What could be more relaxing? (Demetra)

[Connor Dwyre]

The day was warm. Connor had found a nice spot in the park, with a decent cover from some of the trees overhead. This helped to reduce the sun on the boy's exposed skin. He was covered with a t-shirt, but still had his gloves and shades on. Though his confidence was improving, he still hated to make people uncomfortable. He was still a little shy about his 'flaws.'

He was toned, in good shape, though being blind never afforded him a look at himself. He had no idea what he looked like, save from a description he had been given by his sensei. Even then, it only covered the basics. He knew he had red hair, and he knew his height and weight. What he didn't know was he had a boyish charm about him, and a smile that matched his open personality.

He had been spending a great deal of time alone. He had avoided his sensei and his roommate, as he was still troubled and hurt. Bix/Liberty was out on some kind of camping trip, which made avoiding her much easier. This also gave him time to think, relax, and clear his mind. One such way he managed that was to find a quiet spot to meditate, and train.

Connor was a practitioner of a custom fighting style, one which had basis in many others. For relaxing and meditating, he used Tai Chi. It was something he never used to fight, but his form was good thanks to his instructor. It was something he did to help think straight. He could feel his own chi flowing throughout his body, and it helped to put him at ease.

He took to this now, a mix of form and meditation. He tried to push all his negative thoughts aside, and calm his soul.

[Demetra Katsaros]

Alright, I was down to the last dog.

Today I had decided to do some dog walking, giving puppers that don't get to run around, catch Frisbees, and wizz on trees a chance to have fun. However, I didn't realize the responsibilities involved with walking about eleven dogs at once. After all, that's what professional dog walkers do, right? It was more than I was prepared to control, each tugging their leashes in different directions, barking at random things, and leaving separate piles of doo doo for me to pick up. I love my canine friends, but I was glad to be dropping off the eleventh dog to her house, located right near the park.

As she took the liberty to pee in one last bush, I glanced around the area and noticed a guy about my age training/meditating. That's what I'd like to do right about now, I thought as I watched. Some relaxing Tai Chi. Wait, was it really Tai Chi? It certainly looked like the posture and breathing techniques one would assume for the first tai chi chaun form- quan. Yet many styles shared common ground. This wasn't necessarily my beloved Chinese martial arts.

I rang the doorbell to the house, let the dog loose into her home, and walked back toward the park. After a bit more staring, I moved a few feet further to approach the stranger. "Excuse me, I hope I'm not being rude, but what technique are you using for meditation and training?"

[Connor Dwyre]

Everything was so peaceful. Though it contrasted the storm inside the boy, but the serenity was helping. Over the past couple of days, Connor was managing to get by and maintain his composure. It was only the one fight he had with Cain, and thankfully Cain managed to snap him out of his rage. A bit less painful of an alternative would have been nice, but still, it had worked.

A good twenty minutes had passed since he started, and he felt much better. He only wished he had done this more often. It might have helped. The kind, soft spoken, friendly boy was back. Though his expression remained soft, he was smiling on the inside. Peace had that effect.

A voice broke through his meditation, one that had followed the footsteps he had felt a few moments before. The question was straightforward, and Connor brought his center in. He turned to face the girl, and smiled as he shook his head. "No, you are not being rude at all." There was no aggression, and it didn't sound like a challenge. That was always good.

"For meditation, I use Tai Chi. Though it isn't my chosen style, mine has basis in it. And, I find it to be a wonderful way to calm the soul." He mused on that. Calming the soul was something he needed.

He extended his hand. "I'm Connor. Pleased to meet you."

[Demetra Katsaros]

I extended my hand to give the handshake that this guy--Connor-- was offering. How polite. I didn't see people shake hands as much as they used to, except in business or semi-formal situations. Of course, the practice roots as a method for proving one is unarmed, and I didn't expect him to actually have a weapon on him, but I could still appreciate the gesture.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied, firmly gripping his hand in mine and bouncing them a couple times before letting go. "I'm Demetra Katsaros, and I'm a big fan of tai chi, so I was compelled to come over and ask," I explained. He had admitted that it wasn't his chosen style (Should I ask why not? Or should I first ask what his chosen style actually is?), but did state that he found it to 'calm the soul.' Hmm. That was a very poetic way to put it. I myself would never describe meditation in those words, maybe because I didn't believe in souls and all that nice spiritual stuff, or because I was more of a logic type than an artistic type. However, since I admired tai chi, I also admired his pretty verbiage. It was probably the way a taijiquan master would have put it, with all the talk of finding your chi that I usually used to focus on breathing techniques.

