Old Valentine (Dance Cont. Kazuki err..Taiku)

[Victoria Alexander]

(Ooc- Liam I just going to use Rene to lead me into the room)

The music seemed to move through Victoria’s body. Each beat pulsing in her chest as she would move along with the music. Her curves that fitted her little red cocktail dress would roll and sway. Her arms gracefully moving about her, sometimes smoothing down the fabric or ruffling with her hair. She at that moment did not care who watched her. Those who would pine after her from attraction. She intended to enjoy herself and to wrap herself in the music seemed to be the way to go.

It wasn’t long did she get a few drink offers from a few of the guys around the place. She didn’t know any of them and did not take notice either. She waited. Waited for the moment when things would slow down. When Kazuki could step away.

At one point, she sat on one of the stools. One long leg crossed over the other, slowly tapping it to a slow song that had been playing. Her hands fiddling with a small stir straw that she had placed in her glass of dark pop, stirring around the ice cubes as they floated along. Her body wanted to dance. To feel the closeness of another human being as they would move together to a slow and sappy song. Her mind told her no, denying the feel, the touch of another person.

Turning her attention to the bar, she looked at the mirror that was behind the bottles of liqueur. Her hair a little ruffled from her dancing but still pinned up to give her neck some attention. Her makeup still flawless. But to occupy herself she pulled open her purse, pulled out a tube of lipstick and put a new layer on her voluptuous lips giving them a new glossy sheen.

As she was about to put the makeup back into her purse when she looked back up and saw a familiar blonde standing behind her in the mirror. Victoria said nothing to Rene but turned and stood from the stool. She knew Rene probably didn’t approve of her coming, no doubt knowing what has transpired in Varron. Victoria always knew Rene was to Kazuki as Tak was to her. In love but not loved in return. Knowing that Rene might just be leading Victoria out the back door rather than in the company of Kazuki. She could understand how Rene was feeling but at the moment she only wanted to talk to Kazuki.

It wasn’t long before Victoria was left alone in a small room. She would look around and admire small little details here and there with her back to the door. Hearing the music from the dance floor as it seemed only slightly muffled but audible never the less. The song was one she knew, she hummed along with the lyrics, slightly swaying from one side to another. Her arms wrapped around her body as she hugged herself.

Victoria couldn't help but start to become nervous. Fearing what may transpire in this room. The thought of being rejected before hearing her out left a shiver to move down her spine. The fear being prominent when she had been left in the room for some time. She tried to calm herself. To stop her wondering mind from making assumptions one after the other without control.

With a slight chill in the room she made her mind focus on that. Clearly leaving her bare skin with rows of goose bumps as her hands would run up and down her arms. The dance floor was warmer. The heat from each person making the room hot with fever. The air conditioning she guessed turned on high to make the dance more comfortable.

If the door was opened, she did not hear it. She seemed involved with the song to help clear her mind that seemed to make her unenviably sing along. One of those songs that you have heard so much that you can’t help yourself but sing along for the simple fact that if you didn’t it was surely stuck in your head afterwards.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: Makes sense, since Taiku'd be busy for a little while even coming off the stage. Anyway, sorry for delay. Works a bag of flaccid dick.

ic:

The fact she'd shown up had thrown him for a loop, there was no doubt, and as it stood he was struggling to put some order to the cavalcade of questions that coarsed through his mind. The pair had not left on good terms by any means when Taiku had gone from New York, not least due to Tak and his damned interference, and though he could consider that her appearance brought little more than the burying of an old hatchet or something akin to that, he had every intention to tread carefully on the forthcoming conversation.

Having left the stage a few minutes ago, mingling with some of the crowd and shaking a few hands of more affluent people who recognised his name or face from one place or another, he returned to the bar and stepped behind it to grab a glass, pouring a stiff measure of rum into it before leaving his staff to their trade. Poised at the small split in the bar that allowed the staff to come and go onto the main floor, he sipped at the liquor for a moment, just watching the evening progress...So far, it had been a massive success financially, though he couldn't put an exact figure on the actual takings, he knew there'd be a lot of money to donate tomorrow. There was no doubt it'd end up being some public affair given the method of raising the money, and he'd seen several photographers in the crowd as well to affirm his suspicion, but a bit of publicity isn't a bad thing by any means.

"Hey..."

Glancing over his shoulder as Rene approached him, standing perpendicular to him against the bars edge, he tilted his glass up with a light smile, "Hey."

"So, Victoria's in the spare office at the moment...."

"Why didn't you just take her to my office...?", his eyebrow raised as the question was posed with a hint of curiosity...There'd rarely be any issue with Rene leading someone he knew to his office to wait on him, and it wasn't made any less notable by the fact of who it was....

"I didn't like the idea of leaving her alone in your office."

"Rene, she's hardly an industrial espionage specialist..."

