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Post by Conor Sullivan on Mar 20, 2014 19:25:48 GMT -5
"Fourty-eight..."
The weight room was huge - it was the first thing Conor had checked out when he had the first bit of free time after starting at Shibusen. His class work had been light so far, and he was easily navigating the school. Weight machines were no strangers to him, and it took him only a week to settle into a schedule of occupying the north corner dumbbell section in the evenings. The weight room was right next to the NOT Dance Studio, so it was easy to go to classes and then wander over to do some reps.
He hadn't brought Daisy today. To be honest, he was nervous about having her in the weight room. At home was one thing, but when other students were trying to work on their strength...yeah, probably not a good idea.
"Fourty nine..."
He was alone today, as evidenced by the quiet. It didn't bother Conor much, or it didn't usually. Today, he'd wanted to do lifts, but without someone to spot him, he was hesitant to go for it himself.
So he'd stuck to dumbbells, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups. The easy stuff.
Was he overcompesnating for being blind by trying to be stronger? Yeah. Conor was starting to worry. He was new, but what Demon Weapon would want to partner with a blind Meister? He'd made a promise to himself upon starting at Shibusen, and since then he'd worked twice as hard. Ran twice as many laps, did all the extra credit he could. He wasn't about to fall behind just because his vision was permanently foggy. He was going to find a weapon partner, and he was going to get them to DeathScythe.
"Fifty!"
Maybe I'll take Daisy on a jog later, he thought, putting the ten-pound dumbbells back on the rack and picking up the five-pound ones. He sighed, and put the dumbbells back on the rack. His heart wasn't really in it today.
Or maybe it was just the stupid thermostat. He had no idea where it was, but he was ready to tear apart the place looking for it, because it seemed to be stuck on 100 degrees F. Conor had already pulled off his sweatshirt and actual shirt. He felt kind of stupid working out shirtless, but there was nobody in the room, and his clothing was already soaked with sweat - and not from exertion. He had planned on asking someone to turn it down, or at least open a door to get a breeze in, but nobody had walked in for the last three hours.
Grumbling a little, Conor felt his way over to the pull-up bar and, checking his handwraps, felt the bar and jumped up, pulling himself away from the ground easily.
He may not have been able to look in a mirror, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate having a six-pack.
There was a sudden blast of cold air, and Conor dropped down from the bar in surprise.
Someone had opened the door!
He turned toward the entrance and raised his hand, waving slightly to get whoever-it-was's attention. "Hey, can you lower the thermostat?" He called. "It's stupidly hot in here. ...or maybe it's just me," he muttered to himself, making a mental note to call Dante and tell him his genius joke. He grinned. "But yeah, if you could look around," he added, louder so the newcomer could hear him. "I'd appreciate it!"
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Post by Jin-Eun Song on Mar 20, 2014 20:05:02 GMT -5
To say that Jin-Eun was out of shape wasn’t exactly true. Being an idol was hard work, and building up a physique that was aesthetically pleasing was part of the territory. It also made keeping up with the dancing easier, but he wasn’t exactly doing that anymore. He knew he was falling behind and that this was something that could potentially hurt his progress in the future at Shibusen. Jin-Eun wasn’t usually one for weight training, but it was better than flitting around aimlessly during downtime. It took him a few passes to actually work up the courage to go. This was Shibusen after all, and he was a NOT student. He’d already caught glimpses of students doubtlessly higher in rank than him that he could tell were most definitely stronger and could likely knock him into next week just by bumping into him. It didn’t help that it was getting awfully hard not to stare too noticeably long. But no, today was the day. Jin-Eun had managed to figure out that the dance studio that the NOT students tended to gather in did have an offshoot to a weight room. He waiting until he figured it would be mostly empty and wandered through. The first thing that hit him was the heat. Jin-Eun vaguely wondered if it was warm enough in the room to make him sweat his eyeliner off, but that thought went flying out the window and kept on right into space when he noticed the room’s current occupant. Well. Focusing on training suddenly seemed a whole lot harder. Jin-Eun knew full well that he was staring far too intently. He only became able to drag his eyes up to the boy’s face when he greeted him with a wave. Cursing the heat in the room for tinting his cheeks pink so easily, he returned the gesture and managed to keep his cool, his voice keeping its usual calm tone, “Hello! Sorry if I startled you at all.”The thermostat? He didn’t quite catch whatever the boy mumbled; he only hoped he hadn’t noticed his staring. Jin-Eun was usually better about