Katashi Manor

[Kate]

A bit shocking...after everything they had been through...that he would just ignore her like that. After everything he had done to her, after all her heart had gone through. Her pale, bare feet stepped past him, lips turned down in a frown.

She was nothing to him.

And it fueled her emotions, it made her choice. The blonde would be just as cold, no matter what happened. Kate walked to the door, bright eyes locked onto it. Outside would be the city, the streets, life opening to her by simply opening the door.

So she opened it, letting the keys fall from her fingers to the floor. It was the only sound she made before pulling the door shut behind her. Freedom...and away from the insanity. Kate took a deep breath of fresh air and left. Time to recover.

[M.A.P.]

Hiding and Seeking

She had cleaned the first three days she had been there, scrubbed until her fingers had bled but until the floors looked as they had when first bought and polished, walls and their accessories were dust free and any marble, wood, tile, or glass sparkled with a radiance beyond simply a pure reflection- she had not slept or gone near the room she had simply hung her ring on.

Raven hair dragging behind her at the end of her own personal task, M.A.P. and Honcho slipped silently into the room which was hers and for several days now, only Honcho had exited and roamed. M.A.P. simply stayed in the room, setting the mattresses onto the floor but only for Honcho's sake, she slept on the floor- the mattress far to soft for her liking and in truth she had grown to like the feeling of the solidity of the floor to the softness of a bed- honestly it was best not to question.

She was content with the bed being in the far corner, blocking the closet where she had moved the mirror and all decorations that had adorned the walls. She closet was where the unwanted things belonged until desired- otherwise one would mull over them and waste time with their consideration.

Her black boots, over sized, wornout and unpolished rested outside of her bedroom door, just off to the side. She had no socks, therefore there were none in or outside of her room. Her lavender shirt, tattered, torn, though still clean rested neatly folded on the dresser she had moved to the corner, opposite the bed- leaving a large strip of floor- she had ripped up carpet to expose wood flooring and had, of course, stashed that carpeting in the closet. There was a foot of carpet around the bed, and just enough to keep the legs of the dresser from scratching the floor.

Yes, she had torn the room apart and altered the design, but at least she kept it clean.

Sitting by the window, upbraided raven hair pooling down to the floor in a tangled mass, exhaling a soft breath as a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. Honcho whined from the bed and his ears moved this way and that- he barked and she closed her eyes. Honcho stood up and barked at her again, his human- dressed in a sports bra and her usual enormous pants was straining and pushing.

His little nose knew she had no food in here and was yet again forgetting to eat- she wasn't one to remember, but that was why he went out at specific times the big human who was great at petting always had something cooking and kept leaving leftovers and treats that, in Honcho's opinion, were something prissy fur hisses and scratchers would ear- but then again...he had been eating out of the garbage for a few weeks there...no, no he loved the new food and had put on just enough weight to where a veterinarian wouldn't scold anyone.

He barked, then lay on the bed. It was good being a puppy, even if his human was a little troublesome.

Falling backwards, her back bend smoothly transitioning into a handstand she began push ups. Straining as her burned arm began to ache- she had done something wrong to it, the pain was in the bone, not the muscle. Wincing, her body fell flat to the floor with a heavy 'thud' and her with a soft wince.

Laying there, Honcho whining but not leaving the bed, M.A.P. rolled onto her back and hopped to her feet. Turning, violet eyes shimmering brightly as she returned back to her first fight with the red haired man...Mashima...Jyo...a friend- but she was unsure..was he? Had he been? She couldn't remember..shaking her head, tightening her belt moments before her pants would have fallen she lifted one leg kicking the air slowly the movements intended for muscle memory and slow training- nothing difficult which would send some into to yawning- however it was best to train for anything and in this element, this safety, it was best to train slowly as opposed to quickly.

Exhaling softly, blue violet's shimmered and she continued the slow rotation of her kick.

[M.A.P.]

Honcho whined, she tilted her head to the side, "Just keep pace. 1. 2. 1.2."

Honcho stretched out on the bed, watching his human go into a back bend and into a handstand. Barking once, her nose came close to the floor, barking a second time, she came back up into the full handstand. Honcho was familiar with this exercise. Handstand push-ups. His human was big on them, she did them often- always saying it was good for her back and her shoulders but never really taking enough care of herself- he snorted, he wanted to latch onto one of her visible ribs and eat it- that would teach her.

Honcho's ears swiveled this way and that and his nose twitched. The big human was cooking. Ooo and it smelled good. Honcho whined then bark, bark, bark and stopped mid bark as his human collapsed onto the floor with a loud 'Ugh'.