"Oh, sue me for not being her biggest fan then!"

The eyebrow lowered as his eyes narrowed a fraction, the snap from Rene raising a touch of ire in him. "Be that as it may, the past is just that. The past. As I do, I'm sure you know that the past is no prerequisite of the future."

"True, but that doesn't mean I'm about to start braiding her hair and swapping stories about you with her."

"Believe me, I wouldn't want you to. That thought makes my skin cold....You. Braiding hair. It's....It's like some kind of fallacy to think it possible."

"Har, har, smart-ass. Go on, I'll hold the fort for now. Kira know you're meeting her?"

"Considering the bright lights and stage, I'd be damned surprised if she doesn't...."

"Touche. Now, go. I've got things here covered."

Nodding with a lopsided smile as he took up his glass, he turned towards the rear doors and slipped through them without any further note and made his way upstairs. Stopping outside of the office, the door closed over at the moment, he took a slow breath and pushed it open, stepping into the room and pushing the door over behind him. On neither effort did it make much noise, a fact clearly made by Victorias seemingly unaware demeanour. She was singing under her breath, and though he couldn't hear it entirely due to the background noise from the dancefloor, it was plain enough to know she was singing along with the tune. Clearing his throat loudly enough to make it obvious he was there, even with the ambient noise, he waited patiently for her to click that he was there before speaking first, his voice low and calm.

"Would it be cliche of me to say that you're probably the last person I'd have expected to see in here tonight, let alone any other night...?"

A brief flick of an eyebrow followed as a miniscule smirk curled at the corner of his mouth, making it just obvious enough that he meant no badness by the remark. No doubt, it was also fuelled by the sight of her, a flood of old memory returning to his head as things came back to mind that he'd long since left as just that. Memories. However, with his arms loosely folded through one another, he stood with a plainly expectant look on his face as he sipped the remnants of the rum in his glass slowly. He would be asked his own share of questions, there was no doubt in that he knew, but right now he wanted at least some kind of explanation, whatever it might be.

[Victoria Alexander]

Victoria’s eyes went towards the direction of the sound, cutting off the humming she was making of her own. She did not turn or make movement of her head. She knew who had entered and knew that with her back towards him she was in no danger.

Raising her hand she touched the glass of a frame with a picture in it. Clearly the grand opening of this place as for Kazuki, Rene and a few others she did not recognize stood in front of the establishment with all smiles. Hearing his statement she was not surprised by it. In fact she had hoped she would be that last person he would have thought about which made her scene at the bar all more exciting. Surely no doubt in his mind that she had still resided in New York with her precious Banger Boys.

“Your surprise is that much of my own even thou I have often thought of this day for the past two years. What I would say, how I would act. Wither I could manage a simple conversation with the man I once had called my own. Course now that it has come I found myself strangely disappointed in the fact that my heart strings don’t pluck as much as they used to. I guess I should thank you for that.”

She turned, her blue eyes meeting his. Course she was lying about the flutter her heart did from her nervousness and the fact that this beautiful man had always made her heart flutter. Her face unchanged with only a soft smile so even he could not see her faultier.

“The surprise of my own however is, I never thought I would have stepped in here to find you of all people in charge. Course it shouldn’t surprise me much considering its just in your nature and your being to circum to the everyday business torture. You always did like the stress and the atmosphere. But as for tonight, I do not feel Valentines Day holds anything to me, I was merely put here by two characters that didn’t want a young lady like me to feel alone tonight.”

She paused.

“Nice touch on the Donation by the way. It will benefit a lot of people who really need it. Course you have always help those in need regardless of your own situation.”

She had stepped forward, a few strides of her long legs. As she stopped she was closer to Kazuki but not close enough to touch. Her eyes on his chest. She dare not touch him for he would no doubt shun away from her. Her fear that she would not be able to get rid of the nagging pain her chest to settle the wedge between them.

“It has been a while Kazuki. My eyes have deceived me for a long time, letting me believe that it would be sunshine and rainbows after the way things were left. But it seems the storms are still at its fullest, wearing down with each passing hour.

Truth be told I have not come to San Francisco for you. I know I am as dead to you as the roses that sit on your grave, that has past their prime and are abandoned to fall apart. If your heart would beat for me, it would be still and silent. I have no other expectations of you.”

She drew her bottom lip in her mouth, sucked on it for just a second before looking up to his face. From his face she could tell that he did not lose sleep over her. That he did not feel as he once did. That he would think of those days they spent together, shared together. No he was always stronger than her and he would never torture himself as she did. Surely by now he was attached to another women. Someone more charming that this troubled one before him. She wondered if he regretted their life together. If not the time they shared, then the end of it all where she tried to hide her secrets from him.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"What can I say? Putting myself through unwarranted stress is part of a healthy breakfast for a guy like me...."

