Note: Remember Rasi is said as Ra-See.
In the gym Liu, Lao and Nary were doing their stretches on the mats.
"Nary, there's something we need to discuss before we start today's training." Liu's tone had a touch of apprehension.
"OK, what is it?"
"Lao and I have noticed how you have been…interreacting with Ka-…"
"Why are you flirting with Kano?" Lao asked while he folded his muscular arms.
An exasperated sigh came from Liu as he pinched the bridge of his nose; Nary's jaw dropped.
"Excuse me? I am not flirting. We have fun banter together."
Lao bluntly stated, "Yes you are; you're clearly attracted to him. God knows why, he's such a bastard."
An irritated scoff came from her, "That's a bit harsh. Yes, he's rough around the edges and he uses colorful language. But he's also funny, blunt and since I didn't immediately write him off like everyone else, he's been pretty decent towards me."
"Nary, he's a criminal and a killer." Liu told her.
"I'm well aware but with exception of Cole, the rest of us have blood on our hands; so none of us are innocent. And I've read about the history of Mortal Kombat, plenty of fighters, on both sides, have found redemption."
Lao placed his hands on his hips, "Nary, they wanted it and fought for it. He seems content with the man he has chosen to be."
She got to her feet. "Lao, you haven't really spoken to him outside of training. So, it's presumptuous of you to assume who he is but that does explain why you and Liu have failed to help him and Cole find their arcanas! It's been well over a week! And you two are supposed to be masters!"
They both stood up with Liu speaking first, "We've been working every single day for several hours with both of them and-…"
"And Raiden told you two a few days ago to be creative but based on my reading you've both relied on the same old tactics. None of those worked with me but you're using them with Kano and Cole?!"
Lao began to say, "Nary, that was the different, we got to know you and-…"
She pointed at him, "Exactly! You spoke to me! Granted, it was after you and only you tried to lecture and berate me justifying it as some kind of tough love. But once you actually had real conversations with me that's when you helped me find my arcana."
Liu and Lao looked at one another knowing that she had a point. Neither one was jumping at the chance to admit it.
Nary shrugged then gripped her hips, "But what do I know? I'm not the descendent of the Great Kung Lao and Liu Kang Master Bo Rai Cho's star student!"
Liu stepped forward, "Nary this isn't…"
She held up her hand, "I'm done talking! Let's start training and get this over with." Nary stormed out of the gym not waiting for their response.
The previous night Kano cut back on his drinking so that he could wakeup early. He decided that if Nary was never going to show him where her dragon marking is, he was at least going to see her arcana in action.
When he walked up to the fight pit, he first saw Liu Kang sitting on one of the wooden posts. Kung Lao blocked a side kick as Kano neared the entrance, he saw that Nary was the one fighting. She was wearing a snug midnight colored tank top and matching sweat pants. He sat down in the same spot where he watched Cole have his first training session. This time around was a much different experience. He could see how confident she was with her movements and techniques. When there was enough space between them, Kung Lao threw his hat at her. She reached out and splayed her fingers where ripples of energy pushed the hat back past Kung Lao then lodged it into the rock wall. An annoyed huff came from the Shaolin monk.
Shocked and impressed, Kano sprang to his feet and clapped, "Holy shit Peaches, that was fuckin' great!"
Nary turned to her left and some of the anger she was feeling dissipated once she saw him and smiled. "Thanks, I try." She said with a small shrug.
Liu watched how happy they seemed to be and said, "We're done for today. Nary, well done."
She nodded at him and headed for the stairs where Kano was now waiting, "Fuckin' hell, your superpower is the force!"
"Not exactly, I can control vibrations with my hands."
"It's still pretty fuckin' awesome, Sweetheart! Come on, let's go have breakfast!"
"I'd love to but I have a call with my brother. But uh…I'll drop by the lounge in a half hour and we can hang out."
"Sounds good, I'll see you there, Dollface!"
Cole was the last one to sit down at the lounge's dining table the minute Kano asked Kung Lao, "Speedy Gonzales, what's Doc into? Flowers, jewelry, candy, fine liquor?"
Lao gave him an irritated stare, "I'm not helping you get into my friend's bed."
"Get your mind of the gutter, mate! I wanna thank her for the meat pies."
Sonya swallowed the last bite of her fried eggs, "She made those for all of us and Kano, pigs are gonna fly before Nary ever sleeps with you."
"Goldie locks, that's not what I'm trying to do…at least not this time. I simply want to show her my appreciation."
Cole chimed in, "Kano, why can't you leave her alone? She's not your type and by type, I mean a psychopath."
She commented, "Yeah and she's not gonna be impressed by your little murder comic book."
"Excuse you, it's a graphic novel based on my life, get it right Blondie! And you two can get fucked because after breakfast the Doc and I are gonna spend a little alone time together, she insisted on it, Aladdin here can tell you." He tipped his head forward.
Liu reluctantly nodded, "It's true."
Surprised, Sonya replied, "Well…She's bored, don't read too much into it." She then picked up her plate and glass before heading over to the sink.
"Yeah-yeah bugger off, Girlie! So, Choppy, got any tips?" Kano asked.
