Tales from the rails

The Karate Tournament

"'HYAH!' 'AUGH!' Two kids. One leaves a win and the other a loser. Enter your dojo today." The tv said as Jake watched. He ate his cereal as he watched, it was very late in the morning. "Hah, hoof, hoof, OH!" DD hit the deck as Delilah's fist connected to his chest. "You okay?" Asked Delilah as she lended him a hand. "Yeah, yeah." He took it and she helped him up. "What do you guys think the dojo name should be?" Asked Jake as he walked outside. "Something to do with the railway?" Said DD as the two began to spar again. "What about, 'Rail Karate'?" Delilah suggested as she blocked a hit. "I guess that works. Alright, thanks guys." Jake went back inside and dialed a number on his phone. "Yeah hi, I'm looking to register my dojo." He said. "Yeah, it's Rail Karate. R-A-I-L Karate. Alright. Yeah I'll send the logo. Goodbye." He hung up and went outside. "Hey, you guys, I need help designing a logo!" Jake said, Delilah hit the ground on her back. DD gave her a hand and helped her up. "What's up?" Asked Delilah as the two left the sparring deck. "I need help designing a logo, so take a break from pummeling each other and we'll design something." "Okay. Give me some pencils, and you guys feed me concepts." DD said as the two walked inside, rubbing their feet on the mat and going to sit down. "Alright, so, firstly, we need a circle." DD said as he was given a pencil, a few papers, and a box of markers. "We need one of the D&D railway engines in the background." Said Jake. "Wait, how should the name for the logo look?" Asked DD. "Maybe bubble letters, like this?" Asked Delilah, she took a paper and a pencil and drew out the bubble letters. She showed the other two and DD nodded and began to copy down the style the letters were written in. "I like it." Said Jake. The three kept coming up with ideas. Finally, they settled a on design with Jeff's silhouette outlined in blue with a black background, the letters were white, also lined with blue. And tracks going down from under the words. "We did it you guys, now I'm going to make a copy of this and then I'll send them the copy." Jake said, he went over to a little printer that also functioned as a copying machine. A few papers came out and Jake walked back into the kitchen. "Oh, by the way after school starting tomorrow, you two have to come by every day for at least 20 minutes, the tournament starts in two weeks, alright." "Yes sensei!" The two said. Jake dismissed his students for the day and went to the gym where the tournament was going to be held.

Jake made it to the office of the gym. The sun was beginning to set in the distance. A man was there, waiting for him. "You made it! Just in time too." He said, shaking Jake's free hand. "Yeah, I have the logo for the dojo." Jake said, holding up one of the printed logos. "Right, we're going to send these to Extreme Designs. Then we're going to mail you the gi's when they're ready. Oh, uh, how many students do you have?" "Two. A boy and a girl." "Right, okay. How tall are they?" "The girl is 6' while the boy is 5'7"." "Okay, alrighty then. We'll have the gi's ready and set to you in at least a week." "Alright, thanks. Oh, by the way do you have a rule book? I need one." "Yes sir, here you go." "Alright, thank you." Said Jake, and he went back home. The next day was DD's first day back from the hospital, and Mr. L greeted him and Delilah warmly at the entrance. "Ah, DD, Delilah! Good morning! How are you two this morning?" He asked with a great big smile. "Good sir." "Very good sir." The two answered as they walked towards the entrance. He gave them each a fist bump and the two continued on. They walked in to see a big banner that ready: "WELCOME BACK DD!" Some students waved to him and all asked how he was doing. "Oh, I'm fine!" DD said as he and Delilah walked on. That was when Mia came upon them. "Oh my goodness, DD! How are you my sweet?" She said, she went in for a hug and was trying to kiss him. "Beg pardon?!" DD yelled as he pushed her off. "Don't you remember? I'm your girlfriend!" Mia shouted, several heads turned. "Uh, do you think I lost my memory?" He asked, standing up straight as Mia backed up. "Oh... I told him that prank wouldn't work!" She mumbled as she walked away. Then Rhys and Emma came up to them. "What was that all about?" Asked Emma as she watched a furious Mia walk away, embarrassed out of her mind. "Mia trying to make a fool of me. She mumbled something about a prank." "She's a lost cause at this point." Said Delilah as the four kept walking. "Aye, I wonder why she would do that to someone who just got back from the hospital. And plus, what if DD did have amnesia?" Rhys added. The four then split off and headed off to their classes.