Day 29: Rec Field (2nd Shift)

[sugarsweetblood]

[OOC: Waiting for Kenren, I think...? Daddy!?!]It was the second time she'd needed to be sedated since being dumped in this awful place. The fight hadn't even really been a fight either, just a refusal to move or do anything that the nurses wanted her to do after "Tyki" had left. It was just the adamant resistance that had gotten her injected and

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[akarusa]

...well, it was better than nothing, right? "The main thing those get right is the 'ready' stance, from what I've seen," Hokuto said, dropping into it: right fist and left leg forward, left fist and right leg back. "Some of the kicks and punches are okay, too, but I wouldn't try them without getting a real person to show how they're done, first." Pixels didn't have to worry about strained or sprained muscles.

Hands-on learning was always best, especially for something so physical, so without warning she darted behind Kyon and grabbed him, just tight enough so he couldn't easily break away. She was deliberately standing slightly too far off to the side, leaving her with several wide-open weak spots. She had one arm not quite across his neck, the other pulling him tight against her at the waist. "Try to get out of my grip. Don't just struggle, really fight back against me. Make me back off and let go."

She didn't warn against fighting too hard; he could guess that they didn't want the nurses doing more than giving them warning looks. Besides that, anything he did, she could take.

[bored_narrator]

Kyon blinked when Hokuto was suddenly behind him, holding him in a lock. Damn, she was fast! She really knew what she was doing. Now, hopefully this wouldn't end in him getting his ass completely kicked.

He paused at her words, though. She really wanted him to fight back? Something in his head told him, 'Hey! You're not supposed to hit a lady!' but the rational part of his brain added, 'But only if they're about to knock you silly! Remember Asakura?'

Kyon bit his lip before swinging his free arm behind in hopes of actually hitting her. Though, some part of him was hesitant about it. He didn't want to hurt her on accident or something, even if she was sure she could defend herself.

[akarusa]

Hokuto tensed her stomach muscles in case Kyon really did get the hint; when he did, she didn't even wince, just backed off a step. Good, he's not using all his strength--I hope!--but he's got the idea.

Backing up made her slightly off-balance; she didn't correct it, just used the arm still around Kyon's neck to stay upright. From here, it wouldn't take much to get her off him.

[bored_narrator]

Kyon felt relieved as Hokuto moved so easily out of the way. She knew what she was doing, and he was glad he didn't have to worry so much. Besides, he really couldn't do anything, anyways.

As she moved back, Kyon felt an opening to move out of her grasp. Nothing violent, Kyon simply spun out of her hold and took a few steps back. He looked a little triumphant, then. He was mentally going 'Ha!' with a bit of a smile on his face.

He didn't feel the sweat starting to form at the top of his head.

[akarusa]

Hokuto clapped. "Great! Not bad at all for a beginner." Good, he was a fast learner. She was perfectly patient... it was just that they didn't have much time, considering he needed to know all this now.

"Okay, so you know to aim for the stomach, and how to take advantage of someone being off-balance. What's really important to know is where to hit; you don't need much strength or skill for that, and it can turn an iron grip into cotton." She considered for a moment, trying to think of how much of this actually applied here. Even she didn't go without weaponry if at all possible. "The best targets change when you're armed; without a weapon, you're aiming for spots that will temporarily disable your attacker. With one... you're doing real damage and may have to make it permanent." She was speaking just a little quietly, hoping not to attract any more staff attention. "If we can, we should cover that later. Do you have any weapons in mind?"

[bored_narrator]

Kyon listened to what she said as intently as he could. His smile had gotten better; he wasn't used to getting praise.

He really did like Hokuto. She was such a nice girl, helping him out like this. Though, Kyon definitely had his doubts about learning how to fight a little earlier. Knowing how to fight could protect him, but then again if he ever let that blood thirst out of control again ...there was no telling what he could do.

He didn't want to hurt anyone else, especially not after what happened with Hikaru and Kaoru.

He stopped on the subject of a weapon. " ...Weapon? I've never actually used anything." Unless you wanted to count that chair he threw at Asakura. "I guess a standard sword or something." He shrugged.

[akarusa]

"A sword?" Hokuto repeated, frowning a little. "Unless you have experience besides Legend of Zelda, sword fighting takes a long time to pick up. I know kendo, but it's not my best weapon. More than that, swords are hard to come by. Right now I have a shovel; it's a good bashing weapon when it's used like a bo, and the edge can cut if you swing it hard enough."

