Players:
Summary: X-23 n Connor spar.
Date: July 7, 2010
Log Title Universal Language
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Gymnasium
This big room with wooden floors is build with powered students in mind; the entire room is power proof. Blast the walls all you like, they are not breaking. The gym can either be one large room and it also has dividers to make it two smaller gyms. This large Gym has basketball nets, equipment to set up equipment badminton, volleyball, hockey, soccer, gymnastics, fencing, and everyone's favorite, dodge ball.
Alone in the gym once more, Connor is in the middle of doing some cool-down stretches. Next to to him is a half-drunk bottle of water, and the fighting dummy next to him looks like he's been a few rounds with it recently. Dressed down to an Academy tank top, some track pants, and a pads on his hands and feet, the young man shows himself to be limber and in athletic trim.
Actually seeming in a better mood then usual, X rounds the corner into the gym. Training wasn't necessary, but she was awake, and had nothing else to do with her time tonight. Rain had started to fall lightly outside, so go into the city was out. Looking to be in something akin to pajamas, she wore a white tank that stopped just above her navel and matching white cotton shorts that hung low on her hips. She was barefoot for a change, and her footsteps were as silent as ever. Catching his scent first, emerald orbs shifted towards Connor in the middle of the room. She stopped in the doorway a moment, head tilting to one side before entering the gym proper. "Hello." was her murmured greeting towards the other student as she moved past him, to use the other half of the space. she pulled her battered cell from her pocket and dropped it on the wood flooring with a muted smacking sound as it landed.
A brief look is given to the cellular phone, and then he gets up and walks over to where it is. Connor picks it up, and starts walking towards Laura, turning it over in his hands a few times before he then says with a bit of a frown, "That's not a good way to treat your phone. Dropping it wrong might knock the antenna out… or kill the battery… Here…" And he tries to hand it over to here as he stands there in what amounts to combat workout gear.
She arches a brow slightly, watching as he picks up the phone. "It's not mine." was her reply, though she took the phone from him as he handed it to her. X stared down at the battered piece of tech and shrugged one thin shoulder up. "I took it from a hostage. If it breaks.. well.. I do not really need it." She wasn't a big fan of cell phones as a rule. She'd gotten rid of the one the school had issued her almost immediately. It was at the bottom of Central Park Lake, somewhere. "Thank you.." she mumble, turning away from him, to move towards one of the walls, and place it down more gently for Connor's sake. X sat down, her back against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her. Bending herself in half as small hands wrapped around the balls of her feet in a quick stretch she asked; "Are you training? I did not mean to disrupt you."
Connor points back to the dummy, "I try to hook up with Chloe for a decent workout… it's a pain in the backside to train on a dummy after all. It doesn't mesh well with my fighting style. So I did some technique work, and played some tennis against the wall. I was on cool-down… but hey… if you want to go, I'd be game." Giving a bit of a smile and a shrug as he goes back to his bag and takes up his bottle of water, drinking it down before disconnecting the dummy from the floor, and hauling it towards the storage room, but adds as he passes, "There isn't much you like, is there… you were pretty angry a couple nights ago, and then here… not that I'm a judge of anything… but it's like you wear it like a cloak."
X bent her left leg in at the knee, then her right. Leaning forward and stretching one more time before she stood up in one fluid motion. Another shrug; "I do not mind." she moved out towards the middle of the spacious room, turning in place as she stops to watch him move the dummy. A slight frown pulls at the corners of her mouth. "No. There is not much that I like. One of the professors.. " she trailed off, figuring that would convey most of what she wanted, without really saying much. "Anger is… less complicated to understand for me." Not exactly what she meant, but finding the appropriate words were proving difficult. "I know it well. Other emotions are complicated." X let out a frustrated sigh and looked away, busying herself with letting go a few slow kicks, just for form's sake, to busy herself with.
Connor smirks a bit as he watches the form of the kicks, "Japanese arts? Nice extension on the kick." And moving to one side he begins to work himself to limber up as well. He couldn't look the opposite. His movements seem almost… sloppy… by comparison. No full extension on the hands, no curling into full fists until the moment of attack. To the other, she might recognize the form as Russian… Systema… and by the ease of use, the young man has trained in it for several years. After a couple low-kicks as well, and some follow-up elbow strikes, he then looks to X, and says, "I think… people aren't talking the right language to you. So… let's speak something you know."