"What style do you usually chose to use, then, if tai chi is just a side practice?" Yeah, I decided to go with that question first.

[Connor Dwyre]

She was kind, offering her own hand to his own. She was also direct. She explained what had brought her to him, and as it was, curiosity was always a draw. Especially if the target was doing something of interest. She liked Tai Chi, and seeing someone practice it would of course bring them over. Common ground, as it were.

"The style I use is something my sensei and I developed so I could defend myself." He pointed at his shades, which still covered his pale, unseeing orbs. "When you can't see, you need to learn how to use your other senses. So, he helped to train me, and created something he called the Blind Eye." He grinned. "It's fancy for fighting without sight. I think my sense has a small flare for the dramatic, though he wouldn't admit it."

Connor stretched his arms out before letting them gently fall to his sides. "I haven't been meditating much, and I kind of needed to. There's been a lot going on, and I needed to breathe." He also hadn't been home much at all, trying to avoid being there at all costs. He had even spent a night or two out in the park. Thankfully, the weather hadn't been brutal. He was dodging those that he didn't wish to see, and this was the first time he tried to actually address and calm himself through meditation.

"You said your a fan of the style. I can make the assumption to practice Tai Chi? I know it can be used to defend oneself, but I've never actually known of anyone who practiced it solely." He smiled, his tone open and friendly, as was his aura. "Always good to meet someone and learn something new."

[Demetra Katsaros]

I smiled warmly. He wouldn't be able to see it, given his condition, but it was a natural reaction when one was amused or pleased, and perhaps he could hear it in my voice. "You say 'practice it solely' like I'm closed off to other styles." Well, I wasn't exactly closed off to other styles, yet I suppose it wouldn't be incorrect to say that I didn't use much of anything else in terms of martial arts, other than my own instincts (Tai Chi doesn't
specifically say 'kick a guy in the crotch,' but if some dude was trying to rape me, I wouldn't hesitate to send a foot flying to the vulnerable area). "I mainly use Tai Chi for martial arts, true, but I also use it for health reasons, both physical and mental, including the meditation you were doing," I explained. "However, Tai Chi isn't the only exercise I do, and plus I eat healthy and stay away from recreational drugs." Actually, I didn't even take non-recreational drugs. There was no need to mention that, though. "Tai Chi is just one aspect of healthy living."

He was pretty friendly. "But, um, that Blind Eye technique sounds pretty interesting," I asserted honestly. "I imagine it relies heavily on the other four senses, and there must have been some interesting experiments when developing the technique."

[Connor Dwyre]

Ah, someone with healthy habits. Also refreshing in today's world. Few shared in the desire to take care of oneself. Connor felt like an outcast for that at times, too. Seemed to her that Tai Chi was just one aspect of maintaining good health. "It seems you and I are on the same page as far as health goes. Not too often to hear someone with as healthy a lifestyle as yours." His tone reflected respect, but was still just as friendly as before. "I'm not exactly fond of drugs, either. Even for a headache, I usually just lay down. Chemicals just don't belong in the body. We get enough toxins from normal food."

But, enough of the health food and drug chat. She had asked about his style. Connor chuckled. "Well, yeah. You could say that. Interesting is a good way to sum it up." He gave a tap on the ground, giving him another shot at the world. "Your dead on in guessing how the style works. More so relying on feel and sound. Like a bat, the vibrations of things give off their location, as well as their size." He grinned. "Not that I give off a shriek or something. Mostly, vibrations from the ground can be felt, and the way sound bounces off things gives me a good picture."

He sighed. "The problem is that there isn't any color. Ever. That, and details are absent as well. The only exception is when it rains. That... then it's almost like I can see." He smiled at that, his face showed he got lost in thought briefly, then came back. "The problem with my style is that f someone is airborne, then tracking their movement is near impossible. I am still working on that. But, aside from that snag, it works. I use the same technique to get around."

There were other things as well. Like trying to fight on soft sand. The image in Connor's mind for that was like trying to watch a fuzzy TV channel. But, there was little need to go into that. "Martial arts in general is a great way to stay fit. Plus, training takes the edge off the day." He sighed. His face showed that he was still troubled. His thoughts traveled to why he was here in the first place. Why he was avoiding his home at the moment.

There was a deep sadness there, in his eyes. It was a good thing his shades were on, or she might have seen it. The rest of his face had given it away, though. Demetra was giving him a nice distraction. And, as Connor had been out for a bit, he could hear his stomach making noise. It helped to bring him out of his saddened thoughts. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm getting a bit hungry. If you want, I would love if you would join me. My treat."

