A long-story commission for Kick-Rocks-Aesthetic from TH! This is basically a story for her oc, Kyli, in how she started Karate. Though this one was a bit challenging, I had fun with it!

Story is below!

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An upcoming fighting student accepts training under a more seasoned fighter after a practice match between them.

Karate Student

Kyli enters the local gym, stepping her way inside after closing the door behind her. The purple furred tabby feline came here normally to workout and blow off some steam, but there is something else about her that makes her stand out from most gym-goers. What she normally does is fighting, whether it may be street fighting, sparring, or practice fighting. But Kyli wanted to enter the big leagues and become a professional fighter.

Wearing her traditional outfit consisting of a white karategi and a black belt, Kyli pads into the gym while pausing to browse and look around for anyone new. What she mostly saw was weight-lifting equipment such as barbells and dumbbells; no punching bags in the area… except for one; while searching around the gym, her eyes fall upon a lone large red punching bag and mat and she notices a lynx going to town with the bag, mixing in a series of punches and kicks to the equipment.

This male lynx is muscular, athletic, and literally red-headed. He has crimson hair coming down both sides of his head. Though he has silver fur throughout his body along with black stripes, his hunter green eyes are the most captivating for his appearance, not to mention that they are shrouded in an aura of focus. But it wasn't just his eyes that caught Kyli's attention, it was the attire.

The male lynx is wearing a similar karategi around his body, exposing only the middle of his chest. But while Kyli's is white, this one is silver. And the belt color is the same: black. But the lynx also wore a headband on his head to add to the flair. This time, the headband he is wearing is silver, matching his attire.

Watching him in action, Kyli grows an immediate interest in him and strolls over to meet him, focusing more on his powerful moves. She stops close to the bag and waves a little at him, whispering out a soft, "Hello."

The lynx is in the middle of his workout when he sees the purple tabby in close visual range. He drops back to step away before standing straight and stretching a little bit. During his stretching, he offers a greeting in response, "Oh, hello. Didn't see you there until now. You do martial arts too?"

Kyli grins at him while also checking out his powerful chest, trailing her mixed green colored eyes up to the lynx's face to make direct eye contact. "Yeah, I do martial arts as well, but I specialize more in Karate. I'm looking to train under someone."

"Oh really? That's nice to know!" Standing straight up, the male lynx stretches again, nearly standing on his toes before settling down. After this, he turns to Kyli and adds with an interested smile, "It's rare to find martial arts practitioners now. All you see in gyms are punching bags, dumbbells, and other equipment, though bags are primarily used for boxing purposes."

"I see. I never knew you were a martial arts practitioner until just now. It's more exciting than boxing and MMA, really." Kyli mentions in admiration while observing him.

"Yep, boxing can be boring sometimes and MMA is just too dangerous. At least with martial arts you can mix them up a bit." The male chuckled while gazing at her. And then his ears go up while he asserts, "Are you here for something or just to watch and workout?"

The purple tabby cat explains, "I'm here to workout, but it's not only that; I'm actually here to look for a training partner. There aren't that many people that practice martial arts, really."

"Yeah, I agree. It's a once-in-a-lifetime sort of opportunity." The lynx agreed. He then relates in passing, "I went into that after graduation from high school and I have been loving it ever since."

"Look at you! Showboater!" Kyli gives the lynx a playful shove while giggling at him, finding his experience to be quite humorous. Amused, she adds, "That's actually quite impressive! And you certainly have the capacity for it; strong body, powerful limbs, you have it all in you!" Right when the purple tabby finishes her statement, her eyes flash in realization upon forgetting something else. She also mentions absently, "Ah, I never got your name."

"Luca. My name is Luca." The lynx states in passing. His face shows no offense, retaining the same smile he has during the interaction. His tail waving softly, Luca parts his crimson hair briefly while mentioning, "What do you think of it? And what is your name as well?"

Astounded and wide-eyed, Kyli is actually beaming at Luca at just the mention and inquiry of his name alone. The purple tabby cat giggles again at him while replying in admiration, "Luca?! Your name is 'Luca'?? I love it; it sounds Italian, really! I really, really love your name! And as for me, my name is Kyli! But you, you have a beautiful name and quite a handsome appearance too!"

Rubbing his head, Luca becomes bashful now, having a tinted blush lining his cheeks. "Aww, thanks. And well actually, you're completely right about the Italian part. I'm actually Italian-American. But you don't hear it in my voice, really. Grew up in Naples, but moved here to the United States."

This piques Kyli's interest further, prompting her to press the lynx further for more details, especially regarding his citizenship in the United States. "How long have you been living here, actually; since you moved here, that is. It's really amazing to meet a foreigner who does martial arts!"

"Oh, I would say about a little over 2 months really, give or take." Luca's ears twitch and swivel while contemplating how long he has been a United States citizen, given he has moved here a couple of months ago. He didn't know for sure exactly when he moved from Italy, but he knew it was recent. Kyli, on the other hand, held him in high regard since he is Italian by birth. And this she is mesmerized over.

"2 months, huh? How are you adjusting to it? Is the new city life well for you?" The purple tabby cat asserts while still grinning.

"Ah, I've had better days, but as for adjusting to American life, I'd say more or less." Luca reports in return. "Even after living here for two months, it's still pretty new to me, adjusting and all. Even now, I sometimes focus on myself and only myself and try not to get overly involved in exploration. I try to break things up into small bits and pieces so that I can make everything easier."

Impressed with Luca's adaptability, Kyli responds in admiration, "You're adapting pretty well! That's impressive! Have you been doing any actual exploring bit by bit?"

Luca shakes his head a little while responding, "I've been wrapped up in modeling and fighting for the time being but I have some time off at the moment to blow off some steam and train. Haven't had any recreational time until now, so I might as well brush up on my fighting skills."

Just then, a flash of mischief crosses Kyli's mixed green eyes, giving her an idea to implant. Using this new piece of information that Luca has just revealed to her, the purple tabby switches to a new course of action. Clasping her hands behind her back, she bows to the lynx while persuading him, "So Luca, I want to see you in action. Since you said you want to brush up on your fighting skills, how about we have ourselves a little street match?"

