Bouncing out of the school, Kiyana laughed a bit too loudly, which caused everyone outside to stare. She glared at them and continued on. "Well now that my classes are done for the day, what next?" Kiyana looked around until she caught sight of a big oak tree. She smiled and went towards it. "So Mr. Tree? What's up with you?" She hit the tree lightly with her fist, and then sunk down to the ground. "Why is everyone so weirded out by me today? Nothing changed...." She mumbled to herself and then closed her eyes while leaning on the tree. "You people should really be enjoying the sun while it lasts!" She shouted out.
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- Thread starter Claire
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Lenn was quick to move-in with Jacob after he was finally discharged from the hospital. Just as she had said, there was barely anything for her to retrieve from her own place to put into his apartment. Not that she dared go back to her old place anyway, for fear that there was an ambush in waiting from the same people that had attacked her, and injured Jacob. Still, she had procured some stash of guns and ammunition from secondary storage and started hiding them around his apartment.
Finding a gun under his sink or behind a shelf was a constant reminder that, even though Lenn had left her old life behind to settle down with him, she was still haunted by the paranoia that was left over. He could hardly blame her after the attack on her apartment, which nearly got him killed. It also reminded him of his promise to stand by her side while she fought to live her own, normal life beyond the old job. He needed to improve his skills if he stood a chance of fighting back if they came for her again.
Jacob was so focused on his task--learning to move fast enough with his own sword skills to be effective against guns--that he was putting himself at risk of going back to the hospital. He started his training not a few days after he got discharged.
Just because the hospital let you go did not mean you were at 100% immediately, and he felt it after a single testing swing of his sword. He tried imagining deflecting a bullet with his sheathe, but the swing caused immense pain his shoulder where he had been shot. It was so intense that he thought he might have re-opened the wound and he had to stumble over to a nearby oak tree to lean against it and breathe heavily as the pain subsided.
After opening his eyes, he noticed a young female student already seated there.
"Oh! Uh... Ouch... Sorry, if I surprised you. Just... Ow..."
Finding a gun under his sink or behind a shelf was a constant reminder that, even though Lenn had left her old life behind to settle down with him, she was still haunted by the paranoia that was left over. He could hardly blame her after the attack on her apartment, which nearly got him killed. It also reminded him of his promise to stand by her side while she fought to live her own, normal life beyond the old job. He needed to improve his skills if he stood a chance of fighting back if they came for her again.
Jacob was so focused on his task--learning to move fast enough with his own sword skills to be effective against guns--that he was putting himself at risk of going back to the hospital. He started his training not a few days after he got discharged.
Just because the hospital let you go did not mean you were at 100% immediately, and he felt it after a single testing swing of his sword. He tried imagining deflecting a bullet with his sheathe, but the swing caused immense pain his shoulder where he had been shot. It was so intense that he thought he might have re-opened the wound and he had to stumble over to a nearby oak tree to lean against it and breathe heavily as the pain subsided.
After opening his eyes, he noticed a young female student already seated there.
"Oh! Uh... Ouch... Sorry, if I surprised you. Just... Ow..."
Enjoying the summer rays of light, she sat there, in complete silence leaning on that oak tree, as if nothing else existed. This was the kind of things that sometimes she longed to have everyday. Just a few moments of silence was all she asked for. Even if it meant when she was laying in bed. Sighing, she half opened her eyes to see a familiar face trying to approach her, or just get near her. Kiyana quickly re-shut her eyes to give the illusion that she didn't the guy was almost next to her on the oak tree. "Well hello." She mumbles to herself before fulling getting up and going infront of her after a beat of him talking. "And you, scare me? Maybe you did a bit the first time we met but no, you didn't scare me one bit." She smiled boldly at him. "Are you okay?" Kiyana crouched infront of him, observing his every move. "What happened? I mean I don't care if you won't tell me but I'd like to know who and why you interrupted such a beautiful silence."
"Oh! Kiyana. It's you... Sorry. Didn't recognize you for a moment."
It had been quite awhile since Jacob had last seen the young woman. Well, he had seen her plenty of times around the school, but the only time he had really interacted with her was back when he had a drink at the bar with her and some red-haired doctor or something. Now that he recognized her, Jacob was feeling a little bit better about stumbling into a tree, clutching his shoulder.
"Nah. I was okay. Until I started swinging this thing around."
He gestured to his still-sheathed sword and turned so his back was against the tree.
"I really hope I didn't open the wounds again..."
