Making Friends
OOC: Kiyoko, a recent new-face in the fighting circles, drops by the YFCC and ends up meeting Hotaru. The Justice High student is coping with a very serious burden that piques Hotaru's courisity with regards to how she handles it. In the end, they agree to meet some other time.
It's been a pretty harsh week for Kiyoko. She ran into a familiar thief in the halls of her schools dormitory, and upon confronting her ended up getting injured badly. In reality it wasn't life threatening at all, and hurt more than actual damage was done, but it was enough that an ambulance was called, and she'd been kept in the hospital for the reset of the week to monitor her and make sure she's in good health. That meant that she had to cancel a second appearance on Saturday Night Fight, which was definitely a downer. At least the injuries weren't sustained in a fighting ring, or her parents might not let her do that anymore! At least this time she was able to say that if she /didn't/ know how to fight she might have been much worse off- a dubious claim, but one they believed.
At the moment she's decided that despite the fact she has private lessons with a Tai-Chi instructor she still doesn't know enough about fighting. She's done okay in the few fights she has been in, but the closest she'd come to a victory was a last ditch effort turning a loss into a tie. She has a lot to learn, and she'd like to figure more out so she can get better. When thinking on this she remembered hearing about a center for young fighters that had opened up downtown. Curious and hopeful, she's decided to check it out.
That brings us to now, with Kiyoko opening the artistic glass doors and stepping through, eyes open and curious, if a bit cautious. She steps inside slowly, getting a good look at the place. It certainly does seem professional- definitely not some gang hangout like she thought it might be. Deciding that it's worth exploring further she continues to walk inside, unsure if there's any procedure she should be following and generally looking lost.
The Youth Center isn't a bad place to find one Hotaru Futaba, young fighter of some repute in the fighting leagues. When she isn't doing... oh... school... training hard at the Kyokugen dojo... teaching Kentou... doing upkeep at an old church building she maintains for personal reasons... Okay, yeah, actually catching Hotaru around the YFCC might entail a small amount of luck. A contender in the Neo League and a regular face on the Saturday Night Live features, the girl is a small time celebrity by now. But she still has time to pitch in around the center on weekends! When not brutally maimed by some world famous fighter or something...
As is, she's standing near the front desk easily visible from the main entrance. Leaning over the main counter, the pig-tailed girl is having a lively chat with one of the other staffers on duty. Most of the people at the YFCC are the youths it's targetted toward. Here for studies, relaxing, games, or a training session in one of the downstairs gyms. A few of the older teens or young adults are staff, mostly volunteers, a few paid, albeit minimally so. The operation is on a very tight budget.
"...not around, huh? Awh, well, I wanted to chat with him before I start the next class." Hotaru remarks, glancing to the side to view an old fashioned round, simple clock mounted on the wall behind the main desk. "Hn?" the girl asks, then shakes her head, "No, they're coming along fine. It's getting to where there might not be a lot more I can teach them... I mean, it's just supposed to be the basics, ne?"
The brunette behind the desk stands up and leans forward to whisper something into Hotaru's ear, eyes fixed on the new arrival. The Kenpo artist blinks, turning around to glance toward Kiyoko, looking rather surprised about something.
The main counter would probably the best place for Kiyoko to go if she wanted to figure out what the YFCC was all about. Somehow the idea of it slips past her, though, and instead she ended up slowly walking around and failing to think of anything actually useful to try and do. This is in part because she's mildly embarrassed to come here looking for help when she's already 'good enough' to make it onto a fighting show, even if it was through an organization that helps sick kids. The other reason is that she's not entirely sure what she needs help with, or what she should ask. She got into fighting because she was going to be taught Tai Chi and she insisted upon learning the combat aspects as well as more mundane ones- she didn't look around for a fighting instructor.
Eventually, though, the inevitable happens and she realizes that there is probably a receptionist or someone similar that might be able to help her. This happens at the same time Hotaru is informed of her arrival. She makes a quick look around to try and find such a person, and ends up finding the two looking at her. Recognition hits her quickly as she sees Hotaru. This makes her even more embarrassed, becoming just a little star struck. She also wonders if that is actually who she thinks it is, or if her mind is just playing tricks on her. Still... she slowly walks towards the desk, hoping they can help.
If she's looking for answers, Hotaru might be one that can help! And while there's an interesting look on the girl's face for an instant, it passes quickly, replaced with a friendly, quiet smile and the girl bows her head just a little. "Hello," comes the soft, friendly voice from the girl dressed in a quaint, cute Chinese styled outfit of blue and white.
"Your first time at the Youth Center?" she asks. She wouldn't know, herself, since she's not around to know all the faces. But the girl behind the desk /is/, and also happens to be a /rabid/ SNF fan, which is why she was quick to point Kiyoko out to the Kenpo artist. Looking the other girl over, Hotaru has a hard time placing the facts together. She doesn't look visibly on her death bed or anything. Rather thin, but... the same could be said of many girls in their age bracket. Is the story behind her really true?
"You look familiar," the girl muses, bringing her hand up to rest her forefinger against her cheek. "I wonder where I might have seen you before. Ah-! I'm sorry, my manners." She bows politely, "My name is Hotaru Futaba. Pleased to meet you."
Kiyoko approaches slowly, managing a smile when Hotaru welcomes her. "Yea, it is. Sorry if I was supposed to sign in or something, I'm... not really sure what I'm supposed to do." She takes a short moment to try and compose herself to make the embarrassment go away. Seeing Hotaru up close, specifically her clothes, removes any doubt of who it is she's speaking to. It probably is hard to tell that the girl is sick, she's definitely thin, perhaps more so than Hotaru can tell by a casual glance since she specially buys clothes to hide it, but other than that she does appear healthy enough.
