Heal Me Up, Buttercup! (Shane)

[aphrodite]

The abandoned, ransacked apartment of a man who had mysteriously vanished without a trace. He had lived a pretty spoiled life by the looks of his material possessions. Nice carpeting, expensive knickknacks, leather furniture, and an entire shelf of trophies and awards for the sport of fighting. "What a shame," Juneau said, looking around at how torn apart it all was. Someone -- looters or hooligans -- had already been through the place and taken as many things of value they could fit into their pockets.

The young man wasn't here to pick up scraps, though. He'd actually come to practice his craft. With a bag full of witchcraft supplies, hidden under a few off-putting magazines, LeFleur was prepared to use this pad as his study room for the day. The long-haired witch doctor assumed that whoever used to live here was now dead, and out of sheer curiosity, he'd come to have a conversation with the deceased. Practicing his medium abilities was something he'd been meaning to do; becoming well versed in the language of the dead might open the door to him becoming a private ghost whisperer (which would put some extra money in his pocket).

"If you can hear me, I'm ready to hear you," he said aloud, reaching into his bag for an incense wand. A cold chill passed over him, practically convincing him that his hunch was fact. "I just want to talk. No need to get hostile." The stick was lit and a potent aroma wafted from its ashy tip. Juneau guided it in the air, pacing around the apartment and seeing the full extent of the damage done. "Someone sure did a number on this place," he said, and, for the first time, could hear a very faint whisper.

It would make sense that the connection wasn't strong. He hadn't practiced this skill much, and was far away from home, where his magic was strongest. "Mind saying that again a little louder?" Juneau asked, venturing futher into the deserted living space.

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[shane]

”Grimzik! You won’t get far!” The voice yelled from somewhere behind Shane as he ran down the street of a neighborhood he’d actually never even seen before. All the years he’d been in LA, and he’d never been here. He’d have to make a note of that and hope that he survived tonight to come back and explore it a bit more. It seemed like a pretty place to live, although he really wasn’t getting the best view here. What else could he expect though being chased by a bunch of Faux Basts. He was lucky it wasn’t a night of the eclipsed moon. Now that would have been a serious problem. Not to demean this situation though. Oh it was a problem too. He was not in any shape to fight off three Faux Bast creatures. He had been in two fights tonight at Bloodlust; hence the reason for the men chasing him to begin with. What was up with that anyway? As a cage fighter from Bloodlust, he knew first hand that before even entering the ring you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. No ties. No vengeance. Just pure fighting and killing for money. It was the rules, but apparently some people didn’t like following those rules. Those people included the men of the Faux Bast leader he had just slaughtered tonight in the ring. Why was this always happening to him? He was supposed to be keeping a low profile, not getting into fights with random ass people who tended to not play fair!

So what was the plan? Well, he would have flown off already if his right wing wasn’t broken in three different places. He could always keep running, but apparently those late night munchies had really gotten to him lately because he was having a hell of a time keeping a large distance between him and the people chasing him. Although that may just be because these Faux Basts were human cats basically….running was their thing. Well too bad there wasn’t another bad ass witch around to work with him like his last stupid mistake encounter with people who wanted him shanked. So, it looked like ducking out was in order this time.

Shane didn’t even glance back at them. He could hear their footsteps chasing behind him. Instead, he was trying to see if there was a house nearby that he could invade at some point in the next few minutes. As he came up on another road, Shane jerked himself left onto the road and didn’t waste any time heading straight for that first house on the right. The grass looked like it hadn’t been cut in months which was perfect. That meant it was more than likely abandoned. Shane quickly ran up the porch stairs, grabbed the door handle, and shoved the door open toppling in. He hit the ground but didn’t waste any time turning over and kicking his foot into the door to close it. Shane was completely out of breath to the point of wheezing. He closed his eyes to try to help him focus on the sounds outside of the abandoned house. He listened intently as one mentioned that he might have seen him dodge into the property on the other side of the street. Shane sighed to himself letting his body fall back onto the floor. He could relax for now at least, but the relaxation wouldn’t be that easy. His whole body was in a lot of pain. Not only had he gone up against a Faux Bast tonight, but the second fight was up against a Dragorn who had used its hooves to burn two very large deep holes into his side. If he didn’t heal those soon, the burning of his skin tissue would spread throughout his entire body turning it into a charred corpse which was something Shane was really not interested in dealing with.

