Living in Evermore City was definitely an experience so far, he hadn’t really known what exactly he expected but he had to admit, the changes had kinda hit him all at once, from missing his family to learning to adapt to the western way of life. Something that remained the same no matter where he went however was the sky. As he looked up at the sunset everything that was worrying or confusing him just seemed to fade away and all he saw was the colors. The sky was the same no matter where he went and that brought him a sense of peace he needed.

Jae found himself in the north east corner of Evermore city, a slip of paper held between his fingertips as he attempted to follow the directions he had been given to the dhampir dojo. Jaesung didn’t really know what was expected of him as a dhampir in the city, back home they didn’t really have communities, they kept what they were a secret, used it when they needed to and for the most part just continued on in their normal life.

Jae had done his reading on Evermore before selected to study here however, he knew quite how drastically different it was for the supernatural here. He had seen that from the moment he arrived, the supernatural population was still a minority in Evermore but nowhere near the low numbers in Seoul, it felt like every corner he turned he saw a new person with a small tell that tipped them off as being supernatural, it was fascinating to him but also another big change to add to the already overflowing list.

Jae felt a little lost but he hoped he could start to turn that around tonight. If he could even bring up the courage to go to the door that was. Forcing down his fears he rounded the last street before coming up on the dojo. The building was beautiful and the structure of it felt familiar, like something he was much more likely to see back home than he would in the middle of an American city. Just seeing it gave him the strength he needed to move forward and tap gently on the door.

After a minute or two he started to wonder if anyone was still here, it was after opening hours after all but just as he was about to turn away and come back another day he heard footsteps making their way towards him.

Views: 518

Replies to This Discussion

Donovan never saw himself here, as the leader of the Dhampir Faction in Evermore, but when Val had asked him to come to Evermore he only came as a friend. The moment they were around each other he could tell her stress had gotten to her and offered to step in and help seeing as they were best friends. Yet Val need more than help, she need a long holiday.  After a long talk and a list of duties left to him, Donovan agreed to take over, in hopes that when she returned she would no long be crushed under a weight that she shouldn’t carry on her own.

The Dojo was the place Donovan felt the most out of place of, after he had his weapon claiming, while being rather skilled at fighting he chose to travel more than his other siblings. But running it was part of his duties helping the young dhampirs claim weapons and train.  It was also the place that most Dhampir came to form a social circle among their own kind.

Donovan was dressed in sweats that evening, his arms crossed as he watched the two Dhampirs throwing punches at each other and he walked around the ring slowly “Come on you two, I know you are twins and don’t want to hurt each other but you gotta at least try and land a punch.” he shook his head and looked to the door as it open, seeing the newest of the Dhampir faction. He threw a towel at the two in the ring before making his way over to the door “Come now don’t tell me I scared you off already Jae.”

Donovan had ears all over the city, didn’t take long for him to make many friends in the city. He had a very charismatic personality that seem to charm most people when he wished too, well all but one person, a certain Dragon but she was on a whole different playing field.  “So tell me Jae,” he placed his hand on his shoulder swiftly turning him around and moving him towards the gathering area that had a few couches and tv for different things. “How are you liking Evermore? Find it to be as overwhelming as I did when I first arrived here?”

he pulled out two bottles of water and hands one to him and settles against one of the couches. “Coming here after traveling the world seeing that there were so many different species living almost harmoniously.” He chuckled slightly. “It is a sight, and so many on top of that.” he nods as he looked to him. "How are your living arrangements?"

As he stood on the doorstep a little dumbfounded he was again reminded of the differences between here and home. Americans he had noticed almost instantly, were very friendly, to the point where they treated you almost as if they knew you when you only just met. Jae got that impression from Donovan as he followed him inside the dojo shrugging off his backpack as he did so and setting it down to the side of the room “It’s still strange for me, walking into a place without being invited” he shrugged a little as he gave a half wave to the other dhampirs in the room.

Jae looked around a little confused, he had no idea how all of this worked but thankfully Donovan seemed to lead the way guiding him over to what he guessed was the relaxation section of the place. After all, they couldn’t be training and fighting constantly right. Jae knew he looked a bit like a lost puppy, his face showing evidently his lack of awareness but he still felt comfortable here, more so than he did out in the streets of Evermore or even in his own apartment. “It’s uhh...very big” he admitted as he leaned against the arm of one of the couches “I got lost for 2 whole hours yesterday, it was scary at first but also fun to explore” he chuckled, he didn’t really have a great sense of direction he had to admit.