it, meaning he didn’t, but that time he’d been taken by surprise, damn it! Tilting his head, the Weapon glanced around, wondering vaguely why the other boy didn’t look for it himself. Except them he glanced back at him and saw why. His eyes. Jin-Eun was staring again, but this time it was the mortician in him. Eyes, seemingly blue from where he stood, but beyond that the cataracts were obvious. He’d seen them before, though generally from other causes given he dealt with corpses, but he did know of several living causes as well. Given their severity he doubted they were recent. He wondered how well the boy could actually see but held his tongue. They’d only just met; it was none of his business. Curiosity killed a lot of cats. Silently shutting the door behind him, Jin-Eun trailed along the outer walls of the room, looking them up and down, “I can try. Um let’s see…내가 온도 조절한다면, 어디에서 있을까?”He said the last more to himself in a mumble. As Jin-Eun kept his eyes peeled, his Siren Soul took in its surrounding and noted the other soul present. It took affect near instantly, calling out to the other’s in an attempt to lure it nearer, though its owner was oblivious to its existence. Jin-Eun stepped delicately over the runs of floor equipment before his eyes landed on a familiar box mounted on the wall. Scanning the temperature, no wonder it was so hot! Shaking his head, he lowered it from eighty down to sixty-five. They were in Nevada, was that really necessary? They could kill someone from heat stroke! Jin-Eun nodded to himself in approval and turned to call over his shoulder to the other boy in the room. “That should do it,” he declared gently, “I can’t imagine why they had it up so high. If they wanted heat, all they had to do is walk outside.”
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Post by Conor Sullivan on Mar 20, 2014 20:34:58 GMT -5
Another boy had walked in, from the sound of his voice. Or, at least, that's how it seemed. If that wasn't so, Conor'd learn soon enough.
He raised his arms over his head and stretched, but he didn't have long to wait. The heaters stopped rattling almost instantly. It would be a while before the room cooled off, but at least the hot air wasn't on his neck anymore.
"Right?" He agreed. "Waaaay too hot to exercise in." Conor said, beaming. "I'd have looked for it myself, but..." he pointed at his eyes. "These things don't work so good." He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling nervous about it. You're never gonna get a weapon partner if you keep telling people you're blind, he thought. Shrugging the thought away, he gathered up his stuff and tucked it under his arm, stooping to grab his water bottle and take a swig. "Anyways, pull-up bar is free."
The hardest part was navigating through the machines and equipment, but Conor took it slow, and in a few moments he was standing roughly where he thought the other kid was. The figure was blurry, but he could tell they were at least standing face to face. He hoped.
"Thanks for that. I owe you one!" Conor said, putting his stuff down on the bench behind him and patting the kid on the shoulder, intensely delighted when it felt like a shoulder. He'd missed before, his hand going too far to the side and patting down on air. It had been embarrassing at the time, and Conor disliked reliving that. "So, you here to do weights or the treadmill or dead-lifting...?" He trailed off, looking at the other guy expectantly. He wasn't sure why, but he felt - drawn? If that was the right word - to this kid. Something about him was intriguing, and he was reluctant to ignore him like he usually did when other people walked in the weight room. He had kind of- well, something. Conor liked talking to him.
Well, now was as good a time as any to make friends.
"Oh, right. I'm Conor! Nice to meet you." He said, smiling, his cheeks dimpling slightly when he grinned. "Are you NOT too?"
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Post by Jin-Eun Song on Mar 20, 2014 21:20:21 GMT -5
Jin-Eun turned to fully face the other as he replied. His suspicions about the other’s eyes were confirmed. He seemed nervous, embarrassed maybe? Understandable. Jin-Eun could imagine all too easily how someone may be picked on for being unable to see. Granted it was he himself that had been targeted more for what he liked to see, but that was different. Chasing away any negativity before it weight down his thoughts, Jin-Eun laughed airily at the boy’s comment about the pull-up bar. “Thank you, but I’m afraid I’ve never good at those,” he stated softly.
He watched the blind boy maneuver his way over closely, impressed at how he managed. Jin-Eun inferred that he’d been right earlier in his assumptions. To be that well-coordinated, his lack of eye sight had to be old news. Still, it was interesting. It wasn’t something Jin-Eun encountered every day, but things that fell into that category tended to be a bit more stationary. Also, dead. At least most of the time. Apparently his dad heard a story from his grandfather about a story where a body was brought in that wasn’t actually deceased and just comatose, but he could wonder about how that got overlooked later. For the moment, Jin-Eun was doing his best to keep his eyes on the other boy’s lovely blue ones.
