Nightly Drive (for FreestylePoet)

[RedShinigami]

Karl nodded.
"Adjusting to Japan can be tricky, let me tell you that.", the scruffy looking Austrian smiled before the motor of Schurli started to sound like an asthma patient with throatcancer and suddenly they stopped.
"Oh nein,nein,nein,nein,nein,nein!", Karl said suddenly and stepped out of the car.
The rain had stopped and the moon sent his light down to earth as Karl checked the motor, located in the back of the car.
He groaned and came back, opening the driver door.
"Do me a favor and get behind the stirring wheel. Schurli won't do much driving anymore tonight.", he said with a sigh.
"We park it here and then I bring you to the train station. We are'nt far away from it.", the Austrian assured her and went back.
"Tell me, when you're reqdy Louise!"

[FreestylePoet]

"Mm, yes." Louise nodded. The rain had let up by now, and with it, the nostalgically relaxing noise that Louise was enjoying so much. Unfortunately, that sound was soon replaced by the death knells of Schurli's engine! "Ach -- what the hell is going on?" Louise looked over to Karl, only to find him panickedly hopping out of the old car.

"Where are you -- Argh, I don't even have my Japanese driver's license yet!" Exasperated, she scooted over and took the wheel. "There is a spot about 20 meters from here, on our left!" Louise called out, starting to turn the right way. "Are you sure you can handle it, old man? We can switch places if you want!"

[RedShinigami]

Karl started to push the car, his knee hurt but still was a big and strong guy nontheless, even if his shape got a little bit softer, Karl was still a magnificent athlethe in his own right.
"Listen, kleine Meid, 10 years ago I managed to push up 300 kilograms, setting some records, so please have some trust in me, yes?", he asked and started to push a car, granted to push a car on an even street you did'nt had to be particulary strong, but it helped nonetheless.
Slowly the car got in motion while Louise was steering it over the spot she mentioned to Karl who gritt his teeth and pushed them over to the spot 20 m before them.
And after a few Minutes, Schurli was parked only to give one loud BANG as Louise exited the car.
Karl just started to laugh, he was exhausted and her reaction was just to priceless.
"Do...Do'nt worry...you won't explode....hahaha...", he laughed and shook his head.
He went for the trunk that was located in the front and got a big umbrella out, just in case, and gave it Louise.
"Come, it is not far. I walk you to your train.", he said and the two of them walked on.
"Well at least we are in the city now, huh?", he asked and pulled out his cellphone.
"And as we still have some time, how about we move on?"

[FreestylePoet]

Eventually, Karl and Louise -- well, mostly Karl, but Louise steered Schurli along -- guided the old rust bucket into a nearby parking spot. She opened the door and swung her feet out onto the sidewalk, glancing over to where Karl was just walking along. "...Are you okay?" Louise asked, despite her general desire to simply get this interview done and move on with her life. Something about seeing a man clearly trying as hard as he could to not limp along left her vulnerable.

Louise gulped, stepping out of the car and closing the door. with her jacket now wrapped around her waist. They weren't far from the station now, and the rain had let up. She'd gotten along decently well with Karl -- at least, she didn't wanna kick him in the dick anymore. As far as she was concerned, the afternoon was going just fine. Even Schurli, the rusty bucket of bolts that she was, managed to surv-

BANG!

"Eeeek!" Louise yelped, jumping back from the car; thanks to her leaping ability, she almost sent herself flying right into a nearby brick wall! Still, she got away with nothing but a racing heart. Turning back to Karl, she fixed her eyes into steely glares. "If you were recording just now, I will personally find you and stuff this umbrella down your throat." Then started walking down the street, waving him forward. "Let me know if you need a break, old man. Otherwise, you're free to do whatever you want 'til we get to the station."

