Private When Life Throws You Punches

At the first question, Kal gave a mirthless chuckle. He then took the seat stiffly and yet another deep breath. He waited for Rafael to turn his attention back to him. He glanced back at the older man to gauge his reaction for what Kal was about to share. "I participate in underground fighting from time to time," Kalvin said straight, keeping his gaze on Rafael's face.

As Rafael's gaze stayed on him, his injuries felt more vibrant in some way. It's as if Rafael's attention on them made him more conscious of the pain where it was most present. The black eye felt the clearest, ironically, even when it obscured a small percentage of his vision. "I don't do it for money or for fame. I do it because I like it. It's a hobby," he added. There. Now, to probably but hopefully not hear the words that will ultimately terminate him...

After a few seconds of meeting Rafael's dark and intense stare, Kalvin had to look away. He couldn't bear to see any more of it. He was afraid of what he would read from it if he met it any longer. Disappointment? Well, he'd expected that, certainly. Almost everybody who didn't know that side of him felt some disappointment after knowing about it. Confusion? Any sane person would naturally ask why he'd put himself in an underground ring to get beaten up for fun. The loss of respect? A shift in perspective? Well, really, wasn't sharing this side of him what those things essentially were?

He almost flinched at the question and the mention of the arena. Kalvin shook his head slowly. "The arena is okay... but it just, it's not the same..." Still unwilling to lift his gaze, Kal paused. Not the same as an underground club, he wanted to say. That would be a bad idea though, wouldn't it? To tell his boss that he was essentially, every now and then, actively looking for danger. He remembered the conversation they had about Rafael's great-grandson and it brought a bad taste to his mouth. To a point, he was doing the same thing only his intentions had less dire consequences. "They're very different places."

Kalvin nodded silently. He really had nothing to say to that. He knew it himself, too. He'd get beaten up and taken to jail on a worst-case scenario. He also knew that the police on the island would likely have powers to help them do their job too. It didn't make underground activities any easier but Kalvin liked to think that there were bigger fish to fry than fighters. He could see a bit of Rafael from the side of his good eye. Rafael's body language was similar to his father's whenever he got cross with Kal. Had it been different circumstances, Kalvin might have found the comparison endearing.

Finally, Kalvin took a deep breath. He forced himself to meet Rafael's gaze. "This won't happen again. I can't stop fighting. You won't ever see me like this again," he promised earnestly. He knew of nothing else to do. He'd take a day off if it got too bad. He'd probably even lie low for a month or so. "I'm sorry, Rafael."

Kalvin nodded, feeling immensely grateful. In a few moments, he felt a little bit of his tension go away. "I will," he said, his mind already counting down the different charms, spells, or makeup that he could buy to alter his appearance. However, he wasn't done here. There was more he wanted to tell Rafael.

"I... Can I be honest with you? I'm always careful in and with the fights. I don't join anything when I know it can get very bad," Kalvin began. "But last night, I don't know... I just did. I wasn't careful. That was my fault."

He glanced at Rafael again. He saw the paternal concern in them and he continued. "Lately, it's been so difficult to keep up with everything. My studies... I'm behind on them. Way behind. I know I can request breaks from work but it'd be the same anyway. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the books even if I took a day off. I know what I needed was to de-stress. Well, fighting is what de-stressing is for me. I guess I had a lot pent up..."

Kalvin nodded again, feeling his chest relax from the man's gentle tone. Now, he felt like he'd gotten reprimanded by his grandfather. With that memory tickling the edges of his mind, he felt ever more earnest and sure of his promise. "Yeah, I will," he said. After all, the fight last night was a big lesson to learn from.

"Um, thank you, Rafael," he said, finally lifting his head. "You've been very kind."