She blinks a couple times in disbelief at the mentioning of being familiar, "I do? I, um, don't think we've ever met." Sheepishly embarrassed she admits quietly, "I was on Saturday Night Fight last week, so that might be it..." Maybe someone else would boast it, but with the way the announcer shouted her condition to the world, it makes her a little nervous. "It's nice to meet you, Futaba-san. I've, um, been a fan of yours for a while! I'm Kiyoko Fukakami." She returns the bow as politely as she can.
...she should probably say why she's here now, shouldn't she? "I came here hoping I could get some help in fighting. I'm okay, but I've been mugged and attacked in school recently and I wasn't able to fight them off, so I was hoping I could get some pointers or..." She trails off.
The smile only warms as Kiyoko begins to speak, Hotaru shaking her head about having to sign in. "No, no, that's all right. New visitors just have a way of sticking out a little. It's a tightly knit group here so we tend to notice a new friendly face." she beams. Hotaru's smile becomes a grin as the girl mentions having fought in a SNF last week. Of course, the Futaba girl already knew that thanks to her nosy friend behind the counter, but now she's gained that information more 'legitimately' from the girl herself!
"Ah, that must be it," she replies, only to blush a little at mention of the girl being a fan of hers. "Thank you, Kiyoko." Now that the pieces are starting to come together, the girl is able to remember some other details from the previous week. A match that stuck out to her because a friend of hers was in it. "You fought Mizuki-san, yes? She's a friend of mine... I hope the fight went okay for you." Brave thing, Hotaru ponders. At least she had a wonderful opponent to face off against for her first match. They don't get much nicer than Mizuki... She could have gotten put up against any number of the more unpleasant sorts, and that'd just be awful!
As Kiyoko describes how her school life has been going, a faint frown crosses Hotaru's lips. Who would do something so dreadful?? "Lessons in fighting?" The minor celebrity fighter hmns quietly. "Well, there's lots of sparing that goes on around here. A lot of young fighters drop by and learn things from each other. There /are/ classes, but..." She leans her head to the side a bit. "If you're already making appearances in major league events, you might be beyond what classes here would be able to easily offer you. Most of them are targetted toward basic self defense for High School and Junior High students. There are some intermediate courses though which might be able to offer a few things..."
She sounds uncertain. She didn't see Kiyoko fight, but she does remember the outcome of the matches from last week and knows she and Mizuki drew, but there was a Chaos element to the fight, so now she's not really sure HOW good poor Kiyoko might be.
Kiyoko didn't mean it like that! ;_;
Luckily for Kiyoko, Hotaru is a rather nice and unintimidating person, and easy enough to get along with. She's still a bit star struck, made a tiny bit more embarrassed when the Kenpo artist shows a reaction of her mentioning being a fan. Maybe that was a mistake... But rather than harp on it she'll just pretend she didn't notice for their mutual benefit.
"Oh, good, then." She's definitely glad she didn't miss some step she was supposed to do! A wide smile forms on her face at the mention of her opponent, "Yes! Mizuki-san was very nice. She probably would have won if she'd used her baton, but other than that she didn't hold back." And she wasn't mean about it either. Kiyoko was actually warned that she might be put in the ring with someone such as Yamazaki or Freeman, and despite the fact that she was willing to accept that it's definitely a good thing she wasn't! "You're friends with her, though? She's so nice I'm hoping I can be her friend too, especially since we go to the same school."
And then the issue of why she's here comes back to the surface, "Yea... I was thinking that would be a problem. I wasn't really sure where I should go or look, but I remembered hearing about this place and decided to come in. I -do- have an instructor, but there isn't much more he can teach me about fighting, only about being clear of mind and spirit and healthy of body." ...that sounded a little silly spoken out loud. Ignore it, keep going! "I'm really not sure what I need to do other than practice more to get better, but I know I have to be making mistakes." Especially considering she was put in the hospital while fighting!
Having her fight Mizuki was a good choice, Hotaru muses. There's few fighters she can think of that she'd even be comfortable with a girl in Kiyoko's circumstances fighting... but left up to Howard's entertainment empire, chances are if the Justice student becomes a frequent fighter she'll end up against some unpleasant matchups as well. Alas.
"Yeah," Hotaru grins readily. "Mizuki-san also volunteers here at the center. In fact, the staff here is wonderful. Alma, Acacia, Frei... This is a good place to come to meet a lot of great people." the girl beams, hands clasping behind her back as she rolls her feet up on her toes thoughtfully. Though there are a couple of new employees lately that the girl isn't sure what to make of. A giant cyborg man? Hm, hmn!
"Well," Hotaru continues, considering Kiyoko's search for training. "Practice is definitely important. But I'm not sure you'll find a regular teacher here. One that could offer one on one lessons, that is. Most of the classes are groups and kept to a fairly basic level..."
A fifteen year old boy wanders by the desk enroute to some stairs leading to the lower floor. "Good evening, Futaba-sensei!" the youth waves before vanishing down the stairs. Hotaru waves back over her shoulder before turning to face Kiyoko again. "But this is a good place to get practice with others who compete or who to do so someday!"
There's little doubt that Kiyoko will eventually be put up against one of the more brutal fighters, but the saving grace is that there's no way they could consider her strong enough to face them alone, so if she did so she'd likely have someone fighting along side her. That'd go a long way to keep her out of harms way, even if they didn't actively try to protect her from the more savage blows.
"Really? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, she seems like the kind of person who'd want to go out of their way to help people get better." The other names are familiar to her since she keeps track of the fighting world, but she doesn't comment on them since she's never actually met them personally. If Hotaru has it'd probably come off sounding pretty funny, especially if she said something about them that wasn't actually true! She quiets down while Hotaru talks with the boy that comes through, not wanting to hog up all her time, she does have a job to do, after all!
But once he passes by and walks down the stairs she pipes back up. "Well... I don't know that I need /constant/ training or anything. Since I do have a teacher now I'm sure they could help me, but right now I'm not even sure what it is I need helped with! I guess maybe that's what I should be looking for, help trying to find where my weaknesses are so I can try to fix them."
