Disciplinarian (Open)

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: Due to a lack of appearance from the invited party, I'm changing the status to just plain 'open'. Feel free to jump in if you like.

ic:

It had been something of a nonchalant day for Kazuki. His classes had been somewhat uneventful, the students had behaved themselves and listened to his words. Obviously, some more attentively than others, but the fact that nobody had lost their temper or caused a ruckus was a bonus in and of itself. He paced through the halls in moderate silence now as he made his way out of the building, done for the day and content to go home to his 'family'.

'Maybe the others will let me have a few drinks tonight to relax....It's been nearly three months, and I was only told to cut back, not cut out....'

It was a perfectly normal thought in a perfectly normal mind, and the former 'captain' --no title had ever truly been given, but he had assumed such duties-- of Varron would have appeared as unassuming as most of the students, were it not for the slightly more formal state of dress he wore. There was no code for teachers anymore, hadn't been for over a decade back when the reforms had occurred, but being as he wasn't -that- much older than many of the students (at the very least, six years.), it helped to discern him and gave a visual identity that was useful.

He sighed contentedly, his hand toying loosely with his car keys as he walked through the main thoroughfare towards the front doors to Hircine Highs entrance, yet even the halfway unaware Kazuki found his attention diverted, a shift to the side of his head all that was needed to break his almost peaceful composure.

Trouble

Walking towards the alcove, he stood in it as a pair of youths stood a little ways away, surrounded by a loose group. One was clearly the antagoniser to the situation, though the other, albeit shying back in action, was no less.....vocal. His eyes narrowed slowly as he watched, having gone unnoticed so far. He'd learned quickly that Hircine was not the same as Varron, here there was a high chance that a confrontation could end without a physical conflict.

Without words, his eyes pored over things slowly before it began to grow evident that this wouldn't be one of those verbal assaults, and that the chances of someone throwing a blow was almost imminent. He approached slowly, drawing as little attention to himself as possible which wasn't all that hard in any regard, before he burst out as the first punches were thrown by the pair, each intending to land the first hit.

Neither of them would, it seemed, as almost out of nowhere an older figure appeared between them, his arms raised to catch each punch in his palms and holding it in a vice-like grip. Yet, even with his force preventing them from moving, neither was in pain.

"This is your only warning. Get to class, now."

Immediately, some of the crowd recognised the substitute teacher as the person who had won the most recent tournament. Whilst it was a closely kept secret, no secret remained unknown forever. It was the main reason the tournament changed locations frequently, but in turn helped to spread word and reputation of the winner. When that was a teacher, well, it provoked a hint of concern in the students. Almost all of them, and even one of the aggravators, backed away and began to disperse without much problem, but the other boy he'd halted seemed keen to spit some more, "What can you do, you're just a substitute here! I've seen you around! Let me go!"

"Calm down and I will."

"I don't give a shit about that, let me fucking g--"

In an instant, Kazuki had weaved back and around the youth,grabbing him around the neck and twisting to drop him to the ground, albeit slowly. He would incapacitate without injury, but would still take all precaution not to leave any of these kids more injured than was absolutely necessary. This boy wouldn't have been a gnat compared to him in a fight, if he were honest.

"Enough."

The words were almost useless. The boy wasn't quite unconscious, but he didn't respond as he lay slightly dazed on the floor from the sudden choke hold that brought him to the ground. As a legally recognised Shidoin, Kazuki had not only the ability to be recognised as a Shihan of his art, but to even be recognised as, potentially, one of the foremost in his art if he could pass the rather rigorous tests that the Aikikai put to its practicioners who chose to seek the elusive title. The Ueshiba family line had a history of being rather....particular in their ways.

Once the boy was on the ground, he would shift his eyes quickly among the others and glare at them, his sharp stare causing most of them to disperse instantly, turning and running. It did him no favours to be seen as 'That tough teacher who can knock a kid out in one hit', but he couldn't deny that from time to time it helped to dispel trouble in advance.

'Yare yare....'

Leaning down, he plucked the boy off the floor and slung him over a shoulder effortlessly. The weights he wore made him almost unable to notice the addition of an extra load on his limbs for a moment, though it did eventually make itself recognised as he grunted, shifting him carefully and walking back the way he'd come. The infirmary wasn't too far away from here, and at this time, there wasn't a terrible number of people that would be walking the halls. All the same, he kept an eye on the guard. There were still a handful of Hircine students and transfers who either fancied their chances or remembered the old figurehead and wanted to confront him in one capacity or another....