A slightly more prominent smirk rose on his lips at the brief quip as he continued to listen to Victoria, seemingly continuing to spill out whatever she felt she had to say in one fell swoop as if hesitation would cause it to bottle inside of her further. He didn't move an inch as she approached him, though his arms did unfold as he slipped the free hand into his suit jacket pocket. The glass with the rum, now almost drained from before, was cradled between his fingertips carefully as his index finger drummed softly against the rim of the tumbler...

"The donation's not the first of its kind, I've done well on the stock market in the last year, so I make a point of any real excess being donated. It's not a question of my situation, I'll never want for anything in my life again and I'm thankful for that, but if I can make someone elses life that little less bleak, or perhaps even be the person who gives the donation that finally helps us find a cure, then the money is better off with them than it is me."

The smile had faded as he spoke, partly in response to her last remark before her voice trailed off, though moreso due to his own experiences with the disease behind the charity he chose to donate to so regularly. He would never lie about it, even after two years it still stung him, but he'd long since learned that nothing was gained through bitterness to something beyond your control. Cancer wasn't picky, it didn't go out looking for its victims, it just...was.

However, the brief pang was replaced by a steeling force over his mind as he stopped himself from dwelling on it at the moment, knowing it hardly the best conversation topic for the situation. Instead, his brow furrowed as he paced to the side, not so much walking from her as around her, lifting the glass to his lips one last time and draining the final mouthful of the rum, setting the empty glass on a corner table against the wall before turning his attentions back to her.

"For someone as bright as you, that's definitely not your sharpest moment, is it...?"

Folding his arms again, he glared distastefully at the young woman in front of him before he spoke, a slow and cogent tone, though laced with a clear patience that he maintained even in the brief moment of annoyance.

"I held anger against you for not giving me the chance to help you, but mostly against myself for not being there to help when I should have been able to do so. No Victoria, you are not, nor were you ever, dead to me. I'll not spin webs of lies to you, my heart lies elsewhere and has done for quite a while, but you were a part of my life that I have no intention of forgetting. Expect of me what you will, or will not to be more accurate, I guess, but do not taint the past with wrongful assumptions."

Almost as soon as the brief chide had left his lips, the glare had faded and a slightly lopsided sigh escaped his lips. Taking a step back before leaning against the wall behind him, he fished into his pocket and slipped a crumpled packet of cigarettes from it, lighting it with a flick of his wrist as a gas lighter flared to life in his other hand. Exhaling the plume of smoke to the far side of the room, where a vent was built into the wall, almost all of the smoke was sucked away through the air conditioning unit. Whilst he knew full well Victoria had no keen favour for the habit, he doubted immensely that either party was about to raise an objection to it.

A small desk sat close to the back wall and he approached it, shifting to lean against it whilst continuing to face her.

"Now, the sixty-four thousand dollar question...Since you didn't come to San Francisco for me, though to tell the truth I wouldn't have expected you to do so anyway, why are you here? It's hardly like a brief trip to the next state, Vic. It's nearly four thousand miles. Forgive my 'naturally inquisitive nature'...", his arms flicking into the air with a mildly sarcastic flourish, "...but it seems like a lot of ground being put between you and something. As an expert on the subject, of course, I know it when I see it. On top of that, if you're here, I'm guessing your friends are as well."

Taking a slow drag on the cigarette, he let it sit between his lips at the side of his mouth as he continued to speak, "Truth be told, when I saw you, I half-expected to see Tak. Now that would have been the icing on the proverbial cake if ever there was a good place for that analogy."

It wouldn't take a genius to know that Taiku still had a particular dislike for the man, not least for the trouble he attempted to bring the Asians way in the past, and whilst he would not shun Victorias presence in Legion, had Tak been present, there was a very high chance that problems would have arose because of it. Waving his arm at a chair that sat in front of the desk, he gave a more direct glance towards her.

"Sit, if you like. This isn't likely to be a brief conversation, and I'd wager the heels aren't exactly bags of comfort."

[Victoria Alexander]

"You know better than I, Im not one to ask for help when its something that personal. We were doing our own things, separated, I didn't know it hit me until I almost left Varron. I had plans, I was.."

She quickly cut off quickly following the cut off statement with other words. Her arm shooting up, moving strands of hair from her eyes but more so to cover her right shoulder without thinking.

"Things happened at the wrong time and maybe if we were close at that time it would have been easier but your past got a hold of you and you had to do what you had to do. The manner that you did it in was a little rough and personally I thought I was going to die when I heard the grand news, so pretty much even if I had pursued you after fighting myself for help it would have been too late."

She raddled on as she tried to defend herself on his insinuation of her not asking for help.

"And my wrongful assumptions is what I have gathered over the years. You know my past better than anyone. Even now I get myself in trouble because I do not ask for help and I kick myself every time because of it. But I relied on my past to survive and in that I will always have my flaws.”