"Nn!" Hotaru nods with regards to Mizuki. The red-headed miko is a friend of hers that she thinks highly of, so Kiyoko won't find any disagreement from her about how helpful she would likely be. But she's quiet as the violet haired girl mentions how she's wanting to get better.
Blue eyes blink twice as Hotaru seems to weigh out what to say next very carefully before speaking again. "Well... Practice is very key. Not being afraid to test yourself against opponents with more experience... having a chance to figure out what works or doesn't work with regards to putting your skills to use... Getting your training down perfectly so that you can exercise your techniques without hesitation... exercise..."
Her smile is a little apologetic as she leans her head to the side. "But I'm sure you know all that already. Unfortunately there's no big secret. Hard work and practice is how most fighters get by. Even the gifted ones need training." She falls quiet for a moment as if having had her say... But then she pipes up again before the silence lingers too long. "What is your interest in fighting? I'm sure getting attacked at school probably creates some motivation," she continues a bit wryly, sounding rather annoyed that anyone would do something like that to the girl. "But unfortunately even experienced fighters can fall prey to that kind of thing. No matter how much you improve, there's always the chance another will attack you who's better..."
It'd probably be hard to find anyone who wouldn't think the same of Mizuki, who's probably having a sneezing fit about now. A sheepish little smile forms on her face as Hotaru goes over several key points. She only really seems to have a comment for one of them, though, "Yea! If I was afraid of testing myself against someone stronger than me I wouldn't have wanted to fight professionally. I mean... I'm not overconfident or anything. I know that almost everyone else is going to be better, faster, and stronger than I am, but..."
That really does bring her right up to the question Hotaru asks her, doesn't it? She's quiet for a few moments while she tries to figure out the best way to word this. "I guess that I'd... just really like to do something exciting with my life. Fighting has always been my favorite sport, and I can't think of anything more fun than being able to go toe to toe with all my favorites." There! That sounded more upbeat than depressing, even if it was spoken in a slightly subdued tone of voice.
"Probably... but like I told my parents, I'm a lot better off being able to defend myself! I'd probably be in a lot more trouble if that'd happened and I didn't have any idea how to fight at all, right? And just because there are people better than me doesn't mean I shouldn't try to get better."
"It is definitely exciting," Hotaru replies, smile widening a little as she reflects on the adrenaline and emotions her own matches bring to her life. And then there's the times her training has enabled her to protect someone important. To make a difference when she might not have otherwise been able to. The slight nod she gives Kiyoko shows she seems to understand what the girl is getting at. Her motivations are shared by many - even those who aren't dreading the ticking clock or passing calender.
"How has it been? You had the chance to appear in a Saturday Night Fight. Doesn't get much bigger than that," the girl states, her hands unclasping from behind her back, her left hand resting lightly at her hip. "Was it what you were hoping for? Have you done other competative fighting as well?"
"I definitely understand your reasonings though... What kind of style or styles have you been studying?" comes the next question. "I'm always interested in learning about as many styles as possible. It really helps me stay one step ahead in my fights." the girl admits. Raw speed can only get one so far, after all. Being able to have a sense of how a particular style is going to attack is rather key for the pig-tailed fighter.
So far Kiyoko hasn't really been able to protect anyone, at least not in a direct sense. She might have stopped the person who robbed her from robbing other people, though! Really, though, she wouldn't want to /have/ to protect anyone, since it'd mean someone she cared about being in danger. A good thing to be able to do if it comes up, but not something you want to have forced on you. The question sent her way has her looking up a little for a moment and then nodding with a large smile on her face, "Yea, I had a blast! I'm sure /all/ fights aren't as fun as the one I had with Mizuki-san, but if they're even anything like it I definitely want to keep it up. Now that I've been on Saturday Night Fight I can probably see about the other fighting tournaments also! I mean... before some of them might have just taken one look and turned me away. I haven't done anything else so far, though."
And now on to her style! She's at least a little proud of it, "I practice Tai-Chi! I really haven't learned anything else, but it's been really good for me. I, um, originally started practicing it to keep healthy. I guess I kinda forced my parents into letting me learn to fight too, but I don't regret it for a minute. I'm pretty good about keeping myself safe and playing keep away too." She grins sheepishly, "My parents made sure my teacher focused on defense."
The Futaba girl looks glad to hear that Kiyoko has enjoyed her experience thus far. Thanks to the Make A Wish foundation to get her into the biggest of the leagues. That'll definitely make it easier to get into some of the other circuits. Besides, she has a good story to sell that's likely to boost ratings... Though of course Hotaru doesn't really think about it from that angle.
"That's good," she grins. "If you enjoyed it I definitely encourage you to seek out other opportunities. It's always great to put the things you've learned to the test against other fighters. And in doing so, you'll learn more about what you might want to improve on as well."
She brightens as Kiyoko mentions her style. "That's neat," she grins. "I don't really know the combatative side of Tai Chi, but I do integrate some of it into my personal exercise routines, so I can definitely understand the health benefits of it." The girl pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "I'll definitely have to see your techniques in action sometime. I should make sure to check out a recording of your last match!"
As much as her condition is helping her to get into the fighting circuits, she'd rather that it not be brought up so publicly. She really can't fault Howard Enterprises for wanting to make it very public that they're doing a very nice thing for her, but it'd be a lot better if they just let her fight without making too big a deal of it. Their whole reason for holding the competitions is making money, though, so there's probably little chance of it happening.
"You don't have to worry about that, I'm definitely going to try. There's that Neo League that just started a new season a couple months ago so I can probably try to sneak into that. There's probably not going to be any huge things like King of Fighters anytime soon since the World Warrior just ended though. I guess I'd have to find a team for that anyway, and I'd probably just hold them back. I'm not /that/ good of a fighter yet." Even if it'd be super fun!
A nod and a smile comes next, "Yea, Tai Chi is great! I mean...there's only so much you can do with the movements to use them in fighting, but a lot of the principals can be a big help. I'm pretty good at learning to center myself and balancing the energies inside." It probably shouldn't surprise her that Hotaru'd be interested in seeing her moves, but she is. "Yea, I actually did pretty good! But if you really want to see them I could, well, just show you."
