++++Mary Sue, Mary Sue, the ever silly Mary Sue. Oh well, I like her.
(phhhhbbbbtttt! So if you don't, find someone else's story to read!)+++++++
New Environment
"I see." Kassari started to do a mental scan around her, but she was quickly bombarded with noise and put a hand to her head; scrunching her eyes shut from the pain.
"That was dumb." Hisoka said, as he leaned past her and locked the cab door. "You could try using gyo instead to see if someone is using nin, but I doubt that this person is. Or, he's very skilled at hiding it. Never mind though, I don't believe we are in danger."
Once they arrived at the airport the magician picked his way through half- lit deserted corridors away from the main terminal. They reached a small, private hanger and were ushered into an airship by a uniformed hostess.
"Will you tell me where we are going now?" Kassari asked puzzled by the sudden wish to go to a new city.
"We are going to Celestial Tower. I don't want you to email our location to anyone on the possibility that the spy is someone sent by your family. After all, I am sure you wouldn't want me to have to kill some loyal retainer." He smirked.
Hisoka surprised the girl in some ways. Over the past few days, she had discovered that he liked to wear tailored suits while not in his magician persona, he had a taste for fine wines and brandies and seemed to enjoy showing her off when they went out. He never worried about expense, taking her shopping and out to the best restaurants. He was a mass of contradiction, obviously well-educated, he could carry on a conversation on art or turn into a gore-drenched, maniacal killing machine as he deemed necessary. She was never sure which was his real face or if they all were. He was an absolute hedonist, pursuing sensation and at other times he was urbane and sophisticated. Kassari found the jig-saw puzzle of his personality interesting; often she wondered if he was sane and in complete control or very insane.
The hostess brought out a light lunch and the drinks that the mysterious fighter had ordered for them. As she sipped on the sweet white wine and gazed out the window, her traveling companion shifted in his seat.
"Damn it!" He slammed his hand down and she jumped at the sudden noise.
Turning startled eyes to his tight face, she asked "What?"
"I am tired of this silence. Talk to me like a normal person, a real conversation." He sounded petulant even to his own ears.
"What is Celestial Tower?" She asked carefully setting her glass on the table and folding her hands in her lap.
Hisoka's face took on an unusual expression, excitement and slyness mixed together. "It is a place to fight. Some of the best fighters in the world appear there to test their strength, as well as some of the worst. I participate there to prove to the world that I am the best fighter in existence. I will fight with the best until no one is regarded as my equal." His determination and vision wee easily communicated through his aura. To be the best was his true passion, the fight and challenge of battling new and fierce opponents was his obsession.
"So, I don't think I have ever asked," Hisoka leaned forward looking at her intently. "What are you seeking out of life?"
"I don't have such a concrete goal as you. I like to find rare and beautiful objects. I enjoy studying and revealing hidden secrets. However, I think what I have always wanted most is what you have."
"What's that?"
"The ability to do anything I want whenever I wish to. The chance to follow my whims and desires."
"Oh, I see." The fighter tapped his lips with a finger thoughtfully. "I think I can help you with that." His eyes gleamed with an unholy light, his mouth rose in a devilish smile. "Let me contemplate this."
On arriving at Celestial Tower, the magician changed into another of his multi-colored outfits before leaving the airship. Kassari followed him to the elevator and they were taken to the 200th floor. At the receptionist desk, he asked if there were any messages for him, picked up a few pieces of mail and introduced Kassari as his guest saying anything she needed was to be billed to his account and that she would be staying in his suite.
"Would you like me to book your normal practice room, sir?" The receptionist asked.
"Yes, for two hours each day for the next couple of weeks.' Hisoka replied.
The receptionist handed him a print out. "This way Kassari," he gestured for her to follow him. She noticed some odd looking people hiding in the shadows, they shrank back from them, obviously intimidated by the magician.