So much for her cool demeanor she thought. She shook her head slightly at the thought and knew that she was supposed to keep it short and simple and not make excuses and just ask her questions which he already answered and answer his questions in return. Wrapping her arms around herself she stood with her weight on one side.

As Kazuki lit his cigarette, her old habit of nagging him would make be to fake a cough with a smile. Course she wasn’t about to tease him so she just looked away and to the floor. With the beat of the music moving through the walls, making the silence in the room bearable it didn’t seem as awkward. Moving her eyes back towards his face his next question wouldn’t shock her. Victoria knew that Kazuki was sure to think Tak was following her.

“Actually, I wanted to check on the Ex-Varron Students. I heard rumors that a lot have been swept over here, a few up north, here and there. I couldn’t keep going on without knowing how they handled everything. I know you probably don’t believe me or what not but I really wanted to make sure everyone was ok. I know 400 students were just random kids, but to me I knew each and everyone of their files, I knew what happened in their lives.

With what happened in the end it kept haunting me. For the past two years I kept asking the question of what happened to them. I let them down, I failed at saving the school. My guilt is what made me hitchhike those four thousand miles to follow a lead of where some of the students are. And I did it alone and it was my own repentance.”

Her last statement was said sharply to make him understand that she did it for herself and no other. She could also probably guess that he would have been surprised on the fact that Tak nor the Banger Boys where anywhere near San Fran. Course he didn’t know of those past two years where she left them to be in solitude.

“Im sure if Tak was here he wouldn’t be too thrilled to let me in here if he knew you were here either. You guys were never that fond of each other. Right now he doesn’t know where I am but if he found me, Im sure he would pick me up kicking and screaming and drag me back home. I have no doubt in that, and no doubt that once he sees you, he sees red. But I don’t want to go and I wont go until my mind is at ease. This, this right here was more of a surprised bonus. Kinda like hitting two birds with one stone.”

She let her arms drop to her sides, smoothing down the sides of her dress as she did so. Taking his offer at the seat when it was given. She hadn’t noticed the pinching from the shoes but will no doubt find out about it on the walk to the place she was staying at.

"A girl can get used to heels if they really wanted to. They always said to be beautiful is to suffer. But yes the heels are far from my broken in boots."

She smirked as she took a seat in the chair across from Kazuki. Crossing one leg over the other and with a slight tug of the hem of her dress she got comfortable. The flutter in her chest relieving its pressure as she was calming down. Her nervousness seemingly fading as it seemed Kazuki was willing to talk to her, his face wasn’t as stern as she thought it would be. His eyes not piercing. She didn’t know what to expect

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: --Apologies for delay and length--

ic:

"I've lived enough curveballs to believe what seems most logical and real at the time, but to always accept the possibility. You being here to check up on the students? Waaay down the list of unexpected things I've seen this year."

Taking a slow drag on the cigarette, he blew the smoke over his head as he tilted back a moment, leaning back down before speaking again.

"And, for the record, who do you think ended up leading the Varron students when we came here? Far be it for me to judge anything, of course, but remember this. When the transfer was done, there was near-chaos for months. The Hircine students, one of which you managed to land as a prize tonight for that matter, didn't exactly take too kindly to our younger kinsmen showing up. Between me, Leon and Maverik, we did our best to hold things together. Thankfully, as you can see, the worst of it passed. They co-exist pretty well these days..."

Again, he lingered in his words as he drew another puff from the cigarette, continuing a moment later. "As far as thinking you failed these guys, don't beat yourself up over it. Nobody failed anyone, Vic. However you look at it, you're only human and in the end, we're tied with the same limitations. None of them blame you for what happened, and you should know that already. What could they blame you for? Not being able to prevent a riot? Come on, that was going to happen one way or another, we both know fine and well that Kvists little lackeys at the time were just waiting for an opportunity to push things over the edge."

Shaking his head as he stood slowly, walking to a side table where a small, steel ashtray sat, he picked it up and brought it to the desk, setting it down along with himself and flicking the ash from the end of the cigarette.

"You didn't 'fail' anyone, Vic. That's all I'm saying."

Though there was a clear, sombre air at the previous exchange, he'd let it sit a moment before smirking at her remark on Tak. True enough, if the guy were to see him right now, there was no doubt in Taikus mind it would come to blows, not least for the fact Victoria was here. It had taken Taiku a long time to realise it, through no part to not thinking closer to home about things, but Taks jealousy amused him greatly in hindsight. The fact that even now, however, he would likely hold a bitterness was just, frankly, sad.

"Let him see me. You know I've no beef with you, Vic, but I'll not give him any slack because of it. He picked a fight he shouldn't have in Varron, and just got lucky enough that it never saw the end. Fact is, if I never see him again, I'll not lose sleep over it, but I owe him one for what he tried to pull and if the opportunity presents itself, I'll take it."