This time, it is Luca who gives off a chuckle of his own in response, flicking the right side of his crimson hair. He remarks knowingly, "The best rule in fighting is to never underestimate your opponent. That goes for both genders too. I'd be happy to throw down with you. Where do we fight?"

Turning towards the entrance, Kylie stretches her hand out to the windows on her left to direct Luca's gaze to the direction of where she is pointing while mentioning, "There is an empty parking lot close by; we can hold it over there;" she turns back to directly face him while making eye contact, also assuming, "or we can do it here in the gym. Your choice, Luca."

At first, Luca seemed unsure of how to answer. But given the choices that are issued to him, the lynx could never pass an opportunity for a fighting session. His green eyes flashing with confidence, Luca turns smug while flipping and parting his crimson hair, making up his mind from the choices that Kyli has given to him. He speaks up, having selected his choice, "Let's head outside and go at it. I've been itching for a fight lately!"

Satisfied with his answer, Kyli beckons Luca to follow while turning around to leave the gym. She starts to walk off with Luca tailing her from behind to stay with her while the duo exit the gym to venture over to the empty lot that Kyli had pointed out prior to the location of said fight session. To actually meet a fellow practitioner is mesmerizing enough but in Kyli's case, meeting a foreigner who is also a fan of martial arts is considered an amazing bonus.

The short walk to the barren parking lot isn't that far. But once Luca and Kyli come outside, the redhead is already scanning the area with his green eyes to search for the parking lot. Thinking back on Kyli's explanation, Luca assumes, "Uh Kyli, you said there is an empty parking lot nearby, right?"

"Yeah, why?" The blonde feline wonders in return while walking towards the destination. She keeps her mixed green eyes straight ahead, not even turning to address the lynx.

Luca grows somewhat humiliated because of this. Twiddling his fingers together, the Italian concludes, "You said there was an empty lot nearby. Where is it and how far away is it?"

The duo reach a curb where they stop at a red light intersection and it is here that Kyli turns to directly address Luca. While staring into his hunter green colored eyes, the purple tabby elaborates, "When I said close by, I didn't mean it is dead-smack next to the place, silly. The empty lot is only three city blocks away. So it's just a short walking distance away."

At this, Luca turns red in the race. No, he isn't angry, just flustered and flushed. He didn't actually realize how silly he must have sounded until he listened to Kyli explain herself more clearly. This is when he understood things better. And all he could muster up to say is a quiet, "Oh…"

To cheer him up and clear his humiliation, Kyli gently nudges Luca with her elbow while assuring him, "Hey, no sweat, right? You didn't know either, so there is nothing to worry about. Now come on; let's head out!"

The two felines head out of the gym to begin their short journey to their destination. Along the way, Kyli takes the initiative to get to know the Italian lynx better, so she starts off small.

"So Luca, what was it like growing up in Italy? From what I've learned about the country, it's supposed to be prosperous; Naples is one of the major cities in Italy, right?" Kyli ascertained during their departure.

"Things are much different in Italy than they are here in America." Luca interjected in return. There is so much about his home country to talk about that it would be too much to list and possibly too overwhelming for Kyli to understand the full picture, so he holds off from it. To keep things clear and simple, the silver furred lynx simply explains, "Growing up in Italy, things were different, much different. Everything was different."

"I wouldn't mind traveling to Italy myself to see what it's like over there." Kyli commented lightly while giggling softly.

Luca scoffs at her. He stops in his tracks to meet her gaze while pointing out, "If you want to go to Italy, you'll have to plan ahead for it. I'm talking about language, cash, and planned destinations, not to mention you have to obtain a passport."

Kyli stops and turns around to face Luca, her mixed green eyes holding bewilderment and surprise. Alluding to foreign travel, the purple tabby mentions, "I have done that before when I traveled to Spain with a friend. It felt so weird, but so fun at the same time." She then turns confident while dismissing Luca's concerns, seeing that it is no big deal to her.

"I can do the same thing with Italy too. No big deal." Kyli was pretty confident about the matter too. And she flashes a toothy grin at him to display her eagerness for it. She can handle herself, can't she?

"Anywho, moving on." This prompts Luca to step forward and meet her so the two can continue on their trip. And since Kyli has changed the subject in the course of their conversation, this should make things easier for both her and Luca. When they start off again, the purple tabby continues to take the lead in the conversation, this time asking a different question regarding Luca's background.

"So Luca, what led you to become a fighter?" This new question from the blonde tabby was met with a more positive reception from the silver furred lynx, causing him to smile at her in response to the question.

Luca relates, "While growing up and in high school, I signed up for a kickboxing class. It was the first time I had actually done something as intense as that. I used to be a jock, but left that stuff afterwards. Sports aren't really that interesting."

"Well kickboxing is a sport, isn't it?" Kyli points out in consideration. "Like boxing and MMA. Those are sports as well."

Luca only shakes his head, parting his crimson hair from his eyes. He explains the matter to the blonde tabby more clearly, "What I mean is that certain sports like soccer, baseball, and football don't interest me. Certain sports involving balls don't appeal to me that much, especially the three I just mentioned now."

"Soccer and baseball are meh," Kyli shakes her hand to emphasize how she felt while letting her hand drop back down to her side. She continues, "but football, I enjoy watching. What's wrong with football though?"

Before Luca even has a chance to explain himself, he notices the red light they're coming to and he stops at the crosswalk, grabbing Kyli pulling her away from the curb. He shakes his head at her and points towards the bold red light before them, indicating it isn't their turn to proceed.

At first, Kyli is taken aback by Luca's sudden motion, but when the silver furred lynx directs her attention to the red light, that is when she finally gets the picture. Fortunately, there are no cars close to them or at the intersection.

"Sorry…" Kyli turns flushed this time with her own face donning a rosy blush, which quickly fades afterwards from her apologetic action. She mentions to him in passing, "Guess I got carried away there and wasn't paying attention."

