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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2014 1:45:52 GMT -5
Stumbling upon a swimming pool was a little surprising. Shibusen was big, and massive numbers of people were living on the premises, so it only made sense that there was a swimming pool. But it wasn't something James had thought of when he started exploring school grounds. His old high school hadn't had a swimming pool, something he was pretty sure was considered normal. But then again, Shibusen wasn't exactly normal in any sense of the word.
What was even more surprising is that he actually got into the pool. Well, sort of. He stuck his feet in, anyway. And that was a pretty big leap in itself. He hadn't been to a pool in...well, since he was very, very little. And there were actually people here, though they were very few in number. (Which was something he assumed to be a rare occurrence that he would never stumble across again.) But those few people weren't paying much attention to him, so he found himself sneaking over to the other side of the pool and sitting down at the edge. Several, several more glimpses had been cast in the direction of the other students, and only when it was confirmed that not a single one of them was interested in his business did he start to roll his jeans up his calves and stick his feet into the water. In another brave move, after watching the others for a moment, he even removed his jacket.
James didn't like cold things of any kind. Being cold wasn't something he enjoyed, but the pool water was refreshing. He found himself relaxing a little, kicking his feet just enough to cause ripples, though not enough to make any noise. Without realizing it, he had even started to smile.
He wondered if swimming was like riding a bike. Could one just forget how to swim? Or would they swim naturally if thrown into water? He was pretty sure that he if hopped in, he'd be able to keep himself above the surface at least. He wasn't dumb enough to drown. Not that he was going to try it today, anyway. Or any other day, not at this school. Maybe at a pool back home. Maybe.
...at this rate, it'd probably be more useful for him to just forget how to swim.
He laughed at that thought, though it came out sounding more like a sigh as he leaned back on his hands. Someone his age not knowing how to swim was actually pretty pathetic, wasn't it? So for his own sake, it would probably be better if he didn't forget.
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Dante Giovanni
Weapon
Demon Rapier
Among thorns grow roses.
Posts: 122
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Post by Dante Giovanni on Sept 1, 2014 2:02:41 GMT -5
Dante was due for a break in his opinion. He needed to do something that wasn’t related to anything requiring work. Being One star was a step up to what he was used to in everything including classes. Hitting the books wasn’t his strong suit, and the constant distractions his family threw at him didn’t make studying any easier. There were a lot of new concepts and a lot of new subjects to learn, and then there were the other Dante had been learning from the start even in the NOT class that he needed to move forward with. He needed more training, he needed more time, he needed a new Meist-
He needed a break.
Swimming could technically count as work, but Dante didn’t count it as such. It wasn’t like he was planning on swimming laps to time himself or see how fast he was. He didn’t swim competitively; it was just something he did from growing up so close to sand and ocean. The Shibusen pool was a terrible comparison to the beaches he grew up with back in Palermo, but it would do given that Death City was in the middle of the desert with no oceans for miles. It was a compromise, but Dante would take it for some much needed down time.
Dante had arrived early in anticipation of beating whatever crowd would gather later as the day grew hotter. Given how hot even the morning was, he hadn’t brought much with him. He’d left a towel by the poolside and ditched his clothes in the locker room for red swim trunks. He almost paused by one of the mirrors to fix his hair but then realized he would need to worry about that more later rather than sooner. He would be swimming meaning his hair would get wet meaning it would start to curl into its natural state of being once it started to dry. Dante would die before the world knew his hair wasn’t naturally straight but again, thoughts for later.
It may have been a good idea to keep his shoes on for longer, though, since it seemed he was in for more spills and thrills like almost every other outing he’d had in the last several weeks. Dante was even walking slowly enough along the side of the pool to the deep end to have prevented slipping but no, the universe still had it out for him. His heel hit a small wet patch on the tile not a foot from the edge that sent his legs flying out from under him. The most embarrassing sound of panic left him, shrill but short lived as he slid rather ungracefully right into the water.
Dante was almost thankful to be submerged and out of sight if it weren’t for the fact that he knew he would have to surface eventually once he ran out of air. But he could hold his breath for a little longer than average having swum since childhood. For a minute he just stayed at the bottom and looked up through chlorine stinging his eyes. He wasn’t very deep at all but it was enough to make him feel not under the scrutinizing gaze of the few other people at the pool who likely heard and saw everything. Dante would have sighed would it not have killed him. Deciding to face the music early and get it over with, he moved only as much as necessary to propel himself up to the surface after probably a worrying amount of minutes.