Jin-Eun made to shake his head before realizing there was no way for the other to see it. Regardless, his expression was calm and his words were gentle, “It was nothing.” He ignored the way his heart jumped when the blind boy’s hand patted his shoulder and was suddenly very thankful that the other would not be able to distinguish how red his face flushed. Don’t. You just met him, Jin-Eun thought, don’t. Focusing instead on the question he’d been asked, the former idol made a soft sound of contemplation before answering, “Well I did come here to work on weight training, but I may be better suited for the treadmill. I’m more stamina than strength, to be honest.”
That much was definitely true. He was strong enough to help drag bodies onto slabs and dress them for funerals, but he probably couldn’t bench much more than his own weight. Ask him to run, however, and he could probably keep going for quite a while before he wore himself out. As the other introduced himself, Jin-Eun immediately returned the adorable grin in front of him with a more jovial version of his usual serene smile, “My name is Jin-Eun. It’s a pleasure.”
A bit of an accent slipped into his pronunciation as he introduced himself. He’d known English for years, but it still slipping back in during introductions or when he addressed his sibling. He didn’t really notice, but then it didn’t really bother him. It would have taken physical effort to cease smiling, so Jin-Eun decided to just keep on with it. He couldn’t help it. Here he’d only seen the grin on Conor’s face once and already it was infectious. Don’t. Jin-Eun shifted his weight onto the other foot and realized there’d been another question attached to the name exchange and for a moment became bashful when he realized he’d been staring again and forgotten. “Oh yeah, I’m in the NOT class too. A Weapon, if you’re curious. A dangpa to be specific.”
Rambling. This wasn’t good at all. Jin-Eun managed to shut his mouth and waited for a response. If the other was in the NOT class too, he wondered vaguely if the other happened to be a Weapon like him, or if he’d just run into a Meister by chance. If the latter turned out to be true, Jin-Eun would need to think a bit harder about Conor besides the fact that he apparently couldn’t take his eyes off him.
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Post by Conor Sullivan on Apr 3, 2014 13:12:59 GMT -5
Conor just shrugged lazily. "Both stamina and strength are important! Stamina maybe more so, in our line of work. School." He frowned a little, thinking, but grinned and shrugged again. "Either way, I've been working on stamina a little myself. I'm not the best at it." He rubbed at his neck absentmindedly.
Jin-Eun. Conor said it in his mind several times, turning it over to make sure he didn't forget it. "Jin-Eun! I like it. Nice to meet you." Conor had no idea what Jin-Eun's native language was, but he could detect the accent in his voice and wondered what he spoke. Conor spoke another language himself - his father was Brazilian, and his English was passable but not very good, so he was often overheard speaking rapid Portugese at home. Conor loved listening to it.
He liked listening to Jin-Eun, too.
"Hey! Fellow NOT buddy!" Conor was delighted. "I guess that means we'll have some classes together! Although...I'm a meister, so maybe not. I still have no idea how the class system works here." He crossed his arms and sighed. "But being a weapon must be fun! I'd rather be one. It seems like it'd be a lot easier," he said, a sad look passing over his face, but disappearing quickly and being replaced with an easy smile. "I've never heard of a dangpa before, though! What kind of weapon is that?"
Conor felt around for his shirt as he waited for an answer, feeling for the tag and pulling it on the right way the first time. The room was cooling down, thankfully, but that meant a cold breeze was present, and although it felt good at first, it was starting to get slightly chilly. His shirt on, Conor began stretching his arms, pulling his right arm over his chest and holding it in the stretch with his other arm.
He wondered if Jin-Eun had a partner already. Why would he choose a blind kid like you? Conor berated himself. Your eyesight is crap, you can barely see an inch in front of your face, and you can't even run over two miles without getting too tired. Not exactly partner material, he thought gloomily. Don't get too excited. You'll only be disappointed later.
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Post by Jin-Eun Song on Apr 6, 2014 18:12:58 GMT -5
Conor had a point. That being said, though, Jin-Eun felt like he definitely needed to work on the strength bit of the whole student-attending-Shibusen equation. Stamina he could do considering he’d gone through practice after practice and then of course being able to perform on stage without tiring easily, but he imagined that was different. Forget fighting Kishin Eggs, Jin-Eun hadn’t even ever been in a fight with another human being, not that he hadn’t come close just before his family moved to Death City. Steering his thoughts away from that immediately, he latched on to Conor’s words and tilted his head at the remark about himself, “Really? Could’ve fooled me.” Conor was built better than anyone Jin-Eun had ever met before. He had a hard time picturing someone with so much muscle being unable to keep up.
