((For Jelani))

[1stmacleod]

After his last time in the Nexus, Connor's looking a little worse for wear again. After a brief respite, he's back to sleeping badly. Sometimes he dreams he can see a himself in happy family gatherings, but he's always standing outside the window, in the cold or worse. He usually wakes himself beating his fists against dream-glass.

He really doesn't have anywhere else to go, though, except here and back to his own world. So he lurks. He's found one of the edge places, where Nexus dissolves into a patch of wilderness. So he sits, and gives the crowds a brooding stare, watching from the outside yet again.

Comments

[jelani.livejournal.com]

She takes that pause to think, as well. Wondering just how much abuse the shinai can take before it breaks. Just how hard can she hit? Well then, let's find out.

She attacks again, with fast sweeps and strikes, each a bit harder than the last even as she tries her very best not to give Connor any openings. She does, of course. One can't expect her to be

that

good at her first lesson, even if she has previous fighting experience.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

If she's not going to hold back, neither will he, but he's out of shape and tired, so despite his best dodging and whirling, some of her blows do land. He does his best to ignore them, and every time he blocks the shinai it makes loud rattling sounds. He may get in a few bruising strikes of his own with the back of the katana blade, but he's mostly busy laying defense, until a parry sends splintering shards off the shinai and, because of the way his blade slides up it, some of those shards go at his face. Ow.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

Getting bruises is not something she's going to care at all about. They won't stay for more than a few seconds, anyway. But she does get a bit ticked off each time he lands a hit. Because a hit is a hit, and would have hurt a hell of a lot more if he'd had teh sword turned right.

But at least she's getting in hits of her own.

Then the shinai splinters with a loud crack, and she immediately draws back. "...y'alright?" She asks, worried that she might have made him angry now. She's not very worried about his health, with him being immortal and all, but pain is pain.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He backs off quickly, still a little wary because he's not sure if it's time to let his guard down or not. There's a few splinters in his hand and his face. "Ow." He grimaces, and plucks them out carefully, by feel. "I'm okay, but you're going to need a new shinai... Or maybe we'd better get you a blunt sword or something instead. It's not made to stand up to metal."

[jelani.livejournal.com]

She quickly takes the few strides needed up to Connor. "Lemme see." Not waiting for permission she places a firm hand on his jaw and starts taking out the remaining splinters. "Hold still." She's fairly relieved to see that the cuts left from the splinters heal as quickly on him as they would on her. "Yeah... Either two shinais, or a blunt sword. No need ta try ta take yer eyes out like this. ...sorry that I got carried away."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Aw, I'm fine." He grumbles, but bends down a little and holds still to let her pick out splinters, just because it's hard to get them by feel. As soon as each one is out, he heals almost instantly. Connor is far more annoyed at himself than he is at her. "They're really not made for that. I should have insisted you get two. Bad teacher." He sighs.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"Like hell," she mutters, taking out the last splinter she finds and proceeds to wipe off her fingers on her jeans. There were a few drops of blood that escaped, but she hardly seems squeamish about that. "This wasn't a planned session, was it? An' how was you ta know what I'd went and gotten."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor notices the gesture, but his own solution is to wipe his face with his sleeve. Men. Like that coat needed any more bloodstains. "Well next time either we both use shinai, or we both use blunt metal swords. Which is it?"

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"I dunno how similar th' weight an' balance is on a shinai to an actual sword. But I think I'd prefer metal ta bamboo." Which means more shopping for the halfbreed. Yay!

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor nods, because he's not afraid of her swinging a metal sword at him. "A training sword might not have as good a balance, but you hit hard." He grins just a little. "I'd rather not lose limbs."

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"Hey, neither would I. I don't think I could regrow 'em like my dad can. Ain't too keen on findin' out if I can help it. So... I'll just do some shoppin' before next time."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I don't think I can, either." This isn't something that gets tested much. Usually if an immortal loses a limb, they lose their head right after.
"You should try to get two, if you can. I should practice with an unfamiliar blade, anyway." He'll try to pay her back for that eventually, too. He's making her spend an awful lot on weapons, after all. Not that she seems to mind...

[jelani.livejournal.com]

Back when he was younger, she actually considered chopping off a toe just to see if the Czarnian blood in her is strong enough to regrow lost limbs. She reconsidered, though.

"I'll see what I can find." Now, if Connor knew just how much she used to spend in weapons, and about the arsenal she has at home, he'd probably realize just how little she minds spending money on a couple of practice swords. And sharp swords for that matter. The two she bought today will not be the last.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Losing a toe would impair her balance, anyway.

Connor used to have a decent collection, but the best of his belongings were lost forever when his home blew up. Now the katana is all he's got left, because he had it on him at the time, as he almost always does. He checks over the back of the blade now, showing more care for it than he did for his face. "You go looking for weapons, and we can practice again soon. Even tomorrow, if you want." He'd be happy to train every day, because he's used to that with his other students.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

She snaps to attention, clicking her heels together and salutes him. "Yes teach!" She quickly resumes her relaxed stance though, and grins. "Ya want light or heavy?" Personally she's thinking something light and slim, like the swords she got today.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Light, for us both." He looks sheepish, and switches the katana to his left hand so he can shake out his arm. "I don't think I'm as strong as I used to be."

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"Maybe ya should tag along on my daily routine." Still grinning she goes to get her bundled up swords, getting ready to leave for the day. "I'll whip ya inta shape in no time."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"Heh. An old man like me wouldn't be in the way?" He's curious, but he's not sure he's physically up to it. The katana is tucked away in his coat, which is all the preparation he's got. She's the one carrying an entire armoury.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

No, the armory is at home, in her basement.

"Naah, I'd prob'ly be harder on me than on you. Usual routine is morning run, weights an' beating up the ol' punchin' bag an hour or so after dinner, an' dance or some kinda tai chi-ish thing later in th' evenin'. An' acrobatics when I feel like it." Yes, she likes working out.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I've never been very good at dancing." He deadpans. At his peak, though, he's a dangerous man to go for a morning run with.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"I love it. Particularly when there's fire involved." There's a definite memory popping up in her head, and she can't help but to smile. And, there's even a hint of a blush there. "Plus, it's good fer coordination."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

One eyebrow rises. "...I'd dance around a lot too, if I was on fire." There's the faint hint of a smirk in his expression. "My coordination's fine, I'm just not a dancer." He's proven himself on the first part of that already.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

She'd smack him for that if she didn't have her hands full of swords. "Not

on

fire, dumbass.

With

fire." No, she's obviously not above calling her teacher a dumbass. She's grinning, though, so she can't be all that serious.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I'll take that out of you, next lesson." He grins back, and he'll probably have forgotten by then anyway. "And you picked me for a teacher, so what does that say about you? Anyway, how do you dance with fire?"

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"With style!" She winks, laughing. "An' watch it, or I might never show ya." Not like she's ever showed many. Only one. She's one of those who usually dances alone.