X gave a single nod, leaving her leg out a moment longer, keeping tension there until she let it drop. "Yes. Kyokushinkai is my favored style." she replied, turning again to face him as Connor began warming up. Her head turned to one side slightly, studying the style of his movements. "Chloe uses a similar style.. I believe." she murmured, recalling her one and only spar with the girl. X grimaces slightly, letting her stance widen a bit as her knees bent - though her hands remained at her sides for now - she nodded again. "I am ready when you are. Would you like to set any limits in place?" She didn't really know the full extent of his powers, she let one claws in her right hand, and the one in her left foot push out and X rolled her shoulders back, taking a more defensive stance.
"Chloe uses Savate… she's actually been sparring with me to learn… and I would rather not with the claws… I can't regenerate from damage as easily as some others." And Connor actually grins at that before he moves opposite to X, and then drops into a casual and loose stance. Legs loose, center of balance even, and hands at his side like he was going for a walk. But then he rolls his neck and brings his hands up into a more proper fighting stance. Using a loose version of a boxer's stance, he smiles a bit, "Stop being so serious… have some fun with it."
X frowned at him. He was the second person to tell her to have fun with training. "It is not meant to be fun. It is meant to better technique and form." she stated mechanically, her emerald gaze flicking down to her blades. "I won't stab you. They are for maneuvering purposes only." she replied, a bit of a smirk coming into her expression now, as she watched him set. X pushed up onto the balls of her feet then settled back down, letting a slow, measured breath out as she gave him a nod.
With that little nod and breath, Connor begins to slowly circle X, watching her closely the entire time… but his eyes show the most interesting story. As he watches her, his eyes begin to change focus, going from their usual lackadaisical view of the world and becomes something as sharp and focused as a predator. As he continues to move himself around, keeping equidistant from the girl, he doesn't strike. He watches… every twitch, every shift, all of it watched in those wolf's eyes that continue their unwavering gaze. His hands change from fists to open palms, as if he was ready to accept a punch into them like a trainer, and he begins to change his stands to something slightly wider and lower than before.
X actually managed a genuine smile as the stand off began. Anticipation to a fight, was always the fun part. The shift in his focus was noted, though she took on a similar set to her features. Pupils dilating slightly, her gaze remained on him, though in a broader sense. Taking in his movements, measuring and weighing. X moved with him, a predatory grace in silent footfalls as she circled with her opponent. On the second full circle they had paced, she let her right foot move forward slightly, closing some distance, merely to see what he'd do. Her whole form relaxed in it's movements but every steps planned, and none faltered. Who would strike first? That was really the question here.
The critical moment comes just after he gives a little distance, but stops after having circled fully, "You're good." Is all Connor says just before he moves forwards in a couple lazy-seeming steps, but then begins into a complex and loose piston-styled punches and follow-up elbow strikes, getting in close where the legs will not do any good if possible. While the form is deceptively loose, the strikes are like the blows of a hammer as he rains them down. He doesn't seem to be pulling them though, relying on the padding to cushion the strikes if they hit. It seems as much a probe as an attack as at the end of a six-strike sequence he attempts to back out of range once more.
Another evening spent alone in her room really doesn't appeal to Star at the moment, and so the empath has made her way down to the gym just to see exactly where it's located. She slips in the door, not expecting to find anyone within at this time of the evening, and blinks in surprise to discover that there's a mini-battle going on. Her breath catches as she watches Connor strike out at her roommate and she stops just inside the door without a sound, her hands going to her mouth at the sight of Laura with her blades out. Oh crap. This could get bad. Maybe she should hang around just in case someone needs help getting to the medical bay?
X only gave a nod in return, her attention still focused solely on his movements. As Connor closes in she steps in as well, the close space preferable to her. Both hands come up automatically, not having to think as she took a defensive stance, blocking each of the strikes. Upper block, then lower, meeting one elbow with her own, and pushing some weight into it in an attempt to move him backwards, then pushing her forearm left then right as she deflected. As he took a step back she followed, though not closing the distance as much this time. Her right foot moving from it's position on teh flor into a perfectly executed front kick, as she stepped forward. The petite mutant pushing some more weight into it, to close the distance with her shorter legs. The kick aimed squarely for his solar-plexus.
The response is something akin to a loose spin that pushes him to the outside of the kick so he can attempt to grab it, while at the same time his foot lashes out to strike-hook behind the knee for a take down. Connor's eyes are bright the entire time, the backglow of his blue-green energy signature ebbing and intensifying like one might be looking at a pool of water.