He smiled warmly. "If you know of a good place, feel free to take the lead."

[Demetra Katsaros]

I thought I saw a hint of sadness in his face. No, I don't mean from feeling the vibes or reading his aura, but the actually facial muscles that I could see, the ones not hidden by his glasses, indicated he was upset about something. I sympathized a bit. He seemed nice, and to be honest, I think I liked him even better because we had things in common, mainly an interest in health. Most of the people I met who were health nuts like me were years apart from my age. Many don't begin to care very much until their metabolism slows down and their body starts to age.

In any case, I didn't want to inquire further, for though while I wanted him to feel comfortable to talk to me about what may be bothering him, I also didn't wish to open a wound that was best left to be. Studies have indicated that getting into an emotional rant can actually cause more stress than it releases, especially if you get really into it, and I don't want to be the motivator for that stress.

"You know, it's a little funny, but I have a tendency to carry around snacks with me all the time, just in case," I told him with a grin, keeping to a lighter subject. "Unfortunately, all I got today is a couple of carrot sticks, so since you were so polite, I'll take you up on that offer." Now where would we go? Just because he agreed that health was important didn't mean he was a strict raw organic vegan like me. Some people thought eating meat was an important facet of the diet. I found it kind of squeamish to eat animal flesh and got my protein elsewhere. "There's an organic sandwich shop a couple blocks down, if you don't mind walking," I suggested. "Not usually too crowded, but the people who work there are pretty nice."

[Connor Dwyre]

It was true, Connor didn't wish to relive his inner turmoil. He had managed to relax himself enough. Though he did wish to share his time with someone, and given everything that had happened, he found he could trust in almost no one. Demetra was nice, and the common ground was a nice way to meet. After all, how man people their age cared about their bodies? Between drugs, smoking, poor eating habits... it was enough to make Connor sick.

Though, his diet was not as "clean" as Demetra's (he loved Asian food, sushi being his vice), he was no opposed to a vegan diet. He thought he might have been rejected, something he was expecting. Given his track record, he wasn't exactly Mr. popular with the girls. Least, not to his knowledge. Being blind had kept people away from him most of his life. Once that seemed to change, and he had an interest, he was turned down. Whether that, or even as a friend, things just hadn't ever really gone his way.

He was pleased when she had, instead, taken him up on his offer.

Organic food was always a much healthier alternative to the norm. He wasn't opposed to it, and he smiled an nodded. "Sounds good to me. I'm still getting used to the city here, so there's a lot of places I haven't gotten to yet." He gave a gesture, a bow with one hand extended, like a gentleman of days long since past.

"Lead the way." He straightened himself up. He could follow her by sound and vibration alone, but should she offer her hand or arm to his, he would gladly take it. Not because he needed assistance, but because he enjoyed the contact. Given the fact that he couldn't see, his other senses were heightened. A great deal more than normal levels. Arm-to-arm or hand-in-hand sent a pleasant sensation throughout his body.

He still covered his hands with the gloves, as the scars from his crucifixion were something that turned people away, almost as much as the way his eyes looked. He covered them for the comfort of others, as he hated to make people uneasy around him. As he had just met her, and she had seemed to be someone he would very much like to spend more time with, he had yet to remove the covers of his flaws.

The shop was only a few blocks away, and so there would only be a little time between here and there for chatting. Connor just wished he had something worthwhile to say.

[Demetra Katsaros]

Now, how would we get there? I didn't want to doubt his ability to be independent, but at the same time, it would be rude to entirely ignore his sight condition and just walk along like he could see me. Maybe he'd be able to hear the sound of my footsteps, or even my voice if I decided to chat along the way. Still, I couldn't just assume, and I wasn't exactly comfortable asking. After all, he was a human being, not a dog.

Instead, I ran my arm through his, linking our inner elbows like a chain, both a friendly gesture and a manner to help him if he needed it without making it obvious that I was rather clueless with how to deal with the situation. To put off my embarrassment of ignorance, I chatted while I walked with him.

"Great, I think you'll like it. If not, well, then I guess I'll have to repay your efforts with some of my own home cooking." It was a joke. I didn't really cook much. I chopped fruits and veggies and popped them into my mouth. Spending too much time on preparing a meal wasn't exactly my thing, nor my mother's. "And if that doesn't work out, then you're just out of luck, my friend."

When we arrived at the sandwich place, I glanced up at the menu on the wall. Oh yeah, he probably wasn't going to be able to read it by himself, and I doubted they had a Braille version. "You have any idea what kind of sandwich you might be in the mood for?" I asked. "There's a lot of different options, some of them stranger than others."

