[Training] This is so sad. Alexa, play Despacito.

I'm not giving up, kicking off the rust

He came over on a skyship the night before and stayed at his parent's house, not wanting to be late to this very important date. First things first, Koa is not dead in a ditch, which is great. The relief of that cannot be overstated, because it was getting to a point where Kaisel was going to launch a search party soon. Buried in work is one thing, bleeding out from it is another.

So then, second things second, what the fuck?

They've had an argument a time or two before, but they've always made up fast, though it had mostly been over dumb, kid shit before now. This has gone on too long. The avoidance, on both their parts at various times, is just stupid. The last things they said to each other being shouts and bitter beliefs or refusals, it sits too wrong in his chest. It's all heavy, and the weight of it has squished his initial dread of this encounter in a steely determination to make this better.

He's currently jogging up and around their meeting point. It's the bottom of a particularly brutal incline up, the section above and below the nosebleed stretch much more pleasant, but this is where they have tested themselves countless times before. He needs to stay in motion or he's positive he'll pop, the anticipation of what's to come trying to dare his french toast breakfast to decorate the side of the walk otherwise. He shadow boxes as he moves, because fuck running if he can help it, and since Flora isn't here at present to chide him about it, he'll find something else to work the energy loose.

Kaisel

I keep acting tough but maybe I'm not good enough

KOA

There's something about having a loved one die that forces things into perspective, isn't there?

That's what Lena's death has done: forced some perspective into your thick skull, made you realize just how pointlessly stubborn you've both been. So you put down your dick and picked up a pen and wrote to your cousin to come the fuck home. And yeah, part of you still feels some kinda way about his actions and attitude and the things that have been said, but you're more than ready to grow the fuck up and move the fuck on. 

Turns out it's a helluva lot easier to swallow your pride when mortality is blaring siren in your mind.

It's fairly early when you reach the monster hill that overlooks the meeting point, but somehow Kaisel's already there, a speck of manic energy shadow boxing with the sky. The sight makes your heart catch in your throat, a surge of indefinable emotion threatening to bring tears to your eyes. You bite it down, though you can't quite quell the crooked smile that tugs like a reflex against your mouth, hidden by the scarf wrapped around most of your face. But you school yourself, tugging the fabric down to whistle sharply, the sound clear and piercing in the quiet morning light. It's as good an announcement of your presence as anything, though you still feel compelled to follow it up with a customary, "Hey, Little K!"

And then you're skid-walking down the side of the hill, coattails flapping like a deranged bird's wings as you scramble down the oh-so-familiar path. By the time you reach the bottom you're feeling good and warm, enough to shrug off the jacket and reveal the all-black workout gear underneath. You've foregone your bracers and rings leaving only boxing wraps to cover most of your arms, black and white broken up by a visible swathe of bronze skin where your hair stands on edge in the cold.

Raising an eyebrow, you extend a hand toward your cousin in a distinct come hither move. "You ready to get your ass kicked?" There's no malice or hard edges in your voice or face, only a lilting, inviting smirk that Kai will hopefully recognize for the olive branch it is, rather than reading as another line in the sand.

With each love I cut loose, I was never the same
Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

I'm not giving up, kicking off the rust

The cut of noise over the distance has his head whipping around, breath sucking in sharply as he blanches suddenly now that the moment is here. He stills at once, hands falling lip at his sides as he turns to face the approach of Koa. A litany of possible things to say whirls through his mind. He'd considered making a list, but had more or less created a speech inside his mind, one he'd been repeating. It should have been good as locked in a steel trap by this point, but the moment his eyes land on his cousin, it all goes poof!

All thoughts scatter the moment Koa's chipper greeting rains down over the distance. It's a jarring ease to the fight or flight response he feels flooding him. It makes him feel crazy for a moment, as if this can't be reality, because how are two colliding things that different. Maybe he's dreaming? Maybe Koa has amnesia? MAYBE, he has amnesia? On the verge of glitching out, a shaky laugh is all that manages to escape, part of it a squeak.

Fortunately, there's enough time from the greeting to Koa's actual arrival for Kaisel to reset. A nice, whispered, what the fuck? does the trick. Though, he's wary as Koa settles in for the fight, his hand a clear invitation, his words even more so. This is more familiar and expected, even if it's still weirdly calm and pleasant. "Uuuuuh." His features pull up into a question on one side of his face, but his body moves into position, comfort in the habit. "Are you talking to yourself now?" he tosses back the tease, because that's easier than anything else at the moment.

With a low breath, Kaisel moves, closing their distance and leaning in with a jab-cross combo towards Koa's left side, just trying to punch through the start of this with brute force, though there's no major intent behind the hits - just a reason to make Koa move and tap some sense into him. "I'm in love with Flora and we're living together and we're dating now and I'm SORRY but she's important and I'm gonna marry her some day and you BETTER be ok by then and be my best man." He vomits it all out as a deluge of words, figuring they could fight through the nuance.

---

1/4 Kaisel jab crosses at Koa's left side (lightly)

Kaisel

I keep acting tough but maybe I'm not good enough