[aphrodite]

Juneau was in the master bedroom of the house now, still trying to summon the dead. He could hear its wails loud and clear, even catching onto a few words every now and then. But it was painfully obvious that he just wasn't ready for something like this yet; a blow to his own pride, but nothing that could be changed. LeFleur blew out his lit incense stick and stomped it into the carpeted ground before reaching into his pocket for a pack of Newports. He now lit one of those and relished in a long drag, enjoying the taste and calming his slight case of jitters. It was then that he heard the door come barreling open.

With caution, the young man tiptoed back toward the abandoned house's living room. He carefully peered around corners, inspecting his surroundings before entering any corridor. Within seconds he was finally looking at the cause of the commotion - a man, slightly older, lying on the floor and looking pretty banged up from where the witch doctor was standing. Well, he didn't do it to himself, Juneau reasoned in his mind's solitude, I'd better wait to see if whatever did it to him follows him in here. Following that reasoning, Juneau let thirty seconds tick away. In that time, he watched Shane on the ground in pain. Juneau actually might have something in his bag that could help the man. (What was a witch doctor that couldn't put together a simple healing rub?) It was just important to make sure this man didn't ask too many questions once he was all patched up.

Okay, thirty seconds had come and gone and no one had followed him into the apartment. Juneau moved in.

Stepping into the living room, Juneau took another short drag of the cigarette. His footsteps weren't tender anymore because he wanted to be heard coming. "You look like hell," he said, finally getting a better look at Shane. Lots of cuts, bruising, bleeding and shortness of breath. He reached into his bag and dug for a jar of dark green jelly. "I could help you out, if you wanted." He took another step closer to the downed man. It was a little careless to get this close to a stranger, especially in L.A. where the supernatural seemed to run rampant, but Juneau was sure he could take him if he turned out to be an unfriendly. In his condition, the stranger would be a fool to turn down his assistance.

He's pretty handsome, LeFleur thought to himself, smirking a little as he crouched down beside Shane. He snuffed his cigarette out into the carpet and opened the jar in his hands. "Take off your shirt," the doctor instructed. If it looked like he needed help, then Juneau would lend a hand.

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[shane]

Surprisingly, Shane could smell the cigarette before he could even hear the man step out from the main room of the house. Even with his enhanced hearing, he seemed to be focusing more on making sure the footsteps belonging to the men chasing him were moving away instead of back towards the abandoned house he had ducked into. But maybe he was just more prone to smelling a cigarette first anyway because he had been smoking ever since he could remember, and well, he could definitely use one at the moment to calm his nerves. When Shane peered up at the man, he didn’t seem at all cautious in approaching him. Wow, a strange guy bursts into an abandoned house that you yourself are hiding in and you approach him without any care in the world? Shane must have not looked like a threat at all with all his gashes, burns, and other injuries. And as the man spoke, his words held that to be true. ”Thanks you’re not so bad yourself,” Shane responded wincing as he tried pushing himself up slightly onto his elbows.

The man stepped closer and told Shane that he could help him. Shane wasn’t going to decline. He was too badly beat up to consider the possibility that this was all just a trap or something. There was no way he could fight back anyway, so if this guy did try to attack him or even kill him, Shane wasn’t going to try to defend himself. He was way past defending himself at this point. Shane looked up at the guy and nodded letting him know that he was all for the help. As to how this man was going to help him? Shane was unsure, but he really didn’t care as long as these burns could be taken care of before he was turned into molten rock.

As the guy crouched down next to him, Shane watched as he crushed his cigarette into the carpet. Wow, what a waste that was. A waste of a perfectly good cigarette that hadn’t been fully smoked. But Shane didn’t bother saying anything about it. Apparently this guy didn’t care, so why should he? Oh right, because he had lost his pack completely as he was running for his life. The guy twisted open the jar top and told Shane to take off his shirt. Shane raised an eyebrow at the guy. ”A bit forward don’t you think?” Shane joked as he laid back down making it easier for him to take his shirt off. There was no way he was going to be able to sit up enough to take it off. He was in way too much pain for that. Shane lifted his shirt, pulled his arms out and a soft grunt escaped his lips as he raised it above his head and let it lay next to him.