Jacob slid down the tree until he was sitting up against it, and at eye level with Kiyana.
"Well, you see... I got into a tussle not too long ago and I ended up with some gun shot wounds. Neat, huh? But it seems that I'm still not totally recovered yet."
It had been quite awhile since Jacob had last seen the young woman. Well, he had seen her plenty of times around the school, but the only time he had really interacted with her was back when he had a drink at the bar with her and some red-haired doctor or something. Now that he recognized her, Jacob was feeling a little bit better about stumbling into a tree, clutching his shoulder.
"Nah. I was okay. Until I started swinging this thing around."
He gestured to his still-sheathed sword and turned so his back was against the tree.
"I really hope I didn't open the wounds again..."
Jacob slid down the tree until he was sitting up against it, and at eye level with Kiyana.
"Well, you see... I got into a tussle not too long ago and I ended up with some gun shot wounds. Neat, huh? But it seems that I'm still not totally recovered yet."
Kiyana sat back a bit, and stopped crouching infront of him, and sat n her knees instead. "Oh." She stared at the wound that wasn't quite visible due to his hand. She then stared down at his sword, then back up at him. What on earth would have made him fight so hard against someone that he got hurt? A gun shot? That wasn't something you got in normal fights, but then again, this wasn't a normal place. "Wow." She muttered, thinking of who would do such a thing. "Who would even do that? That bastard is going to pay, I swear some people....." She stopped herself after that. "Sorry." She coughed lightly. "But how? Were you just looking for a fight and someone happened to have a gun?"
Jacob finally pulled his hand away from his shoulder, and then looked at both it and his shirt for any sign of bleeding. There was none thankfully. But just to be sure, he also unbuttoned his shirt an and slid it down enough to inspect his shoulder visually. There on his shoulder a very freshly closed gunshot wound that would eventually become a scar.
"Good. Good..."
He slid his shirt back up, but didn't bother to button it.
"Would you believe this all started with a woman? You may have seen her around when she visits me on campus, but I've met a woman who has a past that's catching up with her. I ended up in the crossfire."
Since the last time he had been in a serious relationship, Jacob had forgotten how awkward it was to explain to people that he was in a relationship. None of the words seemed to be appropriate. "Girlfriend" sounded beneath his age range, and "lover" was just tactless and not very true to what they had.
"And please, don't go thinking up any revenge schemes for me. I don't believe in revenge. Besides, I don't know who exactly shot me. There were a lot of guys, and a lot of guns.
"Good. Good..."
He slid his shirt back up, but didn't bother to button it.
"Would you believe this all started with a woman? You may have seen her around when she visits me on campus, but I've met a woman who has a past that's catching up with her. I ended up in the crossfire."
Since the last time he had been in a serious relationship, Jacob had forgotten how awkward it was to explain to people that he was in a relationship. None of the words seemed to be appropriate. "Girlfriend" sounded beneath his age range, and "lover" was just tactless and not very true to what they had.
"And please, don't go thinking up any revenge schemes for me. I don't believe in revenge. Besides, I don't know who exactly shot me. There were a lot of guys, and a lot of guns.
Kiyana looked weirdly as he took off his shirt, but then realized that he was just checking his shoulder. "Oh." She said causally as it looked as if it hadn't reopened. "Well at least that's good news." She sighed lightly as he began to talk once again. "Yes I can believe that actually, I've had my share of crazy situations. People do crazy things for love, or just plainly for people they care about." She added in to make the conversation seem more open.
"I mean, I'm guessing that is why you did it, as some people would have just ran away or not helped."She paused and rethought was she wanted to say next. "I bet she is glad you did though. It's a shame that it resulted-" Kiyana pointed at his wound "in that."
She pondered the thought of revenge, but then shook her head firmly in his direction. "You know, that was something I was never good at really. It never made any sense to me. There was always the possibility that they would come back to seek revenge on you after what you did the first time, right?"
Kiyana paused to catch her breath. "I mean, unless you finish the job for everyone against you then, yeah." She stopped there as she didn't care much to talk about that subject. "You were brave to do it though. I'm not sure if I even would have if I knew there was no chance of me succeeding."
"I mean, I'm guessing that is why you did it, as some people would have just ran away or not helped."She paused and rethought was she wanted to say next. "I bet she is glad you did though. It's a shame that it resulted-" Kiyana pointed at his wound "in that."
She pondered the thought of revenge, but then shook her head firmly in his direction. "You know, that was something I was never good at really. It never made any sense to me. There was always the possibility that they would come back to seek revenge on you after what you did the first time, right?"