Connor pages, "Since Laura was taught to deal with the kind of thing… recognize things like military training, whoever taught Connor was Spetznaz. Russian Special Forces. :)" to you.
Distracted as she caught Star's scent, her attention flickered for a moment towards the door of the gym. A low grunt escapes her as he manages to trap her leg, she moves with the flow of motion her captured leg rotating slightly, as her knee hit the ground. X followed through - retracting her left footclaw first - sending a spinning kick towards his thigh - or the side of his face, depending on how he followed through. She didn't pull back either, if the kick landed it would be the full force of her heel. Holding back was not something X knew how to do well. Just fighting without the use of her claws was something she had to concentrate on. If her kick landed, she would complete the circle of movement, attempting to free her trapped leg.
The kick is caught by his hand, but it's only a cushion to the blow, and he has to let go of the leg and stumble back a bit as Connor looks down at his thigh where the strike had come. With the claws, he looks rather loathe to get in close for 'kill-shots'. But after brushing his leg, he then nods and murmurs out, "There we are…" Almost as if to no one in particular, and remains back so that X can get back up on her feet.
X was on her feet again, turning to face him fully again, as she retracted her hand claw as well now.
Walking in in the middle of a fight is a little too much for Star and she turns to flee. Who cares that it's just a sparring match, it's still not something she's comfortable with. The petite empath runs out the door and back down the hall, gone as quickly as she appeared.
X was on her feet again, turning to face him fully again, as she retracted her hand claw as well now. It was not necessary, and she could sense his trepidation while it was out. She moved forward this time, closing distance with both hands up and with open palms as she feinted left once then quickly retreated back a step, finding her stride now, and letting her reflexes and instincts really take over. X moved in again, and fired off a series of punches and an elbow or two. Hardly a pause in between each strike, wanting to pick up the pace of the fight slightly.
It seems to almost transform from fight to dance… his movements soft and pliable against the precision force being delivered. Connor parries and counters inside of them, tossing feints here and there, never pulling his blows but almost seeming to anticipate that he'll be blocked or caught in those. The longer the moment drags the more… excited he seems to be… it's a sharp scent of anticipation, like something else has taken over… something that enjoys the adrenaline rush this brings. Two forms scraping so close to violence, but still barely on the edge. He presses, and pulls back, occasionally taking a scrape of a punch, or the edge of an elbow, moving with some unseen rhythm dictated by the movements of the fight itself.
As each strike is deflected or it just barely scrapes his form, she counters with another. X's breathing even, and measured, a smile still played at the corners of her mouth, as they seemed easily able to anticipate one another's movements. As close in as they were, legs were mostly useless, so X attempted to hook both hands on his right shoulder as her right knee came up in an attempt to deliver two swift, vicious knee kicks to his chest, just something to change it up again. Connor was very good, that much was obvious here. She too was caught up in adrenaline that always came with combat, her movements still accurate, her form still completely perfect, though more force was behind each blow as she delivered it.
The first knee gets slapped down by both hands, but the second catches him in the stomach, causing a sharp exhale of breath as he ends up bending slightly… but then immediately does an almost savate-style kick to the knee by extending his leg and pushing his upper body up and back like a trap opening in one sharp movement. Connor's face looks winded from the blow, but his eyes do not lose their lupine intensity the whole time. If anything the hit just seems to encourage him. The smile is strangely… like he's having a good time. Like some people enjoy playing games, or listening to music… this seems almost calming to him.
The grin returned to X's features as she felt one knee connect. He was good. As he kicked her knee back down, she followed it up with a lunge. Dropping down into a low crouch for a moment, centering her weight, before springing up again, bother hands tucked in tight against her body. As she closed the distance she let a quick series of rapid fire punches go. Her control still very much there, concentrating mostly on keeping her claws retracted, X was most definitely getting more into the fight.
Connor ends up giving ground in this assault, ducking and weaving when the speed and the ferocity of those attacks force him into a full guard rather than trading blows. He soaks it up, working his hands in slapping blocks and intercepting elbow shots until finally as the timing of the fight allows for it, he suddenly sidesteps and as his leg remains extended he goes for a backhand strike for the back of X's head, attempting to knock her off her balance and forwards.
