for the approaching knee; And as it dropped into range, she attempted to clap her hands together to catch it. Lindy was not aware that this clap against both sides of his leg could perhaps be a bit stronger than what she was normally capable of. [color=a187be]“Fuck!”[/color] Xander grunted as he felt a vice-like grip on the knee of his dominant leg. The pain ignited something in him, in more ways than one, Without even thinking he started to bring his left elbow down on onto Lindy’s forearms full force. Though what he did not realize was that mid-strike his arm began to set itself on fire. Lindy was taken aback by the fact Xander had sparked flame from nowhere; Leading to one of her forearms taking a full-blow from his elbow; Connected hand forfeiting it's grip on Xander's leg as a mixture of sharp pain and [b]burning[/b] from the heat began to occur. With zero hesitation upon feeling pain, her one remaining gripped hand pulled fully to the side; Attempting to throw him off balance for a chance to back away, but just like with her prior grip, a strength she wasn't aware of would come into play with how hard she pulled; With more than enough force to make him lose balance; It was as if a speeding car hooked to him while passing by and dragged him directly to his left, with release coming soon after to not halt his movement from the force. Xander reacted by trying to go for a right uppercut. Thought between the intense pain and Lindy’s incredible strength he did not even come close. Next thing he knew he had been literally thrown through the wall that separated the Dojo from the loft. It took him about five minutes before the the nineteen year old climbed through the freshly made hole in the wall and stumbled back over. His arms and neck were covered in burning dry wall dust with his right kneecap visible bleeding. [color=a187be]“How the fuck did you do that?”[/color] Xander groaned as he made his way back to the mat. Lindy was horrified at what she had done; As Xander approached, she found herself shaking with a mixture of fear, but also anger towards the older boy. How [i]did[/i] she do that? She just sent him through a wall! She would've asked if he was okay, but being frozen in confusion, both in how the act was performed and how he crawled out of it, mixed with fuming emotion, kept her from speaking until she finally pulled herself together. [color=F0E68C]"You think I know?!"[/color] Lindy shouted, backing away. She wasn't going to fight further, for damn sure. Whatever just happened wasn't normal, she was going to make that clear. [color=F0E68C]"You asshole! First you go for my head, and then you fucking light on fire?! What the hell is that?! Look at this!"[/color] She aggressively pointed towards her bandaged head, then to the burns apparently now on her arm. She stung, but not nearly enough to distract her from how she felt. [color=a187be]“I had no idea that I could let myself on fire, I’m sorry”[/color] Xander sighed as he pulled a chunk of wood out his left shoulder. While he walked back his wounds began to steam up and heal over to where by the he was back to the mat they were little more than flesh wounds. With that he offered to shake Lindy’s hand. [color=a187be]“Regardless, that was the most fun I’ve had sparrig since this place closed down”[/color] he informed with a smirk right before Loki jumpped down, back onto his shoulders. Lindy looked at his hand, then to the burns on her arm. [i]What.[/i] [color=F0E68C]"Yeah, okay... The fire is one thing, alright?! But my [b]head[/b] Xander! The bandages?"[/color] His lack of paying attention to the conversation they had a short while ago left her mad; And this shit, with the fire, and her just throwing him through a [i]wall,[/i] and-- Oh, god. Did he just pull something out of his body? Fun?! This wasn't [i]fun,[/i] this was terror! What in the hell was he thinking, and what the hell was going on?! First everything she had to go through in the hospital, now she was dealing with this?! [i]How the fuck[/i] was Xander conjuring fire like some sort of fist-fighting wizard? And what was with her being able to throw him like that? No, none of this was fun. Lindy wasn't having fun. [color=F0E68C]"No, no, no... No, Xander. This wasn't 'fun'."[/color] She said, refusing any offer to shake. In fact, she backed away further: Uncertain of how to treat this situation in any proper way. The burns on her arm hissed pain into her nerves, and while she had avoided the headblow, just the thought of it made her want to throw him through a damn wall again. [color=F0E68C]"I'm... I'm not going to say anything about this, but I have to leave."[/color] She insisted, firmly. [color=a187be]“I’m sorry, I honestly I absolutely no idea what I was thinking”[/color] Xander sighed as he reached up and gave Loki some head pats. With that he grabbed a set of keys out of his pocket. [color=a187be]“Would you like to go back out they way we came or try the front door this time?”[/color] he offered. [color=F0E68C]"The front door."[/color] Lindy answered bluntly, slipping her shoes back on. She was trying to hold herself back as she realized, in that spout of anger, she really didn't see if he was fine. She had hurt him, too: And while this outburst was so sudden and insane, she couldn't help but question him weakly as they approached the door. [color=F0E68C]"You're... Okay, right?"[/color] She asked, hesitantly. [color=a187be]“Not really, but I’ve been worse...once”[/color] Xander answered with a knowing look as if to try to signify the event that landed them in the hospital earlier this month. With that he slowly limped his way over to the front door and unlocked it for the very first time in a couple of years. It creaked rather loudly when finally opened and it took a bit of force to get it to do so, but it eventually swung inwards. [color=a187be]“Alright, if you really want to go so soon I will not even try to stop you”[/color] the injured belt agreed as he held the door open for Lindy, muttering [color=a187be]“Though I highly doubt I could”[/color] under his breath as he waited. Lindy hadn't intended to hurt him like this. Her anger was still there, but her remorse was kicking her in the head. Thinking of her feeling of guilt like that actually made her madder though, as a kick to the head was exactly why she was pissed in the first place. She couldn't handle whatever just happened: She needed to go. Process. How the hell was she going to hide these burns? She couldn't tell her dad about it. He'd kill her; Or go after Xander. Whatever happened just then... Every step felt like fear. That strength; Lindy started to notice it. Her grip felt different, her burns were hurting while also not seeming terribly bad. Just what the hell was she? What the hell was he?! He conjured fire; Damn fire! And he was treating it so much more casually... Did he really not know? She might never find the truth that question. [color=F0E68C]"I really can't stay. I'm sorry, Xander, but this-- This is too much."[/color] She spoke, walking out the door. The farther her feet took her from the dojo, the faster she ran; She needed to go home, or somewhere else, at least. The emotions finally taking over and tears falling from her face as the burns continued to hiss pain at her, along with her recent horrifying situation firmly planted into her mind.