Kiyana paused to catch her breath. "I mean, unless you finish the job for everyone against you then, yeah." She stopped there as she didn't care much to talk about that subject. "You were brave to do it though. I'm not sure if I even would have if I knew there was no chance of me succeeding."
"Heh. I wouldn't have called myself brave back then..."
He rolled his shoulder to try and loosen it back up.
"It wasn't like when I was facing Oliver during his dinosaur... incident. She and I were caught off guard and I was at a total loss as what to do. I was a load until I got to my sword, and only then was I sort of helpful."
Even though it had been awkward when they first, and drank, at the bar, Jacob would have actually liked to have had another drink with Kiyana at that moment. If only so he could dull the pain in his shoulder. But his medication probably did not allow it, and he assumed Kiyana was not up to seeing him all over her again.
Or maybe he wouldn't be. Surely even drunk Jacob would remember Lenn.
"But it cemented our feelings at least. Nothing like a gun fight to make you realize that you're willing to do anything for a person you love.
But I'm hoggin' the air. What about you, Kiyana? Got a crush in your life you'd be willing to take a bullet for?"
He rolled his shoulder to try and loosen it back up.
"It wasn't like when I was facing Oliver during his dinosaur... incident. She and I were caught off guard and I was at a total loss as what to do. I was a load until I got to my sword, and only then was I sort of helpful."
Even though it had been awkward when they first, and drank, at the bar, Jacob would have actually liked to have had another drink with Kiyana at that moment. If only so he could dull the pain in his shoulder. But his medication probably did not allow it, and he assumed Kiyana was not up to seeing him all over her again.
Or maybe he wouldn't be. Surely even drunk Jacob would remember Lenn.
"But it cemented our feelings at least. Nothing like a gun fight to make you realize that you're willing to do anything for a person you love.
But I'm hoggin' the air. What about you, Kiyana? Got a crush in your life you'd be willing to take a bullet for?"
As she listened to him softly speak his mind on the subject, she started to worry that he would ask her about her past relationships. But that answer would only come out of her if he asked. As Kiyana sat there, she smiled a bit as it was still a bit cute that he would do that for her. "She must be some girl." She nodded in agreement with herself. As a few seconds went on, the dreaded question was asked.
"Yeah actually." She thought back to the best way to explain it. "A girl, named Kira." She nodded to herself again. "I mean I haven't seen her or even talked to her that much in a while, but she is still my first love and my best friend." Kiyana paused. "And I'd still take a bullet for her." She smiled. "It's nice to have people like that in your life." She was still a bit sad about the situation as she really did miss her old life, but she knew that this was the place for her to be right now.
"Yeah actually." She thought back to the best way to explain it. "A girl, named Kira." She nodded to herself again. "I mean I haven't seen her or even talked to her that much in a while, but she is still my first love and my best friend." Kiyana paused. "And I'd still take a bullet for her." She smiled. "It's nice to have people like that in your life." She was still a bit sad about the situation as she really did miss her old life, but she knew that this was the place for her to be right now.
"She is some girl~"
Corny as it may have sounded to say it that way, Jacob was surprisingly taken with Lenn. He thought that after his divorce he would be a little more cynical or cautious about a new relationship, especially considering that he nearing his mid-forties and she was ostensibly in her early twenties. But no. Jacob really did get that "butterflies in the stomach" feeling every once and a while with her, when he wasn't feeling less-than-family-friendly things about her.
His wistful thoughts of Lenn were set aside for a moment while Kiyana admitted to having a girl in her own life as well, though it sounded like it was... complicated.
"Did something happen between you two?"
He scooted a little closer to her while buttoning up his shirt finally.
"'Cause like you said, it's nice have folks close t you, and I'd hate to think that you don't have that special someone."
Corny as it may have sounded to say it that way, Jacob was surprisingly taken with Lenn. He thought that after his divorce he would be a little more cynical or cautious about a new relationship, especially considering that he nearing his mid-forties and she was ostensibly in her early twenties. But no. Jacob really did get that "butterflies in the stomach" feeling every once and a while with her, when he wasn't feeling less-than-family-friendly things about her.
His wistful thoughts of Lenn were set aside for a moment while Kiyana admitted to having a girl in her own life as well, though it sounded like it was... complicated.
"Did something happen between you two?"
He scooted a little closer to her while buttoning up his shirt finally.
"'Cause like you said, it's nice have folks close t you, and I'd hate to think that you don't have that special someone."