She's definitely enthusiastic, that's for sure. Of course, her initial foray into competition was on a good note, too. Hotaru hopes it keeps up for as long as possible, considering the matches that might always come down the pipe in the weeks to come. She has no idea what Kiyoko's condition really is, but she's not oblivious to what the Make a Wish foundation is for. Hopefully it remains a wish come true... "Good to hear that. Neo League is a good circuit to get a break in. There's fighters of all kinds in it." she states with the voice of experience.
But then she falls quiet as she ponders the violet haired girl's offer to show her the moves she's been taught. A furtive glance over her shoulder is cast toward the clock on the wall before she looks back at Kiyoko, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'd like to see that. In fact, I'd appreciate a chance for you to give me some pointers on what Tai Chi I do know," she continues, her expression shifting into a quiet smile.
Taking a couple steps backward she leans over the front counter to fish out a small post-it pad, coming up with a pen to boot. "I hope it wouldn't be too forward of me to ask if you might be able to stop by where I train sometime? It's hard to get a lot of quiet time here," the girl grins, waving her hand over Kiyoko's shoulder toward more students arriving for the class she has scheduled. "I can give you the address."
Only time will tell if fighting will lose it's luster for Kiyoko after she's tasted the bitterness of defeat and the pain that can be brought on by vicious opponents, but if you'd ask her now she'd say of course it wont. "I've heard you can also challenge people there too as well as just random things, so I can probably look up people who are about as strong as me and challenge them so I don't get over my head too fast." Just because she's /willing/ to fight someone way stronger doesn't mean she wants to. Well... she probably does unless they have a reputation for being mean, actually!
Kiyoko remains quiet as Hotaru checks the time and thinks things over, and then lets out a light laugh, "Well, I'm not sure how much I could teach about it to someone who's as good as you! I guess I might know a few movements you'd enjoy working into your exercises or something..." Her head then shakes quickly, "Oh no, it wouldn't be at all! I'd be honored to come see you there, really." Oops, that might be getting too close into being a fan again, "I mean, um..." Luckily other people show up and save her by giving her something else to say, "Yea! This place does seem really nice, so there are probably all kinds of people who come here for lessons and to practice."
The address takes only a second to scribble down, the pink pad torn off and held out toward Kiyoko. Hotaru looks the taller girl over again before laughing lightly, "There's always more to learn. That's one thing I've most definitely discovered. I never turn down the chance to be shown something new."
The address to a small tranquil church yard in a quiet district of Southtown Village is on the paper. "I'm often there in the evenings. Feel free to drop by any time. Even if I'm not around, I think you might find it makes a great place for practicing Tai Chi routines." the girl grins, "So feel free to make use of it as well." It's the least she can do, she figures.
More students piling in indicate that the girl's class must be getting ready to start, more teens waving to Hotaru as they pass by, though the girl tries to keep her attention on Kiyoko for the most part, bowing politely. "I'm pleased to have met you, Kiyoko..." Her mouth opens as if she's about to say something else. About to comment on how remarkable her story is. How inspirational for others she is going to be if she keeps it up. But she closes her mouth without saying anything else, not quite certain how the girl feels about her unique circumstances. It can't be a happy topic to keep dredging up, to say the least.
"You're probably right. I guess I didn't think about it like that." A good lesson to learn, especially if you can learn it early rather than later. "Hopefully I'll be able to show you something you don't know, then. If not I hope I can at least impress you a little with what I know." Even if Hotaru is probably miles above her level, she can't help but feel at least a little proud of her own abilities.
After Hotaru writes down the address Kiyoko takes it and looks it over, carefully putting it into a pocket where she'll make sure not to lose or damage it afterwards. "Sure! I'll definitely drop by. It'll be fun to see where it is that you train." In her mind she's picturing some kind of hidden dojo, so she'll probably get a pleasant surprise when she does go there. "It'd also be nice to find a place to work out. I feel so silly when I'm doing it in my room and one of my friends comes in without knocking. Especially when they stand there and watch without saying anything."
She quickly returns the bow to Hotaru, intentionally bowing just a tiny bit lower, and then smiling widely, "It was nice meeting you too, Futaba-san!" Her head tilts slightly when the Kenpo artist begins to say something and then stops, wondering what it is. Movement in the corner of her eye catches her attention, and she notices all the people coming in seem to be waving to Hotaru. Oops! She's probably too polite to just say 'go away' to her! "I should probably be going now, though. I'm definitely going to come back some time, and hopefully I'll see you at your training spot soon."
Hotaru grins at the mention of seeing where it is she trains. The site tends to be a surprise to most, but once they give it some thought, it does make a lot of sense considering the owner. "Looking forward to seeing you there then. I'm confident you can teach me something new. Maybe I'll be able to do the same in return to pay back the favor, ne?"" the Kenpo artist smiles sincerely. "Hopefully it's not too far out of the way."
She takes a step back, depositing the postit pad and pen back behind the counter before turning to give Kiyoko one last look over. What could it be? she can't help but wonder. She looks to be in all right health. And she's fit enough to fight. There's no way she's going to ask though.
"Take care, Kiyoko," the girl states quietly, turning to watch the last of her students hurry in the entrance of the building, 'beating the clock' by just mere seconds. Cutting it close! She gives the young man teasing shake of her head before she finally turns to walk off toward the stairs after him.
The smile is returned happily, and Kiyoko nods, even giving a light laugh, "I definitely wouldn't turn down any advice you wanted to give me. I'm sure it won't be, I go to the amusement park with my friends a lot, and it's hard to get further away from Justice than that." One perk about being in such good condition is being able to walk a long ways! And there's always taking a bus, failing that.