"Forget it. You need to stop obsessing over Nary and focus on your training." Kung Lao followed Sonya's lead.
With Cole and Liu sitting across from him, the latter spoke, "Nary appreciates gifts with meaning. They don't need to be expensive or grand but they must be personal."
A grateful grin came to Kano's mouth while he stood up, "Thanks for the advice, mate! I gotta go wash up, don't wanna keep her waiting!"
Cole leaned to his left, "Liu, what are you doing?"
"I'm being a good friend, Cole."
His brows creased, "To Kano?"
"To Nary and regarding Kano, I'm using a new approach with him."
The broad smile and unusually cheery tone in Rasi's voice pleased Nary as she watched him on her desktop computer's screen.
"All right Rasi, what's her name?" She asked.
His dark brows furrowed, "Whose name?"
"The woman that you're seeing but for some reason haven't told me about!"
An aggravated groan came from him, "Nary, I'm not seeing anyone, I just really love my new job!"
"Really? You're co-manager of a brew pub!"
"So? It's exciting and actually, pretty fulfilling. I um, I haven't felt this way in a long time." He nodded and his smile was large.
She searched his face and saw how the sincerity in his eyes, "All right, I believe you…"
"As you should, dear beloved baby sister!" He folded his arms and bobbed his head and smirked when she chuckled. "Anyway, how are you and the other, what do I call them? Earthrealmers?"
She tipped her head from left to right, "Champions. Cole and Kano still haven't unlocked their arcanas. Jax is still in a coma. And it's a damn shame that Sonya doesn't have a dragon marking, she'd be excellent!"
"Sounds like it…So, is Kano still hitting on you?"
"Of course, it's like breathing to him."
"And are you still flirting with him?"
Her eyes widen and she sat straight up in her chair, "Oh come on, I'm already dealing with that shit from Kung Lao and Liu, I don't need to hear it from you too!"
"I'm your big brother it's my job to give you shit and besides, you clearly have a crush on him! Your face lights up whenever you talk about him and you've always had a thing for guys with accents."
Rolling her eyes, she stated, "Two boyfriends! And I do not have a crush, OK? We're simply two people who are becoming…friends."
"Uh-huh, this is why you're such a shitty poker player."
"OK, can we talk about something else?"
"Nope!"
"Ugh. You suck."
He laughed, "Look, I'm not telling you to marry the guy but it's been a while since you've dated."
She folded her arms, "You've already done a background check on him, right?"
"Of course! Although I don't know his real name and exact birthdate."
"But you've seen his criminal record."
"Yes and granted, he's no boy scout…but he's not a predator, rapist, human trafficker and child murderer."
"Wow, you're really selling me on him."
"Nary, what I'm saying is, his record could be worse."
She briefly covered her face, "I can't believe we're having this conversation right now."
He leaned closer to his laptop's webcam, "Well, it's happening. I want you to be happy and right now, you are…and he seems to be into you."
She glanced down at her lap and then returned her gaze to him, "I gotta go now."
"Oh come on!"
"I do, I have a meeting with…"
"It's with Kano, isn't it?" He was beaming.
An annoyed grunt came from her, "Goodbye Rasi!"
He pointed at her, "That means yes!"
"I'll talk to ya soon, DICK!"
He laughed, "I look forward to it, Bee-Yotch!"
She chuckled while closing the video chat window. Then she opened a desk drawer and pulled out her favorite necklace.
A small smile came to Kano's face when she showed up in the lounge's doorway as he stood up from the dark grey couch and walked over to her. The scarlet red short-sleeve top she wore hugged her body and complemented her dark denim pants. What caught his attention was the sliver and diamond necklace around her delicate neck. Its sparkling one-inch pendant was a profile of a wolf's head.
Before she could speak, he said, "What do we have here?" With his first two fingers and thumb he reached out and grasped the rope chain at the base of her neck
Her breath hitched when his fingers grazed her soft skin and collar bone as they moved down to the pendant and grasped it.
He saw her busty chest heave and asked, "Is this new?"
"Uh, n-no. It's an old birthday gift from Rasi, it's custom made."
"That's real nice of him."
"It is and he actually named it Nanook, after the dog in- "
Kano reluctantly let go of the pendant placing it above the dip in her top's v-neckline "The Lost Boys! Fuck, it's one of the best vampire movies ever made!"
She excitedly nodded as she walked out of the lounge, "It is! Despite the big hair on them those vampires are actually terrifying!"
"I know and the kills were brutal but the song, 'Cry Little Sister', it still a bloody ripper!"
"Yes! It always gives me chills! My parents wouldn't let me watch it. So, my brothers let me watch it with them when mom and dad went away on their anniversary trip, I was ten."
He chuckled, "Holy fuck, so was I! Except my Uncle Jack brought me to the cinema for a special Halloween screening. We kept it a secret from me Mum."
"That was very a kind of him."
"Yeah, he was a good bloke. Me mum knew that I needed him in my life." His smile and voice were wistful. He couldn't remember the last time he spoke about his late uncle.
As they came across the forge she changed the subject, "So your knives, they're custom made, right?"