Breathing in, Dante wiped his eyes and pushed the wet blond hair out of his face. And, of course, the first thing he saw was another boy at the edge of the pool. Another boy at the edge of the pool quite near to where he had surfaced and also to where he'd slipped and fallen in. Of course. Why would there be no one around? That would be way too easy. Dante tried to ignore the feeling of color burning in his cheeks from the embarrassment that had just intensified and awkwardly waved to the dark haired boy, a short and decidedly nervous laugh leaving him. “Uh…hey there!”
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2014 15:37:49 GMT -5
There wasn't much on his mind at the moment. It was all little things, like a text from his mom about a doctor's visit, and how in a month or so she'd know the new baby's gender. He ran his hand through his hair, thinking how awful it must be to have a sibling that was seventeen years older than you. The kid probably wouldn't even know him all that well, would it? That was a little depressing, considering how much of his life he had devoted to the other kids. He also kind of wondered how the girls handle the new addition; Jenna wasn't the caring type, but Anna would do a pretty good job. But the fact of the matter is, they never had to take care of anyone before, because he always did it. Now he was a little worried about the new baby.
And here he thought moving so far away would help him with all this extra worry, but it only seemed to multiply it.
Speaking of multiplying worry, though he hadn't really noticed when the blonde kid had walked in he definitely noticed him coming closer to where he was sitting. It was a public area, and the other guy could do whatever he wanted. But James was a little conscious of how close to another human being he'd be sitting. And that was super awkward, so he began pondering over his options. He could stay, deal with his awkward, and try and enjoy the rest of the morning. Or he could get up and leave, equally as awkward but at least he can escape from it. Though, just when he decided on the latter of his two options, the blonde boy seemed to have slipped or something and took a fall into the water.
His entire body tensed, hands gripping the edge of the pool and eyes scanning the water. He held his breath, waiting for the yellow head to pop back up past the water's surface. When it didn't, he began to panic. "H-hey!" he called, as if that would do anything. He glanced around, but no one else seemed concerned with the person who was possibly drowning. He waited a few more seconds, before pushing himself into the pool to go help the drowning boy.
...only, he had chosen that moment to pop back up. James blinked, before letting out a huge sigh of relief. He didn't even notice how watery his eyes had become. "Are you okay? I thought you were drowning..." He hoped his voice didn't reveal how scared he had been for the other.
Well, at least he had confirmed that he remembered how to swim. But now his jeans were wet. Gross. But he wouldn't get out of the water until he was sure the other guy was okay. What if he hit his head or something?
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Dante Giovanni
Weapon
Demon Rapier
Among thorns grow roses.
Posts: 122
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Post by Dante Giovanni on Sept 2, 2014 14:17:38 GMT -5
Not only had Dante slipped and fallen into the pool with all the grace of a blind penguin, he’d also managed to worry a stranger. Fantastic. That’s just your luck these days, apparently, he thought. Dante nodded, looking nothing but apologetic. “I’m fine,” he assured him, “I promise. I just…” How to word it without sounding completely pathetic. Dante wasn’t sure such a thing was possible, but then being honest probably wouldn’t hurt in this case. Lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck, Dante averted his eyes and offered a nervous smile. “I’m sorry I scared you. I can hold my breath a little longer than most people. I thought maybe if I stayed underwater for a minute or two maybe it would wash off the embarrassment, but no dice.”
Dante hadn’t even considered that someone may have thought he was drowning. He knew he wouldn’t so he hadn’t acknowledged it, but he really did feel bad for making someone worry. He felt even worse seeing that he’d made the boy’s eyes water. The guilt dragged his stomach down and painted a mixture of worry and remorse on his face. Now it was his turn to ask, “Hey, are you okay?” It felt sort of silly, asking the same question he’d just been asked not a few moments ago.
He had really outdone himself this time, though. He had made a fool of himself and made someone worry to the point making them teary eyed. You really did it this time, didn’t you? Dante could only hope the clarification on just why he hadn’t surfaced right away would smooth things over, not that the other boy seemed mad or anything. Just upset, but even that seemed a bit of a stretch. Distressed seemed more accurate, but then he also looked more relieved since he knew Dante wasn’t going to drown.
Dante couldn’t know when or how he would die, but he certainly hoped it wouldn’t be by drowning in the school pool.
That would be even more embarrassing.
Dante finally noticed that of the two, he was the only one dressed to be in the water. The other boy was fully clothed which just made Dante feel worse. He made someone so worried they jumped into the water with their clothes still on. Starting to feel more awkward than anything, Dante nodded to the poolside. “Why don’t we both get out of the water for the moment? I can try to salvage what’s left of my dignity and you can dry off a bit.”