Definitely not wanting to take up too much more of Hotaru's time, especially considering that it looks like she has something important to do, Kiyoko gives a smile and responds, "You too!" Before making her way out of the community center. Even if she didn't get any immediate advice, she's sure glad she came!
It's been a pretty harsh week for Kiyoko. She ran into a familiar thief in the halls of her schools dormitory, and upon confronting her ended up getting injured badly. In reality it wasn't life threatening at all, and hurt more than actual damage was done, but it was enough that an ambulance was called, and she'd been kept in the hospital for the reset of the week to monitor her and make sure she's in good health. That meant that she had to cancel a second appearance on Saturday Night Fight, which was definitely a downer. At least the injuries weren't sustained in a fighting ring, or her parents might not let her do that anymore! At least this time she was able to say that if she /didn't/ know how to fight she might have been much worse off- a dubious claim, but one they believed.
At the moment she's decided that despite the fact she has private lessons with a Tai-Chi instructor she still doesn't know enough about fighting. She's done okay in the few fights she has been in, but the closest she'd come to a victory was a last ditch effort turning a loss into a tie. She has a lot to learn, and she'd like to figure more out so she can get better. When thinking on this she remembered hearing about a center for young fighters that had opened up downtown. Curious and hopeful, she's decided to check it out.
That brings us to now, with Kiyoko opening the artistic glass doors and stepping through, eyes open and curious, if a bit cautious. She steps inside slowly, getting a good look at the place. It certainly does seem professional- definitely not some gang hangout like she thought it might be. Deciding that it's worth exploring further she continues to walk inside, unsure if there's any procedure she should be following and generally looking lost.
The Youth Center isn't a bad place to find one Hotaru Futaba, young fighter of some repute in the fighting leagues. When she isn't doing... oh... school... training hard at the Kyokugen dojo... teaching Kentou... doing upkeep at an old church building she maintains for personal reasons... Okay, yeah, actually catching Hotaru around the YFCC might entail a small amount of luck. A contender in the Neo League and a regular face on the Saturday Night Live features, the girl is a small time celebrity by now. But she still has time to pitch in around the center on weekends! When not brutally maimed by some world famous fighter or something...
As is, she's standing near the front desk easily visible from the main entrance. Leaning over the main counter, the pig-tailed girl is having a lively chat with one of the other staffers on duty. Most of the people at the YFCC are the youths it's targetted toward. Here for studies, relaxing, games, or a training session in one of the downstairs gyms. A few of the older teens or young adults are staff, mostly volunteers, a few paid, albeit minimally so. The operation is on a very tight budget.
"...not around, huh? Awh, well, I wanted to chat with him before I start the next class." Hotaru remarks, glancing to the side to view an old fashioned round, simple clock mounted on the wall behind the main desk. "Hn?" the girl asks, then shakes her head, "No, they're coming along fine. It's getting to where there might not be a lot more I can teach them... I mean, it's just supposed to be the basics, ne?"
The brunette behind the desk stands up and leans forward to whisper something into Hotaru's ear, eyes fixed on the new arrival. The Kenpo artist blinks, turning around to glance toward Kiyoko, looking rather surprised about something.
The main counter would probably the best place for Kiyoko to go if she wanted to figure out what the YFCC was all about. Somehow the idea of it slips past her, though, and instead she ended up slowly walking around and failing to think of anything actually useful to try and do. This is in part because she's mildly embarrassed to come here looking for help when she's already 'good enough' to make it onto a fighting show, even if it was through an organization that helps sick kids. The other reason is that she's not entirely sure what she needs help with, or what she should ask. She got into fighting because she was going to be taught Tai Chi and she insisted upon learning the combat aspects as well as more mundane ones- she didn't look around for a fighting instructor.
Eventually, though, the inevitable happens and she realizes that there is probably a receptionist or someone similar that might be able to help her. This happens at the same time Hotaru is informed of her arrival. She makes a quick look around to try and find such a person, and ends up finding the two looking at her. Recognition hits her quickly as she sees Hotaru. This makes her even more embarrassed, becoming just a little star struck. She also wonders if that is actually who she thinks it is, or if her mind is just playing tricks on her. Still... she slowly walks towards the desk, hoping they can help.
If she's looking for answers, Hotaru might be one that can help! And while there's an interesting look on the girl's face for an instant, it passes quickly, replaced with a friendly, quiet smile and the girl bows her head just a little. "Hello," comes the soft, friendly voice from the girl dressed in a quaint, cute Chinese styled outfit of blue and white.
"Your first time at the Youth Center?" she asks. She wouldn't know, herself, since she's not around to know all the faces. But the girl behind the desk /is/, and also happens to be a /rabid/ SNF fan, which is why she was quick to point Kiyoko out to the Kenpo artist. Looking the other girl over, Hotaru has a hard time placing the facts together. She doesn't look visibly on her death bed or anything. Rather thin, but... the same could be said of many girls in their age bracket. Is the story behind her really true?
"You look familiar," the girl muses, bringing her hand up to rest her forefinger against her cheek. "I wonder where I might have seen you before. Ah-! I'm sorry, my manners." She bows politely, "My name is Hotaru Futaba. Pleased to meet you."
Kiyoko approaches slowly, managing a smile when Hotaru welcomes her. "Yea, it is. Sorry if I was supposed to sign in or something, I'm... not really sure what I'm supposed to do." She takes a short moment to try and compose herself to make the embarrassment go away. Seeing Hotaru up close, specifically her clothes, removes any doubt of who it is she's speaking to. It probably is hard to tell that the girl is sick, she's definitely thin, perhaps more so than Hotaru can tell by a casual glance since she specially buys clothes to hide it, but other than that she does appear healthy enough.
She blinks a couple times in disbelief at the mentioning of being familiar, "I do? I, um, don't think we've ever met." Sheepishly embarrassed she admits quietly, "I was on Saturday Night Fight last week, so that might be it..." Maybe someone else would boast it, but with the way the announcer shouted her condition to the world, it makes her a little nervous. "It's nice to meet you, Futaba-san. I've, um, been a fan of yours for a while! I'm Kiyoko Fukakami." She returns the bow as politely as she can.
