Private Finished Can Plants Get Lost?

While the female announcer was introducing the next fighters on stage, men and women stepped up and slapped Kal's back in congratulations. He paid them no mind, feeling mostly just the pain on his face even though it's been a few minutes since the kick. Kal thought he saw the familiar purple flower somewhere to his left and looked to make sure he saw what he thought he did. Kalvin stopped in his steps when he saw Carmin. What made him stop wasn't the fact that he could actually confirm it was Carmin. It was that he was being manhandled by one of the audience members.

From what Kal could see, the kid's shoulders were hunched up, his form smaller, and distinctly projecting fear. He didn't know why the sight riled him up. It was most likely because Carmin showed no fighting chance against the drunken fellow. Or maybe it was also because Kal somehow became fast friends with the flowerless Carmin before. Kal stepped towards them and saw that it was the smarmy lizardman Carmin was struggling with. He had to push some people aside to make it through, stirring a few annoyed grunts from other audience members.

"There you are!" Kal announced as he stepped in between them, looking at Carmin. Then he looked up at the lizardman and flashed him a smile. "Thanks for looking out for this little one, sir," he said before hooking his handless arm around Carmin's shoulders and leading him away.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, mate," Kal said, giving the man a final smile before he led Carmin away. Some of the audience had looked on as Bates the Heavyweight took the unassuming and rather unbelonging plant child away. Kal led the crying Carmin to the locker room, ignoring him while they were in vision and earshot of everyone else. Once they made it into the bright locker room at the end of a dank and dimly lit hall, Kal heaved out a sigh.

"You're really out of your element here, kid. Tell me you don't actually come here to watch the fights," Kal said, going straight for one of the lockers with a brand new-looking dial lock. He pulled out a long-sleeved shirt and began putting it on. He then turned to face Carmin. "I don't even want to know how you found this place..."

Kalvin glanced at the quiet and pouty Carmin. Even when he didn't like being called a kid, it was difficult for Kal to refrain from it. The way he was crossing his arms and pouting like that made him seem more like one. Kal chose not to comment on it. Instead, he went back to digging through his locker for something to wear. He clicked his tongue when he realized he'd forgotten his shirt back in the waiting area. He could swing by that little alcove before they left the building. He also needed to collect his winnings for today. "How can an accident bring you all the way in here? It's not even close to where the main road is... Unless you have some shady business of a different kind in these parts?" He asked as he pulled on a pair of joggers skillfully even with one hand. He pulled out a handkerchief from its pocket and put it under running water at the sink by the wall. He squeezed it out then dabbed at the area by his brow, cleaning out the blood that was beginning to dry up.

Kal pulled out a black jacket and cap next. He grimaced a bit when he sniffed the jacket but pulled it on anyway. The last thing he pulled out was a crossbody sling bag before he went to sit down next to Carson's small form. He could only imagine the fear that he felt back in there. It didn't even help that he looked so obviously out of place. "So are you okay?" he asked with a flat tone.

Kalvin glanced at Carmin in surprise when he apologized. That certainly came out of nowhere. The kid certainly looked sorry, even though it seemed like he was struggling to apologize. Kal understood and could relate to that struggle. He took a deep breath and leaned against the cold tile wall and closed his eyes. He was starting to feel the pain of getting beaten up. "It's fine. I've forgotten about it," he said, opening his eyes and getting up before Carmin could see the small smile on his face. He shrugged on the sling bag and pulled his cap on. To be honest, Kal was just about as bad at asking for and giving forgiveness as Carmin. He just hoped that he managed to deliver it in the same earnestness. He walked back to his locker to check the lock before he turned to look at Carmin.

"C'mon. We need to get out of here before it gets too late," he simply said. "If we hurry, we'll miss the bloody bouts. Something tells me you're not too enthusiastic about watching these fights."

"Just call me Kal," Kalvin said as he led Carmin out of the room and back into the dingy hall. Instead of going out of the hall, he turned to go deeper into it. At the very end of it, a small, narrow walk space led into darkness. It was almost invisible when you looked at the hall from the other end of it. "In here. I still need to collect my winnings for tonight," he said, leading Carmin into the dark space.

"Don't worry. It's relatively safer inside here than out there," he mumbled, almost sure that Carmin might feel uncomfortable going deeper into the rabbit hole he'd fallen into. "It'll be quick."

Once they'd gotten to the end, Kal's hand found a doorknob. He pushed it open and a bright light engulfed them both. He stepped into it as his eyes began to adjust to the sudden brightness. Inside was a small office, cozy even. One wall was filled with shelves for books, files, and whatnot. The other wall was mostly whiteboard with neat tallies of the wins and losses of the usual fighters. In the middle of the room was a desk where an older man sat. Behind him, a safe stood heavy and thick. He initially smiled when he saw Kal but it quickly turned into a frown when he spotted the green child trailing into the room after him. "What's this?" he said with a grimace as he sat back in his chair, his posture changing from relaxed to tense. "Why'd you bring a kid in here?"