[RedShinigami]

"Don't worry young lady, if I can't go on anymore I give you a good training by carrying me..."
The correspondent chuckled a little.
So she was'nt as emotionless as she appeared to be...she seemed, well cautios?
Well given the circumstances it was a normal reaction.
You are new in a far away land ,you got lost in the rain at night and some Bum stops with driving trashcan
and asks if he can take her with him.
All in all not the recipe for trust.
But Karl felt that he slowly earned it.
"Well, Frau Vandenbroek, it seems that you have experience in sports that decends wrestling.
Do you think that will help you while fighting agains, lets say, more unexperienced fighters?"
Karl choose his words carefully, the last thing what he wanted was to make Louise uncomfortable.
But he was no fool, he was a big meathead whose job it was to throw people around yeah, but
he had also a master degree in journalism, was sharp, intelligent and had a good eye.
Karl was no one you should underestimate.

[FreestylePoet]

Louise and Karl continued to walk down the street. They were nearing a train station now; the entryway to the underground complex was within sight. Her jacket was tied upon her waist; luckily, the rain seemed to have ceased by now. Within an hour, she'd be back at Leonie's LAW-provided apartment, having completed the first true obligation of her time at LAW.

When the reporter asked his next question, Louise wasn't surprised anymore. She wasn't exactly one to trust quickly, but if there was anything Karl had shown during their brief time together, it was how to toe the line between perceptively sharp questions and wanting to preserve her comfort. Of course, time would tell how long Karl decided to toe that line -- if, of course, they'd ever met again after this.

She nodded reluctantly. "You're right of course. I... I do try to pay good attention to my physicals. Worked the docks and truck depots in a small little town. That kind of thing." Another pair of half-truths. "And yeah, I don't have much in the way of technical skills yet, but in a match with another rookie like myself, I'd hope that my physicals might make the difference." While she still wasn't even close to ready to talk about her basketball background with others, much less the general public, Louise hoped that her answer was nonetheless satisfying.

[RedShinigami]

The Ex-Wrestler or more or less, limped with his young interview partner all the way to the train station.
"Well, Frau Vandenbroekk, I wish you all the best in your debut. It sure won't be easy but let me tell you after what I have seen from you I am sure we are in for a treat."
Karl sighed and put his cellphone away smiling down at Louise.
"Damn reporters, huh?", he said as they walked by a noodle stand.
"Heeey...what luck! Do you want something too? Come on it's my treat. Everyone loves noodels. I can't let you go on an empty stomach.", he said, always the carlng father.
"The last train is still an hour away, come Louise. Our ways will part soon and before that happens..."
He took a seat and ordered a beer before patting to the stool next to him.
"...I want to know something of the real Louise. Anything. Just one thing, what you want. But..."
He held up his pinkiefinger to her. A japanese thing that Karl adapted while training in Japan but he was sure Louise would get the idea.
"It must be the truth. Promise?", he said and orderd for them.

[FreestylePoet]

"Erm..." Louise looked nervously between Karl and the man behind the noodle bar. "Miso nikomi udon wo hitotsu onegai shimasu...? [May I have one miso nikomi udon, please...?]" Praying that Christina's Japanese lessons had paid off and that she'd soon be graced with a steaming-hot bowl of warm noodle soup, she turned back to Karl.

She pressed her lips together as she considered his request. "Mm..." He was right. Damn reporters. Still, the microphone was off, as far as she could tell, and Karl had been nothing but a gentleman this evening. A bumbling, scraggly gentleman, but still a gentleman. Finally, she sighed and locked her pinky with Karl's.

"...I love sharks."

"Ever since I was a child, I have had a fascination with the sea. Call it the consequence of growing up near the Dollart Bay." She looked down at the countertop, surprised to find a soft smile rising to her face rather than a blush. "I used to want to be a marine biologist. So I read up on all sorts of fish, but mostly sharks. My favorite is, the, uh..." She shook her head with a girlish giggle. "It's the starry smooth-hound. Fast little things, smaller than most sharks but quite flexible. They have all sorts of discolored marks across their top, kinda like..."

Louise gestured humorously to the red streak in her own stare, only to meet Karl's eyes. "Um, sorry. I was rambling, wasn't I?"