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2014 20:25:21 GMT -5
There was an explanation, and James probably would have laughed but honestly he would have done the same thing had he been in the situation. Only, he couldn't hold his breath that long. And maybe he'd actually try and drown himself. He couldn't say for sure, though, mostly because he had never slipped and fallen into a pool before. But if he ever did, it would be much more crowded than this and thus much more embarrassing. All that aside, he was really glad that the guy was alright. Things could have ended much worse, so he was really lucky he only got off with a little embarrassment. (Not that the other people here really noticed him anyway, so really only James had witnessed it.)
James ran a hand through his hair, a little puzzled by the boy's next sentence. Last time he checked, he wasn't the one who fell into the pool. But upon further inspection--meaning, he had touched his face and realized there were tears there--his face flushed bright red. "I'm fine!" he quickly assured the other boy, glancing away as though to try and hide it. "It's just pool water. Pool water." He rubbed his fist into his eye, willing the worried tears to stop because the last thing he needed was one of his peers catching him crying. If blondie thought falling into the pool was lame, crying over someone falling into a pool was much more so. Maybe even worse, really.
Though he wouldn't meet the other's eyes, James did nod when it was suggested that they get out of the pool. It wasn't like he was particularly worried about his clothes or anything, but staying in the pool would only be awkward. So he swam the incredibly short distance back to the edge where his things were and somehow managed to pull himself out without looking like an idiot. Once he was sitting on the edge again, he patted down his pockets to make sure nothing important had been within them; thankfully, his phone was in his jacket as were his keys. That was a huge relief. Mom would chew his ears off if he had messed up that phone.
Then he began to watch the other person carefully, as though he were making absolutely sure that there was nothing wrong. This person was a swimmer, it sounded like, so this was probably nothing too traumatic. But at the same time, you wouldn't exactly tell a complete stranger if you were having a rough time. So James could only look for little signs of pain or discomfort to be sure.
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Dante Giovanni
Weapon
Demon Rapier
Among thorns grow roses.
Posts: 122
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Post by Dante Giovanni on Sept 4, 2014 15:40:42 GMT -5
Dante was honestly expecting at least a little bit of mockery no matter how concerned the other boy looked. But thankfully none came, so he let himself feel a little more at ease. Literally slipping up that spectacularly generally was accompanied by at least some form of snide remark, or at least in his experience. Maybe his sisters had just nailed that into his head, though, considering they were usually the ones doing most of the taunting, not that he couldn’t get them back for it. He was the oldest after all, he couldn’t let them have all the fun.
It seemed the other boy hadn’t even been aware of the tears in his eyes. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it. It was a little late for that, though. Dante watched him rub at his eyes insisting it was the pool water. Twice. Just for emphasis. Again, usually a situation warranting giving the other a hard time, but since the boy hadn’t exactly done anything of the sort to Dante, he would give him the same luxury. “So long as you’re alright, then,” he said with a gentle smile, “Just making sure. Chlorine does kinda sting, eh?” Easy enough to play oblivious but whether the other boy bought it or not wasn’t up to him.
The side of the pool was near, which actually made Dante realize he was rather lucky the fall hadn’t been worse. If he had tilted one way or the other, he could have easily hit his head. He was already missing enough brain cells from other misadventures. Dante thanked his lucky stars he hadn’t lost more. He pushed the thought of narrowly avoided head injuries away in favor of pulling himself out of the water. Dante turned to sit at the edge of the pool, letting his feet and part of his legs linger in the water. At least he seemed to be unlikely to fall in again. He could’ve lost his grip and fallen in again. He likely would’ve hit his chin in the process. Stop thinking about how accident prone you are, you’ll tempt the fates, Dante reminded himself.
He felt the other’s eyes on him and turned his head so he could look at them. Dante recognized the look on their face and leaned a bit so he could properly make eye contact. “Don’t worry, I’m alright,” he told them again, sounding more like he was comforting him this time and winking, “I did promise, didn’t I?” Hopefully that would ease his mind. Hopefully. He couldn’t be sure after all. Dante did, however, give the other boy a once over too and remembered something else to feel guilty about. “Oh yeah, and sorry about your clothes,” he added, a more bashful expression settling on his features as he darted his eyes back to look at the water.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 0:19:17 GMT -5
He actually bought that? Well, if he didn't, he at least acted like he did. That was pretty kind, because James didn't know what he'd do if this guy insisted that he was crying or something. "Y-yeah..." And even though he wouldn't look at him, he still smiled a little bit. The kindness of strangers in this town was really starting to get to him, though he felt like if he let his guard down someone would come and bash his nose in. Maybe he was just being paranoid? Well, it didn't matter for right now. This guy was nice enough, so he didn't need to worry about nose-bashing for now.