"Nah, you're fine." Luca is cool with it though; he isn't even angry at her for what she did. To show his view on the matter and to assure Kyli of having done nothing wrong, the lynx relates, "Kyli, what you just did now, it happens all the time somewhere else. And I've been in that situation before, myself. So you're not alone. Trust me, stuff like that happens a lot."

In the background is a blinking hand signal for the opposite crosswalk to their right along with a countdown timer for the green light. While Luca is reassuring the blonde tabby of her innocent mistake, the opposing light turns yellow upon the countdown ending, followed by the red light coming on. And then the light on their end turns green along with the walk symbol for the crosswalk. Once this happens, the two felines march along the crosswalk together to safely cross. But one can never be too careful.

Halfway through the crosswalk, Luca's ears perk up to the sound of screening tires and a rumbling V8 screaming upon approach. Turning his head to the source of the approaching missile, the lynx notices a black third-generation GMC Yukon XL Denali streaking towards the two; the large tank is coming in fast!

Luca's protective instincts kick in and he kicks into overdrive; to avoid casualties, the lynx immediately shoves Kyli to the end of the intersection while doubling back, almost becoming roadkill himself. But when the tank lurches past to a screeching halt, he notices further that this truck has tinted windows that render the interior harder to see, and these windows are a darker black. When the truck lurches past after almost hitting Luca, the lynx himself manages to catch a glimpse of the driver; a hyena is behind the wheel of the black heavy missile.

Kyli squeals in alarm from being shoved across the street but once she hears the screeching tires, the purple tabby whirls around in alarm to witness the black GMC Yukon lurching to a screeching stop. Fearing for Luca's life, Kyli rushes to the scene, hoping to fight off the intruder.

Poised and alert, Luca waits for the driver to exit and seconds later, the door opens with a gray / black hyena jumping out of the truck. Immediately setting his sights on the lynx, he sneers at Luca while brandishing a knife in his right hand and demanding in a gruff tone, "Don't try anything funny; give me everything that you have. You know what this is!"

"Luca!" Once Kyli calls out for Luca to respond while reaching the scene, she witnesses the lynx in a fighting stance, ready to battle while facing the hyena. And when Kyli spots the knife in the hyena's right hand, she grows even more concerned. At the same time, she wanted to assist Luca in any way she could in fighting off the hyena, knowing now that this is no stranger; this is an attempted robbery.

"Eh? What?" Once the hyena turns around to locate the callout, this actually serves to be the distraction Luca needed to use. He swoops in, going on the offensive.

Using the hyena's brief loss of focus to his advantage, Luca rushes forward and delivers a sweeping kick to knock the knife out of the hyena's grasp. However, this only causes the weapon to slowly drop while also directing the hyena's attention back to him. But before said mammal can react, Luca delivers a hard sucker punch to the hyena's right cheek, putting in as much strength as he can muster…

*POW!*

Luca's sucker punch effectively sends the hyena robber timbering over and landing inside of his truck, knocked out cold on impact. Luca is still in battle mode, though he begins to recover after a few seconds. After taking a moment to straighten up, he begins to glance around when he notices Kyli staring at him, wide-eyed and her mouth slightly ajar. Well in this instance, Luca is actually fearing the worst.

In haste, Luca turns away to rush from the scene in hopes of avoiding Kyli when he suddenly grabbed and squeezed from behind, causing him to tense up and utter a surprised meow. And then he hears the excited squealing from the tabby herself, "Luca, that was so amazing! You knocked that guy clean out! He didn't even put up a fight and you downed him instantly! I've never seen such a fast fighter like you before!"

"Um, thanks?" Luca wasn't sure on how to take the praise from Kyli but once he's released, he turns around to see the tabby, now excited with her tail lashing eagerly. The lynx parts his crimson hair again and points over her to the black truck that is still idling. "Uh, shouldn't somebody call the police to come pick up this guy, at least?"

"Someone will call the cops soon, but I wouldn't worry too much about the guy right now. He'll just wake up and drive away like nothing happened." Not even worried at all over the hyena robber and his condition, Kyli just brushes it off while continuing on their journey. While Luca follows alongside her, she turns her head to the lynx while addressing him and pointing out, "Besides, you gave him that brief smackdown, so why should that be reason enough to be concerned?"

"Because that same scene will be left until the guy either wakes up and comes to his senses or he ends up being carted off to prison. So either way, that scene is gonna stay there for quite some time." Luca interjected, appearing disturbed.

"Oh hush! That will be taken care of in due time! Someone's probably taking care of it as we speak, so why delay any longer?" Stepping around Luca, Kyli once again pads away with Luca rushing to meet back up with her. During their continued journey, the blonde tabby adds, "Besides, I myself am eager to see you in action! I can't wait to see what you can do!"

"Um well, okay then." Luca begins rubbing the back of his head while blushing again, unsure of the praise and eagerness radiating from the purple furred female. If anything, he didn't feel worthy of this nor considered himself to be an expert; he is willing to accept Kyli's proposal at least in taking her on.

The rest of the journey proved to be conversational in which Luca attempted to change topics and address Kyli on what led her to practice martial arts. When Kyli brought up how she was constantly harassed and bullied while in school, this actually made Luca break out in laughter. But it wasn't laughter directed at her in particular, it was the fact that she took up fighting lessons to actually get back at those who wronged her. It is this reason why the silver furred lynx was in laughter, because she fought back.

"Those punks got what was coming to them! They were asking for it!" Luca was still cracking up on the finishing part of their journey, which wasn't long anyway. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what it was that landed Kyli in that exact situation. It never hurts to ask though.

Kyli, however, felt no shame or remorse in relating her experience to him. In fact, she felt relieved to finally have someone to talk to, someone who can understand what she's been through. And she's smiling about it, still chipper as ever. What she has yet to anticipate is for someone to indulge themselves into why she has been in that predicament. That moment will come soon enough.

Once Luca's laughter finally subsides with him relaxing, the silver furred lynx directs his attention to the area ahead of him to gaze around. Noticing how empty the space is, the deserted area has a few abandoned stores all lined up in a sort of plaza. The area, however, is big with a few dirty island curbs and medians scattered about, but the concrete area itself is dirty with potholes and loose asphalt scattered about; the area is a tarmac dump!