Jae smiled taking the water he was offered and bowed his head a little in thanks before opening the top and drinking down a few gulps “Everything is very different from home” he admitted with a shrug before trying to explain what he meant “Back home, everyone is not so” he shrugged “proud of their supernatural side” he had been taught to hide what he was at all costs and had lived the majority of his life doing so, it was strange to him to come to a place which embraced being supernatural so much.

The younger dhampir slid down the side of sofa arm until he fall into the soft seat, his arm resting against the fabric on the arm he was just leaning against. Getting his bearings he looked up at the other male and shrugged, pulling a face which he was sure said it all “I knew Americans liked to have lots of parties but it gets very loud, hard to study” he grimaced, he was pretty sure he was the only one in his block actually intending on doing any studying this year, the others seemed to simply be there because their parents were paying for it.

Leaning his hand against his cheek Jae picked back up on what Donovan had hinted earlier “You travel?” he asked with raised brows “Where?” he was curious, coming to America had been the only real journey Jae had ever taken, one day he would love to go to some other places and see all the landmarks, especially as he liked to take photos.

Donovan settled into a seat turning his focused on the newest of the dhampir factions members. He offered a soft smile to him “Ah yeah I guess this place is rather different then where you are from huh?” He said looking around to the rather open gym that didn’t stop anyone from entering. “Guess we found it was easier for our kind to get the help they need if we don’t limit when they could enter the Dojo.” He said as his darken gaze turned back to the male that sat down with him. He’s crooked smiled staying in place on his face “Don’t let Evermore size scare you at all. I could put together a map for you if you like. Or you are welcome to explore and learn places and call me if you ever get truly lost.” He chuckled softly to him.

Donovan came from a family that was overly proud of what they were, being from one of the more well known family, he was use to his sibling and parents accepting what they were. “What about you Jaesung? Are you proud of your supernatural side?” He raised a brow to the man in front of him “because I can make you a strong Dhampir if you wish, but you also have to want it.” He said staring at him with his deep eyes trying to search his own “You have a choice as a Dhampir even now.”

Donovan smirked softly at the dhampir across from him and let out a laugh. “I am not sure it is just the Americans who love to party.” He ran a hand along the bag of his neck “With a slightly higher supernatural population than most cities our kinds can party a little harder.” He chuckled again as he thought back to his college days and then focused again. “What are you studying currently?” He asked as he settled himself to lean on the arm of the couch he was on. “If you ever need a quiet place I have a place above my blue club that is a soundproof recording studio that has a work space. It isn’t used very often only when muse hits me.”

Donovan chuckled and leaned back into his seat and nodded “Spent most of my life traveling, after my sister ran off I didn’t want to sit still. We are from south africa if you haven’t caught on with the accent, but learned to speak French, English and German along with our native tongue.” It was something that many people didn’t know about him. “I went to England first, then traveled all over Europe. Been to Japan, Australia, all over Africa. I hope to go to South America at some point.” He chuckled and then leaned against his hand as he was lost in the memories of his journeys he had had. “I have tons of photos from my travels.”

“But at some point I got tired of traveling alone and a friend I met in my travels Valeria, the ambassador of the dhampir’s here before me. The one I am filling in for. She called me asked me to come and well I came. Been here ever since.” He chuckled “I honestly wouldn’t change my life, even if there has been a lot of lost.” He said softly and shrugged softly to him.

Jae laughed at Donovan’s words and allowed a shrug to roll off his shoulders “That’s an understatement” he admitted with a chuckle, everything was very overwhelmingly different for him nowadays, from the people who surrounded him to the everyday life he was now living but he did feel like he was slowly finding his own feet. “I’m not scared so much as overloaded” he admitted with a slight nod “I think that will only get better with time” he had moved halfway across the world away from everyone he ever met after all.

It really was pretty inspiring to see people so embracing of their dhampir roots, wanting to train hard and show off their pride in what they were, it just didn’t feel familiar to him, especially in a public place like this where humans could wander in at any point. “It’s uh..” he paused thinking about how he explained what he was feeling “A complicated feeling” he smiled apologetically knowing he didn’t make much sense “I want to learn more and to be a strong fighter but also I think I will struggle with the part of me that was taught to never show that side of myself outside of my home” hell he had been through the military without giving himself away. “But I choose to be who I am” why suppress that side of himself if he didn’t have to.