[Bix]

Complexity

A common situation

~Once the moon, high upon the night, filters between the clouds, thus the will be done. For those that antagonize, those that are strong, be weak in who they are, inwardly are drones.~

Slow. The smile crept across the young woman's face. Blue hair hung loose around her shoulders. Just past them. Framing her face, her slender neck holding the cranium up highly. Small button nose. Catches the lights as her head raises, hands close the tome. Dust flurries into the air for a mere moment. Settling to the ground, defiling the tile. Human Snowflakes.

Strange dress. But that was normal to any that were becoming aware of the little Witch that attended Hircine High. Green shirt. Just green. No prefix need be added. Underneath a jumper. Very gradeschool until you looked into the near emotionless sapphire eyes. Black was the jumper. Hung down to her knees. knees, to boots covered in red tights, black boots, and seven rings of silver surrounding her right boot.

Quiet. Almost too quiet for a day at school. A school filled with the underbelly of society. And their offspring. A man. Walking down the hall, his footsteps weighted down with extra burden because of the soul that he carried upon his back. Tragedy had struck again in the halls of hell. He looked unconscious. Surrounded by the world of the dreams, the world of his subsconsciousness. She wondered what it was telling him. Perhaps to leave this place. To vacate this life. To return to the earth from wence he came.

"When the dreamer doth wake. And when the dreamers dreams spill upon the earth, those that stand in the way, find they can no longer stand at all."

She spoke. For the first time, she believed since she had arrived. She could spreak. But only when she had something to say. Only when she felt as though she wanted to speak. Which was not always. Bix was not a girl of many words. Words had power, and to Bix that power was to be saved.

Her eyes were wary. Guarded and yet at the same time a creepy sense of seriousness in them. The right side of her lips quirked. Sapphire following him as he moved. Walking by her. Watching.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

His eyes shot sidewards as he walked, drinking in the words spoken even if they were somewhat undirected towards him. A byproduct of his latent sense to those around him, perhaps, but rather than respond immediately, there was only a faint narrowing of his eyes as he continued for the briefest of distances. Hircine, thankfully, designed itself well enough to keep at least one nurses station on every floor, and from any point on each floor, to reach them required little effort. They were centrally located and clearly marked, easy enough for a student to find, an understandably beaten path for one who taught in these walls.

His 'care' for the young man was short-lived from here on out, as it would be seen, as his knuckles drilled against the door sharply. A few seconds would pass before he was answered and the door creaked open in a quick, smooth motion and the gentleman came into sight.

"Another one? Do you even try to reach out to these kids or--"

"Save it, I tried just like every other time."

"Mr Akimoto, you understand that you've brought me two unconscious students a day for the last two weeks, now whilst the faculty disclaimer exempts you from any repercussions, can you picture where my concern lies?"

"..."

The pause hung for a moment as the 'elder' Asian stood opposite the male nurse, his listless, almost empty eyes unblinking for a moment before he answered, "Just give him a few hours. He's in no danger. I only put him out to stop the struggle. File what you will in your reports, for all it matters."

Before an answer could be given, he turned the exact way he had walked and began to return on his path, his hands loosely held in his pockets as he spun a couple of coins between his fingers idly. Passing the same girl from before, he turned his head a little this time, gracing with more than just a sidewards glance. As fleeting as it was, the shift his eyes took absorbed her entire form in an instant, and he locked those grey, tired-looking orbs onto the opposite pair of the young girl.

"Now my distraction is gone, would you care to elaborate on what you were trying to say?"

As eloquent as the veteran of Varron was, he had only a passing taste for such language. Intelligence and eloquence were two seperate entities, to be combined in a fine end. Thus far, the younger of the two had displayed only the latter, he would permit a moment of his time to allow an opportunity to display the former before he chose whether to walk away without response or to grant his own reply.

[Bix]

Challenge
A Battle of Wits

Shift. The eyes moved. Casting over her small form. She was nothing special. No real endowments to make the eye gather upon her form. Clothing was odd. The way she dressed. Different from the rest. Such was her wardrobe. Mysterious in origin. Cheap by denomination. But it was her. And no one could take that individuality away. Uniforms were not her thing. And thankfully, this school required those not.