[Connor Dwyre]

He blushed a bit, but her voice was calming. He chuckled at the joke of being out of luck. "Well, hopefully one of the first two options will hold true." Though part of him always hoped that contact like this meant something, thanks to Bix he stopped that hope. He knew Demetra was just being kind, allowing him an easier way to follow. He knew most people we not used to dealing with someone who was blind. Though Connor had a bit of an edge over most without sight (and even a bit over those that could see), he appreciated her offer of assistance.

When they got to the shop, it dawned on both of them that the menu might be a bit of an issue. And Demetra confirmed this by explaining that the sandwiches weren't typical. Well, that was not going to be helpful. Connor doubted he would be able to order something he could get at a typical deli. Connor had no idea what he would get. But, he had an idea.

"Well, as I've never been here, I guess that you have. I'll trust you know the food well enough. As long as you let me know what I'm eating, just order away." He smiled. "I'm not a fussy eater. Whatever you get should be fine." Once the order was made, they found a table. Connor sat across from her, water in hand (water was always a safe drink option).

Connor wished he had some clue as to what to talk about. By nature, he was quiet. Not that he didn't talk, or that he was unfriendly. Quite the opposite, actually. It was just that he was more accustomed to being avoided. Not having a wide variety of friends also kept him from "hanging out" or going to places like this with someone other than himself.

His shy side was beginning to show, though he would freely admit what he was thinking. "Um... I wish I knew what to talk about. But... I'm not exactly used to hanging out with anyone. So, I apologize if things get boring from this point on." He blushed. He always felt like he would somehow screw things up when he met people. He wasn't the exciting type, after all. He lived simply. He knew others craved excitement, and as he didn't feel he could provide that, he always assumed relationships of any sort, friendship or other, would be very short lived.

[Demetra Katsaros]

I shook my head and laughed at his dialogue. He really had no reason to be so modest (Was that the right word? Modest? Well, it's the only one I can think of right now to describe his speech, so if you happen to have a thesaurus on ya, I'll find a different one). "Don't worry about it," I reassured him. "I'm not asking for you to be my entertainment. You're already nice enough for offering me food and even agreeing to come to this quirky sandwich place."

I took a sip of my own water--hey, it looked like we both had the same favorite drink-- and tilted my head to the side. "Now, I know it might seem silly to come to a sandwich place and order a peanut butter sandwich, but trust me, it's way better than whatever your mom would put in your lunch box. They bake fresh whole wheat bread every day, from scratch, so that's about half the awesomeness of the sandwich right there, but they also make their own peanut butter, grinding actual roasted peanuts when you order it, meaning they don't need to put all that trans-fat stuff to preserve it."

I quirked an eyebrow quickly as a concern struck me. "Um, you're not allergic to peanuts, are you?" I've heard some crazy stories about peanut allergies, with people dying just from peanuts being in a person's breath, or from smelling peanut M&Ms in a dish.

[Connor Dwyre]

Well, she seemed alright that he was just here with her. That was good. He didn't feel like he made for good entertainment. Being "straight-edge" was actually something people used as an insult around school, and Connor was exactly that. A non-smoking, non-drug using virgin. The only time he ever partook in drinking was during ceremony with his mentor, Suichi, and one other with Bix. He may have had Irish blood, but Connor was not exactly inclined to drink. He didn't like the smell of alcohol, let alone what it might taste like.

She began to describe what she ordered them, and he actually began to get more hungry listening to her. The sandwich actually sounded good. Really good. Fresh bread, fresh and homemade peanut butter. Connor had never had that before. It was always the store bought stuff. The way she made it sound was like it was gourmet. Well, in this case, it probably was.

She mentioned peanut allergy, and that was something Connor had heard about, too. Though, he himself had no such allergy. Lucky for him, he had no allergy to anything. At least, not that he was aware of. "I'll be fine with that. I don't get ill or worse from peanuts." He smiled. "Actually, you made the sandwich sound really, really good." The more he sat here with her, the more comfortable he was feeling. He wondered why everyone couldn't be as kind as she was. Was it really that rare? Was it that hard to just to be nice to someone?

He could actually hear them using some kind of grinder in the back. It wasn't long at all before the food was there. Connor took a bite, and his face reflected that of shock. He swallowed, and spoke. "Oh wow. You were right. This... is so good." Not only that, but it was actually good for him. That, at times, was rare in and of itself. It was usually the food that was bad for you that tasted better.

She mentioned before that he was nice enough to offer the food, and even come the the quirky place to begin with. "This place is nice. I'd be happy to take you out any time." He realized how it came out, and he blushed. "Um... I mean... like if you wanted to come back here with me... to eat... it's a cool place to come."