Shane rested himself on his elbows yet again as he glanced down at the green gooey substance in the jar. ”What is that stuff anyway? It looks like the blood of that Chynar demon I killed last week.” Hmm, maybe Shane shouldn’t have said that. Well, it really wasn’t a big deal right? I mean this guy had to have known Shane did something in his free time that got him these these wounds.

[aphrodite]

Juneau's smirk reaffirmed its position on his face, stretching slightly. "Well, forward's the best way to be sometimes; it gets the job done," he jested while watching the stranger begin to strip his shirt away. He was having noticeable difficulties, but seemed to be well on his way to being shirtless. LeFleur's eyes wandered down the injured man's torso, looking to size-up the injuries. It looked bad, truth be told. In fact, the witch doctor was sure that he was looking at injuries not dealt out by the hands of mere humans. But he wasn't about to say anything.

Wow, Juneau thought, becoming distracted by the actual physique of the man lying before him. He looked very in-shape and was certainly not unattractive. It wasn't until a soft grunt from Shane (which actually made Juneau's breath shorten, too) snapped Juneau from his visual tour. His gray eyes looked up, connecting with Shane's as he propped up to his elbows. The smirk left from Juneau's face as he dipped his fingers into the goop, feeling it slide betwixt his fingers as he scooped out a generous amount of it.

The next words out of Shane's mouth would put a lot of suspicion to rest. His mention of demon blood meant that this man lying before the witch doctor was certainly no stranger to the supernatural world; it also meant he was lucky to have run into someone who could properly treat his wounds. "It's a medicinal herb rub. I'm going to spread it on you and it'll feel really hot, but then it'll cool. In a few moments your injuries will numb and the healing process will begin." With a solidly placed palm, Juneau touched the strangers abs and began to travel upward, rubbing in the medicine as he went along. It was turning Shane's skin the color of grass. "Judging by the extent of your injuries, I'd guess you'll be at one-hundred percent again in three or four days," the dreaded man announced.

By the time he was moving up to the chest and shoulder area, Juneau found himself having a bit of trouble controlling the involuntary call to attention going on in his pants. To keep his mind off of the work his hands were performing, the young man opted to let his mouth be put to use. "If it's not too personal," he began while dipping into the jar again, "what exactly got to you?" He would listen carefully as his fingers danced across Shane's sides, gingerly applying rub to the area where the two hoof prints were.

[shane]

Shane smiled giving a soft chuckle to the man’s comment. It would have been louder probably if he hadn’t been careful to be slightly quiet due to the pain he was sure any type of movement would cause him. Clearly this guy was just as sarcastic as he was. ”If I had a shot of Jack, I’d drink to that statement.” Shane said as he watched the man dig his hand into the gooe and lift it revealing a very large amount. Shane scrunched his nose. Well, this was going to be interesting. And when the guy looked at him and explained the process of this healing business, Shane wasn’t very pleased. That was just great. He had just dealt with a Dragorn demon who had pressed its massive hooves onto his chest leaving very large still burning imprints that were now spreading the burnin’ love across his skin. There was already too much heat going on there. Now, there was more that had to be added to the mix? Shane knew it had to be done though. If it wasn’t, he would die. There was no doubt about that. Too bad Shane wasn’t willing to show this guy his actual demon form. If this gel really worked, he really needed his wing healed too, or flying would be a definite no until he threatened a witch to heal him with a potion of some sort. What if the witch actually did it willingly though? Shane had known his fair share of witches during his time. The person that helped him pass the barriers of time and space was a warlock. And if this guy was messing with herbs, he had to be some sort of witch, although Shane wasn’t too sure on if he was a lower or higher level. Could he trust him though? Shane wasn’t too sure, and at this point, he wasn’t really willing to test it. It wasn’t necessary that he fly, so that would just be put on the back burner for now. All he needed was to stop himself from exploding into pieces of molten rock by these wounds. That was the first step at least. Revealing himself was too risky now. In fact, this had been the third time just this week that Shane had been attacked, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t just because he killed the loved ones of others in the cage fights. People were starting to notice his abilities. Notice that he was probably the only Baccrum around these parts. The only Baccrum they’d actually seen before which was not a good thing at all. He was very ill prepared at the moment to face Mal if he did come to collect him for execution back in Andromida; hence the reason for breaking Cassie out of the psych ward at the LA Hospital. He was sure that her abilities could help him in some way to reveal the knowledge and experience needed to absorb all 284 body casting spells.