Moving past. The boy was drug, feet sliding against the ground. Hoisted above with the man heading towards the station of cross. Red upon the white sign. Black upon the glass, a name that couldn't be read from this distance. Perhaps the nurse. Perhaps there was a doctor on staff. Perhaps it was just a teacher that glorified himself with the title of medical professional.

Knock knock.

It sounded through the halls. Reverberating upon the lockers. Echoing through the empty quiet, tile covered halls. A sound that carried until it died, the punctured tiles upon the ceiling absorbing the sound taking it away from the land of the hearing. The boy was handed off. A sleeper hold apparently. He would wake. Headache intact. Revenge on his mind. Anger in his heart. The teacher cared not. Not even cared for the chastisment of the one that spoke to him.

Turn. Shoes squeaking on the tiles. Bix was there. In Bix's spot. Before Bix's locker. He walked, shoes gripping upon the white shiny tiles. So often stained with blood and debris this morning clean. For now. His eyes washed over her like a fine viel. Taking in once more, only for real this time, her wardrobe. Was it all that strange. Had no one style within the walls of this establishment? Apparently, they were all without their own individuality, but .. such was a loss for the world.

His voice. Older. The teacher spoke to her. As if he was trying to dumb down the words she had spoken. Was he daft enough he did not understand their meaning. Perhaps it was why he was a mere substitute no? Unable to become a full teacher perhaps. Lacking the capabilities for the actual teach of knowledge. The fertilization of young minds. It was simple really. If one broke it down. Removed the fluff. And saw the meaning that was held within.

"Revenge."

She felt sickened. Having to bring her words down to such a low level for only a teacher. Should he not have been able to understand. Does the teachers not read and comprehend the works of Shakespeare, do they not understand the notes of Motzart. it seemed, trust within the educational system, was sorely misplaced. It was simple enough to think the boy within the room some doors back. he would wish for revenge. To call upon the one that tried to harm him, that humiliated him, wounding all he had. Pride. One of the 7 sins. Such a sad one too.

"Teacher, pain causing upon the students of this establishment, no?"

Each time her voice was in a creepy hissy like whisper. A slight grin upon her pale lips. Her eyes were intense as they bore into the teachers own.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

The faintest flicker of an eyebrow at the almost condescending manner to which he was spoken was the only visual response he gave, his face holding stoic and unfeeling through her brief remark. He'd noted her...unique appearance already, and filed it mentally along with the rest of her features. She stood at eye level with him, the elder of the pair just edging out over her, and his almost drab gaze hung unblinking before he spoke, a soft monotone that didn't so much belie his tumultuous mind as divert from it.

A substitute Kazuki may be, but his area of expertise was not in literature, and he saw no need to attempt to hold station above someone whose words deigned to sound wiser than his. Wisdom was not gifted by vocabulary, but by experience.

Oh, experience. He had quite enough of that.

"Revenge? Tch, a sickly and pitiful thing. Those who live for it live only half an existance, an ugly life. Yet, there's enough people driven by it to draw notice."

He muttered the words, partly to himself though he knew fully the girl would hear them, and the point of his remark was clear in it, his opinion on the word made. He continued however, knowing the intent of her raising such a word, and would in turn add in his repose to the rest of her words.

"If he chooses to come after me, then he will. He isn't the first and certainly won't be the last. If the other students are that little bit safer from him as a result of his attention resting on me, then my objective is met."

The odd sound of her voice garnered his notice for a moment, though after the first instance he paid no further heed to it. Instead, he stood silently after his remark, his dull stare loosely locked against her own, not fighting for stature, just showing no lenience against her sharp gaze. In his right hand, having slipped from his pocket, one of the coins loosely and effortlessly rolled between his fingers back and forth, a seemingly seamless rhythm as the small silver disc glinted occasionally against the artificial lighting overhead.

'Just why, exactly, am I standing and justifying my methods to a sophomore?'

Mentally, an eyebrow raised with a faint smirk at the thought, but he held them back as he watched her face coolly.

[Bix]

Intelligence

The Mind of Generations

Revenge. He was right. It was pitiful. But there was nothing that could really change it. As much as she wanted to. As much as it was lame and she knew it. She looked at the teacher. He seemed to understand, that revenge was stupid. It was a wasteful emotion. Something that Bix was never into, not worried about, and didn't care to begin. She listened to him, watching him.

