Hey, I Just Missed You... and Japan is Crazy (Koty)

[Vincent Meian]

Most days, Vincent really liked to get home before midnight and get at least a couple hours of sleep before returning to the school and beginning the day afresh. Often times, he was even able to accomplish this task, being that his home was close enough (relatively speaking) for him to walk or bike to and from work with ease. Even at such a late deadline hour, there was still enough time for the Japanese man to groom himself into respectability and prepare the first two household meals before arriving at his normal punctual hour.

Some days, however, things just caught up with him.

Sleeping in his office was becoming a much more frequent occurrence for the veteran, and it was not a trend that he found comforting. The office was small, and often times Vincent woke up with more than just a crick in his neck or back - his shoulders tended to ache for a good chunk of the day afterward, unhelped by the fact that sleeping at the office meant no food until dinner (which would have been about 28 or more hours after his last meal). Sometimes, he was lucky and there were some pastries in the staff lounge, brought by a friendly coworker. Most days, he simply talked to the head chef of the cafeteria and managed a sandwich or piece of fruit left over from lunch.

Either way, for a man with his metabolism, that wasn't terribly healthy very often.

Still, at least he woke up before classes began every day. That allowed him to at least shower in the pool locker rooms and change into a spare set of clothes (always left in his office for that purpose) before facing the student body. As he walked his way back - still combing his long fingers through his long, dripping, and tangled hair to tie it back - he noticed that he was out of luck this morning; no bagels, donuts, or other pastries yet. Oh well. He could wait.

Amusingly, he'd only just settled back at his desk when there came a knock on his door. Vincent looked up, curious, and wondered briefly if it was Dr. Neville - the man always seemed to know when something was bothering people, and he was more than happy to share food. But 6am was still a bit early for the doctor's meanderings... and the trainer had no scheduled appointments... who was it?

Standing with a sigh, the tall man cleared the desk (and the room) in three strides, and opened the door.

[Koty Hura]

Well.. it was one Koty Hura, of course. Though, why it was Koty Hura was a slightly more in-depth matter and might require a bit of back story to make much sense. See, Koty had known and even been trained by Vincent not so long ago but very far away.

Koty had grown up in Japan with his mother and manifested shortly after his thirteenth birthday... Right around the time that Vincent had decided that the best course of action for his family was to move to the states and had started putting plans into motion. Koty was assigned to be trained under Vincent despite the trainer's intentions of leaving. The first day of training had been one of confusion and anxiety.. Koty had no father figure and just as many worries as any 13 year old would at having been told he was a mutant, not to mention seeing crazy things every time his skin contacted another's.

For a few moments, Vincent had fed those fears, but the the next two years, he had steadily brushed them aside, one layer at a time.. If anything, Vincent was the closest thing to a father Koty had ever known. --And yes, this included Koty's biological father who still lived to this day in northern Georgia.. and was the reason that Koty had wound up here, at Hammel.. Unknowingly having followed in his old Sensei's footsteps.

Still, as Koty had settled into routine and classes and the very different culture here, he had started looking for ways to improve himself.. Full class transcripts and all the information he could find on individual trainers and teachers and staff... He nearly fell out of his chair when he realized that Meian-sensei was actually here and training students still, with his wife and daughters.. All here.

Koty decided that he would repay what he saw as Vincent's first real kindness to him.. A simple and well-made boxed lunch. That first shared lunch had put the trust in Koty that had been required to tame his considerable telepathic abilities, and as far as Koty was concerned, had been one of Koty's first truly 'okay' moments as a meta.

So he had prepared two large boxed lunches and found his way to Meian-sensei's office, just barely missing the man walking in, still seemingly dripping wet from the showers. Vincent had pulled an all-nighter, no doubt. He likely had no lunch... Perfect timing. Knock-knock, Vincent.

When the door was opened, Vincent would be presented with the sight of a very promising and rather accomplished student from his recent past. One of the very last students he had taken under his wing, and one that he had perhaps shared more with than the vast majority of other students. As was typical, Koty wore dark slacks, a medium blue shirt, and a well worn leather jacket. His hands were clasped around the cloth holding his two prepared lunches behind his back, and as the door swung open, Koty simply gave a curt nod of his head. "Good morning, Meian-sensei. Do you have a moment?"

[Vincent Meian]

The recognition of the student in his doorway hit the trainer like a truck from the past. When he'd left Eisai last year, he never expected to see his most recently graduated student again. Well, most recent then - Koty Kura had graduated from his course in a marvelous two years, much less time than anyone else Vincent have ever trained. Additionally, he'd become one of the trainer's closest students, despite both their intentions. They'd actually trusted each other; it wasn't the one-sided trust that lead to grudging respect that the trainer had with most of his previous students. The teen had trusted him, and Vincent had returned that trust wholly.