His thoughts were disrupted by the immediate feeling of heat against his already scorching wounds. He jerked which caused even more pain. ”Ouch! Hey, you mind being a bit slower with those hands there.” He winced and grit his teeth to hopefully stop the throbbing that was going on along his stomach. Boy this was seriously not his day. He was just getting one shocking blow after another. Shane shook his head and sighed softly as the man told him it was going to take three to four days to heal. ”Well, that isn’t good. Any way we can speed up that process? I kind of have a date with another bad ass in two days.” Shane was popular among the demon cage fights. It wasn’t because he always won but because his fighting dragged on but in an interesting and exciting way. He never used the same move twice. He had to know how to switch it up a bit especially when other demons he would be fighting in the future may be watching. It was just what fighters had to keep in mind. And apparently viewers liked to see him get really beat up which was understandable. They weren’t the only ones. Shane had no problem watching a good fight nor watching someone get tortured. Hell, he did a lot of his own torturing back in Andromida. What would you expect though for being the muscle of the council?

As a few moments passed, the pain he was feeling had subsided a bit. It was probably because of the massaging. He had taken Shane’s request in slowing down the pace a bit making it much more comfortable for him. As his hand moved up his chest to his collarbone and his shoulder, the man asked him what he had been attacked by. He had debated on whether to just respond with the answer ‘which time?’, but he refrained from getting to in depth about it. This dude didn’t need to know his whole life story. He probably already knew too much. There was no harm in giving him the name of the type of demon that left the burn marks though. ”It was a Dragorn demon. Their touch on other demons can turn them into molten rock which will eventually explode from the heat suffocated inside the rock, humans they are cremated in an instant. Definitely something I would advise you not to run into unless you have a whole shit load of water.” Why was this guy asking him questions anyway? Was it just small talk or was there a hidden motive Shane wasn’t aware of?

[aphrodite]

The stranger snapped at him to not go so fast, which didn't hurt Juneau's feelings at all. He likes it slow, huh? This meant that the task at hand would take slightly longer, but no one here was complaining. Well, not LeFleur anyway. The patient sounded a little impatient with his recovery period, which prompted a shrug from his practicing nurse. "Not much I can do about that. Usually the stuff works overnight but you're so bad off...," he said while leaning forward to get a better grip of Shane's shoulder. He looked down and found himself staring right into the eyes of the injured man. "Looks like you've got to either cancel your date or deal with it."

The rubbing motions continued while the stranger explained what had happened to him. His words clicked in Juneau's head who stopped rubbing, letting his hand rest on the man's chest (not accidentally), just on the nipple. "So you're a demon then?" he deduced. Although it was in question form, Juneau already knew what he'd said to be the truth. Now he wasn't so sure he could take this man if he decided to go on the offensive; he was still pretty banged up, but who knew what kind of tricks his species kept up their sleeves. If you don't act like you don't care, he might take it you're a threat, Juneau thought, just before he began to speak again. "You should be more careful. Next time, you might not find someone willing to help you."

Juneau rested on his knees as he began to screw the top back onto the jar before another thought ticked in his mind. He sort of cleared his throat, trying to get the strangers attention. "You don't, umm, have any wounds below the belt.. do you?" His pants were worn and torn and there were bleeding scrapes on the strangers legs, but nothing that the witch doctor could see needing his immediate attention. It was a stretch, but a curious boy could dream.

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[shane]

Man this guy was really not telling him what he wanted to hear. Wasn’t that the “it” thing to do on earth? Just tell people what they wanted to hear, so they didn’t have to deal with the actual craziness of the given situation? Obviously this witch didn’t read that memo. Shane chuckled in annoyance. ”Too bad dipping out of the date isn’t an option. But it’s whatever. I’ll figure something out. I always do.” That was for sure. He always did find ways around situations much like this one. It was simple really. You do as much as you can to preserve the strength you have until the fight where you let it out and push yourself like hell just to stay alive. That was about all he could really do at this point. It was too late for him to drop out of the fight in a few days because well….people like the vampires he had to face with that chick the other night would find him and make sure he was dead. Not that he couldn’t take care of himself, but he’d rather go up against one demon instead of a very angry group because he lost the cage fights money for not participating in them.