"Ah, indeed. Pitiful is the emotion, but frequent it claims those around. These halls are filled with emotions unspent, revenge unwilling to relent."

He had an interesting point she had to admit. If the boy decided. Not to pursue the other students. Instead to focus on the man that had humiliated him. The perhaps he had done his job. But was not the job of a teacher to calm the crowds. To take down the bullies. To punish the ones that deemed themselves above the rest? But perhaps he had a different twist on the title teacher. Perhaps because substitute was the first title on his name, that he decided his ways could very well be different.

"An interesting delimma."

The Witch answered the grin on her face still. She loved adults. They challenged her in the way that peers could not. They dove down to the depths. The depths of her soul. Of her being. Trying to decipher why it was they were talking to her. Time. Spent with her. Words. Exchanged. Why they stood there. Why they cared. What was it. That made this one stand out from the rest. Why was she so strange. Odd. Unfitting upon regular society. Why was she the one that people looked at. What made her something to enjoy.

"To bend the will of youth. Your presence must be great. What is it, you attend to here?"

Cryptic. In the way she spoke. So many pissed. Wishing that she would just say what she meant. Andyet. She didn't change. Wouldn't change. She didn't care to the thoughts of others. She merely cared that she was alive. To enjoy this life. To enjoy her time. To live the way she wished. The witch lifted her head slightly. Chin raising. Defiance. (Talk to me teacher, tell me of your secrets).

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"Interesting? Perhaps..."

His arms folded loosely, both now free from his pockets, and his right lay over the top to continue twirling the coin as he had been. Slower than before, indeed, as he held conversation -if indeed it could be called such- with the girl opposite him. Her last, somewhat cryptic remark actually drew a very visible smirk onto his face as his lip curled, just enough that a faint glint of white from his teeth would show.

"What do I attend to? Why, miss, I'm just a simple substitute teacher, surely you wouldn't be implying I have further motive?"

The smirk dropped a little to a smaller smile, evident but much less noticeable than before as he watched for her words and any subsequent reaction made. He wasn't about to start revealing his intent, not when there was still a fair amount to be done and the captain having been forcibly removed from Hircine. Yes, the information had been quite easy to glean from passing conversation, though it had happened on one of the days he hadn't been required to be present. For Shuya -for it could only be him who would have made such a move-, that would invariably have been a good thing...

The thoughts were pushed aside in their instant of entering his mind, and he would speak again, that smooth, patient tone lingering.

"I suppose, since you were so bold as to ask, it would be rude to leave that entirely unanswered. I do not like to see people spend their school years in a manner such as that, be it the victim or attacker. If the fleeting intervention I pose can change even one persons thinking, then I've done what I wanted to do."

Not entirely a lie, not entirely the truth, but the plain expression on his face would reveal nothing, nor would his voice. It was the 'textbook' answer he would give those who questioned why he was often seen in such situations. Such a noble-sounding remark would sate all but the most curious of minds, and those tended to relinquish their questions after receiving no further answer.

[Bix]

Liar Liar

Pants on Fire

~Liar~.

No motive. That was a lie. They both knew it. A knowing grin crossed Bixs' face. She could see it in his eyes. The lie. The growing deception. Perhaps he thought it. Perhaps he wished that was all he was. But. That wasn't true. They both knew it. It wouldn't change merely because he didn't say it out loud. Enjoyment. Out of the fact that she could look straight into his eyes. He was short. She wasn't tall. By any means. But she could look right into his eyes. His height was of no matter really. Merely an ovservation on her part.

~Liar.~

Again with the lies. Perhaps it was partially true. Perhaps it was the intent. But all the same. This was not how it was. This was not what he was here for. Not what he did. It sounded good. A sugar coated answer. Too sweet on her tongue. To heavy in the air. The kind of repressive feeling that made you grimmace. The kind of feeling that made you sure it was a lie. Or a half truth. But then in the end what was the difference. Was there one between half truth and lie? Perhaps. it was hard to decipher the difference.

"You speak truth sliced like butter. Halving the meaning. Intent on disguising."

Her voice again the same as always. Different. Whispered. Harsh. It was just the way that she was. She was different. No one had ever broken through to learn more than just the crust of Bix. Bix was something different. Unique in her own way. The witch shifted her weight. Blue hair moving with her. Eyes shifting to keep focused on his.