...she should probably say why she's here now, shouldn't she? "I came here hoping I could get some help in fighting. I'm okay, but I've been mugged and attacked in school recently and I wasn't able to fight them off, so I was hoping I could get some pointers or..." She trails off.
The smile only warms as Kiyoko begins to speak, Hotaru shaking her head about having to sign in. "No, no, that's all right. New visitors just have a way of sticking out a little. It's a tightly knit group here so we tend to notice a new friendly face." she beams. Hotaru's smile becomes a grin as the girl mentions having fought in a SNF last week. Of course, the Futaba girl already knew that thanks to her nosy friend behind the counter, but now she's gained that information more 'legitimately' from the girl herself!
"Ah, that must be it," she replies, only to blush a little at mention of the girl being a fan of hers. "Thank you, Kiyoko." Now that the pieces are starting to come together, the girl is able to remember some other details from the previous week. A match that stuck out to her because a friend of hers was in it. "You fought Mizuki-san, yes? She's a friend of mine... I hope the fight went okay for you." Brave thing, Hotaru ponders. At least she had a wonderful opponent to face off against for her first match. They don't get much nicer than Mizuki... She could have gotten put up against any number of the more unpleasant sorts, and that'd just be awful!
As Kiyoko describes how her school life has been going, a faint frown crosses Hotaru's lips. Who would do something so dreadful?? "Lessons in fighting?" The minor celebrity fighter hmns quietly. "Well, there's lots of sparing that goes on around here. A lot of young fighters drop by and learn things from each other. There /are/ classes, but..." She leans her head to the side a bit. "If you're already making appearances in major league events, you might be beyond what classes here would be able to easily offer you. Most of them are targetted toward basic self defense for High School and Junior High students. There are some intermediate courses though which might be able to offer a few things..."
She sounds uncertain. She didn't see Kiyoko fight, but she does remember the outcome of the matches from last week and knows she and Mizuki drew, but there was a Chaos element to the fight, so now she's not really sure HOW good poor Kiyoko might be.
Kiyoko didn't mean it like that! ;_;
Luckily for Kiyoko, Hotaru is a rather nice and unintimidating person, and easy enough to get along with. She's still a bit star struck, made a tiny bit more embarrassed when the Kenpo artist shows a reaction of her mentioning being a fan. Maybe that was a mistake... But rather than harp on it she'll just pretend she didn't notice for their mutual benefit.
"Oh, good, then." She's definitely glad she didn't miss some step she was supposed to do! A wide smile forms on her face at the mention of her opponent, "Yes! Mizuki-san was very nice. She probably would have won if she'd used her baton, but other than that she didn't hold back." And she wasn't mean about it either. Kiyoko was actually warned that she might be put in the ring with someone such as Yamazaki or Freeman, and despite the fact that she was willing to accept that it's definitely a good thing she wasn't! "You're friends with her, though? She's so nice I'm hoping I can be her friend too, especially since we go to the same school."
And then the issue of why she's here comes back to the surface, "Yea... I was thinking that would be a problem. I wasn't really sure where I should go or look, but I remembered hearing about this place and decided to come in. I -do- have an instructor, but there isn't much more he can teach me about fighting, only about being clear of mind and spirit and healthy of body." ...that sounded a little silly spoken out loud. Ignore it, keep going! "I'm really not sure what I need to do other than practice more to get better, but I know I have to be making mistakes." Especially considering she was put in the hospital while fighting!
Having her fight Mizuki was a good choice, Hotaru muses. There's few fighters she can think of that she'd even be comfortable with a girl in Kiyoko's circumstances fighting... but left up to Howard's entertainment empire, chances are if the Justice student becomes a frequent fighter she'll end up against some unpleasant matchups as well. Alas.
"Yeah," Hotaru grins readily. "Mizuki-san also volunteers here at the center. In fact, the staff here is wonderful. Alma, Acacia, Frei... This is a good place to come to meet a lot of great people." the girl beams, hands clasping behind her back as she rolls her feet up on her toes thoughtfully. Though there are a couple of new employees lately that the girl isn't sure what to make of. A giant cyborg man? Hm, hmn!
"Well," Hotaru continues, considering Kiyoko's search for training. "Practice is definitely important. But I'm not sure you'll find a regular teacher here. One that could offer one on one lessons, that is. Most of the classes are groups and kept to a fairly basic level..."
A fifteen year old boy wanders by the desk enroute to some stairs leading to the lower floor. "Good evening, Futaba-sensei!" the youth waves before vanishing down the stairs. Hotaru waves back over her shoulder before turning to face Kiyoko again. "But this is a good place to get practice with others who compete or who to do so someday!"
There's little doubt that Kiyoko will eventually be put up against one of the more brutal fighters, but the saving grace is that there's no way they could consider her strong enough to face them alone, so if she did so she'd likely have someone fighting along side her. That'd go a long way to keep her out of harms way, even if they didn't actively try to protect her from the more savage blows.
"Really? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, she seems like the kind of person who'd want to go out of their way to help people get better." The other names are familiar to her since she keeps track of the fighting world, but she doesn't comment on them since she's never actually met them personally. If Hotaru has it'd probably come off sounding pretty funny, especially if she said something about them that wasn't actually true! She quiets down while Hotaru talks with the boy that comes through, not wanting to hog up all her time, she does have a job to do, after all!
But once he passes by and walks down the stairs she pipes back up. "Well... I don't know that I need /constant/ training or anything. Since I do have a teacher now I'm sure they could help me, but right now I'm not even sure what it is I need helped with! I guess maybe that's what I should be looking for, help trying to find where my weaknesses are so I can try to fix them."
"Nn!" Hotaru nods with regards to Mizuki. The red-headed miko is a friend of hers that she thinks highly of, so Kiyoko won't find any disagreement from her about how helpful she would likely be. But she's quiet as the violet haired girl mentions how she's wanting to get better.