After a moment's thought, she asked "What do you do at night?" It should give her an idea what to teach him, and what to suggest.

[bored_narrator]

Kyon stopped a second on her question. What did he ...do at night? Nothing really in particular. He never had set plans until that day. "It's varied from night to night," He tried to explain.

He tried to recall what he'd done the last few nights. "I've helped with the Aide Club, and I've been attacked by giant cats while walking to said club." He stopped realizing again that he could no longer go back there and help Tamaki. Not with what he was fighting now.

The nights after that were his experimentation and the night he'd attacked Hikaru. He didn't go down that road. Hokuto didn't need to know what kind of a monster he could be.

[akarusa]

"For the giant cats, I'd suggest weapons with a reach," Hokuto said dryly. "If you can get a group together, or go with one, go to the gardening shed and find something there. It's probably for the best if you find something you think you'll be good with, get the metal to make a better one, and learn how to use whatever you've got while you wait.

"So, did you take anything like archery in school? If you've got the aim for it, projectiles are a good backup weapon." Most could be reused if retrieved, and meant not having to get near your target. She liked Kyon so far, and definitely didn't want him getting hurt--her protective streak wasn't just in regards to people she already knew by any means.

[bored_narrator]

Kyon shook his head as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "Not really. I didn't think I would be needing it." Funny how irony knocked you in the ass, right? He sighed a but wiped a bit of sweat from his face. Why was it so hot out here?

Glancing a around a little just then, Kyon caught sight of Aidou off in the distance talking to ...the red-haired girl he'd helped tend to his first night there?

He quickly turned back towards Hokuto, not wanting to think about the coming Nightshift.

[akarusa]

"Do you know anyone you could go with? If not, I should," Hokuto offered. "I know a lot of people here." Less than a week in Landels and already she had pretty good connections through Arts and Crafts. Asking a favor for a new friend should be well-received enough; most people here seemed to agree with her philosophy regarding teamwork.

Don't think of all the misery; just think of the beauty that still remains. In spite of it all, I believe people are good at heart.. She looked up at the setting sun; it was really something how Landels was as predictable as nature, so far. You knew that winter would come, but you didn't know how hard each one would be. Spring, of course, had its own storms--usually less intense, but also unpredictable.

Like all the rest of life, it could still all go to hell at any moment, but--one day at a time.

[bored_narrator]

Kyon blinked up at her. Wait, what? Going? With other people? Hold on a minute! He wasn't in any condition to be around other people! Well, okay what made no sense seeing as he was out right now with Hokuto. But she could defend herself! So this was different.

Or something. Kyon's mind flew off in a few incoherent directions as the last bit of heat from the day's sun finally started to wear on him. What was it suddenly about this heat?

He didn't think any farther on that. His eyes closed and suddenly he felt nothing under his feet. He felt a pain on his back as it collided on the ground but voiced nothing as he was already unconscious.

[akarusa]

"Kyon!" Hokuto yelped, darting forward. She hadn't realized what was happening in time to catch him; worried, she sat down and gently pulled him close so that his head was pillowed in her lap. He was sweating more than she would have expected, but when she touched his forehead she found he felt a little cold; she would have wondered about heatstroke, but it wasn't nearly hot enough for that to be a concern.

Before she could consider anything else, a nurse was at her side and kneeling to check Kyon herself. "What happened here?"

"I don't know," Hokuto protested. Almost unconsciously, she tightened her grip on him; she didn't trust the staff, even if there was little or nothing to fear from them during the day. Hopefully Kyon would wake up soon...

[bored_narrator]

And he did! Not long after the nurse came to Hokuto's side, Kyon groaned and started to stir. A hand came up to hold his forehead as the rest of him tried to sit up. He eyed the nurse a bit nervously before looking over at Hokuto.

He felt faint and exhausted and now he was suddenly on the ground.

"What happened?"

[akarusa]

"You fainted, Jack, honey," the nurse said. Hokuto had loosened her grip when Kyon woke up, but she tensed up when the nurse spoke. "Have you been eating all right?"

Hokuto closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to keep quiet... she didn't have any idea what was wrong either, but low blood sugar due to not being able to bring himself to eat sounded unlikely.

[bored_narrator]

Kyon visibly twitched at being called 'Jack' but he had worse names. Like Kyon, for example. he shook it off trying to stand back up without any help. The question of what he'd been eating was a little funny to him. He nodded his head to the nurse.

"I'm fine."

He didn't look completely fine, but he didn't look towards the nurse anymore than he needed to. Hopefully she'd let it go and get the hell away.