Shane had been right about saying too much. He had in fact done so judging by the abrupt stop in the circular motions the witch was performing with his hand across his collar. Shane had merely discussed the effects that a Dragorn touch could do to a man and what it could do to a demon. He had put it past him that the man would actually assume that Shane was indeed a demon. But it was too late to backtrack. The guy had already decided that he was a demon, and now Shane wasn’t exactly sure if the witch was scared or just didn’t care because he knew that Shane wouldn’t be able to stand a chance right now against anyone human or not. But the man just went on with his words telling Shane that he should be careful next time because he probably wouldn’t find someone else willing to help. Again, that was definitely true. It was hard to find witches in this dimension. They hid from the world more than vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural being did which was very understandable. Out of all the beings among creation, witches were the most powerful and useful. You never knew what they could possibly help you with.

The witch must have been done because he started to screw the top to his gooe back on, but not before asking him if he had any injuries below his belt. Shane raised an eyebrow at the man as he slowly pushed himself up and rested and turned himself around to rest his back against the door. ”None that I can’t take care of.” Shane closed his eyes and sighed. Even with the burning sensation of the gooe, it was already starting to feel better than it had when he first burst into the house. Shane opened his eyes and glanced over at the witch. ”Thanks for the help, um….” Shane stopped not really sure what to even call this guy. But just as he was about to ask the guy’s name, Shane’s eyes caught glimpse of something on his chest that had a tint of glow to it. Shane lowered his eyes. Really? Beneath the gooe that was spread all over his chest, he could make out a faint glow from his Leemady symbols. The white looked a bit strange on his skin though. He’d never seen them on anything but his baccrum form. Well, if the guy was pondering on the possibility of this guy actually being a demon, the glowing symbols sort of gave it away now.

[aphrodite]

Juneau took the hint once the demon let him know that he didn't have anymore injuries that needed his kind of attention. Obviously he wasn't thinking any of the same thoughts that Juneau was. "Fine. Then we're done here, I guess," he said definitively while putting away his rub and retrieving his next cigarette. It was well-deserved.

Shane was speaking, but LeFleur turned away from him to cuff and light his Newport. Through his clenched teeth, Juneau began to grunt out his own name. He had no idea that his company had begun to glow. "Ju..." he started, and then turned around to see the light show. It was a bit surprising, truth be told. "...neau." There was no telling what kind of demon this man was, which Juneau quickly realized. He definitely hadn't seen any Earth-born bodies glowing with those types of marking before.

"How about you tell me your name and exactly what you are? You kind of owe me."

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[shane]

Shane sighed letting his head fall back against the wall he had been leaning on. ”Any way I can get you to not ask me questions?” Shane asked raising an eyebrow, but he already knew the answer to that. This guy, who introduced himself as Juneau, did have the upper hand here. Shane was badly wounded and probably wasn’t going to be able to move from this very spot for quite a while meaning that Juneau could do whatever he wanted to him right now including interrogate him, and there was nothing Shane would be able to do about it. But something told him that this guy really wasn’t half bad. He really didn’t seem like someone who cared enough about anything in particular to be a problem in the future even if Shane confessed all of his deepest and darkest secrets, which was actually something Shane would never do anyway. So, maybe answering questions wouldn’t be a problem, at least if he just answered them directly without much explanation. That should be enough for Juneau. Besides, he was already seeing that maybe Juneau could be of use to him when it came to Cassie, so not answering his questions would probably just make him walk out the door right now. If he could hold Juneau’s interest, maybe he could get him to work with him.

”Alright fine. I’ll answer your questions,” Shane nodded towards the cigarette between Juneau’s lips, ”If you give me one of those.” Shane glanced back down at his chest, and of course, it was still glowing. He shook his head with a chuckle. ”Man, that’s some gel you got there.” His eyes moved back up to meet Juneau’s. ”I’m a baccrum by the way. That’s what my species is called, and let’s just say I’m completely out of this world.” He smirked. ”And you can call me Shane,” he shrugged, ”or whatever you feel like calling me. I’m not too picky.”