While James hadn't actually seen any signs of hiding an injury, the eye contact really caught him off guard. The blonde insisted that he was alright once again, though this time in a way that really only embarrassed James. He cut his eyes away again, reaching up and pulling his hair back in an attempt to distract himself from the heat pooling in his cheeks. Maybe this one was a little too friendly...
The whole atmosphere seemed to sober up a little when an apology was made. James was a little surprised by that, too. Enough to look at the boy again and forget his previously flustered state. "It's no big deal," he said easily, leaning back on his hands. "Can't really stay dry at a pool anyway." And it wasn't like this guy made him jump into the pool or anything--no, he did that all on his own. Besides, it's not like what he was wearing was nice or anything; he probably looked like a hobo. Maybe he should start dressing better. He wouldn't mind that at all, now that he thought about it. Maybe he could get a job and buy some more clothes. He still had a lot of studying to do, though.
Thankfully for both boys present, James had gotten pretty used to this random encounter thing so he was pretty sure he could make it through some small talk without offending anyone or blurting out something stupid. "I'm James, by the way," he offered, along with a hand in order to shake the other's.
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Dante Giovanni
Weapon
Demon Rapier
Among thorns grow roses.
Posts: 122
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Post by Dante Giovanni on Sept 5, 2014 16:41:50 GMT -5
The act seemed to work. Dante was glad even if the other boy still seemed a little shaky in his opinion. Plus if he had actually pointed out that he was crying, that may have resulted in more tears and Dante didn’t want to be the cause of something like that. He already felt guilty enough making a complete stranger worry about his possibly dying, he didn’t need to make him legitimately cry on top of all that.
And apparently he’d somehow embarrassed him again. Dante adopted a look of mild confusion, sitting up straight rather than leaning. Was it something he said? Thinking about it, there really didn’t seem like anything that could potentially cause embarrassment for the other boy. Dante decided once again to let it be. He didn’t really understand, but considering how easily the other seemed to succumb to nerves, he also didn’t think it wise to push. No point in causing the boy any further distress.
At least he didn’t seem too upset about getting soaked. It put Dante more at ease, even if he did still feel remorseful, but that was just his nature. He would worry over it for the next three days knowing him. There was also truth to his following statement. They were at a pool, after all. It made Dante laugh a little, short but light-hearted. “You’ve got a point.” The awkward felt like it had lessened a little at least with the small bit of small talk. Granted, Dante was a still a little worried since the other boy would possibly end up walking home or back to dorms like that. That thought brought the guilt back, but Dante bit back any further comments. He said it was no big deal and there wasn’t anything he could do about it now. There was no need for further discussion.
Dante had been wondering when the introductions would occur. More stereotypical than they’d been recently, at least. Actual handshakes weren’t something he could recall ever doing upon meeting someone new since coming to Shibusen. Granted said greetings included him falling off a building and falling out of a tree. Twice. Now it included falling into a pool, but he supposed it could have been much worse. Adopting a lopsided grin, Dante took the hand James offered. “I’m Dante. Nice to meet you, James.” Handshakes aside, Dante kept the grin but also looked a little more curious. “You new? I don’t think I’ve seen you around school before.” Or it could also be that he was in a higher class than him. After all, Dante was new to the One star class. It was entirely possible he just hadn’t been in a situation to see James hanging around before. But by that logic, he could also be a new NOT student Dante had missed upon moving up. Either way, he would hopefully find out.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2014 20:36:00 GMT -5
Really, the worst of it was just a little discomfort. The way the clothes clung to him was rather irritating, but he wasn't going to die or catch a cold or anything. And even though he didn't like the way a chill was clinging to him, he wouldn't complain about it. Though, a hot shower was in order. He was a little reluctant to head back to the dorms, though. One he got back, he probably wouldn't leave again for the day. And he was going to at least try not to be a hermit.
Even though it's really easy to be a hermit.
The next question wasn't as easy to answer. James hadn't been on campus long at all, but he didn't exactly feel new anymore. He'd kind of already adjusted to this new lifestyle, but he supposed he was still technically considered new. Especially since the newly dubbed Dante claimed to have never seen him before; he wasn't particularly memorable, he noted, but since Dante wasn't really a familiar face either he wrote it off as they hadn't run into each other yet. "Yeah, I'm still pretty new..." he finally answered, having come to terms with his status. "We could just be in different classes...I'm a One Star, so..." He hadn't really met many other people from his class...not officially, anyway. He did meet a Two Star, once, which was pretty cool. It kind of brought about the same feelings a freshman would have meeting a senior, even if they were only one class apart.