She was sweating, panting and tired. But- she had to keep pushing herself. Didn't want to be lazy..weakness was not an option- this time she would stop the fire and save the old woman. Sitting up, Honcho whined and she shook her head. Sweat rolled down her skin and she stood up, her arm burned with memory- want to remember, she couldn't think clearly- trapped in this place, this cell. Where was she? Who..who lived here as well? She could feel her burned arm flaming as it had long ago in the first fire. Her back scarred from the second- the old woman. Grandmother.

She turned sharply around, gracefully mirroring a roundhouse she had seen done and mimicked from the red haired man- Mashima. She remember with small enjoyment the look on his face when she had managed to connect and left the small red line on his face. But that was long ago...when the King of Dangerous owned her.

"Does he still..."

She shook her head, raven hair flaring, "No. With the death of party B came the break with party A." Shaking her head, her muscles locked as she struck out at the air- far too close to the wall. She stared at her fist embedded into the wall, the plaster and wood splintering into her closed fist. She simply watched her hand begin to bleed.

Honcho ran to the door and began scratching, whining loudly.

[M.A.P.]

Honcho hopped up and down and barked at the tall man, he liked him. Wagging his butt and his nose going wild. He smelled food, and he was hungry and worried- Honcho sped downstairs to his bowl and began chowing down on the contents. His bowl was never empty.

M.A.P. pulled her hand from the wall, the blood dripping onto the floor. Eyes radiating pure violet, she looked him over when he reentered, "You're one to talk, Mr Katashi. Those pillars you're always replacing don't seem to be able to stay up as often as you knock them down."

Her tone had been light, gentle and respectful, she was just telling the truth. She looked at her hand for a long moment. It stung- but her face gave no sign of pain. No bone protruded, though her knuckles were cleanly skinned, some of the skin on the top of her hand was gone. "Hmm. But without work, there is no reward. Without push, there is no shove. And without strain, their is no gain."

She tilted her head to the side, "What is the phrase, ' no pain, no gain'?" She gave a faded smile, frozen, frigid, mechanical- trained. No expression of her own was genuine. She did not know pain, love, or hatred- she only understood the idea behind them. Closing her eyes for a moment, opening them, they were a dark blue-violet once again.

[M.A.P.]

She watched his tend to her hand, it was odd- someone seeming to care like this. She knew somewhere in her mind, she was more used to being yelled at, commanded about, nothing more to anyone than a servant, but here she was. Being...what was the term? 'Mothered' maybe consider Mr Katashi was a male, it would be better to call it 'fathered' no- that went with something completely different. She tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes for a long moment. Her only response to his comment on the car was, "No. However good riddance to such terrible things."

She hated cars, but..never did understand completely why. Something from long before prompted it...not that she could soundly remember. Watching him complete the care for her hands- she gave a tiny nod though her head tilted to the other side as he kissed her hand. She didn't understand why, nor was she supposed to- she guessed. She started to wonder if he was a little...what was the phrase, 'Off his rocker'? But who wasn't anymore?

She met his eyes, she had learned it was best not to question things like this. Though she did start to ask- but he gave her a look. One she didn't register at first- was that the same scowl the old woman used to..it was. She didn't feel hungry, not that she could remember- wat was hunger really? Just a series of fluids and synapses reacting to sensations and...her stomach growled at her. It was at the mention of food, her stomach spoke- it knew better than her mind did sometimes, but she bowed her head, "I suppose no need to let a good meal go to waste..." she shook her head, "but it's wrong for me to eat when you have nothing for yourself."

[M.A.P.]

His terms were acceptable and she was the kind of person not to look a gift horse in the mouth. She took what she could get and in this case- it was a meal she could not make but intended to partake in. However, table manners were not something often expressed by her. She stood, cautiously took the bowl and spoon, and walked backwards as she sipped the broth. Violet eyes watched him over the rim of the bowl. Always cautious, something in the back of her mind nagged at her, telling her to keep alert, watch him- make sure nothing was coming.

His eyes worried her but, she was a champion worrier. At his question, she swallowed a mouthful of vegetables, pointed to the papers in the corner of the room. They weren't bathroom papers for Honcho but rather tests and completed homework- all perfect scores, all with her nearly illegible handwriting. On the bed, were several books- notebook paper shoved inbetween each chapter- pre-completed. She set the empty bowl back on the tray and bowed slightly, keeping her eyes on him, "Thank you, Mr Katashi. I will return to my working out, unless you need the home cleaned again."

[M.A.P.]