[aphrodite]

Juneau nodded and reached into his sack again, pulling out the cigarette and handing it to his new found acquaintance. Next came the lighter. He listened closely to Shane's explanation of himself while dragging on his own stick. "That sounds pretty interesting alright," he admitted, exhaling the gray, wispy smoke. "I've never heard of that species before." Stumping out his cigarette in the carpet even though it still had quite a life left to live, LeFleur started to ask his next question: "So what's with the light show?"

(OOC - Sorry it took me so long and sorry it's not that great. Love u.)

[shane]

Shane took the cigarette and lighter from him, instantly lighting up and handing the lighter right back. He hadn’t had a good puff in too long. There was no point in wasting any more time. He inhaled deeply savoring the burning in his throat. Most people who smoked thought that was the worst part of the act, the burning sensation that took place. Shane was a bit different. He yearned for that feeling, and most of the time, he’d inhale more than he should at once just so the feeling would stay with him for a while. Shane held the smoke in for what seemed like forever, and then let it out slowly smirking slightly. What a rush it was. Why on earth did they not have smoking devices like this back in Andromida? He had seriously been missing out for his 100 plus years over there. Instead, he had to smoke very different herbs and such which were honestly probably much better for him anyways, but the effects were nothing like this. They actually made him feel good in….other ways.

Shane’s eyes met Juneau’s when he asked him another question, this time it was more about the light that the gel gave off when it touched his Leemady symbols. He shrugged. ”I don’t know. I figured you would. I mean it’s your gel, right?” He chuckled, and he winced slightly because the movement sent a shock of pain up his side. ”Not only do baccrums share the body form of a bat, but they also share the long lost Leemady language.” Shane nodded downward to his chest. ”These symbols are the symbols are from that language. But I honestly have no idea why they are glowing. This has never happened before actually. Most of the herbs where I come from feel more like butter and spread white until they’re absorbed completely into the skin.” Shane paused for a second just watching Juneau with curiosity. ”My turn. So how long have you been practicing?” It was obvious that Juneau was a witch or witch doctor of some sorts. Who carried homemade gel with them where ever they went? Certainly not a human who was smart enough to protect themselves against the things that went bump in the night.

[aphrodite]

Juneau watched his new acquaintance take a drag on his gifted cigarette; he seemed to really enjoy the cancer stick. Smoking added an edge to Shane which made him even more aesthetically desirable than he had been just a few moments before. Juneau was becoming a little steamed under the color just listening to him tell the story of his glowing alien symbols and lost alien language. I'm sure that bat form of his isn't as nice to look at as this one, he thought to himself before being asked a question by the injured Baccrum.

"My whole life," Juneau said easily, thinking back on his days as a youth and apprenticing to his father. "I was born into the craft; it's not something I just took up."

He crossed his legs, sitting beside Shane. He wouldn't leave just yet, but he wasn't going to be staying around for much longer either. He was tired, and ready to head home. LeFleur wasn't sure exactly what Shane was going to do, though - his best bet was to just lie in the apartment and re-cooperate. "But then again, that isn't saying a lot," he started up again, alluding to his young adult status. "I've still got some learning to do before I'm fully realized, I'd say. But, as you can see, I'm not that bad at what I do."

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[shane]

Shane took another drag from his cigarette and smiled briefly. ”Nah you’re right. You are definitely good at it.” That was the closest Juneau was going to get to a thank you. Shane wasn’t really good at showing gratitude or getting it for that matter. He hoped Juneau didn’t expect anything else from him though because Shane wasn’t going to give it to him although he probably should considering the fact that Shane was about to ask him for yet another favor. The difference was that this request may actually be beneficial to both of them in the long run. ”Well, since you seem to be itching for a way to explore the craft more, I’m thinking I might have something right up your alley.” Shane glanced at Juneau. It was a stretch. Hell, this guy could easily just walk away now and tell him to ‘fuck off’, but Juneau could probably easily get Cassie to talk for him and potentially stabilize her abilities so that Shane could get to know them a bit more. It was worth a shot, right, especially with someone who had been practicing for their whole life.