Jae wrinkled his nose a little showing his distaste in the constant party culture he seemed to be surrounded by right now, he had never really been that kind of person, hell he didn’t really like the taste of alcohol and would often be the guy ordering a soda while everyone else went wild “I try to keep my distance” he admitted and smiled, maybe that made him boring but he didn’t want to force himself to do things he didn’t enjoy. “My major is English” he responded to the other male’s question with a proud smirk “that’s why I came here, to learn more outside my classroom” at the other male’s offer he gave a grateful nod before he smirked “Ah so you are the one who encourages the partying” he chuckled softly teasing the older male.

As Jae listened to all the places Donovan had been he was amazed and also a little jealous, it had always been his dream to travel and see the world outside of Korea. Coming to America had been the first step, but he knew he needed to build a life out of his studying before he could afford to really go and see the world for himself. “Travelling sounds so far, one day I hope to visit many more countries” he smiled softly running his hand through his head “If only it didn’t require travelling in a plane” he sighed, Jae had never been good with crampt spaces and planes were pretty packed in.

Jae was happy to see someone who seemed to fulfilled with their life, he hoped to feel the same one day, after he had finished his studying and he finally found his way into the world of work, he hoped to find something that made him passionate, something he looked forward to returning to every day “It sounds like you are happy” he commented with a child like smile. After a moment of silence he cleared his throat “So how does it work? The training?” none of this was a thing back home so he didn’t even know where to start.

Donovan gave the younger Dhampir a soft nod and then sighed heavily remembering how overwhelmed he was when he settled into ever more himself the first time. Though he was sure he adjusted rather quickly because of his time traveling the world and having to adapt quickly. “It will…” he said as he made his dark gaze rest back to the youngling “with time, it will get easier. Everything gets easier with time. Well with time and the alcohol.” he chuckled softly shrugging lightly.

Dojo slowly became a more critical part of the Dhampir community especially in big city like Evermore with a high population of supernatural beings. Even with the risk of humans wondering in it would look the people in the Dojo were just really into fighting. Which is why it was a Dojo and not a regular gym for just working out. Since Dhampir themselves blended in rather well with humans it was hard for any of them to stick out unless they started throwing Runes around. Which is where the private rooms for weapon training was. He smiled softly to the dhampir in front of him. “Well you may have to unlearn some things to learn new things but I am up for trying to train you the best I can. But I may need to know more about you in order to do so, that away I make sure not to cross any lines.”

Donovan believed every Dhampir was different and unique just as every human was, Some needed a frimer hand while others were natural at everything he could throw at them. He nodded to him knowingly “Partying isn’t everything. Especially when it's not your scene. Though I think you are a strong enough kid to not get sucked into something you don’t want.” He looked to the young dhampir in front of him “Which is something to be super proud of because even when I was younger I did things I am not proud of.” he laughs softly. “English major huh? Do you want to be an author or a journalist?” he asked wondering what he wanted to do with that kind of major. With a guilty shrug and chuckle “I guess if you want to look at it that way I do. But It is a business and one that isn’t doing to bad if I do say so myself.” he joked with Jae.

Don liked the way Jae face lit up as he talked of his past and how he traveled around. He smiled to him and nodded “Travel blogger or working as a travel writer sounds like the best path to go down. You know learn photograph also and you will be an all in one act. Get paid for travel.” he smiled softly towards him and then tapped his chin “you can travel by boat or train you know? Go at a slower pace and see more. I guess as long as you get from point A to point B it is about the journey not the destination.” he muses softly to himself remembering many times he just drove without a destination in mind.

His mind focused once again on the kid as he spoke of him being happy. He was happy enough though he would be happier if he didn’t have a way of screwing up relationships. “For the most part I am happy but life knows how to balance all of that out.” he said and then cleared his throat. “Right well we would need to assess your skill level, without weapons and with weapons and then from there if you want we can figure out a good enough time for you to train and make a training program that is suited to you and work on making you the best Dhampir you can be.” He said with a smirk. “Before you know it, you will be putting me on my ass.”

Jae nodded, he had know what he signed up for when he packed up his things to come here and he hadn’t expected things to be easy. But then the past few years of his life hadn’t been easy so he felt like he was up to the challenge “I know” he chuckled softly “and until then I’m just taking things one step at a time” starting with moving into his new apartment and now reaching out to the dhampir community, small steps to settling into life here “Though I’m not sure alcohol actually helps” he challenged with a quirk of his brow, at least it certainly didn’t for his roommates.

Jae agreed, he wasn’t sure he would want to train under someone he didn’t know anyway, part of him felt like that would be awkward and uncomfortable. All of his training thus far came from a private tutor his parents had hired in to help but he had been slacking on it in recent months “Well one thing I’m pretty good at is learning” he smiled gently “As long as you can be patient with me” he was appreciative of the offer, especially because he really hadn’t thought about the whole supernatural part of Evermore until he had got here and he had somewhat of a nagging feeling that he needed to be more aware here.