Blue eyes blink twice as Hotaru seems to weigh out what to say next very carefully before speaking again. "Well... Practice is very key. Not being afraid to test yourself against opponents with more experience... having a chance to figure out what works or doesn't work with regards to putting your skills to use... Getting your training down perfectly so that you can exercise your techniques without hesitation... exercise..."
Her smile is a little apologetic as she leans her head to the side. "But I'm sure you know all that already. Unfortunately there's no big secret. Hard work and practice is how most fighters get by. Even the gifted ones need training." She falls quiet for a moment as if having had her say... But then she pipes up again before the silence lingers too long. "What is your interest in fighting? I'm sure getting attacked at school probably creates some motivation," she continues a bit wryly, sounding rather annoyed that anyone would do something like that to the girl. "But unfortunately even experienced fighters can fall prey to that kind of thing. No matter how much you improve, there's always the chance another will attack you who's better..."
It'd probably be hard to find anyone who wouldn't think the same of Mizuki, who's probably having a sneezing fit about now. A sheepish little smile forms on her face as Hotaru goes over several key points. She only really seems to have a comment for one of them, though, "Yea! If I was afraid of testing myself against someone stronger than me I wouldn't have wanted to fight professionally. I mean... I'm not overconfident or anything. I know that almost everyone else is going to be better, faster, and stronger than I am, but..."
That really does bring her right up to the question Hotaru asks her, doesn't it? She's quiet for a few moments while she tries to figure out the best way to word this. "I guess that I'd... just really like to do something exciting with my life. Fighting has always been my favorite sport, and I can't think of anything more fun than being able to go toe to toe with all my favorites." There! That sounded more upbeat than depressing, even if it was spoken in a slightly subdued tone of voice.
"Probably... but like I told my parents, I'm a lot better off being able to defend myself! I'd probably be in a lot more trouble if that'd happened and I didn't have any idea how to fight at all, right? And just because there are people better than me doesn't mean I shouldn't try to get better."
"It is definitely exciting," Hotaru replies, smile widening a little as she reflects on the adrenaline and emotions her own matches bring to her life. And then there's the times her training has enabled her to protect someone important. To make a difference when she might not have otherwise been able to. The slight nod she gives Kiyoko shows she seems to understand what the girl is getting at. Her motivations are shared by many - even those who aren't dreading the ticking clock or passing calender.
"How has it been? You had the chance to appear in a Saturday Night Fight. Doesn't get much bigger than that," the girl states, her hands unclasping from behind her back, her left hand resting lightly at her hip. "Was it what you were hoping for? Have you done other competative fighting as well?"
"I definitely understand your reasonings though... What kind of style or styles have you been studying?" comes the next question. "I'm always interested in learning about as many styles as possible. It really helps me stay one step ahead in my fights." the girl admits. Raw speed can only get one so far, after all. Being able to have a sense of how a particular style is going to attack is rather key for the pig-tailed fighter.
So far Kiyoko hasn't really been able to protect anyone, at least not in a direct sense. She might have stopped the person who robbed her from robbing other people, though! Really, though, she wouldn't want to /have/ to protect anyone, since it'd mean someone she cared about being in danger. A good thing to be able to do if it comes up, but not something you want to have forced on you. The question sent her way has her looking up a little for a moment and then nodding with a large smile on her face, "Yea, I had a blast! I'm sure /all/ fights aren't as fun as the one I had with Mizuki-san, but if they're even anything like it I definitely want to keep it up. Now that I've been on Saturday Night Fight I can probably see about the other fighting tournaments also! I mean... before some of them might have just taken one look and turned me away. I haven't done anything else so far, though."
And now on to her style! She's at least a little proud of it, "I practice Tai-Chi! I really haven't learned anything else, but it's been really good for me. I, um, originally started practicing it to keep healthy. I guess I kinda forced my parents into letting me learn to fight too, but I don't regret it for a minute. I'm pretty good about keeping myself safe and playing keep away too." She grins sheepishly, "My parents made sure my teacher focused on defense."
The Futaba girl looks glad to hear that Kiyoko has enjoyed her experience thus far. Thanks to the Make A Wish foundation to get her into the biggest of the leagues. That'll definitely make it easier to get into some of the other circuits. Besides, she has a good story to sell that's likely to boost ratings... Though of course Hotaru doesn't really think about it from that angle.
"That's good," she grins. "If you enjoyed it I definitely encourage you to seek out other opportunities. It's always great to put the things you've learned to the test against other fighters. And in doing so, you'll learn more about what you might want to improve on as well."
She brightens as Kiyoko mentions her style. "That's neat," she grins. "I don't really know the combatative side of Tai Chi, but I do integrate some of it into my personal exercise routines, so I can definitely understand the health benefits of it." The girl pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "I'll definitely have to see your techniques in action sometime. I should make sure to check out a recording of your last match!"
As much as her condition is helping her to get into the fighting circuits, she'd rather that it not be brought up so publicly. She really can't fault Howard Enterprises for wanting to make it very public that they're doing a very nice thing for her, but it'd be a lot better if they just let her fight without making too big a deal of it. Their whole reason for holding the competitions is making money, though, so there's probably little chance of it happening.
"You don't have to worry about that, I'm definitely going to try. There's that Neo League that just started a new season a couple months ago so I can probably try to sneak into that. There's probably not going to be any huge things like King of Fighters anytime soon since the World Warrior just ended though. I guess I'd have to find a team for that anyway, and I'd probably just hold them back. I'm not /that/ good of a fighter yet." Even if it'd be super fun!
A nod and a smile comes next, "Yea, Tai Chi is great! I mean...there's only so much you can do with the movements to use them in fighting, but a lot of the principals can be a big help. I'm pretty good at learning to center myself and balancing the energies inside." It probably shouldn't surprise her that Hotaru'd be interested in seeing her moves, but she is. "Yea, I actually did pretty good! But if you really want to see them I could, well, just show you."