Knocking X off balance was no easy feet. Even as the unexpected sidestep and strike was executed, hitting it's mark squarely in the back of her head, she pushed up on the balls of her feet, absorbing most of the impact full on. Emeralds narrowed as she quickly shifted her position to face Connor head on again, she lunged. though, instead of attacking full on, she made an attempt at grabbing him by one shoulder roughly - if she succeeded - and using her left legs to try and sweep him off balance. If all went according to plan, X wouldn't give him a minute, trying to pin and use the rudimentary grappling she'd learned, merely to see if she still remembered and executed the moved correctly. A quiet little grunt of exertion was allowed to escape, though her breathing remained as steady as ever, the spar was proving a challenge, which was at least more then she would have expected from most students here at the school.
The reciprocating takedown happens because the daring move was not recovered from fast enough, but as the pin comes, Connor lashes one arm out, aiming an open-palm blow right to the center of X's throat, while his knee tries to come up and intercept the full pin maneuver, wedging his assumed weight against her own. But when X comes down with that enhanced strength and gravity on her side, his is very nearly knocked to the floor…
Stupid! X thought viciously to herself as the open-palm strike makes it mark, and leaves her coughing and sputtering. Keep your chin tucked in! Though it was too late now, she jerks her head down, doing exactly what she'd forgotten. The strength of her take down lessened slightly, with the jarring impact of Connor's hand to her throat, and she gasped panted trying to regain airflow. "Nice…" she croaked out,
Connor rolls out, and pushes to standing, reaching down to help you up if he can, reaching down to help you steady yourself, "I thought you had me… that was a desperation move." If allowed, he will help Laura to sit down for a moment, and either way he will go to his bag and bring out two bottles of water… panting hard and sweating as he comes over and passes it to her, "Here. That was great… I have to fight powered against Chloe… it exhausts me a hell of a lot faster, and is a lot less fun than this was."
X made no move to fight back as Connor breaks away from her. Over-bright emeralds flick up to the extended hand as she contemplates it for a moment, then stands on her own. One small hand moved up to rub at her sore throat and she shrugged. "Had I not forgotten to keep my chin tucked, I would have." was her froggy reply. X slips back down to a seated position, both legs stretchng out in front of her as she gratefully takes the proffered water bottle. "Thank you. Yes,.. with Chloe I had to use my claws, to compete with her speed."
Sitting down next to X, Connor cracks his bottle, takes a drink, and then seals it before setting it down. Sighing once, he sits back and turns his head to look at her… and he smiles, "Want to make this a regular thing? I could see… for about a second… you were having fun. I know how it feels. There's a release when you're just you and someone else, and for a moment you're inside each other, reading the moves as they come. You move like an otter… it's different… and I can see how it's uniquely you."
X twists the cap off her bottle and downs half of it in one long gulp. The cool water, doing wonders for her throat and she shrugged noncommittally at Connor's observation of her having fun. "I suppose it was not completely terrible." was her response. Her nose wrinkled up at the mention of her movements. One dark brow winged up, her head cocking to one side slightly. "An otter?… Surely you can find a better comparison then -that-!" she scoffed, shaking her head quickly, and tipping her bottle back to finish it off, and crush it in her hand, flattening it into a perfect disc, before setting it aside and placing the cap on top. She leaned back, supporting her weight on her elbows, eyes still on Connor as she studied him for another moment. "You do know how to fight, at least. Better then I expected from a student here."
Connor laughs a bit at the scowl, "Have you ever seen an otter move? They dance in the water… still one moment, a blur of motion the next, eyes always alert, even when having fun. They can twist in and out of things that make you wonder what happened to their spine." Taking up his bottle he sips once more, an exacting amount, settling it back to the same place after sealing the cap again, "My mentor back home was Russian special forces. He was the first person who ever just accepted me as I am. Afternoons would be home from school, an hour working in the garage, then homework, dinner, and back to the garage. I got time to hang out with the only friend I ever really had at home… Dylan… but sometimes…" And he shrugs softly, "Yuri was a better father to me than my own dad."
X purses her lips together, her gaze drifting away, and up towards the ceiling as she tipped her head back, letting her heavy mass of hair spill down on the floor. "No. I have never seen an otter." she replied, contemplating the comparison a little differently for a moment, before lifting on thin shoulder up in a half shrug. She listened in silence as she got a bit of insight into Connor. Not that she knew the boy well, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was nice to hear more of someone. X finally nodded once, keeping her gaze on the ceiling, though it unfocused slightly as she spoke; "My Sensei… He was one of only two people who treated me as a child, and as a person. He has taught me everything I know, and was the closest I have had to a friend." She paused, her expression darkening, as her eyebrows slanted down, in hard lines. "They made me kill him."