Connor fun facts. One: He isn't smooth or suave. Two: He get's very nervous when things come out wrong. Three: If he even started to like someone, even just a little, he found that he had little confidence in himself. With Demetra, she had things in common with him that was a bit deeper than their favorite song. It had to do with life and living it. Did he actually ask her out on a date? Well, not exactly. In a way, maybe. But, Connor's experience in these things was limited. And by that, I mean it was nil.

At least this time, he felt like he had rambled, and so he stopped talking and took another bite of the ever-so-delicious sandwich, and a bit more of his water.

[Demetra Katsaros]

I giggled as Connor spoke. He was cute. By which I mean, his mannerisms were endearing (I don't judge people by their appearance, remember? Even if he was considerably attractive, I wouldn't just come out and say it. Oops). Some guys got nervous and such when they were around pretty girls (which, I will admit, a category of females that I am occasionally placed in, especially with the specifications of our regional culture and not necessarily those of others), but uh, as far as I knew, he had no way of telling what I looked like. Could he possibly picture my face by feeling the vibrations of sound bouncing off my skin? It seemed a little difficult.

At least he liked the sandwich. That's good. And my description of it appeared to have worked on him. I should totally be an announcer for food commercials! Yeah, right.

"Oh yeah, anytime," I replied to him casually as he mentioned returning. "I wouldn't say I come here daily or anything, but I've been here enough to know what I like. They do fundraisers here sometimes, for middle schools and kids' soccer teams and such, and that's usually fun. The place gets more business on days like those, so they're willing to give a cut of the profits. I thought about setting one up for my tai chi class, but, uh, I really don't know what to raise money for."

I took a bite out of my own sandwich. It was definitely good, as Connor had said and as I had expected, but anything with peanut butter usually required a drink. "Here, you have a cell phone? We'll exchange numbers so we can set something up." I took a long gulp of water and fished through my bag for my own phone.

[Connor Dwyre]

Her casual response had managed to get rid of the blush on his face. It was true... he had no idea what she looked like. Connor didn't judge people for anything than how they were, and his interaction with them. He couldn't go by looks, even if it was in his personality to do so, which it wasn't. If he ended up outside, and in the rain, then details were much clearer. Almost as if he could see. However, here in the restaurant, he had no idea what she looked like. Only a vague idea of height, and size.

She talked more about the place, and the more she spoke of it, the more he liked it. They were willing to help out for a good cause. That would be enough of a reason to bring Connor back. If he could help or donate, he would. It would be a good use for the money he hated he had. His mother passing away left Connor with a very, very large inheritance, thanks in large to the work she and his father had done. However, all it was to the blind boy was a constant reminder of his loss. He spent it on others and got rid of it any way he could, save on himself., The only time money from it was spent was out of necessity, like food or clothes. For all intents and purposes, he wished nothing to do with the money.

"The owners sound very nice. Anything for a good cause. It's way to rare when that happens. Good to know there are good people still here." She mentioned trying to do something like that with her Tai Chi class, but not knowing what to raise the finds for. (Connor thought briefly on the window Sara broke with Connor's body a few weeks back. The school was always in need of funds for things of that nature).

She took up his offer, and it seemed at least they would be friends. He had a cell phone, one that Gabriel had given him. It was his now, and he had managed to switch the plan, so now it was his phone alone. "Sure, I have one." He took it out of his pocket. "Here you go." He blushed a bit. "Um... you're going to have to enter the numbers on both phones. I'm still getting used to it." Thankfully, there was a voice option on the phone, something the guy in the cell shop had told him. He offered to help program it for Connor whenever he needed to, and that would be happening shortly after this little get together.

Well, his nervousness had managed to go away. For now. At least until he had said something else that would more than likely come out the wrong way. He just tried to stay calm. After all, he wasn't about to try and go after a girl right now. The last affections he had were met with rejection. He didn't have the courage even then, and he definitely didn't have it now. Besides, he doubted he was interesting enough to gain the attention or attraction of anyone. Though he had confidence in other areas, anything to do with the boy-meets-girl scenario was something that escaped him.

But, he at least knew how to be friendly. And, he wanted to know more about his current company. Though, he could feel his nerves leaving him again. He didn't have many friends, or at least no one he hung out with. Once his phone was back in his possession, he decided to just try for normal conversation. "So, what kinds of things do you do for fun?"

Perhaps they would find a common ground aside from Tai Chi. Though, if she enjoyed going to the movies, that wouldn't exactly be something he could relate to.