Though Luca originally expected to see a cleaner area than this, he couldn't help but complain to Kyli, "This is the area you were talking about? This isn't what I had in mind! I was hoping for something more… pristine than this!" While the silver furred lynx waves his hands around to motion to the dirty spots around the abandoned space, he turns to Kyli in demanding an explanation from her.

Throwing up her hands lightly in a carefree shrug, Kyli explains herself very frankly, "I did say there was an empty parking lot, didn't I? But I never specified what kind or what condition it's in. It's just an empty parking lot which means more space to maneuver around in. Trust me, more space is better. Now, would you rather have an empty free space to roam around in or risk crashing into things?"

Although Luca is confounded on what to think of this, he just sighs and facepalms, smacking his right hand against his forehead in clear exasperation. Dropping his hand, he inclines his green eyes to Kyli, but keeps his head down while whining, "Please tell me this isn't the type of environment you've practiced in! I'm not cut out for split pads and injuries due to loose, sharp rocks and clumsiness!"

Kyli scoffs in response while assuming, "Then I suppose that you never had to deal with training in empty places just for pure concentration and improvement; and yes, I have gone through instances where I've had to pull loose gravel from my pads. Were you born with a silver spoon in your mouth?"

Luca grows confused and grows somewhat defensive, raising his hands up while shaking his head and finally meeting Kyli's mixed green eyes with his own green gaze. "Uh no? I don't even know what you mean by that, but I can assure you that I am not a rich person. Nor have I ever had to deal with personal injuries before." Luca doesn't even realize he proved his point until the tabby points this out to him.

Kyli frankly makes this matter known to Luca by directly pointing out to him, "You just basically answered my question for me. That's what a silver spoon usually means. And Italians are normally rich, right? Yet you say you aren't rich, but are you really?"

Luca turns red in the face again, not out of heated anger, but out of feeling stupid for not even realizing or knowing what that term meant until he notices Kyli's smirk turning wider and transforming into a big grin. Plus, he has never heard that term before either, so in all likeness, he didn't know.

Sweetly, Kyli assures him, "Hey, don't sweat yourself. You probably don't even know what it's like to be rich anyway. So who knows, am I right?" Kyli stares back at him while turning to walk away, putting some distance between herself and the lynx. What she doesn't anticipate is the lynx actually following her and saying something in return that will stop her in her tracks.

Luca begins to follow, but begins repeatedly shaking and wiggling his pawfeet to clear away the loose gravel. He calls out to her in reason, "Does owning an expensive car make you rich? Does that also prove your point?"

*POOF!*

The last thing Luca expected to see is Kyli puffing up from hearing what was just said; this freezes her in her tracks. Instead of being angry, Kyli grows more intrigued in getting to know Luca more. Now, she is facing him, all puffed up and astounded.

"You have an expensive car? It depends on what car it is." Kyli commented while relaxing and shaking her fur. After her brief shake, she stares Luca down while intrigued, "What car do you drive?"

"Mazzanti Evantra." Luca simply stated, unaware of Kyli's wide-eyed stare. He didn't consider himself or his possessions to be fancy, but they are rare; very rare indeed.

"We'll have to talk more after our fight is over. Are you ready Luca?" Kyli already feels her excitement growing with each passing moment. But since they're here at this empty, abandoned parking lot, they should get their session out of the way and continue on. Upon asserting that she is ready, Kyli assumes a Karate stance while Luca observes shortly… before he assumes a fighting stance of his own to begin.

(BGM: Techno - Odyssey)

"Okay Kyli, I'm ready! Now come at me if you dare!" Luca shouted out while bouncing lightly on his pawfeet. He shows he's ready by his stance alone, but at the same time, he is issuing a direct challenge to his now-temporary rival. What Luca doesn't count on is the purple tabby accepting this challenge immediately and meeting him head-on for it.

Rushing at Luca, Kyli dashes at him and drops into a forward roll to quickly close the remaining distance. Once she meets him and uncurls herself, she crouches upon delivery of a swift right jab to Luca's stomach.

While initially ready, Luca braced himself for the defensive side in deflecting any of Kyli's attacks, yet he didn't anticipate this one coming out of the blue. His eyes widen upon feeling Kyli's right fist meeting his stomach and this makes him step back a bit. Maybe going on the offensive will come later than he thought.

Once Kyli raises herself up fully, she attempts a right hook for Luca's face, only for the lynx to quickly duck and evade. But once she delivers a right knifehand to Luca's side, the lynx has no time to react, grimacing slightly from the fast attack. It is here that Luca switches to the offensive.

After blocking and evading a swift right kick from the tabby cat, Luca steps back a little and charges back in, bringing his right pawfoot down in a high-to-low arc on Kyli's head. Instead, he ends up striking her hard on her left side where the purple tabby releases a painful squeak. Luca then aims for her head in a high kick from the left, catching her directly on the noggin.

Stars float around Kyli's head from the kick to the head, but after receiving another left kick to her stomach does Kyli snap out of her daze. This time, Kyli readies herself for the next attack and ends up deflecting an incoming right kick from the lynx. She dons a smirk, flashing this directly at him while making eye contact.

Luca didn't pay attention to the feline's facial expression just now, unaware of what she's plotting. After his recent kick is deflected, Luca plants his pawfoot back down before pivoting on his left foot and whirling around to drill a right roundhouse kick to Kyli's head. However, Kyli is ready for this and she quickly ducks to evade.

"Wha– oof!" After whiffing, Luca grows surprised at Kyli's speed and right as he starts to show it, the tabby clocks him in the face with a left jab. Although this catches Luca by surprise, it hardly fazes him. But a sudden, faster uppercut ends up tagging him on the chin which results in him stumbling backwards.

Kyli charges and then lunges at Luca to tackle him to the ground. Only thing she didn't count on was the impact having a sharp, slight bounce. The two briefly separate with Luca on the ground and Kyli regaining her footing. But while the lynx rubs his head and stands up, he gets tackled again from behind and thrown to the ground!