James really didn't know what else to say, besides your standard cookie-cutter questions that come when one goes off to school. This particular school had their own brand of typical questions, which were pretty interesting but he still felt a little awkward asking them. Well, he felt a little awkward asking anything, really. How much could one ask without sounding creepy? Getting to know people was actually kind of fun, he was slowly finding out, but people thinking you were creepy because you wanted to know so much about them isn't an enjoyable experience at all. So he kept quiet for now.
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Dante Giovanni
Weapon
Demon Rapier
Among thorns grow roses.
Posts: 122
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Post by Dante Giovanni on Sept 15, 2014 13:39:48 GMT -5
Dante pushed more of his hair back, silently praying it would somehow stay wet until their conversation ended. If he’d gotten closer to his original destination he could grab his towel and throw that over his head, but alas fate was cruel. Hopefully he could at least count a little bit of luck. Only one of his friends knew about how curly his hair actually was f he let it alone, and that was only due to the fact that he’d been too much of a mess to care at the time. Of course he’d sworn Nathaniel to secrecy, but Dante would rather not add another person to the list of who knew, particularly not someone he just met even though James seemed perfectly nice so far.
Pretty new was the answer Dante got. In that case maybe he just wasn’t all that vigilant. But then James went on to add that he was a One star, and that made a bit more sense. “It could be a bit of both,” Dante offered as a guess. “I’m a One star too, but I just moved up from the NOT class a short time ago. It’s possible you got here right before I moved up, or that we’ve both been too busy adjusting to really take a look around.” Still a rush as much as a worry, granted for different reasons now. He was in a class that threw more challenges his way even just in classes, and one that also demanded he get stronger. But he also had no idea how long he’d be stuck there. Dante idly kicked one of his legs in the water, not enough to lift his foot out but enough to send ripples through the surface. At least he didn’t feel so gloomy anymore about Tori moving away.
James had mentioned he was pretty new.
The thought popped into Dante’s head unexpectedly. Partnering with someone else still felt like such a weird idea, but if he wanted to keep getting better to protect the ones he loved as well as others, he would need to. James was pretty new. Maybe pretty new is new enough that he’s still looking. But outright asking still felt strange. That and he didn’t want to risk dragging back the awkward. He also didn’t want to come off as pushy. It took a moment, but Dante found the wording he was looking for. He shrugged a bit, smiling at the reflections in the water. “I may end up being One star for a while, though,” he started, “my partner had to move away right after we made it out of NOT, so I’m back to square one again unfortunately.”
Not that it wasn’t a familiar square one. Dante had gone without a partner for a while before he managed to run into Tori, or rather before he managed to accidentally break into the clock tower that he hadn’t realized was her house. And gotten stuck on a rotating gear and needed to be rescued. He grinned a bit remembering it and was thankful for the lack of stinging nostalgia. With this encounter Dante had fallen into the water which technically could’ve required rescuing had he hit his head, even if he hadn’t. Maybe falling was just good luck for meeting new people for him.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2014 21:14:33 GMT -5
He had completely forgotten about the NOT class entirely. This was the first time he had ever met anyone from there, though frankly he probably should have ended up there. But this person had just moved up, and moving up a class was always an accomplishment. It was a sign of strength, a sign of improvement. "That makes sense," he mused quietly, though it wasn't mean to garner a response. "Congrats on moving up." The two boys were probably going through a similar experience of being pushed into something harder than they were used to. Though, Dante had a bit of a head start on him, that's for sure. NOT class was better than no previous classes at all. All James got preparation-wise was nonsensical afternoons filled with his mother's useless training.
Well, maybe not completely useless. He hadn't died yet, anyway.
His eyes widened a bit at the next bit of information. "Really?!" James hadn't even thought about the possibility of a partner moving away. In fact, the idea of his partner dying wasn't even something he had thought about. All he had really thought about was the actual idea of having a partner, and trying to figure out how one went about getting one. At first, he thought there was some kind of soul mumbo-jumbo, but now it was starting to feel like picking a lab partner in a room filled with strangers. And it must really suck for your partner to move out half-way through the class, leaving you on your own. "Whoa...sorry, man..." He pulled his legs up against his chest, folding his arms over his knees. "I didn't even know that kind of thing happened here..." Friends moving away was such a normal thing, and Shibusen wasn't exactly normal. Why did people move out of Shibusen, anyway? It wasn't like your family moving effected anything, because there were dorms. Did you just decide you didn't want to be a student here anymore? Could you just decide that being a Meister wasn't right for you anymore and drop out? Or maybe there was an emergency at home, but that was more a temporary thing. Unless it was a permanent thing? He supposed that if anything happened to either one of his parents, he'd have to drop out and go home too. But mostly because of how many children his family decided to have.