Jae smiled, it was nice to hear someone call him strong, it wasn’t something you heard often from your elders back home “I don’t think I really fit into the ‘college scene’” he raised his fingers making air quotes with them before he smiled “I was raised to study hard and get ahead of everyone around me, it makes me a little competitive but it also keeps me focused” he was happy with that side of himself, he found joy in playing games and reading books but it did occasionally make him feel like he didn’t fit in with those around him. Upon the other male’s questions he pondered it for a moment “I like to do both” he admitted with a shy laugh “I guess I’m still figuring that part out” he was impressed though, he had never even considered running a business of himself “I should visit sometime” more than anything he was just interested to see what Donovan had built.

When Donovan mentioned being a travel blogger you could quite literally see the pieces lining up in the younger dhampir’s mind, that actually sounded like something he would love to do, besides it was much easier to make it providing updates and news to people than it was to write stories, writing stories was somewhat hit and miss, much like being an artist was he supposed “You have good ideas” he admitted with a chuckle “Maybe I should visit you more” he smirked, most of that probably came from him being older and having experienced a lot of life himself but it was nice to hear his ideas.

Jae frowned a little, confused by what he could have meant when he said life balanced his happiness out but he let it go, it wasn’t like the two knew each other well enough for him to pry. He nodded at he listened to the other male speak, explaining how they were would proceed from here. He had to admit it made him a little nervous that his skills would have to be assessed “Most of my fighting ability is from military training” he admitted with grimace “I’m not sure how…” he trailed off searching for the word “Relevant it is to here” he had seen some of the others fighting and it tended to be more martial arts focused.

“It would be nice though, to get to use these as more than tools” he reached down to pull out his dual daggers from his pocket twirling them around is hands “It’s strange, how easily I know how to use them” he chuckled as he tucked them back away again.

Donovan remembered himself settling into town himself how he had to learn and unlearn things, he had never saw himself settling into one place long enough to start a live and yet here he was settling in for the long haul. There were people that wanted him around and there was people he wanted to be around. He gave the dhampir in front of him and gave him a slight chuckle “You know what Kid you may be right, don’t touch alcohol its just gonna do you dirty anyways. Forgotten nights, things being said you regret. Maybe you should be teaching me some things.” he joked with a hearty laugh. “It's all about how you use it, in the end.” he said honestly

“I have no doubts that you are good at learning, you seem bright eyed and willing to learn.” He gave him a gentle smile as he reached up running his hand over his short hair that had grown in from the last cut he had gotten. “Patience has come to me with age. Back when I was younger I use to want everything right then and there. I wanted to be good at everything. I use to charge in head first and boy was I put on my ass often.” he chuckled at the memories. “Good times good times.”

“There is no real “college scene”” he himself used air quotes around the words as he gave a shrug. “There are so many different people in college that you can always find a friend or a group with just a little looking around, that are like you.” he gave a slight smirk “bet you could find someone who would challenge you when it comes to your studies, to help feed your competitive side.” he gave him a shrug at the suggestion. “Well you are young and you have a lifetime to figure out what you want to do. Shit I am still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.” giving him a smile “You should stop by anytime, it's a relaxed vibe with live music never overly packet unless there is a band coming in that everyone wants to see. I spend a lot of my time playing piano in between. I have even been talked into a karaoke night.” he chuckled as he shook his head. “I am pretty proud of what I have built.” he said honestly.

Donovan watched as Jae eyes seem to light up at the thought of being a travel blogger it combined something he wanted to do with something he wished to do, Don always believed if there was a way to do both then you should do it. “I have been told to have one or two. Just depends on the day.” He gave a chuckle “Well my door here or at Eternally Blue is always open. Like for real need to get the lock fixed on my apartment door.” he joked shaking his head at himself.

“Well we have many different types of fighters here.” He nodded around “Different Martial arts, Boxers, Brazilian, krav maga, that one is.” he shook his head “brutal.” he said honestly “then we have people who train with just weapons. I myself know MMA along with how to use my weapons but my weapons are not common.” he said honestly. “I have Bladed Tonfa which had been sitting in the dojo a long time before they light up with me. So a lot of my fighting involves me holding this metal part.” he said picking up his weapons from beside the chair. “So I have a fist, and the blades are on the side of my arm.” He showed how there was a metal bar attached to the handle part but looked like a sword resting along his arm. “So I use my forearms to fight.” he gave a chuckle. “I call it the Hendrix way.

