CK & KK Ficlets and Non-Ficlets

A Much Needed Stern Lecture

The humid San Fernando Valley air hung heavy and still, even as the California sun began its slow descent, casting long shadows across the meticulously manicured lawn of the LaRusso residence — a palpable tension crackled inside the dojo, usually a sanctuary of calm and focused energy. Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang students were arranged in a loose semi-circle, a silent, somewhat awkward standoff replacing their usual sparring and katas. The topic of discussion, or rather, the lack thereof, was the elephant in the room — the increasingly urgent necessity of merging their dojos to stand any chance against the resurgent Cobra Kai.

Sam LaRusso stood beside Miguel Diaz, their expressions mirroring the uncertain mood of their respective students. Robby Keene leaned against a support beam, his arms crossed, a familiar guardedness in his posture. Hawk paced restlessly, his Mohawk a vibrant splash of defiant color against the muted tones of the dojo. The air buzzed with unspoken anxieties, the recent attacks by Cobra Kai fresh in everyone's minds.

It was Annabelle "Annie" Marie Johnson, a whirlwind of controlled chaos even on the calmest days, who finally broke the strained silence. She'd been observing the standoff from the edge of the group, her azure eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, narrowed in thought. Her naturally curly dark brown hair, usually tied back in a ponytail, had escaped its confines, framing her face in a halo of untamed energy. She'd always been a force of nature. This trait initially clashed with the traditional serenity of Miyagi-Do, but over time, it became an appreciated and often needed spark within the dojo.

"Hey, pussycats!" Annie called, her voice slicing through the tense quiet. The effect was immediate. Every student in the dojo, Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do alike, froze mid-movement, turning as one to stare at her. Miguel, who had been shifting his weight from foot to foot, stopped abruptly. Hawk, mid-pace, planted his feet, his head cocked to the side in open bewilderment. Even Robby straightened up, his usual cool detachment momentarily forgotten.

Unfazed by the sudden spotlight, Annie stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the assembled group. Her following words, delivered with the casual air of someone commenting on the weather, landed like a verbal bombshell.

"You know what? This is exactly what those arseholes at Cobra Kai want." She paused for effect, letting the word 'arseholes' hang in the air, a deliberate and slightly theatrical emphasis. "Since you were one of 'em, you're an arsehole, too." She pointed a finger at Hawk, who blinked, momentarily thrown by the unexpected accusation wrapped in British slang. "So are you." This time, her finger landed on Robby, who raised an eyebrow but remained silent. "So were Demetri and I. Well, at least we wanted to be as such until we saw what Cobra Kai's really like." She glanced at Demetri, who stood beside her, his dark raven hair catching the light, his expression a mixture of confusion and dawning understanding.

Annie's pace quickened, her words tumbling out with a growing urgency. "But now, Cobra Kai is the worst collection of arseholes in the Valley, run by the King of all Arseholes." She punctuated this last pronouncement with a sharp nod. "So if merging with Eagle Fang — which I firmly believe to be quite the bad-arse name, by the way — can keep us all from getting ragged on anymore, then we'd all be arseholes not to do it!"

The room remained utterly silent. The shift from 'pussycats' to 'arseholes' to 'bad-arse' and 'ragged on' had left everyone reeling. It was a verbal rollercoaster, delivered with an almost unnerving calmness. Annie finished her impromptu speech with a shrug, her azure eyes still holding the collective gaze of the dojo.

"Pardon my usage of euphemisms with British English as my way of what I call ladylike swearing, but what the feck. You dig me?" She finished with a disarming smile, the tension in her shoulders visibly easing.

A ripple of exchanged glances went through the Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang students. They were, quite frankly, speechless. Answers, rebuttals, and counter-arguments evaporated in the face of Annie's unique persuasion. It was a speech unlike anything they'd ever heard, a confusing yet strangely compelling mix of insult, encouragement, and cultural quirk.