This wasn't a situation he was prepared for, so he wasn't entirely sure what should leave his mouth next. From his experience, partners get really close. Dante must have been really upset about it. "What was your partner like?" A safe question, one that he loved to hear the answer to when speaking with other students. They always had interesting things to say, and it always got him excited about eventually finding a partner.
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Dante Giovanni
Weapon
Demon Rapier
Among thorns grow roses.
Posts: 122
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Post by Dante Giovanni on Sept 26, 2014 15:49:17 GMT -5
THe congratulations were as pleasant as the rest had been. Granted, nothing would probably beat the ones he’d gotten from his family, but that was because it had involved a massive dinner and get together. With the rest of the family that happened to live in Death City. All thirty of them. It had been fun to say the least, but fun and loud was usually what happened when the Giovannis got together, but that was also beside the point. Dante smiled almost bashfully as James. “Thanks.”
The surprise at what he’d said threw Dante a little. It was a little shocking, sure, but sometimes it happened…right? If he was wrong he would feel a whole lot worse for how quickly he’d gotten past gloomy. But there was nothing to be done about it. With that thought process, sulking for forever and a day seemed silly, especially when it would only hold him back. Dante could feel his smile drop a little as he nodded to affirm James’ response, not that he didn’t catch it instantly. Most people he was friends with who he’d had this conversation with had reacted similarly, but they all had partners. It was likely a lot more terrifying for them, especially since they’d been One stars before he was. With a reaction like that, maybe he is partnered, then.
Sympathy was expected and accepted. Dante shrugged a bit and looked at the water and the light reflecting on the small disturbances in it. “I didn’t either, to be honest,” he admitted as he made to lean back on his hands. “I didn’t ask since I knew it had to be pretty serious for her to move back and not be able to figure something out to keep attending, I mean the dorms are here for a reason.” He sighed softly, closing his eyes for a minute. “If it was something bad I didn’t want to make her feel worse. Besides, there are other ways to lose a partner that I know I’m lucky to have avoided.” Ways Dante had thought of a little too much in all likelihood.
Dante opened his eyes and looked back at James. It was an unexpected question, one that had Dante looking a might like he’d been caught off-guard. Brows lifting for a moment and looking rather like his mind had gone blank; he managed to revert to a thoughtful expression. What was Tori like? “Hmm…” was the only thing he offered at first. Dante looked out over the water again, let his head lull to one side, then looked up at the ceiling. What was Tori like?
“Intense would be a good way to describe her. She could definitely be a little overwhelming sometimes, she had a very strong personality,” he said finally, granted he didn’t stop there of course. “She was highly opinionated and always let you know it. She was pushy and driven, not always in a good way, but she meant well,” he paused again to turn his attention back to James, gold making proper eye contact once again. “She had a prickly exterior, but her heart was always in the right place. She cared a lot for the people around her; it was just difficult for her to show it.” Another thought hit him that made him grin, shaking his head and looking down. “She was bossy too, though. Altogether I guess we were pretty different, maybe a little unlikely, but that worked out in the end. She was pushy and wanted to be in charge, I’m easy-going enough that our wavelengths didn’t clash on that front. We balanced each other out by having traits the other didn’t.” His gaze drifted back to the water once again. “She’s like a sister to me, to be honest. I mean I have two of my own, but that’s how I think of her.
Not that there hadn’t been exceptions to that. That mission of theirs involving performing for a bunch of school children had demanded Dante take center stage so Tori didn’t freeze up in front of the crowd, but they’d come out of that looking fantastic. Probably the most fun, too, or at least it was in Dante’s opinion. Definitely better than being covered in bees. Dante inwardly cringed at that memory, but that least he wouldn’t have to do it again. Unless bee kishin eggs existed. Then he was screwed.
But he’d talked a lot he’d realized. “Sorry, I guess rambled a bit there,” he said, looking at James again as he rubbed the back of his neck. “What about you? Have you found someone yet?”