"Always remember that sentence then… They made you kill him… it wasn't you. Might have been your hands, or whatever… but it was their doing." Connor replies softly before he picks up his bottle, and passes it over to her to finish off, "Also remember he was your friend, your Sensei, and your companion. Yuri taught me that if you must regret something… regret goodbyes. I never say goodbye to friends. I always say Later. Because I'll see them later."
She shrugged, taking the bottle from him and finishing it off as she'd done her own. Crushing it in the same way, and placing it next to her's she let out a quiet sigh. In X's mind it was one and the same. They hadn't given the order directly, but they had forced her hand. "It is more complicated then that. It was not a direct order, so to speak." She nodded again, thinking Connor's mentor was a smart man. "that is a good way to look at things, I suppose." she murmured after a moment. "How did you end up here? Why not stay with your mentor if he was so good to you?" The way she'd worded it, sounded a bit intrusive, though she didn't mean it to be so, merely curious.
With his head hanging a moment, Connor looks at his hands, "Because I manifested my mutant ability around Christmas of this year… apparently it was already there… but something happened. No one can explain it. All they can say is I was artificially tampered with, and it was done incorrectly. My mutant gift was detected because I'm a walking gravity anomaly, and so I was taken to New York and some tests were done by Doctor Richards of the Fantastic Four. He called Doctor McCoy… Beast… and they made the pitch. My parents said yes because besides the mutation… I also have a functional Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Since many students who come here also have issues, the school is suited to helping. They continued the tests and fixed some of the problem… but not all of them. Even Yuri admitted… it's not something he could help me with, but he said to me… sometimes it's best for one to be with their own."
Laura turned her gaze back on him, straightening up and pulling her knees up to her chest as she turned to face him. "I noticed the OCD." she murmured, wrapping arms around her shins. She gave him a tight smile, not judging in the least as she had her own slew of awkward quirks. "Do you still communicate with your mentor? Do you miss him more then your family? What is it that you can actually do? I mean aside from making things levitate, there is more to your power?" Questions came more quickly, her interest piqued now.
Connor almost imitates the gesture, though his arms rest on his knees, and his chin atop them as he lays his head sideways to look back at Laura, "I'm a teleporter. I'm possibly the most versatile teleporter they've said they ever had. Because of how it works. I manipulate a quantum particle called a graviton. They're what physicists have theorized forms in black holes and is part of what keeps gravity occurring in nature. I can teleport like Mister Wagner, and I can open a portal to any place on the planet I can visualize. So I don't miss them. I go him Friday evenings and have dinner with my family, and see Yuri afterward. Usually we practice, sometimes he tells me stories, or shows me things." He pauses and then looks down at his toes, scrunching them a moment, "But it comes with a cost…"
"A cost? What cost? Can you teleport others too?" she asked, her head tilting to one side, sending messy locks askew again. A hand lifted to push them back. "that must be an interesting power to have. Useful." she murmured more to herself this time, then him. Her gaze still focused on him, she noticed the slight movement at his, as she waited for her answers.
There's a hard line on his jaw, and then his eyes dip out of view for a moment, "Every time anyone teleports with me, including me… they see their lives in another Earth. What might have been. Every time I sleep, I see my life as someone else. Every time. And I don't get a choice. Good, bad, heartfelt, evil… I see it all. I've watched people at this school die, sometimes by my hand. I've been everything from savior to monster… to warrior for alien races. One night I might be having a happy life with a wife and kids… and the next I'm on the slab, perfectly conscious as they put THINGS in me… and I FEEL it… ALL OF IT…" Some trembling in his shoulders as the admission comes out, but he straightens, and sniffs, "Sometimes the meds help… some days… I don't want to get out of bed. It's all too vivid and real."
Laura had another series of questions to fire off at hearing this, but his tone and reaction gave her pause. The lines of her face smoothed over, and she leaned in slightly, one hand reaching out as if to pat him on the arm, but Laura hesitates and pulls her hand back. "I am sorry. I did not realize these questions would upset you." she murmured softly, her eyes dropping to the space between them, tracing over the grains in the wood floor one by one, as she gave him a chance to compose himself. "It sounds…difficult.."