"You will enroll as a fighter and work your way up to the 200th floor. This will help you learn to fight styles that you are not familiar with and to overcome your hesitancy." He explained as he had her fill out the applications. "It will also help you to become more assertive. If you truly wish to have the freedom you described, then you need to start here and learn to empower yourself. It starts in your mind."
Kassari understood that he was correct. Her biggest problem was that she hesitated, second-guessed herself and at times she was easily intimidated. Although she had stood up to one of the judges in the exam, she would not have done so if she hadn't been familiar with the person already. People made her self-conscious and she liked her combat gear because it gave her a way to hide. She never felt secure demanding what she wanted or needed.
"Well then, I have some business to take care of so when you finish for the day, just come up to the room. If you need anything to eat or drink just put it on my account." Hisoka waved casually as he walked away. He turned and glanced back over his shoulder, "If you lose before the 200th floor, you should just go home and marry some brainless nobleman, because you will never amount to anything."
"God, you are so right." She straightened her shoulders and walked with new resolve into the 1st floor arena and waited for her number to be called. Looking around the arena, there were so many fighters and avid spectators.
Some of the fighters were dressed in elaborate costumes, there were even a couple who had dressed as Hisoka. 'I wonder if he would be upset or amused by that." She murmured. She had pulled her hair back into a braid and donned her black combat gear, complete with hood and face mask. Her number was called to ring 4 and her opponent was standing on the other side bragging to his friends.
The fighter joined her in the middle of the ring and they were quickly told the rules. Her opponent was really too easy. He rushed at her trying to take a swing, clearly telegraphing his movements, Kassari side-stepped around her using her speed and touched a pressure point on his neck, which made the combatant fall unconscious to the floor.
The referee gave her a pass to the 60th floor. There must not have been many fights that day, because within ½ an hour she was paged for her next fight.
She fought a number of times a day for the next week, until she reached the 200th floor. She could have fought less often, but there seemed to be no reason to go slowly.
Hisoka met Kassari at the elevator after the last fight and started walking towards the receptionist desk. "That went well for you, I see." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was still her combat gear.
'That was too easy. There was no challenge at all in that." The princess sighed in disgust. "How can I get stronger if I only fight such weaklings?"
New Environment
"I see." Kassari started to do a mental scan around her, but she was quickly bombarded with noise and put a hand to her head; scrunching her eyes shut from the pain.
"That was dumb." Hisoka said, as he leaned past her and locked the cab door. "You could try using gyo instead to see if someone is using nin, but I doubt that this person is. Or, he's very skilled at hiding it. Never mind though, I don't believe we are in danger."
Once they arrived at the airport the magician picked his way through half- lit deserted corridors away from the main terminal. They reached a small, private hanger and were ushered into an airship by a uniformed hostess.
"Will you tell me where we are going now?" Kassari asked puzzled by the sudden wish to go to a new city.
"We are going to Celestial Tower. I don't want you to email our location to anyone on the possibility that the spy is someone sent by your family. After all, I am sure you wouldn't want me to have to kill some loyal retainer." He smirked.
Hisoka surprised the girl in some ways. Over the past few days, she had discovered that he liked to wear tailored suits while not in his magician persona, he had a taste for fine wines and brandies and seemed to enjoy showing her off when they went out. He never worried about expense, taking her shopping and out to the best restaurants. He was a mass of contradiction, obviously well-educated, he could carry on a conversation on art or turn into a gore-drenched, maniacal killing machine as he deemed necessary. She was never sure which was his real face or if they all were. He was an absolute hedonist, pursuing sensation and at other times he was urbane and sophisticated. Kassari found the jig-saw puzzle of his personality interesting; often she wondered if he was sane and in complete control or very insane.
The hostess brought out a light lunch and the drinks that the mysterious fighter had ordered for them. As she sipped on the sweet white wine and gazed out the window, her traveling companion shifted in his seat.
"Damn it!" He slammed his hand down and she jumped at the sudden noise.
Turning startled eyes to his tight face, she asked "What?"
"I am tired of this silence. Talk to me like a normal person, a real conversation." He sounded petulant even to his own ears.