The Korean made a small sound of recognition. He was glad Conor liked his name, granted he liked his too. It was easy to remember, and the r wasn’t in a position where it would give him trouble with pronunciation, not that he had much anymore. Even so, it was something to think about. Jin-Eun sure hoped they would have at least a few classes together. Jin-Eun nodded at what the blind boy said before realizing he probably couldn’t see him. He still couldn’t quite get the serene smile off his face. “I imagine we’ll have some classes together”, he agreed, “after all there are some aspects that Weapons and Meisters both will have to be aware of, I imagine.” He shifted his weight onto the other foot and tucked his hands into his pockets, “Meisters do seem to have more work involved. It is you guys doing most of the fighting, after all.”
Jin-Eun wasn’t surprised that Conor didn’t know what his Weapon form was. How to describe it though was the issue. Anything vague wouldn’t really do all things considered. Jin-Eun tilted his head back to observe the ceiling as he thought to himself. “What kind of Weapon is a dangpa…,” he wondered aloud quietly. After a moment’s thought, he turned hazel-green eyes back on Conor and did his best. “Well, it’s a more traditional form of Korean spear, granted the top makes it seem more like a trident I suppose. The pointy end has three metal prongs like one, certainly. There’s a few variations in length, but my Weapon form’s around seven feet long and wooden, at least the part that you hold is. Oh, and there’s this weighted tassel up near the pointy end where metal meets wood.”
Was that good enough? Jin-Eun hoped so, though he could probably manage to embellish if need be, song writer that he was. Wait a minute, there is another way, he thought. It was a bit of a jump for just having met Conor but…why not? It seemed like a vaguely better option after all. Shuffling his feet just enough to appear timid, Jin-Eun spoke a bit quieter than he had a first, clearly a might nervous of getting shot down, “Granted if you like, I could always transform and you can feel for yourself. I’m unpartnered so I don’t really mind, but…”
But what? Jin-Eun let the sentence hang like that, not really sure where he was going with it in the first place. As he said it, he began wondering. He didn’t know if Conor was unpartnered or not, but even so he couldn’t imagine there were many Weapons that would suit a blind Meister. What’s more, would he? Jin-Eun had no idea, but if Conor happened to be unpartnered, he did have something to think about. Could he handle a blind Meister? His Siren Soul certainly thought so, still tugging at the other soul in the room, calling to them.
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Post by Conor Sullivan on May 3, 2014 16:15:49 GMT -5
"Ah, well." Conor just shrugged. "You know, you can't be good at everything." He grinned. "I'm so slow, it's impressive! But I can do curls with the ten pound weights easy, so there's that," he added, bragging only a little bit. It wasn't even that good of a brag - most kids at Shibusen could bench their own weight.
At Jin-Eun's next words, Conor sighed a little and crossed his arms. "Don't remind me," he mumbled. The idea of having the brunt of the work on his shoulders worried him. It was why he spent so much time working out, training, going to karate practice - if someone was going to depend on him in the field, he was going to make damn sure he could be reliable. He shook himself out of his doldrums quickly. A negative attitude wasn't gonna help anyone. Focus on what Jin-Eun was saying about weapons. Focus on getting a partner first.
Conor listened, and his brow furrowed. From Jin-Eun's description, it sounded like he was describing a giant fork - three prongs, metal, with a wooden handle. "I think I see what you mean," he said, slowly, "but I'd have to get my hands on it to get a better picture."
He paused.
"Wait, hold on. I think the dance studio is free, actually. Let's go in there. More room." He felt around for his bag - the dark smear towards the bottom of the lighter smear of the bench - and stuffed everything inside, pulling the drawstring closed with practiced hands. "Let's head over there right now! I mean, can't hurt," he said, trying to mask his excitement. Jin-Eun had sounded slightly hesitant before, so maybe he should cool it.
Conor had never used a Demon Weapon before, and fighting with one - even in a short practice - was making him jumpy in anticipation. He'd heard stories from his parents, and he'd been looking forward to this day for a long time. It was all he could do not to run out of the room, and he forced himself to walk slowly so he didn't bash his shins into something he couldn't see. Every so often, he'd look back to make sure the blurry person he figured was Jin-Eun was following him, raising his arm in a "hey, let's go!" gesture. He did jog down the hall, but he returned quickly, slouching back in absolutely unashamed confusion.
"Actually, I don't know what room the dance studio is in," he said sheepishly. "Uh, do you mind...?" He shoved his hands into his pockets, turning pink. "I got a little ahead of myself. 'M gonna need your eyes," he added, a bashful grin lighting up his face.
Good first impression, kid, he berated himself. Get too excited, and you're gonna run into a wall. Again.