"Filled with curiosity, am I. As to you, educating this race of violence. Why chose such a heinous profession?"

[Kazuki Akimoto]

The words from her lips piqued a mild intrigue in him. He was renowned as a difficult person to read, able to hide almost anything as a result of....

His head shook mentally before he even broached that subject. It had no place in his thoughts just now, and he had yet to answer her. He hadn't paused for more than a second, if even that, but the minor 'discovery' she had made brought a very interesting reaction from the elder of the pair. A chuckle, soft in his throat and almost alien sounding as his lip curled back slightly in reflex to the sound, escaped to the air around them. She was definitely the intriguing case, there was no doubt on that.

Yet, she seemed so intent to pry further. Her posing of the question changed somewhat, but she had asked effectively the same thing, if not a slight extension of her previous query. Clearly, such a riddled answer would not sate her interest, and he sighed very briefly as his eyes flicked away from her a moment, glancing past the girl before returning back. He had not been looking for anything in particular, but there was a certain...privacy about holding such vivid eye contact for such length of time. He wouldn't give off the impression he was staring, far less 'ogling', and for one as impassive as him it was a natural reflex.

"Before I answer you, let me ask you something. You claim to be curious, but why? What difference would it make to know one way or another?"

A dark eyebrow raised slowly in query, though he would continue regardless. He saw no reason to deny this answer, considering how much easier it was to give.

At least, in one capacity.

"Those of us who have lived through this haggard system understand it better than anyone. Of course, like all trials of fire, some come out of it unscathed, while others are burned and left with the scars."

A flicker in his eyes away from her, however brief, would signify a minute pause before he continued, on the same breath and almost seamlessly.

"I carry my scars, physical and not, and only hope that my actions can at least prevent some less capable from being burned...and at best that some can realise that, futile as the system in place may seem, even the worst flames can be extinguished."

Slight as it was, a smile crept onto his lips, "Hopelessly idealistic, perhaps, but all changes in the world start as an ideal. That's why I chose to do this."

His words still shrouded the absolute truth, but no amount of pressing would cause that to be revealed. He had spoken no lies, and though part of him wondered exactly why he would say such a thing, he also remembered having similar conversations with a few students in the past, ones who had been subjected to the...less savoury aspects of the harsh environment around them.

[Bix]

Turning the Tables

Check Mate

To ask a question. Hmmm.. Interesting. It seemed that she had sparked the curiosity within him. That perhaps he wished to know more about her. Or. Instead. He wished merely to know her motive. The motive upon which she stood here. Having the gall to question a teacher. But he apparently. Did not care that a student. As she was. Questioned a teacher, and his motives. But curious she was. For he seemed to be rough. Not that the other teachers were not. The purveyors of education were well versed in violence. But he deemed himself. Violent for good.

"To sate the need. Of knowledge."

Her answer. Simple enough. But true. No lies there. Bix was one that wished to know as much as she could. A hoarder of knowledge. A curator of information. A researcher of the world around her. The witch let another slow grin cross her face as he looked away. Her eyes. Never looked away. But he, nervous perhaps. Had. When his eyes came back, her's had not moved. Instead. Began peering right into his again. Unsettling it may be for the teacher. But thus was her way.

He began to explain to her. That everyone that had been through this school. Was a vertern of this establishment. Carried with them a surpluss of scars. Bix nodded. Something she was already aware of. But he continued. Saying some where hidden. Others quite visible. And while his were not all too visible. They were there. And perhaps if he could help the school. The students. Those that were too weak to win. Perhaps he would do something good in his life. Something that he could be proud of. So it was all for personal gain. To feel better about himself. About fighting. A catalyst for the pent up anger. The rage the years in this building had done. It was an interesting twist. But cliche.

"Every soul carries burden. Scars. Wounds. Holes. Bruises."

It was true. For while she looked strange. And oddly stood out from the rest. She knew fully well. No soul was without a scar. No heart remained unblemished by life.

"Question then, Educator. Why only substitute. Why perhaps? Not a full time occupation saving the destitute souls of the world?"

Another grin. A sparkle in her eyes. Dare Bix say she was having fun?

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"Knowledge, huh?"