"What is Celestial Tower?" She asked carefully setting her glass on the table and folding her hands in her lap.
Hisoka's face took on an unusual expression, excitement and slyness mixed together. "It is a place to fight. Some of the best fighters in the world appear there to test their strength, as well as some of the worst. I participate there to prove to the world that I am the best fighter in existence. I will fight with the best until no one is regarded as my equal." His determination and vision wee easily communicated through his aura. To be the best was his true passion, the fight and challenge of battling new and fierce opponents was his obsession.
"So, I don't think I have ever asked," Hisoka leaned forward looking at her intently. "What are you seeking out of life?"
"I don't have such a concrete goal as you. I like to find rare and beautiful objects. I enjoy studying and revealing hidden secrets. However, I think what I have always wanted most is what you have."
"What's that?"
"The ability to do anything I want whenever I wish to. The chance to follow my whims and desires."
"Oh, I see." The fighter tapped his lips with a finger thoughtfully. "I think I can help you with that." His eyes gleamed with an unholy light, his mouth rose in a devilish smile. "Let me contemplate this."
On arriving at Celestial Tower, the magician changed into another of his multi-colored outfits before leaving the airship. Kassari followed him to the elevator and they were taken to the 200th floor. At the receptionist desk, he asked if there were any messages for him, picked up a few pieces of mail and introduced Kassari as his guest saying anything she needed was to be billed to his account and that she would be staying in his suite.
"Would you like me to book your normal practice room, sir?" The receptionist asked.
"Yes, for two hours each day for the next couple of weeks.' Hisoka replied.
The receptionist handed him a print out. "This way Kassari," he gestured for her to follow him. She noticed some odd looking people hiding in the shadows, they shrank back from them, obviously intimidated by the magician.
"You will enroll as a fighter and work your way up to the 200th floor. This will help you learn to fight styles that you are not familiar with and to overcome your hesitancy." He explained as he had her fill out the applications. "It will also help you to become more assertive. If you truly wish to have the freedom you described, then you need to start here and learn to empower yourself. It starts in your mind."
Kassari understood that he was correct. Her biggest problem was that she hesitated, second-guessed herself and at times she was easily intimidated. Although she had stood up to one of the judges in the exam, she would not have done so if she hadn't been familiar with the person already. People made her self-conscious and she liked her combat gear because it gave her a way to hide. She never felt secure demanding what she wanted or needed.
"Well then, I have some business to take care of so when you finish for the day, just come up to the room. If you need anything to eat or drink just put it on my account." Hisoka waved casually as he walked away. He turned and glanced back over his shoulder, "If you lose before the 200th floor, you should just go home and marry some brainless nobleman, because you will never amount to anything."
"God, you are so right." She straightened her shoulders and walked with new resolve into the 1st floor arena and waited for her number to be called. Looking around the arena, there were so many fighters and avid spectators.
Some of the fighters were dressed in elaborate costumes, there were even a couple who had dressed as Hisoka. 'I wonder if he would be upset or amused by that." She murmured. She had pulled her hair back into a braid and donned her black combat gear, complete with hood and face mask. Her number was called to ring 4 and her opponent was standing on the other side bragging to his friends.
The fighter joined her in the middle of the ring and they were quickly told the rules. Her opponent was really too easy. He rushed at her trying to take a swing, clearly telegraphing his movements, Kassari side-stepped around her using her speed and touched a pressure point on his neck, which made the combatant fall unconscious to the floor.
The referee gave her a pass to the 60th floor. There must not have been many fights that day, because within ½ an hour she was paged for her next fight.
She fought a number of times a day for the next week, until she reached the 200th floor. She could have fought less often, but there seemed to be no reason to go slowly.
Hisoka met Kassari at the elevator after the last fight and started walking towards the receptionist desk. "That went well for you, I see." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was still her combat gear.
'That was too easy. There was no challenge at all in that." The princess sighed in disgust. "How can I get stronger if I only fight such weaklings?"