Folding his arms loosely, he leaned forward and set the cigarette into the ashtray a moment, letting it smoulder away from his lips a moment. Again, he gave a cursory survey of her, skimming over her form as she sat and settled herself. There was a clear trace of awkwardness in the air, but his profession made it easy to move through such formalities with people.

"So, where are you actually staying over here? Did you find a place to rent or what....?"

[Victoria Alexander]

As Kazuki spoke, Victoria’s eyes were on the floor. The blame that she held against herself seemed to not faultier as Kazuki told her of the students migratory journey. The thought that things were so segregated between the students. It pained Victoria. She knew that highschool students could be awful and the move challenging as it was. It never crossed her mind that it would have been violent. That things would have been out of control. What of the staff and the principle no doubt they could have handled things smoothly?

Thank god for Leon and Maverick. They were always there for Varron. They would always protect them when she could not. It was hard to stretch oneself in four different directions, they had always helped her no questions asked or requests of any kind. They did it because they believed it to be the right thing to do.

She sighed to herself as she focused on the edge of the desk Kazuki was sitting at. He told her she wasn’t to blame but if at the mention of Kvists name she couldn’t help her jaw tightened. She had never thought she would hear that name but in the end it had always haunted her. She held a grudge against that kid that would never cease, never had she hated someone so much as she did Kvist. But there was no changing what had happened. Just as there was no changing the hate that she held for him.

Victoria lifted her eyes, watching as Kazuki would move from the chair and then back retrieving what he was after. She wanted to argue on the fact that she did fail everyone that she became a pushover in the end. She should have fought tooth and nail but instead she gave up because she was so preoccupied in her personal life. That she couldn’t stand up and defend because she was too busy feeling sorry for herself. That she was sucking her thumb in the warehouse while students were being shipped off. Yes she had failed because she gave up. If only she had pushed over what had happened and fought on. If only..

But she said not a word and only nodded. She knew better than to argue with Kazuki over it.

As the topic went over to Tak, she knew what he said would be true. There would be no sleep loss. It was a shame they weren’t friends. Tak and Kazuki were kinda the same in some manner. Though they would never talk sports or pat each other on the back it seemed like an amusing thought to Victoria. Course Kazuki couldn’t blame Tak for his jeliousness. When it came right down to it. She was in the same boat as Rene. That women never liked Victoria and Victoria really never did anything to her at the time of their relationship. It wasn’t hard to see that Rene had feelings for Kazuki at the time and was just being protective as Tak was. Though she never thought Rene would threaten her in front of her but hey ya knever know.

Kazuki broke her out of her thought with her question as she started to rub her cold fingers together. It seemed so much cooler and her nervousness seemed to grow in the pit of her stomach as he seemed to checking her out. No doubt he would notice she was a little underweight and she still bore some bruising on her arms and legs from one of the last fights she had in New York. Course she had a nice lather of makeup to hide the nasty little bruises. But over the dancing and the heat from the dance floor it seemed to wear down.

“I thought I was going to have to stay the nights in an alley. But I happen to come across some good luck. A couple provide me with a cot and some extra clothes in a basement while I help them with a restaurant they own. Nice couple.”

Crossing her arms, she held herself in the chair mostly to shield herself from the goose bumps that seemed to appear on her arms. She sat a little straiter in the chair as she wetted her lips and locked her glance on Kazuki’s face. She wanted to know what went on. The best way was to find out by the person that knew best.

“So, tell me. How have the students been. From what you said, things were rough, wasn’t the school doing anything to help. I mean the students from here couldn’t have been out of control enough to put a divider between the Varron students and Hircine? I know some of the students from Varron are a little territorial but the staff of the school should have been able to keep them within some limits of control without restriction?”

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"As long as you're safe, I'll leave it at that. Not exactly my business, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't roughing it."

He might have been somewhat abrupt in leaving the subject behind, but as was plain for Victoria to see, it really wasn't any of his business anymore. His concern was tangible, but fleeting nonetheless. Moving on a moment later, he proceeded to answer the query that followed.

"The school didn't so much as do nothing to help as actually set about inciting half of the problems...No divisions would have been made, even though they were more than necessary. Vic, this place is as bad, if not worse in its own way, than Varron was. The only difference here, is the students are actually all starting to take the same side against a common enemy. It's not like it was for me and the others back in New York, they're actually fighting with their heads and if they keep it up as they are, they really can do themselves justice here."

Shrugging, he took a final, long drag on the cigarette, stubbing it out into the ashtray and crushing the embers with the butt under his fingers.

