Accessory Wars

Chapter 64-Ki

            And this is why Jay can't have nice things.

Day three started off with a lull as we ate breakfast. There was no rush to get to the stadium since we didn't know anyone else fighting, aside from Mondue. Felisa and Kami messaged us they went ahead as they had a match they wanted to watch. I felt bad the girls weren't fighting. They worked so hard and they were doing so well. Although, looking at what would have been their next opponent, they would have likely lost anyway. Comparing their stats, the opponent was leagues ahead of the girls. Yet having to step out of a tournament seemed like a worse way to not proceed. If you lost, it was a loss. Stepping out was by your own choice and the choice came with the guilt attached.

With the numbers down to the top sixteen, the fights would be rapid fire moving forward. Day three could have been done in a couple hours but they padded it out by not filling some of the platforms. It allowed the fights to have more focus and allowed longer breaks for competitors between matches.

As expected, the stadium was much emptier than the previous two days. A little over half the seats were filled but the change in tone was noticeable. The roar of the crowd wasn't as strong and there was a definite lack of energy buzzing through their air. I didn't mind so much. Less stress on my mind. During the first round of the day, I only stepped out once. I was impressed by Jay's progression throughout the tournament. He grew more comfortable with the fighting with each passing day. If I hadn't needed to take breaks, I think he could have watched most of the tournament in his seat. It made me happy to see him growing braver. I hoped I could do the same.

During the second round of the day, I got to talk to Felisa and Megahn quite a bit. Megahn was excited to start college while Felisa was a little less enthused about the idea of returning to classes in the fall. I think the tournament life was starting to grow on her and the prospect of going back to cramped schedules didn't sound appealing. I knew the feeling well. Now that I'd been out of school for almost a year, I had to say I rather enjoyed my freedom to do as I wished.

Post round two, I went with Kami to get some falafel. Everyone was getting hungry so we offered to buy. As we waited in line, I noticed Kami frowning at her purse. I started checking the ground, thinking she couldn't find her wallet.

"Where did...I could have swore he was here," she muttered. She began pulling out various items and handing them to me. Checkbook. Eyeliner. An eye shadow pallet made up entirely of black, white and shades of grey. A book on potions and poultices. My initial thought of her lost wallet went out the window when she handed it over to me to add to her growing stack. It looked like a bat with the wings folded in around its body.

"What are you looking for?" I asked. She handed me another book and I started to wonder if she had a black hole in her purse.

Kami let out a huff. "Fuck. I lost him."

"Lost who?"

"Jay. I did return him to my bag yesterday, right?"

"As far as I remember. Did you leave him at the hotel?"

"No. At least I don't think so. I keep him right next to you." She showed me the inside of her bag where she had sewn in tiny pockets to hold her little dolls. They were all around three inches so they didn't take up too much space. All of the crew was there: Trever, Kaylee, Mysti, Reagan, myself, and Derek. On the opposite side sat Felisa, Jas and Penny. Jay's space sat open between Derek and myself.

"Maybe he got knocked out when we went out to eat last night. The restaurant was pretty dark." Kami pouted and began to refill her bag with her belongings. "Let's ask Megahn. Maybe she was looking at it and forgot to give it back."