She watched him silently. Watched him throw the box and watched him smile with the genuineness of a conman about to take you for all you had- but the falsity didn't register with her, only the discomforting feeling that came with that smile. She watched him for a long moment before stepping forward and raising her injured had slightly, "Mr, Katashi- I was hoping you might like to join me..for a run in an hour?"

She..wasn't the best at asking for things, infact it terrified her though she didn't show it visibly, "M-maybe help me braid my hair?" She was painfully shy, hated being around people..still had to finish that book..after all- why go when you can simply turn in the assignments and they leave you alone. Though in truth, she may have been an intelligent person- she lacked social skills...she hated being about people..to an extent. She liked children, enjoyed babysitting them, and she liked art.

"Only for a-an hour..nothing ex- extensive," she stammered softly. Even if he said no, she'd go alone, she didn't mind the alone...but she did need help braiding her hair. It had grown too long to not be kept in a braid- luckily she had the kind of hair that never tangled..though it was hard to wash and harder to keep the natural oils from making it seem 'slick'. She waited, lowered her hand, bowed her head- waiting for him to whip around and start yelling..but he was not the kind to- she didn't know. She only knew what she was accustomed to and that was the tear down.

She waited.

[M.A.P.]

Honcho, belly full, came out of the kitchen, sniffed at the big human and wagged his butt. He was a good puppy, always happy and he even understood the term 'meditation' without it being said- though for him 'meditation' was laying on the floor and panting quietly as to allow the other meditators the oft needed silence.

M.A.P. was slow about coming down the stairs, she had listened to him jump and shook her head slightly. You put huge dents in the floor doing things like that. He was older than her, not by much, but he was- he should have known better. Adults. She would be one..sooner as opposed to later...maybe. There was a chance she wasn't meant to make it that far...she barely made it as was- at least she had a kind landlord..though he seemed to exhibit a small temper..so far only on poles and in training.

She slowly stepped down the stairs and stretched, she had dawned her shirt, to hide the burn, tightened her belt to avoid issue with her pants. Her boots made a soft though solid 'thunk' onto each step. Quietly, she walked, hummed softly, notes she did not know- ones she did not remember, but knew.

She paused a good four feet from him. Waited, head bowed, muscles twitching slightly, she spoke softly, "Ready, Mr. Katashi."

[M.A.P.]

She had managed to tie her hair up into twin odango, but rather than let the mass of hair free float, she had braided them together into a Edwardian Braid but had overlapped to braid to where it would have appeared to be a Victorian. In essence, it was a mess of many different styles but it served its purpose.

She bowed her head slightly, watching him without a word, simply going outside. She looked back at Honcho, whistled. Honcho's ears perked up and he barked softly- a protest. M.A.P. stared for a moment, "You need one." He barked at her again, bared his teeth for a moment. A red tear streaked down her cheek, M.A.P. shook her head, going out the door. She wiped that tear away and stretched slightly, fine. He could do as he pleased.

Shaking her head, she looked left and right and took off- she wasn't very fast- most certainly not compared to Mr Katashi, however she had a tendency to surpass the usual expectations. Look at her grades..and the hole in the wall- not many twigs can do that. Regardless, of that, her mind went blank- her expression seemed to have settled on focused.

Honcho, on the other hand, ran upstairs and hid in the room. Hiding under the dresser, the smart little dog curled up. What had he done? Showing teeth like that- to his human! He whined and waited.

[M.A.P.]

She shook her head, she was slowly working up to a full sprint. She wasn't unreasonably soul- running in a straight line wasn't difficult- long legs helped. She tightened her belt- feeling her pants start to fall. She needed a better belt, but regardless of needs for material things, she was more interested into running herself into the ground. She maintained so little control over this plane of existence. Even her best friend hated her. She shook her head, and exhaled a loud gasp- not of breathlessness but of frustration.

She wanted to scream. Stop and just scream. But- she couldn't, couldn't do something like that. She wasn't programed...it was inappropriate. Screaming, yelling, using stress in an inappropriate manner- perhaps she should just ask Mr Katashi if he would..teach her to fight better...she could mirror- flawlessly mirror. Each move instantly memorized and committed to memory..the one which was locked away.

She shook her head, wiping a second tear away the crimson drop hitting the ground- stop crying! Weakness rearing its ugly head was not something a failed beast needed- monster, failure, worthless amnesiac. Her sprint fell into being a full out run- oddly enough..she couldn't shake her troubles- couldn't get rid of these feelings- these feelings she couldn't understand. Get away- get off my heels! Leave me alone! She ran, almost forgetting about Mr Katashi- but she couldn't look back.

[M.A.P.]