*CRUNCH!*

"Aaagghhhh!!!" After being taken to the ground, Luca attempts to roll over in an effort to remove the tabby cat off of him. But by the time the lynx rolls over onto her back, the tabby cat has already removed herself from him and is now standing up right. She smiles sweetly again while staring down at him and teasing, "Look who's gained some stripes now… are you done rolling around yet?"

(Scene pause - "It was at this moment Kyli knew… She messed up.)

*WHAP!*

"Aaahhh!!" Kyli is sent flying back from Luca raising and kicking out his right pawfoot in a sudden harsh kick to her stomach. This actually ends up with her on her back a few paces away, right as Luca stands up to shake himself.

Kyli raises herself up back to her feet to meet Luca's waiting form and she dusts herself off. She comments, "I never expected myself to last this long in a short time. Fights usually end rather quickly anyway." Right as she says this, she notices Luca rolling towards her this time and she waits for him to uncurl himself, anticipating an attack.

After closing the distance, Luca attempts a right uppercut to tag Kyli on the chin this time, but she leans backwards to avoid, causing him to whiff. The lynx then attempts a sweeping right kick for her face and this is ducked. She comes back up to slam her left fist into her stomach, sinking her fist in for more of an impact before withdrawing. After that, she delivers another fist to the same area before dishing out a right roundhouse kick to his side.

Bits of saliva fly from Luca's mouth from the initial fist, which culminates with him groaning in pain from the addition and withdrawal of Kyli's fist. The second attack ends up with the same initial result, but the roundhouse kick sends him staggering a bit while clutching his side.

"Ack! Meow!" Luca coughs a bit while reeling from the damage dealt to him. But when he straightens up upon recovery, he notices Kyli readying herself to swing at him again. He counters this with a swift middle kick, throwing his right pawfoot into Kyli's stomach. But while he catches the tabby cat, he withdraws before following up with a high right roundhouse kick for her face this time.

Kyli just barely avoids getting clobbered by the lynx; those feet and claws are dangerous. But the tabby bides her time to strike, raising up once the silver furred missile passes over her head. She barely gives Luca time to recover, sending a 1-2 fist attack to his face in an attempt to knock him off balance.

Although both hits barely make the silver furred lynx flinch, he ends up staggering from loss of balance. And then comes a swift right uppercut from the tabby, further damaging the lynx.

Just when Luca recovers from the uppercut, he gets tackled to the ground once again by the tabby cat, further increasing the damage dealt to him.

*CRUNCH!*

Once the dust settles, Kyli once again removes herself from Luca and waits for him to rise again. After a few seconds pass, she watches the lynx roll onto his back and stand up, shaking himself afterwards to clear the loose debris from his form. Seeing him standing up now, Kyli is determined to finish him off.

Luca's breathing is slightly winded now, given the damage he's been dealt. Still, he isn't carving in without a hard fight. This time, he goes on the offensive in fighting back.

This time, the lynx dashes forward to close the distance and in the process, he cartwheels forward. However, midway through the maneuver, he springs off his palm to quickly transition into a flying karate kick; this leaves the purple tabby with barely any time to react!

*CRASH!*

"AGH!!!" Down Kyli goes from the flying kick, and while Luca plants himself back down on the ground, he observes the purple tabby getting back up, though she appears to be in a sort of daze. This is just what Luca needs to finish her off!

Luca drops into a forward roll to quickly close the gap while Kyli is still in recovery. However, she quickly shakes her head to clear away the haziness and refocus on her fight with Luca. Unfortunately, she is too late because once she whirls to face him, the lynx springs out of his roll into another flying kick, tagging her again in the stomach.

Gritting her teeth, Kyli once again takes the blow, yet she ends up stumbling backwards. To make matters worse, Luca performs a leg sweep on her to trip her before slamming a vicious uppercut onto her side to send her twirling midair. Then he leaps at her in a flying tackle to slam her to the ground!

*CRUNCH!*

"EEK!!" Kyli puffs up on impact upon being slammed hard onto the asphalt. And while she is trying to break free from Luca's hold, the purple tabby glares into his eyes, not paying attention to the casual smile on his face. But this smile is more of appreciation and admiration, rather than confidence.

Luca raises himself off of Kyli and backs up just enough to give her some breathing space. Yet he also comments, "You're a really good fighter. You're pretty skilled yourself; skilled and graceful."

Getting up, Kyli quickly shakes herself while listening to Luca's admiring compliment on her fighting skills. Even she huffs at this and declares, "You'll still be saying that once I finally kick your hide!" And this time, she leaps at him again!

This time, Luca observes her posture and immediately sidesteps away right as she lunges at him, only for the purple missile to miss her target. And this time, Luca goes on the offensive first.

Whirling on Kyli, the lynx cartwheels and springs off his palm into another flying kick just as the purple tabby raises up to face him. They collide again with Kyli slamming onto the pavement back-first and Luca planting himself again, crouching to steady himself while waiting for his opponent to stand up. She rises seconds later while the lynx cautiously inches closer. But the tabby drops into another roll to quickly close the gap.

This time, Luca somersaults over her to avoid the roll, landing directly behind her. But when Kyli whirls to face her opponent, she is met with a silver furred pawfoot slapping her in the face in a handstand kick. While performing a handstand, Luca sweeps his pawfeet out to slap the tabby in the face while also springing off his hands to land back upright.

"Nasty feet; do you have any idea where your feet have been?" Kyli hissed in a menacing taunt. She wipes her cheek to clear away the dirt and loose gravel while also adding in a low hiss, "What is wrong with you?"

Though slightly offended by this remark, Luca flips and parts the right section of his crimson hair while grinning confidently at Kyli, returning her taunt with his own remark, "Same can be said for you. Kicks are part of Karate anyway; do you have a problem with that?"

"Oh-ho-ho, you are so dead!" After this declaration, Kyli rushes at Luca in a full sprint, readying herself to deal a swing to the lynx. Luca, however, waits for his opportunity to counter and cancel. This opportunity comes sooner than he thought.

Once she meets the lynx again, Kyli attempts a powerful right hook aimed for Luca's chest, but instead of making contact, Luca grabs her attacking arm, briefly surprising the purple tabby. Then after Luca sends his knee into her stomach, he uses this momentum to flip her over him!

