1...2...3... *crack* 1...2...3... *crack* 1...2...3... Kinta counted the seconds between each lashing, she'd gotten distracted while cooking. And now her father was punishing her for burning his dinner. *crack* 1...2...3... How many lashings would she get? How many had she already gotten? Kinta didn't bother keeping count. *crack* 1...2... *crack* He was picking up the pace, which meant he was almost done. She'd learned to tune out the pain years ago, and now she sat there obediently on her knees. Numbly staring at the ground in front of her while her back was brutalized. *crack* 1...2...*crack* 1...*crack* 1...2...*crack*
"Next time, pay attention to what you're doing!" Her father roared before he stormed out of the room. Leaving Kinta to clean up herself and the bloody mess around her.
Kinta bolted upright in bed as he alarm startled her awake. She was drenched in a sticky, cold sweat and her hands trembled as she reached to turn off the alarm. She slowly slid out of bed, trying to ignore the phantom aches in her back from the lashings she'd just received.
"Ugh- I need a shower." Kinta grumbled as she felt the sticky sweat on the back of her neck and headed for the restroom. But no amount of scalding hot water made Kinta feel better, she found herself feverishly scrubbing her skin. Like she could somehow scrub away the scars from her past.
By the time she was dressed and heading for the dojo she was in a sour mood. Her fight wasn't until later this evening, maybe a little sparing with Buru would make her feel better. The streets were packed with people today, vendors had set up shop on the sides of the street, selling everything from trinkets and toys to food and collectibles. Children ran around, gleefully squealing with their sparklers and candy. There were even a couple street performers running around, a couple jugglers, people playing instruments for tips and one man making animals from balloons for the kids.
As Kinta rounded the corner she saw Hoseki leaning against the front doors of the dojo.
"Hi Risa." Hoseki waved as she approached. "Sensei tried to contact you but we realized we don't have your cell number. There is no practice today, Sensei wants us to enjoy the festival. But first, give me your cell number so we can contact each other."
"Oh, ah- I don't have a cellphone." Kinta smiled sheepishly.
"You don't have a phone?! Why not?"
Kinta shrugged, she'd never had one before. So she hadn't seen the use in getting one now.
"Come on." Hoseki sighed as she pushed away from the door and motioned for Kinta to follow her.
"Where are we going?" Kinta cocked her head and tried to keep her attention on anything but Hoseki's curvy behind. She'd worn skinny jeans today and a floral crop top with her purple hair loose around her shoulders.
"To get you a phone of course, not only do we need to be able to contact you. But you should have one in case of emergency." Hoseki led her to a vendor selling a wide variety of cellphones.
The choice was pretty easy for Kinta, she just needed a phone to make calls and texts with so all she cared about was the durability of the phone. She picked out a little flip phone that's waterproof and known to be extremely durable.
"There." Hoseki sighed as they exchanged phone numbers. "Now we can get ahold of each other."
"So what is this festival even for?" Kinta mused as they wandered down the street.
"I'm not even sure honestly." Hoseki murmured as they walked.
"Well, thanks for helping me get a phone. I suppose I should try to get some training in before my match tonight." Kinta turned to say goodbye to Hoseki but the girl grabbed her arm. And suddenly Kinta's heart was pounding in her chest again.
"Ah- sorry." Hoseki quickly released her, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "I was actually wondering if you- well- I-" Her blush deepened and she rubbed the back of her head.
"If I'd?" Kinta pressed, Hoseki actually looked pretty cute when she blushed.
"If you'd like to check out the festival with me." She finally blurted. "It-it's what Sensei wanted anyways."
"I suppose Sensei did tell us to enjoy the festival." Kinta murmured as she watched the other female and silently thanked the old man. "Alright, I've never attended a festival like this before. Maybe you can show me around?"
A rare smile flashed across Hoseki's face. "Oh man you've got to try the food. The fair's scones are my favorite!" She exclaimed excitedly as she pointed towards a food vendor.
Hoeski was right about fair food, the buttery scone practically melted in Kinta's mouth. She was tempted to go buy more but another vendor caught her eye, this one was selling a large selection of masks. She'd seen a couple people running around with masks on, mostly children. What the heck was this festival even for?
Her eyes fell on a simple, black, cat-face shaped mask, complete with cute white whiskers and a pink nose. She traced the lines of the mask with the tips of her fingers.
"That's a cute mask." Hoseki said as she approached from behind Kinta, almost making her jump out of her skin. "Do you like cats?"
"I love animals." Kinta smiled, thinking fondly of the animals she'd left behind at the compound.
"What would you use the mask for?" Hoseki cocked her head as Kinta continued to admire the mask.
"I was thinking of using it while fighting at Heavens Arena." Kinta smiled at herself, this way she could hide her identity even further from her family and Hisoka as well. The thought of being able to sneak up on the magician, registering for a fight with him, only for her to dramatically reveal herself before their match began made her extremely giddy.