She's definitely enthusiastic, that's for sure. Of course, her initial foray into competition was on a good note, too. Hotaru hopes it keeps up for as long as possible, considering the matches that might always come down the pipe in the weeks to come. She has no idea what Kiyoko's condition really is, but she's not oblivious to what the Make a Wish foundation is for. Hopefully it remains a wish come true... "Good to hear that. Neo League is a good circuit to get a break in. There's fighters of all kinds in it." she states with the voice of experience.
But then she falls quiet as she ponders the violet haired girl's offer to show her the moves she's been taught. A furtive glance over her shoulder is cast toward the clock on the wall before she looks back at Kiyoko, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'd like to see that. In fact, I'd appreciate a chance for you to give me some pointers on what Tai Chi I do know," she continues, her expression shifting into a quiet smile.
Taking a couple steps backward she leans over the front counter to fish out a small post-it pad, coming up with a pen to boot. "I hope it wouldn't be too forward of me to ask if you might be able to stop by where I train sometime? It's hard to get a lot of quiet time here," the girl grins, waving her hand over Kiyoko's shoulder toward more students arriving for the class she has scheduled. "I can give you the address."
Only time will tell if fighting will lose it's luster for Kiyoko after she's tasted the bitterness of defeat and the pain that can be brought on by vicious opponents, but if you'd ask her now she'd say of course it wont. "I've heard you can also challenge people there too as well as just random things, so I can probably look up people who are about as strong as me and challenge them so I don't get over my head too fast." Just because she's /willing/ to fight someone way stronger doesn't mean she wants to. Well... she probably does unless they have a reputation for being mean, actually!
Kiyoko remains quiet as Hotaru checks the time and thinks things over, and then lets out a light laugh, "Well, I'm not sure how much I could teach about it to someone who's as good as you! I guess I might know a few movements you'd enjoy working into your exercises or something..." Her head then shakes quickly, "Oh no, it wouldn't be at all! I'd be honored to come see you there, really." Oops, that might be getting too close into being a fan again, "I mean, um..." Luckily other people show up and save her by giving her something else to say, "Yea! This place does seem really nice, so there are probably all kinds of people who come here for lessons and to practice."
The address takes only a second to scribble down, the pink pad torn off and held out toward Kiyoko. Hotaru looks the taller girl over again before laughing lightly, "There's always more to learn. That's one thing I've most definitely discovered. I never turn down the chance to be shown something new."
The address to a small tranquil church yard in a quiet district of Southtown Village is on the paper. "I'm often there in the evenings. Feel free to drop by any time. Even if I'm not around, I think you might find it makes a great place for practicing Tai Chi routines." the girl grins, "So feel free to make use of it as well." It's the least she can do, she figures.
More students piling in indicate that the girl's class must be getting ready to start, more teens waving to Hotaru as they pass by, though the girl tries to keep her attention on Kiyoko for the most part, bowing politely. "I'm pleased to have met you, Kiyoko..." Her mouth opens as if she's about to say something else. About to comment on how remarkable her story is. How inspirational for others she is going to be if she keeps it up. But she closes her mouth without saying anything else, not quite certain how the girl feels about her unique circumstances. It can't be a happy topic to keep dredging up, to say the least.
"You're probably right. I guess I didn't think about it like that." A good lesson to learn, especially if you can learn it early rather than later. "Hopefully I'll be able to show you something you don't know, then. If not I hope I can at least impress you a little with what I know." Even if Hotaru is probably miles above her level, she can't help but feel at least a little proud of her own abilities.
After Hotaru writes down the address Kiyoko takes it and looks it over, carefully putting it into a pocket where she'll make sure not to lose or damage it afterwards. "Sure! I'll definitely drop by. It'll be fun to see where it is that you train." In her mind she's picturing some kind of hidden dojo, so she'll probably get a pleasant surprise when she does go there. "It'd also be nice to find a place to work out. I feel so silly when I'm doing it in my room and one of my friends comes in without knocking. Especially when they stand there and watch without saying anything."
She quickly returns the bow to Hotaru, intentionally bowing just a tiny bit lower, and then smiling widely, "It was nice meeting you too, Futaba-san!" Her head tilts slightly when the Kenpo artist begins to say something and then stops, wondering what it is. Movement in the corner of her eye catches her attention, and she notices all the people coming in seem to be waving to Hotaru. Oops! She's probably too polite to just say 'go away' to her! "I should probably be going now, though. I'm definitely going to come back some time, and hopefully I'll see you at your training spot soon."
Hotaru grins at the mention of seeing where it is she trains. The site tends to be a surprise to most, but once they give it some thought, it does make a lot of sense considering the owner. "Looking forward to seeing you there then. I'm confident you can teach me something new. Maybe I'll be able to do the same in return to pay back the favor, ne?"" the Kenpo artist smiles sincerely. "Hopefully it's not too far out of the way."
She takes a step back, depositing the postit pad and pen back behind the counter before turning to give Kiyoko one last look over. What could it be? she can't help but wonder. She looks to be in all right health. And she's fit enough to fight. There's no way she's going to ask though.
"Take care, Kiyoko," the girl states quietly, turning to watch the last of her students hurry in the entrance of the building, 'beating the clock' by just mere seconds. Cutting it close! She gives the young man teasing shake of her head before she finally turns to walk off toward the stairs after him.
The smile is returned happily, and Kiyoko nods, even giving a light laugh, "I definitely wouldn't turn down any advice you wanted to give me. I'm sure it won't be, I go to the amusement park with my friends a lot, and it's hard to get further away from Justice than that." One perk about being in such good condition is being able to walk a long ways! And there's always taking a bus, failing that.
Definitely not wanting to take up too much more of Hotaru's time, especially considering that it looks like she has something important to do, Kiyoko gives a smile and responds, "You too!" Before making her way out of the community center. Even if she didn't get any immediate advice, she's sure glad she came!