Connor doesn't flinch at the touch, but then takes a couple breaths to calm himself, "No… it's cool. It's just been a bad week for them. When you can't control something… it sucks… horribly. It's why I like sparring, and I like the danger room. The part of me that's the OCD, that's the dreams, and all the messed up emotions that come with it… I can turn it off. I can think clearly… and then the adrenaline wears off. You know?" Reaching over and touching back for a moment.
She stiffens slightly at the touch, fighting the urge to lean back and away. She managed to resist the urge though, for the moment, and that made her just a little proud of herself. As Connor's hand fell away, Laura relaxed visibly, settling back in more comfortably, her shoulders sliding back down from the their tense bunched up position to a smooth line. "They can not give you anything to repress the dreams? There are a lot of drugs now…" She was just sort of grasping a straws here, he'd mentioned meds, but Laura wasn't sure if they were for the OCD, or the fucked up dreams. "And yes.. I know what it feels like to not have control.." she murmured, her voice dropping down as her chin resettled on her knees, her gaze still on the floor. She teetered a few moments, wanting to open up more, but not really sure if she should, or how to. "I was made to fight… It is the only thing that comes naturally to me. Fighting and killing."
Connor asks again softly, "So… you want to do this again?" Tilting his head a bit to watch Laura a bit more closely, "Seems like when we're fighting, we understand each other." A small smile creeping up as he then adds, "Talking gets awkward."
Laura continued to stare unfocused at the floor a moment or two long before looking up to see Connor staring at her. She gave a single, slow nod. "Yes. Talking is awkward.." she replied, quietly. Teeth drug over her lower lip a moment, another no given towards him. "I would not mind fighting you again. " she finally agreed. "Though, next time I will remember to keep my chin down." she smirked slightly, at this, a hand rising up to rub at her throat again lightly, though there was no pain there anymore.
Connor grins back, "Just remember… I don't heal so fast… I'll get some pads to wear so you don't have to worry. Or… I'll start teleporting in combat." He pushes himself up to stand and then reaches out to hold out his hand to her, "I'm glad I met you, you know."
With another moment of hesitation, Laura reached up and took the proffered hand, though she didn't need it and stood. "I did not cause any serious damage did I?' She asked, a brow arching slightly as emeralds quickly raked down over his form, as if she could tell just by a cursory glance. Her hand dropped from his, falling to her side as her attention returned to his face. "I do not much if you use your powers, if you want to."
Connor motions to his arms, and along his chest, "Nah. A few bruises for the morning… Chloe does just as bad through full padding when we go at it. You know… we should get a fourth. We can all trade notes, teach each other techniques… and sometimes cut loose. You say what you know is fighting… well… I don't mind learning some more. Systema is just that… a system. It adapts to the user, not the opposite." He turns and moves to the mat to stretch out a bit more to keep the muscle soreness from creeping up on him, "Yuri said pain is good. Pain means you're still alive and you can still fight back."
Connor then adds softly, "I don't want to use my powers in a fight… it seems… unfair. Maybe out there… but here? Skill is more important."
Laura bent at the waist and scooped up both smooshed water bottles, then moved towards the wall, and snagged up her battered cell phone. "I do not know many others here. If you would like to invite someone else though…" she trailed off as she shrugged. "I am supposed to teach Chloe. I do mind teaching others as well." Padding towards him on silent feet she stopped before his stretching form. Laura held out her phone. "Put your number in there. I do not know mine, so I will call you,… if you want." May as well use the thing now that she had it.
Connor takes the phone and examines it for several moments before pushing a couple function buttons and holds it up to her, "Your number is here… it's an older model, but pretty rugged." Taking that he programs it into his own phone, just his thumb, and then he proceeds to load your phone with his number, "That counter-sweep you pulled was amazing by the way. I didn't see it coming. And…" There's a momentary flush of his cheeks, he is a young man after all, "I'd like it if you called me… would you… like it if I called you, though?"
Laura pushed up on her toes leaning forward slightly as she tried to watch what he was doing. She shrugged again, giving a feeble smile, though it didn't really reach all of her face. "Like I said.. it isn't mine, but thank you.." she murmured, a slight flush rising in her cheeks at the compliment. "I can show you sometime…" Laura paused a moment, settling back down on her feet her gaze dropping to the floor again, as she shrugs. "I… would not mind, if you wanted to call me."
Connor opens his mouth, and then shuts it before he turns to leave, scooping up his bag and walking towards the door. Then… he stops and turns back around and stands in front of Laura. Bowing at the waist, he says softly, "Arigato Gozaimasu." And all but shuffles out the door quickly.