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2014 23:54:14 GMT -5
The both of them seemed to be on the same train of thought, at least. It was a little weird that Dante's partner just up and left. James wasn't one to press for information, but he felt like he would have still asked his partner about a sudden move. But Dante's reasons were sound, and James could only find himself nodding in understanding. And the blonde had a point: she could have very well died, so it was better to be thankful that it was only a move. And moving away meant a possibility of coming back, right? But that still left Dante on his own for a while, and he didn't know why but James felt a little sad about that. It wasn't like he'd ever been abandoned or anything, so it wasn't like he could sympathize with Dante. Maybe it was pure empathy.
An explanation on the partner followed soon after, so James didn't really find any place to make what probably would have been useless commentary. But he did find his expression faltering as the description wore on. Dante's partner sounded terrifying. James couldn't even imagine being with that sort of person; she actually would have eaten him alive, he felt like. But as far as things went with Dante, they sounded like a good pair. They were probably extremely interesting to watch, too. So, despite having been afraid at first, James was able to smile again at the end. "I understand," he murmured, smothering a laugh into his kneecap. He had more than enough sisters to know the feeling. "That's cool, how well the two of you worked out, though." He turned his head to stare at Dante slightly, before his expression softened once again. "What are you gonna do now?" It was soft, like he was almost afraid to ask it. Because yeah, she might come back. But she also might not make a grand return, and he couldn't be alone forever. (Well, he supposed Weapons could go a lot longer than Meisters could, but they still worked best as a team.) But it would probably be hard to find another partner that fit as well as Tori did.
Dante seemed to have realized how much he was talking, and acted a little sheepish about it. James shrugged his shoulders slightly, giving him a grin and a shake of his head. "I don't mind." He had asked, after all. Not to mention James had always been more of a listener than a talker.
There it is... he thought briefly, straightening his spine up a little and stretching his legs back out. Everyone he met asked him this question, so he had come to expect it with new encounters. And it was an important bit of information to know about other people, though maybe he'd have to start finding ways to hint at it before he could be asked. "Not yet," he answered very simply. At one point, he had been pretty anxious about it. But he didn't mind so much anymore, and he was fine taking his time with things. And he was only going to get stronger from here on out, so that his partner wouldn't be completely embarrassed to be with him. He did find time to make a dry-sounding joke, with an equally as dry and forced-sounding laugh. "Everyone around here seems to be taken." And while it was a bit of an exaggeration, for the sake of the joke, he found a bit of truth in it. He hadn't met any not-partnered Weapons--he hadn't met any not-partnered anybodies, really. Dante excluded, but James wasn't entirely sure if he counted yet or not.
"But I'm not really worried, or anything...it'll work out." He had been given similar advice before, to just let things happen naturally. And he was okay with that, especially now that he knew his way around better and was going to start getting some serious training. At least he wouldn't be sitting around and twiddling his thumbs when his partner finally showed up.
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Dante Giovanni
Weapon
Demon Rapier
Among thorns grow roses.
Posts: 122
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Post by Dante Giovanni on Oct 2, 2014 14:18:58 GMT -5
Dante noted the slight shift in James’ face with his description of Tori. He was hardly surprised. Tori was indeed overwhelming, even by description alone. Miles and miles away and still striking fear in the hearts of students their fellow students. Yeah, that sounds about right, Dante decided. It made sense for her to leave a lasting effect, even if it was only in his words and in the people she’d known. But at least she wasn’t gone forever. Telephone were wonderful things, and Skype was definitely just as amazing. He’d used it already to keep up with his relatives still back in Sicily. A call to Britain was just a simple.
Cool? Not a description Dante had really heard before with how he and Tori fit together, but he certainly didn’t deny it. Unlikely maybe was how he would describe it, strange too. He was sure a few they’d encountered had figured it wouldn’t last, granted not because of unexpected distance. Dante couldn’t see that happening though, at least if she’d stayed. The question posed to him next seemed obvious in answer, but that didn’t stop him. Dante kept a smile on his face, looking optimistic even in spite of the situation. “I start over,” he stated simply, like it was nothing even with the potential difficulty looming over his head. “Well, not completely over,” he added on, taking on a thoughtful look and casting a quick glance up at the ceiling, “I mean I won’t be in the NOT class again at least, thank goodness. I just have to wait for whatever odd happening throws a partner my way.”