*CRASH!*

"...Mmmmgggghhhhh!!!" The dust settles with Kyli raising up into a sitting position seconds later and getting up. And with Luca directly facing her now, Kyli grows more and more aggressive, yet determined to put him out of action. And this time, she goes hard on the offensive.

Luca performs another leg sweep to trip her, but she jumps to avoid it. She then leaps up with a 1-2 roundhouse kick not only to knock Luca off his feet but also to send him twirling mid-air. To pile on the damage, she delivers an uppercut to his side and a swift kick to his back before springing forward to catch him with a flying tackle, effectively finishing him off.

*CRUNCH!*

This time, Luca has the wind completely knocked out of him and while he just lays on the ground groaning, Kyli gets off of him and just observes him. After a bit of watching him, Kyli kneels down to help him; when in mid-crouch, she notices him rolling over and then struggling to get up.

Eventually, Kyli bends down to curl her arms around Lucas shoulders, thus hoisting the lynx up with a sharp grunt. It didn't take much effort to lift the lynx onto his pawfeet.

Kyli draws back to allow Luca some breathing room, watching the lynx carefully. After hearing an exhausted moan from the lynx, Kyli attempts to speak but closes her mouth upon watching him shake himself again, brushing off his crimson hair afterwards. Then after some silence, Luca grabs onto her for support while he breaks the silence.

Luca expresses his admiration of Kyli in their street battle, "That was an amazing fight! You are very talented; better than me, actually! You're no rookie, you're more of a professional in the big leagues! How did you get so skilled at this?"

The feline pair begin their departure from the empty lot with Luca clinging to Kyli for support. While Kyli listens to him speak his mind about how highly talented she is, there appears to be a glint of mixed confidence and appreciation in her own mixed green eyes; she swirls her head to meet Luca's admiring gaze, wondering why he is speaking so highly of her.

"I'm not that highly talented; I'm still a rookie for now. I may seem highly talented to you but I am just a student for now." She softly admits in return, putting her own true feelings into perspective. "But you? You're more skilled than me."

Blinking in surprise, Luca arches his eyebrows at her from hearing this. He whispers in understanding, "Do you really think so?"

Kyli takes a moment to gather herself together for what she is about to convey to the lynx. During her momentary silence, Luca searches her eyes for any sign of doubt, but there is now. Instead, he notices admiration and appreciation in her gaze and it is here that she finally expresses herself on the matter, seeing Luca not as an adversary, but more as a teacher and potential ally. But when she suddenly starts giggling, this throws Luca for a loop.

(BGM: Schein - Bejeweled 2 OST)

While Luca waits for Kyli to elaborate, he isn't sure whether the purple tabby is laughing directly at him or not; truth be told, one could assume that her laughter has something to do with Luca's fighting ability. But it is Kyli herself who is going to reveal her own true feelings on the issue. Still, the silver furred lynx just purses his lips in a pouty grumble, growing a bit annoyed with the tabby cat.

Kyli's laughter soon subsides and she takes a moment to recover, brushing aside her blonde locks. Then she meets Luca's gaze directly while going on to reveal, "Luca, watching you in action today at the gym really amazed me. Your moves aren't even those of a beginner; you're an absolute professional! I can barely do a handstand without falling over while you're able to just bounce off and strike. And the way you were able to smack me upside-down and then flip right over, I have never ever seen or experienced anything like that before!"

This is only part of Kyli's true feelings being revealed in the matter, which is enough to jostle Luca's mind. While the two continue on their way back to the local gym, Luca ponders over this information. But to really confirm her feelings on the matter, the lynx presses her, "It took me a while even to do that, given all the athletic training and flexibility I had to go through. So what are you really saying?"

"Luca, I am amazed at you; not only you but also your moves and agility, and I am looking for a trainer who will work with me." Kyli reveals further, emitting a wide-eyed stare from the lynx. A trainer? That doesn't sound like a lot of work, but training someone is something Luca has never considered nor even thought about.

"So you want a coach then; is that what you're asking for?" Luca concluded simply. From hearing Kyli speak about him again, praising his skills even, it's logical that the only conclusion he can reach is that she would request a coach to monitor her status. And to his surprise, the feline nods her head to confirm and answer his inquiry.

"Mmh!" Smiling again at Luca out of admiration, the purple tabby cat goes on to relate, "I've been searching for a coach for a while but later lost interest and began training on my own for some time. But given what the majority of people do here whenever they go to local gyms, I hardly had any success in finding an actual practitioner." Luca blinks at Kyli questionably while arching his eyebrows again, wondering why it is only him and not anyone else. What is it about him in particular, he is wondering, that makes him so special?

Pursing his lips in a slight frown, the silver furred lynx then pops the question to her, "Kyli, why me in particular, and not someone else? There are other martial arts practitioners out there, some that are even probably better than me. I'm not that high-up either."

This time, Kyli's eyes flash in admiration and she just smirks at the lynx in return, commenting again on his moves as a sort of reminder, "When you're able to perform a handstand and sock someone in the face from behind with your foot and then flip back upright, that takes some serious skill and training to pull off. You are really athletic and flexible and it really shows on you. But not only that, those flying kicks you did really made an impression on me. I can barely do that without cartwheeling over my own tail!"

Doubtful, Luca gives Kyli a deadpan expression before pursing his lips once again in skepticism. He doesn't believe her. "Oh really? It's not that hard to perform a cartwheel anyway."

Kyli notices the skeptical dripping from Luca's tone and she, in turn, remarks, "If you saw how long my own tail was, you'd probably freak out. Besides, if I were to try a simple cartwheel, what are the chances of me squishing my tail in the process?"

Listening to her reasoning, Luca cracks a remark at this, "You know, for someone who is speaking very highly of someone else, you sure can talk about your tail a lot. What's the big idea here?"

"My point is that I'm not as athletic or acrobatic as you are, Luca." Kyli mentions plainly, stopping to face him. She withdraws from him while analyzing his expression, trying to find some sort of feeling, yet that same doubt remains, replaced now by skepticism. Still, she smiles again at him before raising her right arm up.