He proudly stopped walking and removed the right bowie knife from his hip scabbard and handed it to her, "I made them myself. It was a little treat after me and my crew pulled off a heist in Japan."
Her right forefinger traced the black dragon on the blade, "It's exquisite."
He gave her an appreciative smile, "Thanks, Kitten. Ever handle one of those before?"
"Not this exact blade. Whenever my dad took my brothers and me fishing, he had us gut the fish." She handed the knife back to him.
Kano moved a little closer to her, "Ooh, so you're a princess who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty?"
She placed her hands on her hips, "Not at all. Remember, I'm an ER doctor, blood and guts don't bother me."
"Right…But it's gonna be great seeing you shatter someone's skull with the force."
Nary held back the urge to roll her eyes, "Vibration manipulation."
Shrugging, he said, "You can make things wibble and wobble about without even touching them, it's the force."
With a brief sigh followed by a grin, she said, "So, tell me everything about the heist."
His face brightened, "Sweetheart, it's one of me greatest stories!"
While they headed into the orchard, she kept her attention on him. Seeing how enthusiastic, proud and descriptive he was being brought a brilliant smile to her face. At certain points she laughed at the humorous parts and leaned in when he built up suspense. She hadn't expected him to be a fantastic storyteller, it was a nice surprise to see a different side of the Aussie.
The way she kept her gaze on him and laughed at his story delighted Kano. Although he remembered what Sonya and Cole had said to him earlier and so, he left out the more gruesome parts of the tale. He could see how earnest she was any time she asked a question or shared her thoughts. By the time he finished they were in the one of the gardens where a female monk approached her. A little spark traveled through him when Nary lightly gripped his forearm to excuse herself so she can talk to the monk in the greenhouse. His eyes roamed over the various plants until something caught his attention; he pulled out his knife.
"Miss me?" She smirked as she padded over to him and saw that he had one hand behind his back.
"Of course…shit, you're missing something." He leaned in and squinted his eyes.
"I am? What?" She looked down at her body touching her necklace and checking her pockets.
"I found it!" His lips curled up as he tucked a blue lily above her right ear. "Perfect."
Her mouth pulled into a brilliant smile at his gesture and his fingers grazing the top of her ear. The way he was gazing at her made her insides flutter. Unsure of what to say, she briefly looked to the side then cleared her throat, "We um…there's another place we need to see."
"Lead the way, Darling." He walked alongside her as they left the gardens.
The minute they arrived at their destination, he grumbled, "Really? The library?"
"Don't be so quick to judge," she pulled out a large book and opened it, "Look, these are photos of Outworld."
Grimacing, he eyed the photos of the wasteland, "What a shithole!"
"Well now, that's offensive to shitholes everywhere." She smiled when he laughed. Nary then turned the page, "And this is what happens when Shang Tsung rips people's souls from their bodies."
"Holy fuck, they're…they're just husks!"
Nodding, "He does it to anyone who loses to one of his fighters, anyone who betrays or fails him or whenever he's just pissed off. Kano, this is what we're up against."
He looked directly at her, "Buttercup, if you've got something to say, just come out with it already."
"You should consider listening to Liu and Lao. It doesn't hurt to have more than one weapon in your arsenal."
A light exhale came from him, "You're not wrong…but those two wankers-"
"Who are also my friends…"
"Right, it's not like they make it easy."
"I know but they can be reasonable, especially if you reach out to them first."
Kano tipped his back then forward, "I'll think about it."
Her lips slightly curved up, "That's all I ask."
Cole was hit with a familiar comforting scent the instant he stepped into the lounge. He eagerly walked over to the kitchen where Nary was removing a basket full of seasoned curly fries from the deep fryer. He smiled, "Chicago style hot dogs and curly friends. Nary, this is awesome, thanks so much!"
She shrugged, "Well, I know you've been homesick and I thought I'd help you with that in any way I can," she nodded.
"I love it and I just talked to Em and Allison; they loved the gift basket your family sent them."
"Well, I'm glad they enjoyed it."
"And thanks again for letting me use your computer to chat with them. It was great to see and hear them."
"Wait a fuckin' minute, you let pretty boy into your suite?" Kano asked as he walked towards them.
"Yes, because he only wanted to speak with his family and not have sex with me."
Cole commented with a small bob of his head, "I mean, those are two undeniable facts."
Kano folded his arms, "Like I said, I can behave meself. You're the one who won't give me a shot."
She plated his hot dog and fries, "Fine, if you quit complaining about not being invited, I'll let you in. Here."
"Thanks, and you've got a deal," He sat down, "Da fuck is that?"
"It's a veggie dog, for Liu. Oh and before I forget, I'm not making dinner tomorrow night but my egg rolls will be served."
"Mmm, I look forward to trying them." He grinned at her.
When Liu and Kung Lao walked into the lounge, they saw Kano, Cole and Nary at the breakfast bar. Kano was leaning in towards her, she and even Cole laughed at something he said.
Kung Lao kept his voice low while his eyes stayed on Kano and Nary, "I think I know how we can help Kano with his arcana."
Liu nodded, "I'll follow your lead. But it can wait for tomorrow; tonight, we eat."
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