[RedShinigami]

Karl smiled down at Louise.
She was a good girl, deep down he knew that all this "cool" and "tough girl" thing was something to protect herself, using it as shield against the world.
But this realizatuin did'nt let his smile dissapear.
She was young, she had much to learn. Of course, he was'nt that old too but old enough to knew how tough life could be.

And he was sure that not just he found a related soul this evening in Tokyo, first looking at his then to her knee.
"Wow, very good Louise.", he said when she stummbeld her orders.
"I think you will know your way around in Japan quite soon."
When Louise grabbed for his pinky he looked her in the eyes, looking for any trace of "false information"
But there was'nt any.

And then something marvelous happened as Louise face started to lighten up, she talked about something she loved, that made her happy and when she gave a giggle of girlish glee at the mentioning of her favourite animal and how she loved it because it resembled her, Karls fatherly heart melt.
This was something he wanted to see the whole evening. The Louise that cared, the Louise that loved, that smiled and giggled like a girl her age should.
"Sharks huh? I like Hammerheads. Always thought they looked damn cool.", he grinned and punched her shoulder playfully.
"Never to late to learn new things."

Their food came and Karl smiled.
"Well, Mahlzeit, Fräulein Vandenbroekk.", he said and they ate in silence, and suddenly the mood became a bit moody.
Both knew that this was the last thing they shared before saying goodbye to each other.
Would they see each other again? Probably. Would it be like today? Not likely. This was a sudden episode in two lives, a dream that soon would be a faded memories. Both had their own lifes and careers and fate wanted it that both met this evening.

Karl and Louise finished their dinner and sat there, in silence until Karl looked at his watch.
"Ok.Your train will be here any minute.", he said and paid.
They walked up to the station and on to the platform were the train was scheduled to arrive in a minute.
"Well Louise, this is it.", he said and looked down at her while he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks for the interview, I will write a good article, promised. Take care of you, ok? Don't push yourself to hard. It is ok to lose sometimes. And..."
He pressed the umbrella into her hand and smiled.
"Next time there maybe won't be a hasbeen ex-wrestler to drive you. Keep it."
He almost added "So you don't forget me." but decided that he should keep this sentence to himself.
The train was announced to arrive any second now.
"Auf Wiedersehen, Louise.", he smiled and squeezed her shoulder carefully.

[FreestylePoet]

When her food arrived, Louise gladly started to tuck into it, suddenly aware of just how hungry she'd been after her evening workout. It made for an oddly and unexpectedly wholesome seen. The soup warmed her belly... and, loath though she may have been to admit it, Karl's kindness started to warm her heart. Just a little bit. Even through the chilling effect of their soon-to-be goodbye.

And, as it turned out, "soon" was far too soon. Karl was right when he pointed out that her train would arrive soon. As she walked to the platform alongside the reporter, Louise considered the night's events. In her estimation, Karl was far from the creep that she'd made him out as when she kicked him in the groin. He was a lively man (though sometimes far too lively) who liked wrestling, writing, and hammerhead sharks. He was unexpectedly sharp, picking apart her personality yet never pushing his luck. And of course, there was something else they shared, something that would never fail to create sympathy between them.

She listened to Karl's words, appreciating his promise to write a solid intro article for her after her debut before shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she accepted the umbrella. Then his next words came, and they prompted a slow shake of her head.

"Not a has-been. Just... someone waiting for a second chance, yeah?" After a brief moment, she narrowed her eyes and fixed her lips into a soft yet challenging smirk. An expression that would be familiar to anyone who'd been a competitor for long enough. "Or, not waiting. More hunting for it, and willing to do whatever it takes to get there." It was a subtle admission of Louise's true motivation, even though she hardly lived up to that lofty goal herself. "Am I right?"

Then her train arrived, whipping a wind through the underground tunnel that sent her silver-and-red hair into a whirlwind. As the train pulled into the station, she wordlessly placed a reassuring hand on Karl's wrist. Not as intimate as a touch to the hand, but friendly and grateful nonetheless. Finally, when the subway finished braking and opened its doors, she nodded.

"Tot gauw, Karl. [Until next time, Karl.]"

And Louise stepped into the crowded train, disappearing into the throngs.