Boxes, boxes and more boxes

She and Kato weaved through the crowd, pushing past person after person, till the angry cries of a man screaming about his hat were left far in the distance.

Kato hadn’t said a word since he’d let Styx drag him away, internally he was seething, he could have done something about it, shown the man that you can’t just treat others however you like and get away with it. Images of a beaten poker flooded his mind, he tried to ignore them, but he couldn’t, each image lasting longer than the one before it. Kato was all too familiar of what the path of inaction entailed.

Styx slowed down, her hand hadn’t stopped dragging him, since they left. “So, you want to talk about what happened back there?” she said softly.

“Do I want to talk about what happened back there?” Kato replied, incredulous, his eyes slightly widening, “you were the one who stole his hat.”

“And with hindsight, I can admit that that was probably a mistake,” she said exasperated.

“Probably?” Kato scoffed.

She gazed at him for a moment, then gently knocked her shoulder into him, “probably.”

Kato sighed, “Why’d you do that? Stop me, I mean?”

Her eyes flickered over him, as if searching for something. After a long pause she replied, “you wouldn’t get it,” her voice cracked slightly, as she slowly turned to face away.

“Get what? “Kato walked around her, so they were facing again, he reached out a hand and tenderly steadied a trembling shoulder. “I’ve dealt with bad people before, maybe I can deal with this one too,” Kato slowly began psyching himself up for another confrontation, his calm demeanour hiding an insidious blood lust bubbling underneath. Without realising his hands began to clench.

“He’s dangerous, okay? Just drop it. Please,” her voice was tight and small, as she shrugged off his touch.

Kato looked at her for a moment, ‘stop being a dick, this isn’t even remotely similar to the wagon situation, you don’t need to fight, not always. She’s unhappy and all you can think about is yourself,’ Kato mulled over his thoughts, before springing into action, he would make her happy, least he could do, even if it involved making a fool of himself, his hands unclenched.

He clambered onto a nearby wooden box. “Hear me! Hear me!”

“What are you doing?” Styx muttered, tugging his arm, but Kato just stood taller.

“Five coins for anyone, that thinks they can beat me in a feat of strength,” he flexed a skinny arm somewhat dramatically.

Styx giggled.

A thick, burly, man with broad shoulders and a checkered, grey overcoat approached him.

“Ahh a challenger I see,” Kato said loudly, “don’t be too intimidated,” he flexed again.

“You’re on my box,” the man spoke gruffly, “get off.”

With great subtlety, Styx’s giggles devolved into full blown laughter, tears streaming down her face. More people turned to look at the strange girl’s manic fit than had turned when Kato had practically offered free money.

Kato dropped lightly off the box, his cheeks reddening slightly. The man strode over and lifted the large wooden box to his shoulder then turned and walked away, “kids” he muttered under his breath, with a slight shake of his head.

Kato looked over at Styx, she was still laughing.

Kato ran his hands over his face as if in a great deal of pain.

“So” she said, after the laughter had finally stopped. “Tough guy. Do you want to get something to eat? I have a proposition.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Kato looked down, at his bare chest and tattered lower half, he was still covered in grime and blood, the opportunity to clean having not presented itself. “Not sure anyone will serve me.”

“What?” she looked at him again, then laughed…again. “Oh right, the whole monster from the depths thing you’ve got going on.” She gave him a playful shove, “Come on. We can make a stop on the way.”

‘Monster from the depths?’ Kato questioned, but let himself be taken to a nearby alley, nevertheless.

He was dragged through at a relentless pace, practically stumbling over his feet whilst Styx nimbly pulled him along.

The pair spilled out into a wide courtyard, an ornate fountain, adorned with two large stone watering cans poured over a stone plant that seemed to float above a carved root ball in the centre.

Styx dragged him over to the stone plinth bordering the fountain, “here, sit.”

Kato sat down and fought against letting his expression change, it was freezing, he looked at her, searching for any sign of trickery or deception, but he found none.