"Yeah, it was rough for them at the start, but call me old-fashioned in thinking that sometimes you have to take a hit or two before you learn how to throw one back...You can't protect them forever, and if you try to, you're only going to hurt yourself in the process. Remember, they're not just 'kids' anymore. Most of 'em have grown up a lot, and no doubt they'll always be grateful for what you did in the past, they need to take it on their own shoulders now. That's the way it goes through the generations."

Sighing, he kicked his feet up onto the desk and folded his arms behind his head before actually answering her question directly, "However, I know you'll not let up on this one, so here's how it went in a nutshell...First month, a massive riot kicked off in the school. Some little fight between one of ours and one of theirs picked up massive steam, and it just went loco. I actually ended up showing up to that farce, it was how I knew Leon and Maverik had come this way as well, actually...After that, it was tense for a little while but there wasn't much trouble. It kicked off after a while again, though. Remember a kid called Stern Mason...?"

He would pause long enough for an answer from Victoria before pressing on in any regard.

"Well, he decided he wanted to play the system. Ended up causing the school to go into complete and utter lockdown, and damned if he didn't nearly pull off everything he was aiming for. Only got caught out by the schools Principal being a little sharper than credit had been given. Turns out the guy's a decorated ex-marine and linked with a lot of the political ties in the state. He had Stern taken away, most likely jailed somewhere though I really couldn't give a straight answer on that, and then instigated what were called the 'Watchers'. Hircine was turned into a prison, basically. You think the punishments we got at Varron were bad? These guys have the right to put students in hospital on a whim...."

He slowed his spiel and waited for any interjection from Victoria as he spoke, a slight rise in his eyebrows as he waited for her thoughts before he continued some more.

[Victoria Alexander]

To Victoria it seemed that Kazuki was more or less lecturing her. She hated to be lectured. She never heeded and never followed her own lecturing. But that didn’t stop her from listening. After all the only reason she came here was to make sure the students were alright. It was the only thing really keeping her going nowadays.

By the time Kazuki had placed his feet on the desk Victoria had slouched somewhat in the chair, her arms folded over her chest and a rather disappointed look upon her face. As he continued on she couldn’t help but feel that he was practically telling her that she was now useless. She didn’t want to feel useless. This was her life, this was the reason she woke up in the morning and slept, well not so great but still slept at night. She grew up knowing that it was her job to protect people when they weren’t able to do it themselves.

And now. Now she was like an abandoned mother, her children setting off and leaving her to her lonesome after so many years of feeling dependent upon. It was hurtful in the feeling that filled her. What was she to do now? She couldn’t go back to New York spend all her time fighting in street fights for a little cash. She didn’t know how long her body could sustain this kind of abuse. She knew she always fought harder when someone was involve she felt she had to protect but what now? Its not like she had made a perfect life for herself to settle down. Not like Kazuki and his bar. She had nothing outside of this.

Hell she could never become domestic. Not now when she knew she could never really settle down like normal 23 year old. That dream was fucked up by her and she had no way of fixing it. She wrinkled her nose at the thought half listening to her own voice in her head and focusing more on Kazuki’s.

With the mention of Stern Mason. She remembered him and grunted in response to it. At least he didn’t try to blow up a building she thought shaking her head slightly. But as Kazuki went on to tell her about the Principle she was actually starting to get impressed but it was only a mere smiggit before she felt that she disliked the Principle even before laying her eyes on him. Though she did wish she had the same power as that Ex-Marine, to send a few troublesome people away. Maybe Varron would have still been open. But with the mention of the watchers and how things seemed to be put on lock down, she had that strange feeling in her gut that, at that time things were pretty bad.

“So this Ex-Marine guy, the Principle. I pretty much get the gist that he abuses his power like most people who have it. Try to put more rules and discipline on students that don’t like rules and discipline and things turned ugly. I wouldn’t be surprised if this Principle was a little full on himself and thinks he can keep up like one of the highschool boys.”

She put her elbow on the armrest and her chin in the palm of her hand muttering in more of a soft tone to herself.

“Most likely he’s probably built, arrogant, I wouldn’t doubt that he could easily be overpowered if the students decided to uproar against him and his strict rules. Marines have some fighting ability I wouldn’t doubt that and with his arrogance he’s gotta be smart. Im assuming these ‘Watchers’ are loyal to him? And if so, that’s why the school hasn’t up roared against him, unless there’s more to your story. You know me I love a good happy ending.”

She turned her eyes towards him and gave him a questionable look.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"I've had only the barest of meetings with him, but I can speak from personal opinion that he's the sort who's smart enough to be able to abuse his power, but instead has other people under him to do it. Not like he couldn't if he so chose though, there's something about him that makes even me concerned."

A thoughtful lilt emerged in his words as he spoke, linking his fingers together and propping his chin down lightly, carrying on. "The Watchers, from what I've seen, basically act as an independant police force in the school. Their rules aren't bound by those of the state or anything, and I've heard enough horror stories to keep my own eyes open. Even for me, there's no guarantee they'd not turn at me for being one of the 'transfers', even if I'd graduated already..."