“Nice set of daggers.” he commented he had seen a lot of daggers in his life so he was being honest when he said that. “It's like we are connected to them huh?” he remembered picking up the bladed tonfas how his sister was confused at his weapon choice yet the glowing  show they were a match “Something special for sure.” He said looking to his weapon and sat them on the table. “How about you watch me and…” he looked around and pointed to a bigger guy in the room “Go a round or two and see what style you wanna learn first. Eventually we will try to get you into all the styles so you know defense if nothing else.”

Jae was still figuring things out when it came to what his purpose was in the world, back home he had always just been working on living up to the person his parents wanted him to be but here was like having a blank slate and he wanted to make the most of that “I mean I wasn’t planning on it, tastes horrible to me anyway” Jae did drink, he wasn’t abstaining from it or anything but none of it particularly tasted good to him, at least not compared to soft drinks “I’m not opposed to drinking though, back when I was 16 it was all my friends and I wanted to do” he wrinkled his nose “Kinda loses the edge when it’s legal” he shrugged, 21 was an interesting age to be.

“Well I have a lot to catch up on” he responded with an equally sincere smile, Jae wasn’t deluded into thinking he was anywhere near on par with most of the people who studied combat here, back home it hadn’t really been pushed and he hadn’t had any particular reason. Now however he had motivation, he wanted to be able to protect himself and others, just like a dhampir was supposed to, he wanted to accept the species he had been born as “and I think I finally have the motivation too” he admitted with a soft nod, though the comments about recklessness made him laugh “Well I can’t promise I’ll be much better” he admitted with a sheepish smile, but who better to learn from than someone who overcame the same problem right?

Jae laughed and shrugged, Donovan was right there, there were all kinds of people in his university, he just so happened to be living with the ones that acting most stereotypically “I didn’t get all that lucky with the roommate pool” Jae commented and pulled a face, he was sure the guys were charming enough in their own right but parties and drug searches and constant late nights with girls was not Jae’s ideal living situation “So maybe I’ll show up sometime that I just wanna escape them” he teased with a laugh, hanging out with Donovan sounded much more fun than dealing with all of the drama the two of them brought home anyway “Maybe if I’m feeling brave I’ll even sing” the younger dhampir was curious to see it himself from the way the elder male bigged it up, that was for sure.

The best part about having his whole life ahead of him was that Jae knew he had the time to make mistakes, to try things and see what happened, to even fail perhaps, to start all over again down a different path, it was pretty exciting when he thought about it, though also daunting, especially as he was doing it alone. Leaving Korea had been one of the hardest but best choices he had ever made. “I hope one day I find myself as proud of my work as you are of yours” Jae complimented with a half shrug, it was really nice, to see someone so passionate about their dreams.

The younger male went quiet as he listened to Donovan’s explanation of how things worked here in the dojo, honestly, Jae hadn’t really known what he was expecting to hear, it was all new for him but he was eager to get started somewhere. It was interesting to hear about the weapon which had chosen the elder male though, his lips parted in surprise as he looked over the way it fitting perfectly to Donovan’s arm. Jae had a small inkling about how his natural affinity wanted him to use his own weapon but he was certainly also interested in learning hand to hand combat “Woah that is seriously sharp” he commented as he leaned closer, seeing the glint on the edge of the blade, he definitely wouldn’t want to be hit by that.

“Sometimes I feel like they’re guiding me” he commented with a chuckle, like they had their own personality in some sense or another “Though there is one thing I have learned since having them” he breathed a little between sentences as he pulled together the words, Jae always spoke a little slower because he was translating what he wanted to say in his head  “They’re for throwing, or at least...my aim definitely can’t be explained as anything but supernatural” he shrugged softly before rising to his feet “Sounds like a plan” he exclaimed excitedly, honestly the younger male just wanted to get started before the urge to back out set in “Though no promises that I’ll actually be any good at first” he chuckled bowing his head apologetically.

Even though Donovan was older then Jaesung he honestly was still trying to figure out his own life. From the outside he made it seem like he had all the answers but he found though his life no one had all the answers. Even if they liked to think they do, they didn’t. “I guess it depends on the taste buds if you like it or not. Or you know just becoming desensitized to the taste over time for the high of a fogged mind.” He said with a soft shrug and then smiled softly “Even if you were opposed to drinking that is fine also.” He chuckled and then nodded slightly “I guess that is true for most people, drinking underage makes you feel badass. So when its legal what's the fun.” he laughed softly “Well I guess there is fun still just sometimes not the kind of fun one use to have.” he mused.

