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Karp stood under a blazing desert sun wearing full practice gear. She circled an imagined Korg who matched her step for step, poised to counter any attack. Karp lifted her staff for an overhead strike and pictured The Whitecoat dodging toward her lead foot. She feinted the strike, pivoted, and brought the staff down to protect the back of her leg. Karp spent two weeks training in this manner.

She was running low on patience and was anxious to return and finish the match with Korg for real. Karp returned to her storehouse, closed the door, and sealed it shut. She brushed the sand off her chainmail with a flick of her hand and picked up the drawing lying on the table.

One of the clay jars next to the large table contained dirt, and Karp used the soil to perfectly recreate every smudge on her armor from two weeks ago. She pressed clumped dirt into her knee, and smeared dust lightly on her chest. She headed to an open area and meticulously recreated her pose, not only remembering the positions but remembering the feel of her body. When she felt everything was correct, the world cracked and swirled around her, and she shifted back to the training ground. 

Karp rose and adjusted the staff in her hands for an overhead strike. She turned to face Korg, but his livid expression froze her movements. 

˝I told you not to go back!”

Korg struck Karp in the stomach much harder, presumably, than he expected, and she popped off the end of his staff as he followed through his strike. Karp felt one of her ribs crack. Korg dropped his staff, rushed over to Karp, and fell to his knees to check if she was alright. Karp swung her staff as hard as she could muster, despite lying injured on the ground. She then cracked The Whitecoat across his helm, and he reeled and ended up lying a few feet away. He groaned but also laughed a little. For a few minutes, they laid quietly. 

˝how did you know?”

˝I didn't know for sure at first, but you went from barely standing to rising with purpose and determination. When you turned around and I saw that smudge on your chest, I knew. There was no smudge when I was facing you, and you didn't hit your chest when I buckled your knee.” 

the cabinet door. i was too tired to account for it.

˝You promised me that you wouldn't go back without my permission.”

˝i need to go back to make a purchase at the store.”

Karp watched Korg chew on his lower lip as though he contemplated throwing her out of the compound because of her audacity, but she thought he knew that without returning to the Shift World, she would be effectively cut off from everything she owned.

˝Fine. But if you disobey me again, you'll be out on the street!”