Her natural response was to freeze. She stopped, her heart and breath slowed to nearly nothing. It wasn't a fear reaction- it was simply one to being touched. But the only thing which seemed to react was her skin- it was hot, feverish if you will- though on the higher end of it. She had felt it earlier, the heat- the beginning to before a memory reappeared, each one painful, each one violent, each one terrifying. Slowly she lifted her hands, "E-e-everything is wrong."

She slowly, as if afraid she'd fall apart, shook her head, her voice was light, "Moving is best, moving will keep the memory at bay- no sleeping. Denial of rest, only working, denial of meals, only practicing- strengthening for the next memory to tear the shell down. Emotions are pointless, only cause trouble, only stir the memories," she shook her head- more violently this time.

She exhaled a long breath, frustration- she winced, her head aching sharply before she pulled free of him and started sprinting.

[M.A.P.]

She shook her head, "They come and go as they please. They cause pain, never ease. Each memory is a past..violent, unheard of- physically painful..for pain is all they seem to be. A past of horror..one which is best left hidden." She seethed softly, shook her head, her sprint falling to a run, mind you a descent one still.

She gasped softly, hugging herself as she ran. Her head was already spinning. She picked up her pace once again, she wasn't one to stay still- not with the on coming threat. It was best to be in peak condition for when it tore her down, she could at least keep that...whatever it was locked away under control.

A violet eye looked at him, it shone brilliantly for a moment- the cornea slit for a bare second before returning to a circular shape, it wasn't a threatening glance. His words bothered her more than anything- but then she came to a stop. She stared a him, her chest barely moving- as if she hadn't been running. A puzzled expression came onto her face, a look of non recognition. Her mouth opened slightly, closed, then opened again, "Have we met?"

[M.A.P.]

She looked him over. Who was this man? He gave no name, but was her guardian. Shouldn't she remember at least that and why did her head hurt? She looked at his hand, studying him- violet eyes slowly settling back to the deep blue violet. She gave him a mechanical smile, frozen and well trained.

To her, he seemed like a big child- emphasis on BIG, he towered over her though he visibly was trying not to. She watched him for a long time before touching his hand, then returning her hands back to her sides. Touching, was not something she did. It was one of those things that made her wonder how quickly she'd become ill. People were dirty, no matter how clean they thought they were, they were always crawling with bacteria- mind you, she knew she had them as well, but they were hers. Not someone elses.

"Then it is best we return to him before he begins to chew things."

She looked around, "But where do we live, Mr...?"

[M.A.P.]

She followed him without question, head help up high and expression near blank. She tilted her head to the side, "How long have I known you? I apologize for not remember- I have amnesia- but I suppose you already know that."

She looked straight ahead of her, through him- though directly at him. He was very tall, but something about him- in the back of her mind..like an itch you can't scratch. She blinked, looking at her hand, "Have I been training recently? You said something about running, Mr Katashi."

Why would she have been running? She hated running without at least some competition- and she doubted she had been racing him- she tended to choose people who she had more of a chance of fair competition. Maybe- perhaps? Could she be near another memory appearance? If she was she needed to start training her body. Those things were very hard on the body, she'd be out for almost a week provided she was strong enough to control the many unknown aspects of her forgotten self. Her stomach growled- that was odd..her stomach rarely thought to talk.

Honcho had come out of the room, sniffed around for a while. He was alone..but there was the smell of another four legger like him. He sniffed the air and barked, sniffed again, whined then ran down the hallway. Then, like an expert, he down the stairs to the kitchen and checked his bowl...he wasn't hungry- he needed to go outside. Darnit. Where were the humans when he needed them? Though he wouldn't blame them for not coming back, he had been bad- showing teeth, what had he been thinking?

He went to the front door and began to howl.

[M.A.P.]

She tilted her head to the side, "Two weeks...one shy on imprinting," she shook her head, that wasn't a good sign if her mind was dumping short term so soon. This...new memory may have been coming with something new and terrifying. Either way it was her problem- not his and she planned on making herself as unintrusive as possible.

"I..attend school? And live with an instructor?"

Well- that was, "ah-" she put her hand over her heart as it began beating quickly and hard. Exhaling a soft breath it passed and she made it a point to keep pausing- she had no idea where they were going but he did. She kept looking back at him, dark blue-violets seeming to shimmer as she did. Tilting her head slightly to the side she looked at the ground as she walked.

"Mr Katashi, I am curious- what classes am I taking that would convince a young instructor to take on a student? Mind you I am not being ungreatful- but do I at least keep the home clean?"

Honcho continued to howl.