Realising with a blink that he'd probably made no sense with his last injection, he waved a hand briefly through the air and rolled his eyes with a short smile as he explained.

"Yeah, thing is, when I came here, I looked into getting a 'job' teaching at Hircine. Figured if I could keep at least one former figurehead in sight, it would rein in the more rowdy of our brood and deter a few of the more brash of the original Hircine students. Didn't exactly go to plan at first, but after Sterns escapade, a bunch of the faculty told MacMillan where to stick his jobs. Bearing in mind the fact I speak a fair number of languages, guess who landed a spot teaching Latin?"

Smirking at the remark with a bitter taste in his mouth, he thought solemnly at the almost pointless effort it had been for him to take the position up. Aside from establishing his position as a teacher who sympathised with the students, he'd been limited thus far to stepping aside. The Watchers weren't stupid, thanks to MacMillan they knew who his cousin was and how easily he could be plied through her. She was increasing in her skill, no doubt, but to his own eyes, he knew she had just enough ability to meet an 'average' student.

"I do what I can, and Dain is there as well from time to time, though he's more of a spare-time substitute than I am. Still, aside from the few of us, there's not really a happy ending to anything. It's just an ending, I guess. The Watchers are a bad deal, no doubt about it, but we've been through this sort of thing before. Change blows in the wind, and even they won't be unaffected by it. Let time take its course, and the side who comes out on top will make themselves known sooner or later."

Shrugging, he raised his eyes from the patterned grain of the desks wood and set his expression onto Victoria again, giving a half-smile with the words before he added as an afterthought, "Besides, these kids are stronger than our lot used to be. They can certainly take care of themselves, that much I can guarantee you."

Content to discuss the students and such for the sake of it, he would wait if there was any more additions Victoria chose to make, quite intent on changing the topic of the conversation.

[Victoria Alexander]

Victoria still sitting in a slouched manner her hand still holding her chin up. She listened as he explained his legitimate concerns. She wasn’t sure if he was more concerned about himself or the students. More so himself if he deemed powerless as said given the threat of the Watchers. He gave the excuse that they could handle themselves. Truth be told maybe they could but after all could she really take his word for it?

“You know I would love to take your words at face value but to be honest with you I don’t know if I could do that anymore.”

She straitened up uncrossing and then crossing her opposite leg again. Putting her arms on the armrests of the chair she was occupying.

“After all, it has been a few years since I was able to read you well but I would like to see things for myself. Knowing that my reason for coming is a bust I would rather see it with my own eyes rather being told by someone even if it is from you.”

She knew he would probably object but he could not stop her if she really tried.

“I will do my best to not create friction but I wouldn’t mind meeting this Mr. MacMillan. I know you will most likely object and I feel your concern but I will have it no other way.”

She held up her hand just in case Kazuki was to say any words continuing before he could interject.

“I will do it with or without your help. After all we may have been under the sheets together but you cant tie me down like the old days.”

She smirked at the perverse joke, stood and walked back over to the picture again and at the others that were beside it. She was done talking about the students. She learned all she had to or what Kazuki wanted her to.

“So, how’s life been treating you. Better than mine I can surely see that. But again you never had it as bad as some people now a days. So it cant be half bad when your driving your spiffy little sports cars or living in those nice cozy condos. So I take it your happy. All is well with the big Taiku?”

She turned and looked back at him. Victoria only wanted him to be happy and he was, without her. So it really didn’t matter what happened after this meeting. He had what he wanted, he had his new love, his club, his friends. She couldn’t see why he wouldn’t be happy. Why did it always seemed everyone always moved on better than her. All well she thought to herself, no more time for the self loathing.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

A flick of an eyebrow was all he offered at her chide remark, his tongue held firmly in place as a tight, short smirk rose on one corner of his mouth. The urge to shoot back a remark stifled until her cruder remark. Even at that, however, he held his tongue. She was entitled to a shot or two at him, he'd grant that much without repose, but when she started taking a jab at his status, he refused to be spoken to like that.

"Listen here one fucking minute, alright?"

Pushing up from the seat, a sharp look on his face, he stood on the opposite side of the desk leaning forward, his palms gripping the edge loosely.

"No, you're right. I don't have it bad. I have it great, better than I ever thought I would. Should I feel guilty because of that? Fuck that, really. Fuck that and go to hell. I worked my ass off for everything I have, and I still do what I can so the people around me are taken care of. Lets not forget, Victoria, you didn't walk away from me empty-handed either. I did what I felt I could to see that you and the Banger Boys would have something to fall back on. So what if it was money? People call it the root of all evil? Money, Victoria, is what this fucking world runs on. Yeah, you can live without it, but you can damned well live with it, and facing that choice, I know which one I prefer. Don't put yourself on a moral pedestal because it's my way of trying to make life that little bit easier for some people!"

