((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

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Connor's tendency to take life a little too seriously probably helped set him up for the mental fall he's taken. "I... have plenty of money, it's just in his name right now. I'm a missing person." He smiles very weakly, and rests his hands on the katana across his lap. "I know how to use the PINpoint to get where I've been with it, but not where I haven't. The manual is full of warnings and something about a dimension of shrimp." He shrugs. "But I've never charged a student. It's... that's just not how it works."

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"So a loan, then. Sounds like ya can pay me back when ya return." A sudden grin. "I might tack on an interest, though." Yes, she's obviously joking, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. "An' yeah. Beware o' the shrimp dimension. That's a freaky place."

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He looks a little surprised. "I wasn't... you don't have to do that..." Although if she doesn't, it gives him a continued excuse to put things off.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"Connor, I ain't lackin' money. I could afford ta send ya on a trip 'round the world, an' not even demand th' money back. Reason I ain't is outa principle." From the sound of things, he should have done this a long time ago, so let's get him on his way.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I can pay you back. I'd pay you back... I just hope the money you use is the same as on my world..." One hand dances over the carvings on the hilt of his katana. He's nervous about this, and fidgeting.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"I guess intergalactic credits wouldn't work, but it ain't a problem ta arrange fer US dollars or euros. Ya did say Paris, right?" No, it doesn't look like he's getting out of this.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"He's in Paris. The PINpoint keeps taking me back to my car, and it's... somewhere in Iowa." He's not really sure where, because he was just drifting when he drove there.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"Okay. So I'll lend ya enough ta get yerself cleaned up and ta get ya over there. You'll pay me back when ya got things straightened out and come back. Sound okay?" She's debating with herself to actually go through with her threat and make him if he refuses.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"...Cleaned up...?" He looks down at himself, threadbare and patched and in need of a shave, but clean. "I'm not that bad, am I? Anyway, I'm staying off the Nexus with... somebody. I can clean up there."

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"As in maybe expand yer wardrobe. An' maybe a trip to the barber. No offense, teach, but yer lookin' a bit worn 'round the edges, there." And really, no offense meant at all.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He shrugs, perfectly sanguine. "I feel worn around the edges. Duncan's seen me worse..." He runs a hand through his hair, though. Connor is the kind of man who walked around needing a shave, in jeans and a t-shirt, even when he was rich.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"If ya say so." This is not a point she'll bother to argue. "For th' trip, then?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

Duncan really has seen him worse, because five years ago Connor was such a mess he tried to make Duncan kill him. this is an improvement. "...Yeah. I guess... I might need a hotel or something..." He's half expecting his kinsman to turn him away, after all.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

Jelani doesn't think so, but it never hurts to be prepared. "Just get back to me when a know how much yer gonna be needin', an in what currency." She'll probably throw in some extra, just because. She'll be getting it back.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"...Okay. I'll have to go back there and price tickets. It'll be U.S. Dollars, though." That part he's sure of, but it's been a few years since he flew anywhere so he's not sure how expensive that is now.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason for her to add some extra cash. "Dollars is it. Anything else I can help ya with?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"...I don't know. It's... I wouldn't mind giving you more lessons, if you wanted that regularly?" Because he was enjoying that. He's not the most patient teacher, but she's a quick student, so it works.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

"I'd hardly mind that." She smiles brightly. She had been looking for a sparring partner, after all. And a teacher definitely trumps a sparring partner any day of the week. "Shall we continue, of d'ya wanna call it quits fer today?"

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

"I think I can go one more round, if you want to put things into practice. Sorry I'm out of shape." He's been fighting pretty regularly, up until he found the Nexus, he just hasn't been eating or sleeping much so his stamina was down.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

She just waves away that apology as she gets up. No need for it, really.

She stretches a bit, and then smoothly slides back into the stance Connor taught her. "Hey Connor?" For a moment she looks almost shy. "...thanks. Fer this. It does mean a lot." And then it's time to get serious again.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He gets up a little stiffly, and rolls his neck and shoulders with a few quiet popping noises. Her stretching gives him time to do the same, and he is getting just a little tired. He rolls into the stance again, though, ready and waiting.
"...You're welcome. It's important to find teachers..." It's been a long time since he had one, but they kept coming to ugly ends, and that was discouraging.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

She circles him, her movements calm and with a small smile playing on her lips. For a moment it seems like she's about to make an attack, but it never comes. This time she's waiting for him to make the first strike.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

He shifts, moving forward and back but playing defense, and when he does attack it's sudden and swift. The katana swings high in an arc, although he's still using the back of the blade, but as it moves in for the stroke his foot darts out in a kick at her ankle.

[jelani.livejournal.com]

Thank heavens for cat-like reflexes. She was about to block that strike, but instead threw herself to the side and forward to evade both strike and kick. She rolls over her shoulder and comes up in a crouch and as she does she slashes out, hoping to hit Connor low on his back. This leaves her a bit open, but she's ready for another evade, one that would get some more distance between them.

[1stmacleod.livejournal.com]

There's a flash of approval in his expression, and he whirls, her slash just brushing his back and side, then he's trying to throw her blade wide and press in again for another swing. His reflexes are slower than they used to be, but he's still very fast.