He wasn't exactly sure why he was so focused on this kid in particular, but there was something about him that Conor was finding himself pulled toward. Maybe it was because he offered to transform for Conor so he could see what it looked like in his own way. Nobody had ever done that for him before. To be fair, he hadn't met many Demon Weapons before. As they walked toward the dance room, Conor wondered what it could be that made him so fixated, but pushed it out of his mind. Who cared why? Jin-Eun was nice, even offering to transform so he could "see" -
With a start, Conor realized Jin-Eun hadn't ever drawn attention to the fact he was blind. He'd just taken it in stride. Accommodated for it instantly.
You trained with staffs in karate, he thought. If this pans out, you could have a shot at a Weapon partner. A really nice one. The thought made him grin.
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Post by Jin-Eun Song on May 3, 2014 17:57:32 GMT -5
Conor had a point; the dance studio was indeed free. Jin-Eun was more surprised that he’d gone for the offer right off the bat. The former musician had expected a touch more hesitance given the circumstances, but perhaps they were both hopeful in that regard. Partners were hard enough to find counting in wavelength and being in the NOT class. He imagined Conor’s blindness probably contributed to making finding a partner difficult, and for a moment he wondered if a dangpa would even be a good Weapon for him. But that wasn’t for him to decide.
With that, Jin-Eun let himself continue to be hopeful. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say, or at least that’s how the saying went if he was remembering correctly. As the other boy felt for and retrieved his bag, Jin-Eun let him lead, though with a rather skeptic look on his face. His eyebrows arched a bit, but he said nothing, trailing along slowly behind Conor.
Jin-Eun smiled when the pale kid doubled back and admitted that he really didn’t know where he was going. So now he’s bashful? He didn’t question it. Given how confident he’d started out as only made him wonder more about how his sight really was. He had no doubt that it had to be quite obstructed, but perhaps not completely. Granted it was still all conjecture, and he would think it rude to ask outright. If he wants me to know specifics, he’ll tell me himself, Jin-Eun decided.
The future mortician spoke with a calm and even voice. “If you need my eyes, I’m happy to lend them,” he said lightly, stepping closer to the blind youth and lifting one of his hands, “it’s just over here.” Jin-Eun let the palm of his hand rest delicately on Conor’s shoulder and walked with him rather than ahead of him, still not knowing whether he would actually be able to track his movements or not. Habit would have rathered he simply take Conor’s hand, but he knew that most people in the US weren’t nearly as touchy as his friends back in Seoul. Well, the few he had left anyways.
Jin-Eun blocked any negativity from his mind with ease and moved them onwards into the dance studio, the polished floors gleaming. It reminded him of his idol days, practicing day and night for video shoots, concert routines, the works. A small pang of nostalgia hit him square in the chest, but he let it pass. Now was not the time. He slowed to a stop in the middle of the room. “Here we are,” he added, just in case. He let his hand drop from Conor’s shoulder and pretended his stomach didn’t flip in protest. When Jin-Eun glanced at Conor again, though, the grin on his face made a smile appear on his near instantly. Please let this work out, he hoped silently, just this once, let me not screw this up somehow.
Stepping away only slightly, Jin-Eun focused on the matter at hand. This could be a big thing, getting a Weapon partner. He’d be on his way to the One star class. He’d have a new friend. The last thought especially kept a hopeful look on his face. Jin-Eun barely moved and then stopped, remembering Conor couldn’t actually see him, or at least not hat well. “Right. Well um, do you mind if I take your hands?” Jin-Eun held his at his hips, not really reaching for Conor but ready to. “That way when I transform you’ll be holding me,” he clarified quickly. Jin-Eun made a point to ignore the vague blush he could feel making his cheeks burn and waited for Conor to respond.
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Post by Conor Sullivan on Sept 14, 2014 23:18:28 GMT -5
"Oh, here," Conor said, feeling Jin-Eun put his hand on his shoulder. "It'll be a little easier if I-" he started, but stopped himself, giving Jin-Eun a good-natured grin instead. "Never mind. Lead on!"
The walk to the dance studio wasn't very long, but Conor appreciated Jin-Eun's help all the same. It felt strange walking without Daisy, but Jin-Eun was steady and walked with confidence, gently steering Conor in the right direction. Conor usually put his hand on the other person's shoulder, if only because it was easier to lead the blind kid around that way, and wondered if he should have spoken up about it. Conor mentally shrugged. It's not that big of a deal. I'll just have to trust he doesn't walk me into a pole or something.
