Just Say No
The boy is fragile despite the muscles and tattoos, wild eyes fixed on the sea. He'd looked at the ocean similarly once, answered its haunting call after The Fight. Uncle had pulled him out of the riptides.
"You can refuse," he says, lightly.
"Can I?" The voice is low, desperate.
"Karate," he offers, "Called" –
"Empty hand, yeah."
"Empty hand," continues Chozen – "Full heart. You take the anger, the hurt –channel it, like river to a sea."
"It works?"
"Everyday, for me."
"Can you teach me?"
He nods. "Only if you want."
Below them, the raging waves thunder across the shore.