“Everyone has to start somewhere.” He said as he gave a soft strug towards the young Dhampir “As long as you want to learn we are willing to teach you, even if it's just enough to make sure to keep yourself safe.” He then laughed softly “Sometimes it takes getting put on your ass to learn how to get up and not let it happen again. You will get there, with time.” He reached over giving the young dhampir shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Ah roommates suck most of the time in college. Eat all your damn food and then look at like you are suppose to replace it.” he gave a face and then shook his head “College days are something I know a little bit about.” He chuckled at him. “Show up anytime you need to escape.” he gave a nod as he ran a hand on the back of his neck. “Now I would love to hear you sing sometime. Maybe you can inspire and help me also.” he chuckled as he thought of the lack of song writing he had done lately, everything that came out of his brain he couldn’t show anyone because it was geared towards Argent, and since he was dating Dawn he didn’t see that going over well.

Donovan smile didn’t seem to leave his face around the young Dhampir maybe it was because he understood the feeling of moving to a town and being rather alone, after Val had left he had no one. He was thankful for the Dojo for being a connections it provided him to form a stable life in Evermore making his passions come to life because he had a few of the other dhampir supporting his idea and they even worked for him. “You will I have no doubt you will be proud of your own work. Passion is a driving force for that. It will be hard and can be filled with heartache but in the end it will be worth it.” he gave a soft chuckle shaking his head “Somehow I feel like I sound like a Dad. Something I never thought I would sound like.”

“I remember at first when it chose me I was thrown off, it certainly isn’t a common weapon at all. The are interesting to fight with also, I had to learn to use my forearms while being able to transition to sword.” He chuckled as he ran his own thumb along the edge of blade slicing it slightly before putting it into his mouth cleaning the drop of blood that pooled on the end of it. “A little bit.” he chuckled softly. “I may have a thing for sharp blades.” He chuckled as he gave a slight shrug.

“Have you named them?” he asked as he leaned his head to the side. “Some of the other Dhampir name their weapons, after all they are an extension of you. Mine are called Stick and Stone.” he chuckled at the name he had given them back when he was eighteen. “Unoriginal but effective for a point.” He nodded towards him “It makes sense after all they are part of you when you chose each other. Look at them as one of your most committed relationship you will have.” The male paused making sure he wasn’t talking to fast as when he got passionate it was a bad habit of his. “Alright throwing it is, but with daggers remember that you can master hand to hand weapon mix combat also. For when your enemy is upon you and throwing isn’t an option.” He rose to his feet and held his hand out “Let us go to where you can show me what you got.”

“You are here to improve, no one expects you to be an expert today. Hell I am not even an expert in most things myself but I do love helping those with a passion and thirst to learn, learn all I can teach them.” Donovan led the young Dhampir through the Dojo to a room set up with targets just for throwing such a weapon as his. Targets were set up in staggered positions following all the way to the back wall from them. “Hit a target you know you can land easily first so I can watch your form.”

Jae let a shrug roll off her shoulders “I guess I just don’t really like the person I become when I drink too much” he commented and nodded slightly “I have a short temper normally but when I drink” he reached up and snapped his fingers to make his point, that was why he tended to just have a couple, enough to feel giddy but not out of control, but he also knew that it was easy to take it too far. “Plus hangovers really are a killer when you have early morning lectures as I do” he’d gone to one with the headache once and sworn off it, no drinking on nights he had classes the next day.

Jae nodded a little, he was glad that Donovan seemed to be a patient person, every person who had tried to train him before hadn’t been, mostly they were friends of his fathers or his father himself and while he loved his family, none of them made for great teachers “I have no problem with the getting up part, I just need to get better at falling less” which was ironic because the younger dhampir was also very clumsy and was very hopelessly unable to control that part of him either. He did smile softly when Don squeezed his shoulder though, it was nice to have someone believe in him.

Jaesung laughed as Donovan ran down one of the problems with college roommates “Check, getting the police called to the dorm at 2 in the morning for noise, check” he rolled his eyes, at this point Jae might actually kill for a decent night’s sleep where he wasn’t woken up by dumb or dumber at some point. “Thanks” he echoed with a nod, honestly the Dojo was a nice escape for him, it was quiet here and everyone was focused so there were no constant distractions. When they spoke about singing Jae smiled a little sheepishly and scratched at the back of his neck “No promises that I’m all that good” he was more of a lyric writer than he was a singer but the only way to know the words sounded good was to try them out in song.