They made the trip without any incident, though. When Jin-Eun announced that they had made it to the studio, he didn't let go until they had walked a little ways into the room. After feeling Jin-Eun remove his hand, Conor slid his arms through the backpack he wore and let it fall down near his feet. He kicked it behind him as he looked around the room as best he could, scratching at his shoulder and disliking the sudden coldness left in the absence of Jin-Eun's touch.
The dance studio was wide and open and bright, something Conor appreciated. He could make out Jin-Eun standing in front of him, but the rest of the room was blurry and he could barely see the door they had walked through. Not that it mattered - all he needed to focus on was the guy in front of him.
He felt a pool of excitement grow in his stomach. Conor took a deep breath and tried to push it down, tried not to let on how much he hoped this would work out.
"Hands? Oh, yeah, sure." Unfazed, Conor held out his hands, waiting for Jin-Eun to take them. It never bothered him when people asked him that. Even Jin-Eun's hasty explanation wasn't really necessary - Conor was used to his mother asking for his hands and placing them over his laundry piles to take to his room, or other students at his old school helping him find the right book out of a pile. Conor relied on his hands and other people telling him where to put them, and he wondered for a moment if that was off-putting.
Conor never really thought of his blindness as awkward or a setback, but in this moment a white hot rod of fear shot down his spine, even though he swallowed and tried to tell himself that it was all in his head. Jin-Eun had been kind enough to lead him to the dance studio, so why would partnering with him be any special circumstance?
At least, that's what Conor wanted to think.
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Post by Jin-Eun Song on Nov 13, 2014 16:15:09 GMT -5
Well, this is it. With Conor still in total agreement and having given Jin-Eun the go-ahead, there was only one thing left to do. Jin-Eun, in all truth, had hardly entered his full Weapon form at all since he discovered he had inherited his father’s blood. Of course he had been taught, but up until the move back to the States, there really hadn’t been any reason for him to do so. That made him twice as nervous. Being nervous will screw you up, he reminded himself, If you fixate on stage fright, you will never be able to move. Jin-Eun breathed in, out, quietly enough to try and avoid sounding as anxious as he was. He ended with a small smile that Conor couldn’t see. “Alright, here we go.”
Jin-Eun delicately took Conor’s hands and closed his eyes, focusing on the change. The light that engulfed him during the transformation was pale lavender, flashing briefly before dulling. In Conor’s hands was the Demon Dangpa as Jin-Eun had described. Roughly seven feet long in total, the shaft was smooth, polished wood that most of the Weapon consisted of. It provided for more than enough maneuverability in the hand of a Meister. At the base was metal end that was fitted around on the bottom and suitable for blunt trauma, though arguably minor. At the top were the silver trident-like points Jin-Eun had attempted to describe. Three prongs, the center extending the furthest for maybe ten inches. The two to the left curved up along either side for around seven inches. Attached to the base of the prongs was the head of the tassel he had been talking about, the loose threads hanging heavily down from it for a foot and being the same color as the light that had enveloped him earlier. It put more weight towards the fighting end of the dangpa.
The dark that welcomed him was still rather new to Jin-Eun. There was nothing wrong with it and he didn’t feel lost in it, but it he wasn’t used to it. The black seemed to go on forever, but that didn’t trouble him at all. Even just drifting, he felt at peace even in amongst the nerves he fought to keep away. He needed to calm down. Worrying wouldn’t help anything, save for screwing things up.
Jin-Eun had really had enough of screwing things up.
And this was big. Sure, they were technically doing this so Conor could actually “see” what Jin-Eun’s Weapon form was like. It wasn’t a test in compatibility, at least not in spoken terms. Or any terms. Conor seemed excited, a thought that reminded him to maybe not be so pessimistic. Force of habit. Working in a morgue and messing up an enormous part of his life and his friends lives would do that to anyone, or so Jin-Eun liked to think. Attempting to look past all that, he did hope this worked. He hoped they worked, that this went right.
His Siren soul wanted it to go right, too. It had reached out to Conor’s wavelength upon contact and transformation, reaching and then pulling away but never far. It lured by default and tried to draw the other wavelength closer, the feeling that it gave off coming across as soothing, safe. It was as calm as Jin-Eun usually was, even if now he was a bundle of nerves he tried his best to keep on a tight leash. He was nervous he was hopeful; he was a lot of things. He hoped more than anything that the hope breaking through in small slivers would be the feeling that won out as satisfied in the end of all this. Silent for a good moment, Jin-Eun worked up the courage to speak again.
“What do you think?”
