The Shadow of South Carolina (True Grave & The Unusual Panda)

[The Unusual Panda]

"I'm usually up around 4am to get things started, but you don't have to be up until about 4:45 or so. "
She said with a smile, slowly moving over to the bed and sitting down on the edge of it gently. Her father wouldn't be back from the bar for several hours, as he normally liked to tally up the nights earnings whenever there was a fight. She looked around the room slowly, small, slender fingers running over the fabric of the bedspread before she finally stood up.

"Well, I'll let you get settled in. If you need anything, my room is right there."
Wynter smiled, slowly walking out of his bedroom and into her own room. Once she was inside, she shut the door slightly and changed out of her bar uniform. She then got into a slightly loose white t-shirt and sat on her bed, laying back against the bed as she sighed sweetly.

 

[True Grave]

Brandon nodded as Wynter left his room.
"Yeah, I'll let you know if I need anything."
He shut the door and removed his shoes. With some time on his hands, he ran through a few kata, a series of martial arts movements performed in sequence. As a high-ranking black belt, his technique had to be almost flawless. Lucius Kane, who was running the Fang Dojo for his father while he was away, would get on his case if he didn't.

When he was done with his kata, he checked his watch to see that it was almost nine.
"Oh, yeah! Dad's fight was tonight."
He left his room and hurried downstairs, turning on the TV and finding the Pay-per-view channels. He ordered the latest UFC event, where his dad would be defending his UFC Heavyweight title from the latest contender. He watched a few under-card and main card events before it finally got to the main event.

His father, Thomas "The Fang" Price, was just entering the ring with Roger. The contender was soon in the ring, and Bruce Buffer gave the usual introductions. After that, the fight was on. The contender was okay, but he would be no match for striking against a veteran of Karate Masters tournaments. His attempts to take his father to the ground were thwarted, and within the first round, his father landed a ridge hand to the neck to stun him before knocking him out with rising kick under the chin. With his opponent knocked clean out, his father was declared the victor and still the UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world.

Brandon pumped his fist.
"Way to go, dad. Your technique was flawless, as always."
Brandon turned to the table and wrote out a little note explaining that he had ordered the event, and plunked down the cash so that they could deposit it in the bank. He had plenty of money, and always wanted to pay his dues. After the event was over, he went upstairs and got into bed, falling asleep.

 

[The Unusual Panda]

Wynter was up quite early the next morning at around 3:45, and after she had showered, she pulled her hair back tightly and got dressed. She was wearing a pair of jeans that had dirt stains on them, as well as a short sleeved shirt that had seen better days. She still managed to look incredible, though. She made breakfast for everyone, setting several large plates containing eggs, bacon, grits, and fruit onto the table. Then, she headed upstairs, knocking on Brandon's door softly before pushing it open gently. It was just about 4:40 or so.

"Hey, food's ready if your hungry."
She said, her voice perfectly soft and angelic before she hurried out of his doorway. Heading back downstairs, she sat down at her spot, making herself a plate full of food before slowly starting to eat it. Her father didn't usually eat with her, since he normally got up quite a bit later than she did.

 

[True Grave]

Brandon stirred slightly as his door was opened and Wynter came in. Her soft voice was soothing to his ears, though the thought of getting out of bed before the sun was up was still unappealing. Even so, he had promised to earn his keep, and Brandon did his best to never go back on his promises. So, he threw off the warm covers and got out of bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He opened his door and went downstairs, smelling a hot breakfast. He was not hungry, but knew he needed to eat to get energy for the day, so he was resolved to eat a hearty breakfast, even if he had to force himself to.

He came into the kitchen and gently smiled at her.
"Good morning, Wynter."
He grabbed one of each type of food and began to eat. It was really good, and before he knew it, he was hungry and eating well. He got himself a cup of coffee and added some milk, creamer, and sugar to it, so that he could get a jump start on waking up. He was more a tea or soda guy, but coffee was more appropriate for this time of day.

Brandon finished his coffee and breakfast while making polite conversation with Wynter. When he was finished, he got up and rinsed the plate off before setting it in the sink. When Wynter was finished eating, the sun had barely come up over the horizon, and the sky was tinged a dark blue.
"Well, I guess it's time to get to work. What should I start doing?"
He was glad he was still wearing his hoody but had switched from track pants to jeans, as it was still a bit cold outside and wouldn't warm up until late morning or early afternoon.