"What?! Why? Aren't you worried about it distracting you during a match?" Hoseki gave her a perplexed look as Kinta bought the mask.
"Not really." Kinta shrugged and slipped the mask on. "How does it look?" The mask covered her forehead and cheeks, but left her mouth and eyes free with a silk ribbon tied around the back of her head.
Hoseki blinked as she examined the mask. "I think your the only person I know that can make a damn cat mask look kinda scary."
Kinta laughed at that and quickly slipped the mask into her bag and payed the vendor.
"I still don't understand why you need a mask." Hoseki huffed as they started to walk again.
"It's just a game." Kinta smiled inwardly. Even though she was in the company of a very beautiful woman, she still couldn't get that damn magician off her mind.
"A game?" Hoseki was looking more confused by the second.
Kinta shook her head, as if she could shake the strange man out of her brain. "It's nothing, I'm just rambling." she smiled at the girl next to her. "What should we go see next?"
Hoseki rolled her eyes at Kinta, but a moment later she grabbed her hand and was leading her towards one of the many street performers. Kinta wasn't very interested in their little performance with marionette dolls, but she watched Hoseki stand a little ways in front of her. She really seemed to be enjoying the show, she wore a smile from ear to ear as she watched the puppets dance. But Kinta's attention was quickly drawn to a man working his way through the crowd, he'd pause occasionally behind people, looking around wildly before moving away.
Kinta knew exactly what he was up to, yet when he moved up behind Hoseki she did nothing. She wanted to see if the other girl would notice, and if she did, what would she do?
Unfortunately Hoseki didn't sense a damn thing as the man slipped a finger into her back pocket and seamlessly pulled out her wallet. Kinta waited, maybe she was just pretending not to notice? But as the man started to move away she realized Hoseki was oblivious to the fact that her wallet had just been stolen and Kinta sighed, making her way through the crowd towards the man. Hoseki saw her start to move away and turned to follow Kinta, only then did she seem to realize that her wallet was gone.
"Excuse me, sir?" Kinta smiled sweetly at the man who'd pick-pocketed her date. He wasn't much to look at, a tall bean-pole of a man with straggly brown hair and tattered clothes. "I think you have something of hers." Kinta pointed her thumb at Hoseki who was quickly making her way through the crowd towards them.
"I don't know what you're talking about." The man huffed and turned to walk away.
"Oh, I think you do." Kinta grabbed the man arm and kicked his feet out from under him. Sending him face-first into the pavement with Kinta twisting his arm behind his back.
"Risa?!" Hoseki exclaimed as she scrambled to Kinta's side. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Kinta bent and pulled her wallet out of the man's back pocket. "This is yours isn't it?"
"What the hell?!" Hoseki snatched her wallet out of Kinta's hand. "This asshole pick-pocketed me?!"
"You really should be more aware of your surroundings." Kinta scolded the girl, still holding the man to the ground.
"I'm sorry alright? Look she got her wallet back, can't you just let me go already?" The man hollered from the ground.
Kinta chuckled darkly. "Well, I've gotta make sure everybody else is safe from you first."
"Wait, what are you-" Hoseki started but it was too late.
A shiver of excitement went up Kinta's spine as she twisted the man's fingers, biting her lip as the sound of his bones snapping filled her ears and his screams shortly after.
"Risa!! Let him go!" Hoseki threw a punch that Kinta was too caught off guard by to block, causing her to release the man as she stumbled back a couple steps.
The man quickly scrambled to his feet and took off, disappearing into the crowd.
"What is wrong with you?!" Hoseki roared.
Kinta simply rubbed her cheek and cocked her head at the enraged girl. "It's kind of hard for him to pick-pocket people with his fingers broken don't you think?"
"You didn't have to do that." Hoseki growled.
Kinta blinked. "Why not? In a way, I was protecting all of these people from being his next victim. I don't understand why your upset."
Hoseki balked at this, blinking a couple of times before she finally let out a frustrated breath. "I didn't really think of it that way, but still. Risa, you shouldn't have done that. He surrendered, he couldn't have fought you. What you did was unnecessary and cruel."
Kinta just gave Hoseki a long, confused stare until the girl just sighed again.
"God Risa, you're a little fucked in the head aren't you?"
A laugh bubbled up from Kinta's chest. "You could say that."
"Don't you have a match soon?"
"Oh your right!" Kinta checked the time on her new phone. "I should get going."
"Can I come with you?" Hoseki fell into stride next to her. "I don't have tickets for your fight, but I can watch from the TV right? I've always wanted to see what a room at heaven's arena looks like."
Kinta smiled up at the olive-skinned beauty. "Ooohh, you wanna come back to my place hmm?" She could barely contain her own giggle as she said it.
A deep blush quickly spread across Hoseki's face. "Shut up! I just wanted to see the room, and I'm curious to see how your first match will go."
"Sure." Kinta laughed. "It might be kind of nice having somebody to talk to after the fight anyways."