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Post by Conor Sullivan on Dec 17, 2014 3:43:44 GMT -5
There was a flash of light, bright enough to make Conor squint, and then a heavy, comfortable weight in his hands where Jin-Eun's had been a moment before. Conor gave it a glance before standing it vertical and running his hands over it. He could look at it all day, but it would never be more than a blurry line to him.
The part he was holding onto was smooth wood, he could tell that much. It was soft on his hands, and Conor brushed a thumb over the surface, enjoying the weight and feel on his hands. It was nothing like the old wooden poles he had practiced with in karate - those were rough and splintered from use, worn smooth in places from hundreds of hands. The dangpa felt more natural, like an extension of his arm. He wasn't sure how, since he hadn't even fought with it enough for that to even be a possibility, but there was something reassuring and comfortable about it.
Conor bent down, running his hand on the bottom, focused on getting the best picture of the weapon he could. There was a metal end, big enough to do damage if he hit someone with it. That was a bonus. The top Conor went slowly with, carefully lowering the dangpa to waist height so he could reach the metal prongs, run his fingers over them gently and carefully. Slicing his hand open wouldn't be a good first impression.
His caution paid off, however, and once he had gotten a good idea of the metal prongs on the top, he investigated the light feathery sensation that kept brushing over his wrist. It was a bundle of small, thin threads, he realized, attached to the base of the metal trident. The tassel, just like Jin-Eun had told him. He wasn't really sure what it was for, but there was a nice weight and feel to it. Experimentally, Conor spun the dangpa over his shoulder, tracking the movement and hearing the staff slice through the air as he twirled it quickly over his head and then in front of him in a quick arc. He held the dangpa steady in front of him, thinking.
Jin-Eun's voice jolted him out of his thoughts, and he nodded as he considered the pros and cons.
"Honestly, I think it's good," he said, launching the dangpa into the air with a flick of his wrist and catching it as it pinwheeled down. "I've done some training with this kind of fighting. I mean, I've never fought with a staff so long, but they say it's not about size, it's how you use it, right?" He grinned briefly at his awful joke, but then held the dangpa steady in front of him with both hands, the metal base on the ground. He rested his forehead against the polished wood, closing his eyes.
"Are you really okay with someone like me as your meister?" He asked, his voice small and suddenly serious. "It's not...I mean, if you're not comfortable with that, I'd get it."
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Post by Jin-Eun Song on Jan 6, 2015 22:38:08 GMT -5
Jin-Eun imagined actually holding him in his hands really was easier for Conor to know what he was talking about when he said he was Demon Dangpa. Even if he couldn’t see his Weapon form, he could get a handle on it and know what he was working with. Jin-Eun waited patiently while Conor examined him, tested his grip, sought out what they’d be stabbing things with. He was a little wary about Conor reaching for the prongs, but he trusted the boy to be able to pull his hand away from the sharp ends before he hurt himself. His trust was thankfully well placed.
As was his hope. Conor hadn’t said anything yet, he was bothering to test out actually swinging him around. Jin-Eun smiled from his place in the dark, new to the feeling of being swung through the air and lifted up. Strange, but something he could get used to. It was exciting, he decided, but so was the potential of finding a partner, and Conor was looking better and better. So far there was no problem with compatibility that he could feel and it seemed like Conor also knew how to actually use a polearm like him fairly well, or at least enough to show off a bit. Given Conor’s physical appearance, though, Jin-Eun doubted that the motions Conor put him through were just posturing.
He had been holding his breath for who knows how long. Jin-Eun didn’t realize how tense he’d been until Conor answered him and his shoulders dropped. He let himself sigh in relief and made no move to stop the smile that tugged persistently at his lips. Good. They were good. So far. Jin-Eun was yanked out of his personal bubble of hope paying off with being thrown into the air, but Conor caught him. Jin-Eun looked out at him from the dark. This boy was good, really good if he could pull off a stunt like that with his eyes so cloudy. Jin-Eun was distracted at the other boy’s terrible humor, not that it didn’t stop him from snorting and pulling a face with the sole purpose of avoiding laughter.
But then he was quiet, incredibly so, all at once. Jin-Eun watched his demeanor go from supposedly confident to incredibly fragile in a matter of seconds. Conor still held him steady, but Jin-Eun heard anything but in the boy’s voice. Jin-Eun heard the question and was immediately confused. He had thought the answer obvious, but… Well, to the one it mattered most to this was probably a bigger deal. Jin-Eun had a long list of his own issues. Exactly none of them compared to what it was probably like to be Conor, be blind. For him to have made it to Shibusen at all meant he had Jin-Eun’s respect and admiration. He’d doubtlessly worked harder than he ever would have to.