Turning curious, Luca closely observes the tabby cat raising her right up when he feels a light scratching sensation against his left ear. He blinks at Kyli while his left ear twitches occasionally from the soft scratching. Still oblivious to her actions, Luca questions her, "What exactly are you doing now?"

"What, I can't show my appreciation for you?" Putting on a face of offensive anger, Kyli immediately withdraws and folds her arms along her chest, averting her eyes away from him while brooding in a pouty manner, "You're no fun."

"Ah!" Luca blinks in worry while his face turns pink. He raises his hands defensively while shaking his head, "That's not what I meant!"

What catches his attention next is Kyli's giggling, giving off another change in her demeanor. All she was doing was playing along with him; she wasn't even offended! This greatly confuses the lynx, who just stared at her in silent bewilderment.

"I'm just messing with you, silly! Of course I'm not offended!" Kyli returns her happy self back to the lynx and begins scratching his ear again, delighted to rub the lynx's larger ears. As relieved as this makes him, this still causes Luca to stare at her questionably. And he soon fires off another question to gain some answers.

Luca assumes, "What exactly was all of that for anyway? You never acted this way since you beat me. Is this out of jealousy?"

"Jealousy?" Kyli snorted briefly while staring at him pointedly. She explains, "Jealousy has nothing to do with it; I'm not even jealous of you. In fact, I am amazed at you. Sure, I kicked your tail and won, but your moves are much more fluent than mine. Just because I won doesn't mean I'm gonna gloat about it and celebrate; that's not the type of person I am. Only a nitwit will do that and inflate his head even more." She grins at Luca, taking note of his astonished expression while adding further, "No point in being a balloon, am I right?"

"I think I am beginning to finally understand where you're coming from now." Luca cracks a small smile this time out of appreciation and delight for Kyli's humility. And even more, he began to feel drawn to her; the seeds of friendship have already been sown. But there is one minor thing that he still can't stop thinking about. "But one thing I wasn't expecting was you scratching my ear. Why did you do that though?"

"One, to show how appreciative I am of you. And two, because I think it's really cute." Upon saying this, the purple tabby watches Luca become a rose in the face. She couldn't help but laugh at this, seeing this as even cuter than before. But as for Luca, this makes him all the more bashful. He wasn't anticipating being called 'cute' for that matter. That's not the only thing Kyli busied herself on, for she takes note now of how his face is looking now.

"Hey Luca, how many times are you going to match your hair?" Kyli joked from observing his rose colored face. Unaware of this, Luca narrows his eyes slightly, giving her a scrutinizing glare. This does nothing to make her stop, for she is unaffected by it. Undeterred, she continues her humorous teasing, "First you become a tomato, and then a rose. Both times, you've matched your hair; they really compliment you too. What's next after that? A strawberry? A pepper? What?"

"I wonder how some people put up with you though. I really do." Shaking his head in exasperation, Luca sighs while mumbling his statement, raising his hand up to part and flip his crimson hair again. However, he is completely unaware that Kyli is hearing everything he says, shown by her ears perking up to tune in.

This time, the purple tabby turns smug and mischievous while innocently muttering, "Did you just say something or are my ears playing tricks on me?" That gets Luca's attention instantly and he freezes from Kyli asking this simple question. But to ease his worry, the purple tabby softly shakes her head while going on to admit, "I dunno; you tell me. What do you think? Apart from what I went through, I don't know how you managed to stay with me this long. You would think I'd stand out the most among a crowd."

Oblivious to what she is talking about, Luca arches his head to the side, wondering what she means. "Kyli, what are you talking about? Why would you say you would stand out the most?"

Letting out an exhale in annoyance, Kyli waves her arms while hissing, "Hello??! Look at me! I'm purple! Freaking purple! Is purple a common color along felines or any other fur? So yes, I will stand out because I am purple! Were you even paying attention the whole time you were looking at me?!"

"Purple, huh? I've seen some furs actually dye themselves or their hair in that color." Luca admits with a soft, cracked side grin in delight and interest. While Kyli is silent, but softly incinerating on the inside, this diminishes upon listening to him just now, waiting to hear more of what he has to say.

"To be frankly honest with you, I've seen some dye themselves blue, green, pink, whatever color you name. Whether it's their hair or their fur, then it's a chance they dyed themselves that way. But you? Purple actually suits you; it makes you beautiful that way." This time, Luca isn't even turning colors while admitting this to the tabby. Instead, he is speaking from his heart, showing his true feelings towards her and her issue.

"Well what I told you I was born purple?" Kyli further asserts in a low tone. "Would you still think the same way about me?" A firm nod of the head from the lynx confirms his true feelings about this, which greatly surprises the tabby. And she whispers further, "You really think so?"

Gently, Luca places his hands on Kyli's shoulders while assuring her, "I don't think so, I know so. Okay so you were born purple, so what? It doesn't change anything about you. Not only are you beautiful in appearance, but your personality makes it much better. This is actually my first time seeing someone with a biological fur color such as purple on a feline."

This time, Kyli becomes a tomato in the face from hearing Luca reveal his true personal feelings on the matter. She did say she stood out and Luca believed her. But she wasn't expecting Luca to actually acknowledge and compliment her on her appearance. This comes as a complete surprise to her since she was basically Luca to just blow her off and reject her.

As much as the tabby wanted to quickly and instantly deny everything that Luca has now said regarding her, she lowered her head in thought for a bit. She never considered that Luca would actually consider her as a potential friend, aside from his true feelings about her. He was straightforward with all of it. Yet, as much as she wanted to impulsively push him away due to her fears welling up again, she couldn't bring herself to do it. No, in fact, she wouldn't allow herself to make such a rash move, not after all the praising she's done towards him earlier. And she was also looking for something in return, but more businesslike, not in a casual sort of way.

Her blush remaining, Kyli grows timid while whispering, "Is that really so? That's what you really think of me?"