A light smirk crept onto his lips for an instant, and he made no move to disguise it. Hardly a remark to ignore, but years of encountering people who sought 'knowledge', many with altruistic and ulterior motivation....Well, there exists a valid reason that Kazuki would be less than keen to divulge large amounts of information on himself. His generation had passed years ago in Varron, he was old enough now that even the seniors would not have remembered him in the school halls had Hircine been his school -no, as bittersweet as the thought could be, he'd had a much more...interesting school tenure- and as a result, there was little knowledge of him as anything other than the club owner who 'moonlighted' as a teacher. Those that knew otherwise, knew to keep quiet.

Ignorance, indeed, can be bliss.

He gave a curt nod to her observation before her question came, and an unseen wave of faint ire appeared in him. Cocky, perhaps, would be an inappropriate choice of words for describing this girls attitude, but it was fitting as a simple comparison. Almost, as if, she were mocking his words.

'Oh, girlie, you wouldn't want to get too big for your boots...'

"Mainly because my -actual- job pays a good deal more than this, and I don't live cheaply for starters."

No lie there, that was for damned sure.

"Or perhaps because it's not my place to save the world, just to balance out the things I come across?"

Again, absolute truth in his words.

"Or, maybe it's due to the fact that, last time I tried to 'save the destitute souls of the world', as you so eloquently put it, it only hurt those closest to me..."

His eyes narrowed at that remark, again, entirely true albeit with more of a sting to him. It was quickly becoming evident that little would elude this observant girl, and whilst it made sense not to elaborate further, he was content to see just how far she would attempt to pry. The fact remained very clear to him. At any point, he could, and if the need arose, would, turn and walk away from the conversation. He had no obligation to answer her questions, but she was interesting enough.

It had, indeed, been a while since someone interesting had shown up.

[Bix]

Learning Something New

Every Day

Another job. Ah, perhaps that would explain it. She looked up at him. Teacher to student. Taking in his features. He was interesting. Probably the best teacher that she had ever met. But that didn't mean she was going to open up to him. Besides. His curiosity. Did not seem to extend to her. But he told her that his life style, would not be supported. In a job such as this. Her head tilted. To the side. Bangs shifting as, Bix listened.

She could almost understand the latter of his speech. Those close. Had been put in danger. And most likely. It was one of those scars. The ones that he had spoken of earlier. Bix nodded and shifted her weight again.

"Protecting close ones, is vital."

She told the man that stood there before her. It was interesting. To be conversing with a teacher. As if they were equals.

Bix. Did not have close ones. She had long ago. Distanced herself from a great deal of life. Her family. Were housemates. She had no friends. This school was new. She was new. Having only just transfered. But then again. Friends were overrated. They could become liabilities. If only it was the right situation. They could betray. And Bix did her best. To set herself. Away from the rest. She did not. Wish for any sort of problems that would later hinder her.

"However. Being a hero. Comes with responsibility."

"You cannot protect. All."

((OoC: I'm sorry it's short, but, I'm at a loss for the moment on what else to do))

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: Again, my apologies for taking as long as I did. Anyway, I figure the conversation is starting to taper off a little, and rather than unnecessarily flogging the dead horse, so to speak, we can start bringing this to a close and set up for a future thread. ^^

ic:

"Mm..."

The brief exclamation to her remark was quiet, but hardly muted. Instead, his eyes lazily caught hers. Indeed, she was most intriguing, a refreshing jolt to his mental palate, as it were. His earlier scrutiny led him to assume her around fifteen or sixteen, at a guess, though to hear her speak he would be inclined to believe far above that age. Moments like this were another part of the reason he stayed on to do the few classes he did in Hircine; the opportunity to see just how the new generation would surpass his, both in intellect and strength.

'No doubt, she'll accomplish the former with ease.'

"Very true."

He would nod to accent his remark, his agreement with her statement, and with a brief pause would glance to his wrist, twisting it to reveal the face of his watch.

'Hm...I should be getting a move on, I've already lost the best part of an hour with that mess thus far...'

"I apologise for sounding abrupt, miss, but I do need to be going. It's been a pleasure to speak to you, and hopefully not the last time we'll have such an encounter." A wry smile emerged on his lips this time, not quite smug, but with a knowing expression lingering in it. "And, perhaps, the topic matter will be a little less gloomy, no?"

Calmly, he extended a hand out somewhat, "Kazuki."

Fairly straight-forward. He'd noted that at no point had he offered his name, and it would seem rather discourteous for him to end this conversation without offering at least that. His gaze gently set as he waited for her response.