Jae was generally a bright person, he liked being around other people and he liked bringing a smile to their faces, the dhampir was at his happiest when other people around were happy, that was just the kind of person he was. When it came to himself and his own achievements, however, that was where it faltered, perhaps thanks to the unrealistic expectations that had been placed on him since he was young or perhaps just because he really wanted to do well and was afraid of failure “I’m glad you think so” Jae agreed with a nod, he was trying to be more positive, at least vocally. When Donovan said he sounded like a dad the younger dhampir laughed softly “If sounding like a Dad means giving good advice then maybe I’d agree” he snickered a little “We can settle for hyung instead” Jae spoke and then realized Donovan may not know what that is “Uh...older brother” he corrected translating the word to him.

As Donovan talked about his weapons Jae was tracking his eyes over them, he kinda felt lucky that the weapons that chose him were ones he was already semi-familiar with and therefore he didn’t need to learn to handle a weapon from scratch because that sounded very hard. “They look kinda heavy” Jae commented as he leaned in a little closer, the younger male wasn’t quite as well built as the other male was but he had been working out lately, even then he preferred lighter weapons that allowed him to use speed to his advantage. Seeing the blood on the tip of Donovan’s finger he shuddered a little.

When Donovan asked if he’d named his weapon Jae widened his eyes a little, was that something you were supposed to do, he’d never heard of it before but he’d never been a member of an actual dhampir community before either “Uh no” he answered honestly with a modest shrug “Honestly while I carry them with me I don’t really use them at all, at least not until the past few weeks when I realized how much I need to” he swallowed a little remembering how someone had managed to turn his own blade on him and sighed softly, he wished he hadn’t let so much time where he hadn’t trained properly pass. “I like yours though, sounds right to me” he shrugged, he didn’t know why just did.

Jae took the male’s offered hand to help him up and then followed him over to the training room he had in mind, stepping inside the younger male’s eyes moved around to each of the different targets, he could tell some were in good easy distance and angles and others were purposely set up to put you off or make it tricky. Jae nodded in response to Donovan’s request and set his sights on a target in medium range and pulled one of the two blades from their sheath. He held it firmly in his grip before he lowered his center of gravity and plunged his feet and then he leaned back into the throw and sent the dagger flying across the room. It sank into the target he was aiming for, just missing the middle point but a decent throw nonetheless. He let out the breath he was holding before he turned back to Donovan “I still haven’t figured out why throwing though” he bit his lip, hardly practical to keep throwing out your only power.

“A lot of people dislike who they become when they drink, or they dislike themselves that they prefer to drink to not deal with their own shit.” he mumbled out thinking back to his sister and how she would lash out when she was drunk in their youth. “Its good that you notice these things about you, means you are rather self aware for someone your age.” he gave the younger dhampir a gentle smile. “Well that is because you haven’t tried the Hendrix hangover cure.” he older Dhampir tossed him a wink and with the click of his tongue he readjusted himself.

Donovan couldn’t stop the chuckle that left his lips “Well maybe less trips will come with training.” He shook his head remembering his younger brother was a rather clumsy one in their youth. “My brother use to go to this river near our house and jump on the river rocks, fall over again and again busting up himself one way and the other until he finally trained his body to balance. It was rather impressive if I do say so, not that I recommend you beating yourself up the way he had but, I am sure we can figure out some kind of training that will help.” he gave him a gentle smile with the squeeze.

Donovan noticed the sheepishly look that the Jaesung held and it was one he had worn himself when it came to the talent he held. “I would love to find out what you are hiding talent wise someday.” he chuckled as he rubbed his hands together slowly. The pair having a good chuckle over everything they were talking even though it made Donovan feel so much older, he found when Jae said he would call him Hyung which meant old brother did bring a wide grin to the Dhampir smile. After all it was honoring that anyone outside of his family would think of him as family “What is the word for younger brother?” he wondered so he could call him something back.

Donovan looked to his weapon and shrugged slightly “Honestly they may have been when I was first training with them but I am so used to them now I wouldn’t even notice them.” he looked along the dark medal work for a moment and smiled to jae as he spoke of how he hadn’t named them. “I asked my father once why we should name them, they are to just be weapons. My father gave me a good whack with his staff and said you would not call a companion such as a dog just dog, most have names.” his eyes gazed off as if he was in the memory. “Our weapons chose us as we chose them, there is a bond there one that we should respect, and they deserve a name.” he repeated the words his father told him and then his gaze came back and focus and gave him a gentle look of concern “what happened that made you realize you need them?”