The fountain gurgled cheerfully by him, completely unaware of the pain it had caused. Kato really wanted to turn and glower at the structure, ‘don’t do that it’s weird,’ he fought his will but it was too strong, he turned looked for a moment at the serene water rippling across the surface, it was a deep azure blue and wouldn’t look out of place in some tropical paradise, he’d only heard of in books.

He glowered.

“You don’t like fountains?” Styx asked.

“What?” Kato turned back to her, “um no they’re fine, something got in my eye… Probably.”

“Probably?” She asked questioningly.

“Probably.”

“Right…” her words trailed off and she just stared at him, “you really are weird.”

‘Great I told you it would be weird, but you did it anyway, who glares at fountains,’ thinking quickly, Kato spoke “I just don’t like watering cans.”

Styx hands were firmly on her hips, as she loomed over his seated form. “You don’t like watering cans?”

He desperately searched his mind for a solution, ‘Double down you fool.’ “I mean a can for water? It’s absurd.”

Styx’s lip twitched, “you’re serious, aren’t you?”

‘It’s not working. Double down again, quick!’ “Absolutely, it’s a ridiculous concept!” he said, with conviction, even he was starting to believe himself.

Styx was now not even bothering to conceal her smile, “yeah so weird” her eyes creased, “never did trust those cans,” she said, mirth filling her voice.

Kato smiled back, relieved, ‘nailed it.’

“But maybe, just once you could trust them?” She looked at him, dead in the eyes, the pushed him back.

Kato toppled backwards, his arms flailed to the side, as he desperately tried to regain his balance. He was doing it, he was coming back up, winning against gravity, a determined smirk, played across his face. ‘She failed,’ he thought, victoriously, as he inched closer to an upright position.

Then she pushed him again, there was no recovering, Kato fell backwards with a great splash, sinking into the surprisingly deep water.

A moment later flotsam rose to the surface in the form of blood, dirt, sawdust and some unspecified black goo.

“Ughh” Styx groaned, “that was all on you, why?”

Kato hesitated, ‘don’t scare her.’ He put on a smile, “just unlucky, I guess. Speaking of.” He grabbed Styx and pulled her back into the fountain; she was fully submerged and came back spluttering and coughing, her black hair sodden wet.

“I cannot believe you just did that” she jumped at him; water flew around the pair as they splashed furiously at each other. This continued for a moment until suddenly, in a moment of silence, they just stared at each other, heavily panting, their bodies dripping, from the exertion of their shared physical activity.

Styx raised an eyebrow at him, “you should put on a shirt.”

Kato looked at her incredulous, then laughed softly, “you’re probably right.”

The two sparkling clean, stepped out of the water. Ripples were left in their wake and the flotsam that had come off the pair was mysteriously absent.

Styx reached over and touched his dark black hair, “it’s not crusty,” she paused “wow.”

“You did not just describe my hair as crusty.”

“You’re right I didn’t, in fact I said the opposite,” she smirked at him, cheekily.

“If we were still in the fountain…” Kato trailed off.

“You’d what?” She pouted and leaned forwards, “splash me? Wow you really are a monster from the depths.” She stuck her bottom lip forward and widened her eyes up at him.

‘Monster from the depths? Again? Is that supposed to mean something?’ Kato laughed awkwardly, “so… you said something about a shirt?”

“Here,” she chucked a sodden piece of fabric at him.

“You had that the entire time?” Kato gazed at her, bemused, before putting it on, with a great struggle.

“Um, you don’t want to wait, till it’s dried?” Styx asked, questioningly.

“You,” he panted “think” he staggered, leaning to the side, “a mere” he grunted, “shirt” he staggered, to the other side, “can beat me?” He finally said, triumphantly, as his head popped through the top.

“You forgot the sleeves.”

Kato looked down, then struggled some more.

“Food.” She said, dramatically rubbing her stomach, and looking at him with pleading eyes.

“Food.” Kato said with a curt nod.

The pair walked down the street, a lone cardboard box, was leaning upturned against a stained, dishevelled house. The panes of its glass windows were cracked, and dust licked the interiors. A small, grey feline face popped from the top.

Kato’s blood boiled, “I have something to take care of.”