A growl escaped his chest as he stopped himself, holding his voice from rising past the faintly raised tone it was at the moment before he continued on, his words even and calmly spoken again, "Yeah, life has treated me well. I've come back from bad things and I'm going strong. What would you rather see me do, hm? Sitting around feeling sorry for myself? No, don't think so. I've been there, I know where that road ends, and it's not a pleasant journey. There's only one truth in life, Vic, you get what you want if you're willing to take what comes at you along the way. Nothing is easy, and if anyone knows that, it's you. So don't talk to me in that condescending tone and play a guilt card because you want to save the world."

Sighing, he sat back down, folding his arms in front of him and fishing another of the cigarettes, lighting it with a flick of the lighter and setting it in the ashtray. "Look, I don't want you thinking I'm lecturing you, okay? Your choices are yours, I'm not about to give you opinions on things you won't listen to me on because its breath better used for something else. The fact is, if you want to be the savior, go for it. I'm not gonna stop you. Just don't be surprised to see that things have changed, that's all I'm sayin', Vic."

Taking up the cigarette, he took a long drag from it and let the plume of smoke billow up towards the air vent, the coils from the burning end rising in a vaguely pattered spiral above them before being caught in the draft. Looking over the table, a mixture of bemusement and fading annoyance sat on his expression from her previous remarks, a flicker of a smirk rising as he added, "And true, I can't tie you down like before. I don't use rope anymore, I find handcuffs provide much less friction."

[Victoria Alexander]

"Calm down Kazuki. Don't get your boxers in such a little twist. No sense in using such language."

She couldn’t help but laugh slightly at his uproar. She didn't think she could have gotten such a response but clearly she did. Such a proud man. Victoria should have thought her words carefully. She did sound a little condescending. She never meant it that way.

"I was only stating the obvious and never thought you would take it that way. Shesh you would think I just accused you of murdering someone."

She made her way back over towards the desk. She chose to sit on the edge barely inches away from him. The palms of her hands on the desk as she looked at him sideways. She talked more bluntly.

"There’s nothing wrong with living the way you do. I couldn’t see you living any other way. And your right. I chose to live the way I live. I could have used the money you gave me. But I gave it to a couple that could do more with it then I will ever do. After all if it weren’t for the couple I probably wouldn’t be here anyway.”

Victoria then drew in a breath and then blew it out, making strands of hair move from her face.

“I never did tell you about that. I guess with the whole thing of you dying and coming back alive back in New York we never really had a friendly conversation, course with you causing such an uproar you never would think this is a friendly conversation.”

She paused, raised her one leg, saw the buckle on her shoe was undone and redid it while she talked.

“ Well to let you know. You remember Nicholas and Elizabeth. Well even if you don’t, my two good friends now have a more stable establishment for runaways to come to. Better than the old beat down building they used to have. So feel proud of yourself that you help children all over New York everyday.”

She then stood again. Straitened her hemline and turned back towards Kazuki.

“I know I can’t save the world. Im not trying to. Just trying to protect a rather large group of students that I was put in charge of a long time ago. No sense of letting someone get hurt when I can try to do something about it.”

She tilted her head and smiled lightly.

“After all. If it turns out that it’s a waste of time, that I have accomplished nothing. So what. I have nothing better to do with my life.”

Turning she made her way towards the door, putting her hand on the cold door knob. But before she turned it, she turned slightly to look back at him. Her body was relaxed and at that point she knew that once she walked out of there. Everything between them in the past will forever be severed. She accepted that. In her mind she thought it would have took a little more effort but it was done. It even surprised her that it seemed so easy. Who would have thought I would have let go even after this long. She thought with a smirk. With her eyes scanning his face she spoke softly.

“Im glad your happy. That you get everything that you ever wanted in this lifetime. I hope your new girl can give you what I never could. God knows I was never the perfect girlfriend and gave you a run for your money.”

She then laughed.

“And I think you should go back to using the ropes. Nothing says love than a good tied knot.”

She winked and exited out of the room, closing the door behind her. She couldn’t help but lean back on the door and laugh as she shook her head. Looking up at the ceiling, she was relieved in some part. Knowing that she was only going to grow after this. Even thou she don’t like the idea of love anymore she still accepted that her love life was over. Such a childish thing she couldn’t help but fawn over.

Giving her head one last shake with a laugh she turned back to the door, put her hand on it and whispered.

“Good bye Kazuki.”

Her lips turning into a smirk she turned and walked down the hallway. There was only one way to go, that way was up. She felt aloft and felt that she had faced one of her own demons and kicked its ass with two hands behind her back.

“One demon down, numerous to go.”

She laughed as she would make her way out.