Donovan was one who understood fear at different levels. Which is why he wanted to know what had driven the young Dhampir here as it seemed to be more than just a want to learn maybe there was a need to learn. As the pair moved to the target room his eyes watched Jae closely as he pulled the blades out and watching him move to send the daggers flying. Donovan eyes went to the target afterwards and he looked to where the Dagger landed it was a really good throw for someone who didn’t use it often. “Well you mean besides that throwing is just fun to do with daggers?” he chuckled and then moved closer to him “So you don’t do well with the hand to hand using the dagger then?” he asked as he moved over to the target touching the dagger. “Would you say you are passive by nature? No real desire to fight?” he asked as he pulled them out and moved closer to Jae.

“Not every Dhampir enjoys fighting.” he said as he held the blades to him. "Not every Dhampir needs to know how to fight if you know how to cast, and make your cast count. Maybe throwing and casting would be your crème de la crème, and hand to hand as your fall back because I do believe it is something you need to learn just in case. Everyone should know how to defend themselves."

Jae was generally just a really angry drunk and he had done many things he regretted while intoxicated, mostly getting in fights and saying things he probably shouldn’t have “I think I just have more to do with my life than getting drunk every night and missing all my classes” he admitted with a slightly shy smile, Jae didn’t see himself as the perfect student by any means but he did work really hard because he wanted to do well, because doing well meant he could get a good job and finally have some of his own independence “A secret recipe huh?” he asked curiously but wrinkled his nose at the very thought of a hangover, not fun.

Jae knew he was clumsy but he supposed that was one of his charms, it always made for funny stories when he talked about the silly fights he got into with inanimate objects or how he accidentally broke things he shouldn’t have and would guilty try and fix them. “I have definitely tried not to be so clumsy and I fall less now, but I’m pretty sure inanimate objects have a pact to take me down” he joked with a slight laugh, he would continue with his balance training for his own sanity though because he always seemed to end up on the floor, like a baby deer on ice as some would say.

Jae laughed softly “Maybe when I practice more” he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, he wasn’t exactly the kind of people who liked being in front of crowds really, he preferred to blend in and while he wasn’t a shy personality per se, he preferred the company of one person at a time rather than being surrounded by people “Or at least I could show you one of my poems” Jae suggested a compromise, at least with a poem he might be able to turn it into a song. He noted the way that Donovan smiled when Jae called him hyung and explained what it meant, it was nice to share a little bit of his culture with someone here in America and made him feel a little less homesick “dongsaeng” he responded to answer his question, a little more difficult to say but honorifics were typically from the younger to the elder in Korea.

It definitely made sense to Jae that Donovan’s weapon would be fitted to him after a while, he knew a lot about being a dhampir from a young age because his father had wanted him to know everything there was to know about his future and the life he had laid out for him. Jae had been battling with that idea for a very long time now and desperately searching for a way to make his life his own but being a dhampir would always be a part of that and he was slowly learning to accept it. He seemed very wise and so did his father “I’ll have a think about names” he spoke softly, he didn’t want to rush what seemed like an important decision now after all. The concern on the other male’s face made Jae reach up to scratch at the back of his neck “Uh” he responded and sighed “Someone I care about was in trouble and while I managed to protect him, it was mostly by luck” he admitted as he looked up at Donovan “I don’t want to rely on luck” he hoped the other male could understand that sentiment.

Jae pursed his lips as they talked about his daggers and his own relationship with them, he was interested in getting the elder dhampir’s advice on how he was best to go about his training and what would work best for him “Yeah it is pretty fun” he admitted with a laugh “But it feels impractical to me, since you know, without them I can’t rune cast” still there was no denying that his sense of aim could be considered almost supernatural. “I’ve never really excelled in hand to hand but that may be me compared myself to my brother” he admitted with a shrug, his brother was the family golden boy it was often hard not to try to live to his example. When Donovan asked if he was passive Jae shook his head “Not passive just” he clicked his tongue thinking how to phrase it “I need to feel justified with what I do, something to fight for” he explained hoping that made as much sense as it did in his head.

Jae agreed with him though, he needed to learn hand-to-hand and it seemed like Donovan was in a great place to teach him that, he wanted to learn from the other male because he already felt like he looked up to him and could see himself working well alongside him “Do you find yourself needing to fight often?” Jae questioned with raised brows, he hoped not. But the younger dhampir knew if he stayed around Hanseol that fighting might become a lot of his reality because the celestial always seemed to be in some sort of trouble.

RSS

© 2024   Created by ✓ Ophelia Dreyvalian ~Admin~.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service