And it broke his heart to hear the confidence and life Conor had spoken with up until now vanish into insecurity.
But that only made him glad to be able to hopefully make that insecurity a little less. Conor wouldn’t see it, would never see it, but Jin-Eun smiled anyway. His voice carried softly through the dark as he spoke to Conor, reassuring him of what he had thought obvious until he realized he wasn’t being considerate enough. “If I were uncomfortable with a blind Meister, I wouldn’t have suggested we try this.” His Siren Soul reached out further to the blind boy to offer comfort, even ifonly in the presence of Jin-Eun’s wavelength. “You are blind, but you are also perfectly capable of handling me from what you’ve shown me. With training, that can only get better,” he reminded Conor gently. “I would be happy to have you as my Meister if you would have me as your Weapon.”
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Post by Conor Sullivan on Jan 9, 2015 15:55:41 GMT -5
It wasn’t that Conor had lost all his confidence - he had confidence in himself, in his ability, and more so than the others, he had confidence in Jin-Eun. He’d known the boy for all of thirty minutes and was already secure in the fact that they were a good match as partners. He seemed competent, intelligent, and - above all else - he was more than willing to partner with someone who couldn’t even tell what his weapon looked like.
Conor had confidence, but holding the weapon in his hands made everything seem very real. It wasn’t just working out, it wasn’t training at the dojo. It wasn’t sitting and listening to the teachers tell them how fighting should go. If Conor partnered with Jin-Eun, he’d have to go out on the field. He’d have to fight. Jin-Eun would be depending on him.
For the first time, he wondered if he hadn’t been subconsciously avoiding getting a partner for this reason.
It was frightening.
It was also extremely exciting.
At Jin-Eun’s words, Conor couldn’t help but grin. Sure, he was a little nervous, but if holding the Dangpa made things seem real, it was also in a way extremely comforting. He wouldn’t be alone. He had another set of eyes, another person there with him. Someone who he already felt like he could trust with his life. And anyways, they had NOT missions before they even began to fight Kishin. There was plenty of time to work out the fine details. "I'd be more than happy to have you as my Weapon," he agreed, holding the Dangpa horizontally in front of him, running his thumb over the soft wood absentmindedly.
“Well, then, looks like we’re gonna be fighting together,” he said, not even bothering to hide how happy he was. His grin was so wide he could feel his face hurt a little. “Uh, how do you…change back…” He added, slightly sheepishly. “Do I just…stick you on the floor? Or, uh, what?"
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Post by Jin-Eun Song on Mar 4, 2015 23:24:51 GMT -5
He would be happy to have Jin-Eun as his Weapon.
To say Jin-Eun was thrilled would be the understatement of the year. Or the century. One of those to be sure if the grin on his face was anything to go by. Still in the dark, Jin-Eun punched one hand into the nothingness. He had a partner. He had a partner. A giant mess of emotions jumbled around him, but joy took the forefront even as several others fought for its place.
Could he really handle a blind Meister? Was he being too optimistic?
Should they test this out more before actually deciding, visit the dojo to be sure?
Was he really ready for this at all?
The ridiculous amount of excitement drowned everything else out. There was too much to look forward too at the moment, and too much accompanying relief. He didn’t have to search anymore. This was a huge step forward, one Jin-Eun had been anticipating but perhaps not expecting. There were certainly enough distractions to keep his mind off of it, including but not limited to studies and morgues. The future may have held the chance of winding up in the latter, but Jin-Eun adamantly ignored the thought in favor of letting himself be happy. It had been a long time since he’d felt this glad, after all.
Fighting together. The concept still sounded a little strange, but Jin-Eun was sure that would change with time. They had only just partnered. They would have plenty of opportunity to better their teamwork and ability to efficiently work together, whether Jin-Eun was in or out of his Weapon form. They did have to get out of the NOT class first, so he expected they would be collaborating on a simpler level until they worked their way up. Given the challenges that awaited them and how he definitely had no knowledge of how to handle combat, Jin-Eun was perfectly content with that.
Oh right, he could change back now, couldn’t he? Jin-Eun laughed lightly at the smidge of uncertainty from the other. “There’s no need. It only takes a moment.” Even with Conor holding him horizontally, switching back wouldn’t be difficult. The same lavender light as before reappeared to envelope the Demon Dangpa as Jin-Eun changed back. He still held onto Conor’s hand with one of his, only releasing it once he was sure of his footing standing slightly to the left. Still unable to keep the giddy smile off his face, Jin-Eun posed the only other question he could think of. “Now then, shall we go officially register as a team, partner?”
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