Luca nods his head in return, smiling in delight at her. He responds, "Of course! Why else would I think differently of you? You are a one-of-a-kind person yourself, so what makes you any different other than appearance? Getting to know the same person you meet is even better than just a one-time encounter. Plus, with all the praise you've been giving me over my abilities, I should be the one congratulating you on your victory. You did very well for a beginner."

"Really? But I am still a student! I have little experience especially in Karate; that's what I'm looking to improve on!" Kyli protested, her ears lowering in return. She pauses with her ears springing back up from Luca gently pulling her into a soft hug.

Luca simply responds, "I know, and I'll admit, I have limited knowledge and experience in Karate as well. But I am willing to improve and learn more; brush up on our technique, y'know? Karate isn't the only fighting style I partake in."

"Really?" This further increases Kyli's interest and admiration while also raising her curiosity to a new level. A flash of excitement flickers across her eyes upon growing elated and she begins to bounce lightly on her pawfeet in elation, wanting to learn more.

"What other fighting styles do you practice?" She asks excitedly, her tail wagging about. This only increases Luca's soft smile to a wide, warm, confident grin. He chuckles at her enthusiasm while resting an arm around her shoulders not only for support but also in a gesture of friendship. He goes on to plainly list off a few other fighting examples that he usually partakes of.

"Karate isn't the only fighting style I practice on; I also do Taekwondo, boxing, and jiu-jitsu. Judo is hard since it involves contact without the hands." Luca mentions while gazing fondly at the purple tabby. But when he notices her eyes widening, his smile disappears, replaced now with a worried expression; Kyli's expression isn't one of anger but one of surprise instead upon having learned this from the lynx. And she starts laughing again, drawing a red question mark appearing beside Luca's head from his questionable expression. It soon disappears once Kyli begins to speak again on the matter.

"Judo? You did Judo?" Kyli grabs her stomach through her laughter while attempting to explain herself on the matter, while Luca is staring at her with an arched head wondering why the laughter is brought in again. Once her laughter subsides and with Luca's posture returning to normal, Kyli begins to finally, and calmly, explain herself on the matter.

"Honestly, I never knew you practiced Judo until now. That must be the hardest thing ever for you to even attempt. I did a brief stint in Judo and quickly ended up either on my face or on my butt. It's not even an easy style to get into, what with contact being made without your hands… or feet for that matter." Kyli turns even redder upon relating this, feeling somewhat slighted and embarrassed. But she didn't count on Luca actually agreeing with her, having to relate a similar experience to hers.

A scoff from the silver furred lynx in question and he removes his arm from around the purple tabby, folding his arms along his own chest. He agrees with her while remarking, "Yeah, tell me about it. I did Judo too, thinking it was easy. Little did I know what I was getting myself into that time. Ended up either flat on my back, on my butt, or in a faceplant; in some instances, I managed a rolling recovery, but that was just it. I got wrecked in Judo."

"Wow, nice to know there's someone I can relate to, at least." Kyli halfway joked in a humorous manner. She relaxes while wanting to know more, her mixed green eyes holding a soft, curious energy to them. "So, what happened next? How long did you practice Judo?"

Luca had begun walking off again upon finishing his statement, leading Kyli to follow him. During their walk back to the local gym, Kyli was curious to find out how long Luca was into Judo. Hearing her question makes him a bit annoyed at the discipline itself, and he begins to lightly play with his crimson hair. He hums in remembrance, "Ohh, I dunno for sure exactly how long I was into Judo before quitting. I'd say about a couple weeks to a month, at least. I quit Judo after that and later moved to Taekwondo as a replacement."

"Same here. You have no idea how embarrassing it is to humiliate yourself and be a laughingstock at the same time." Though Kyli's purple color returned to her face, she spoke in a distasteful manner towards the discipline itself, not happy about the outcome or what she went through. Even Luca sympathized with her, clearly understanding how difficult the style is even for her from having practiced it himself.

"And you're looking to replace that too?" Luca assumes softly while still walking. This catches the tabby a bit off-guard while she had her head down, though his question does catch her attention. "Huh?"

"I said, are you aiming to change or replace that one with something more up your alley?" Luca speaks a bit louder to make sure Kyli hears him more clearly, to which she lights up in attentiveness. She nods and replies, "I've tried to think of other styles there are that can replace Judo, but none so far. You mentioned jiu-jitsu, so I may try that in the future."

"Yeah, that's a good choice. Apart from Karate, Taekwondo, and Jiu-jitsu, I also take up boxing as a side hobby." Luca stops in his walk and, to emphasize what he's saying, shows off before Kyli by punching the air twice with a double jab, followed by a fast left high kick. Kyli's mixed green eyes are bare in surprise and she rubs her blonde hair while correcting Luca, "Uh, did you mean MMA or kickboxing?"

Luca reminds her, "I practice multiple styles, not just Karate; it doesn't hurt to mix in other styles with it."

"Oh, I honestly never considered a mixed fighting style though. It's a lot of work, actually." Kyli commented in return while the two continued on their foot journey. Luca, however, begged to differ; he didn't think so.

"It's not that hard unless you know what you're doing beforehand during training and actual fighting. It's rather easy once you get used to it." The lynx stated, while smiling again. Then he turns his head to Kyli, one final thought ready in his mind. He's finally made up his mind after some consideration. "And Kyli?"

"Hmm?" The purple tabby waits for Luca to say what's on his mind while directing her mixed green eyes towards him. And then he speaks his mind one final time on the matter.

"I'd be delighted to be your fighting coach, even after getting my hide tanned! Hahaha!" And there it is; Luca's finally given his final decision on the training matter. Even better is how casually and plainly he admits his defeat while laughing about it. This greatly surprises Kyli, further making her day.

"Thank you Luca; I'll be sure to try my best with you training me under your wing." While walking, Kyli voices her appreciation and stops to hug the lynx. She even rubs her head against his as further appreciation.

"Heh, it's not only you who will be learning more, but it will be I who will be learning more too. Think about it. We may even surprise each other at times." Luca returns the headrub with his own, smiling in admiration and content. With the subject of fighting now covered, they can talk more later about other matters.

---

Kyli belongs to Kick-Rocks-Aesthetic on ToyHouse; Luca Gisela belongs to me!