Maybe an explanation was needed for that last one. Dante took on a little bit of an embarrassed look, almost blushing at how stupid he’d been. “Odd for me, at least. I uh, may have met Tori by accidentally breaking into her house,” he explained before holding a hand up in his defense, “I swear I didn’t mean to, though! I didn’t even know anybody lived in the clock tower, and I definitely didn’t mean to fall and get stuck on a rotating gear and need her to rescue me.” Definitely a story that would follow him, granted he was also completely aware that he probably just ruined whatever semblance of normalcy James had seen in him. You’re a dork and you need to stop talking. Granted now that he thought about it, he tended to meet most new people by falling. Dante couldn’t help but also note that the more important the person, the more dramatic and potentially deadly the fall, but he could think about that later.
So he isn’t partnered yet. Dante let himself be a little hopeful, but he also sympathized, particularly with the tone James took. Oh yeah, he definitely got that. Finding a partner could be frustrating, and especially when wherever you seemed to look there were zero opportunities. It was frustrating, but Dante hadn’t let it get him down. James voiced that he wasn’t overly upset about it, but Dante couldn’t help but think otherwise with how he sounded. He cast a look at the water, debating whether or not he should say something or not, whether that would be a little too pushy or forward. But then…that was usually how partnering went to his knowledge. It happened with spontaneity and luck. He weighed his options.
Oh, why not?
Dante was silent for a moment. Then, he shifted golden eyes back over to James, offering an encouraging grin. “Partners show up when you least expect it,” he offered gently, “And hey, you’ve met me . That’s one unpartnered Weapon.”
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2014 10:25:11 GMT -5
James kind of expected that. Of course, starting over was the only option. But it felt kind of strange; maybe keep moving forward would have been a less depressing sounding idea. Starting over just felt kind of hopeless, like he didn't have any other choice. Which was an odd thing to even consider, because Dante didn't give him any sort of hopeless vibes. James was probably just over thinking it way too much. But it still left a hollow feeling in his chest, like he really passionately did not want this person to be left in the dark that came with being unsure of the future.
He turned his head away and gave a bitter laugh. This school was starting to give him a damn hero complex.
His attention literally snapped back to Dante as he continued speaking, talking about how he met his previous partner. (And he winced a little at the crack that came with it.) "You broke into her house?!" he looked completely flabbergasted by that comment, though with further explanation he felt his body relaxing. Then he started to wonder about what kind of people chose to live in a clock tower, which then led him to wonder more about Dante because not only did this person break into a clock tower but he also seemed to have a nasty habit of falling.
That brought a smile to his face, though James couldn't be sure if he was relieved that it was a common thing or if it was just flat out funny--perhaps a little bit of both. He even hunched his shoulders a little, trying to keep a laugh quiet. "That's one way to make an entrance," he supplied, hoping it would put the other boy under the impression that James was not laughing at his clumsiness in general and just that one instance. (Though James was indeed laughing at the overall clumsiness.) He finally attempted to make eye contact again, trying to resist a grin. "But why were you in a clock tower in the first place?" It seemed like there would be an exciting story behind this one; Dante probably had a lot of those.
Dante's next few comments on the partner matter threw James into an internal thunderstorm of emotions, and it was time to play the is this supposed to be comforting or is he implying something game. James, as previously mentioned, had a tendency of over thinking things. He was also the kind of person to get his hopes up only to be shot down in the most embarrassing ways later.
It was silly to assume that the person you literally just met wanted to be your partner. After all, they didn't even know each other and wasn't there supposed to be some soul mumbo-jumbo? But at the same time you'd never really know if a person would be a good partner for you unless you just kind of took a shot at it, right? He didn't know, this was his first experience with it. His parents didn't even tell him about their own partners, besides belatedly letting him know that his aunt wasn't really his aunt and was actually his mother's partner. And on top of all that, Dante had had a partner before. So his standards were probably higher, right? But James was going to get some training in and become better, and Dante seemed like the patient type...oh, but that would be such a huge inconvenience for Dante...
James really just wanted to go drown himself in the pool.
He had two options here. He could go with a flippant response that wrote off what Dante said and save himself some embarrassment but have the potential to lose a partner. Or he could sound completely desperate and pathetic and potentially lose a partner. He didn't really see an option where the odds were in his favor.
He liked Dante. Well, he didn't really know the boy but he liked sitting here and talking with him. (Though, as usual James didn't do much of the talking.) If the whole partner thing wasn't a subject at all, he'd still be interested in getting to know this person better. And that meant something, right?
"...yeah," James finally looked kind of at peace with himself, and gave a tiny but happy grin that didn't nearly match Dante's own but hopefully still got his feelings through. "Pretty lucky, huh? I'm really glad I met you." And he meant it with his whole heart. He opened his mouth to say more, but promptly and awkwardly closed it again and cut his gaze toward the pool water. No, it was probably best if he didn't say any more.
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