But still, he'd never expected to see Koty again. He'd left him in Japan, with a mother who was more friend than parent but a good person nonetheless. She would have been able to care for him easily, and the school would have taken care of the boy regardless. Why was he here, of all places?

The startled reaction eased its way back into a slight head shake, clearing the thoughts from his mind. He'd been asked a question, and it was rude to leave someone standing in his doorway. Opening the door wider, the tall man gestured inside and responded in kind, "I do. Please, come inside."

The use of English from the young man was another reflection of the past - Koty had helped him practice his grammar before coming to the US, and it had been a tremendous boon. The short lessons while they practiced had given him enough knowledge to be understood (if imperfectly) during his first year at Hammel.

Closing the door behind Koty (but not locking it), the veteran leaned against the wall and offered a seat with a mute gesture. It was an old tradition of theirs. "I did not realize you had transferred to the United States," the older man greeted, a softness to his features that belied the normal blank and curious expression. "What has changed to make this so?"

Vincent's English, while improve dramatically, was still not perfect and was very polite - much different from how he spoke in Japanese. Partially, it was because he was becoming used to the formality structures of American culture - mostly, it was because he disliked being misunderstood, so careful wording was needed.

[Koty Hura]

As he was invited in, Koty gave a deeper nod and couldn't quite stave off a grin. Sensei has been just as surprised as Koty had hoped. Perhaps one of a very small number of people that could read Vincent at all, Koty could just make out the shock, then the wonder.. and perhaps even some fond reminiscing? Or perhaps he was imagining that bit. It was very hard to tell with Vincent, after all. Of course, Koty knew that even for a teacher that was more willing than most to get closer to his students, Vincent and he had .. something more. There was, perhaps, something real there. Not in a creepy way, but in an intense mutual respect and genuine concern each other's well-being.. way. You know, getting up there close to father and son stuff. Sensei, to Koty's knowledge, had never been anything but a wonderful father. He fit the role so well that maybe Koty had been sucked into (or accidentally placed himself into) the son role somewhat. He knew for sure that he'd never pushed himself in classes as hard as he did four times a week with Meian-sensei.

As for practicing English.. Koty had been more than happy to speak to Sensei in any language, let alone one that he could do something to help the man understand better. Koty felt extremely indebted to Vincent for all the effort he had put in, and for the fact that the man had not only been strict when necessary, but also lenient and understanding when Koty needed it most. Without question, Koty would have.. He would have seriously messed up his mind and his outlook without someone as capable as Vincent to take him under his wing, and Koty had tried his best to emulate Sensei's teaching style when it came to English. --As much as he could while still maintaining the student-teacher relationship, anyway. There were a few moments where things were pushed too far, a few moments that were simply hysterical in hindsight, and many where real progress was made, both with understanding English, and with further solidifying the trust that the two already shared by that point.

Keeping up tradition, when Koty was offered a seat, he went to it, turned to face Vincent, and gave a small bow. "Thank you, Sensei." He eased into the eat, placing the large bundle of boxed lunches on his lap. "I would not have, Meian-sensei. Eisai wished to keep me, but my mother's last wishes included my transfer. My father lives to the south, and though I hardly know him, she wished for me to have the opportunity she promised for each of us." Koty wasn't going to drone on about his mother's death.. Obviously if her last wishes were being fulfilled, she was dead.

Koty glanced up at Vincent's hair, gave a small smile, and shook his head slightly. "Meian-sensei is working too hard again." Even back at Eisai, Vincent got a bit caught up in his work now and then and ended up spending the night to catch up. That meant that Sensei likely didn't have food prepared at all. Timing win. Koty nodded to himself, untying the cloth binding the box lunches together and meeting Vincent's eyes again. "Would Sensei be willing to share a box lunch?" Koty wasn't going to open the box unless Vincent agreed. How cruel would that be, all but inviting oneself into another's office, then eating in front of them when they didn't want food.. Hell naw, Vincent had taught Koty better than that. Even Koty's mother had taught him better than that.. But there were two pairs of chopsticks resting on top of the box, and each was big enough that it was obviously meant to feed at least two. How funny it would be if Sensei made the same incorrect assumption that Koty had made so long ago.

[Vincent Meian]

It was true that Vincent had no male children of his own. That being said, many of his students had become surrogate children in a certain way, few more closely that Koty. Unlike with the raising of his daughters, the veteran had little experience with young men - even less with those that were unlike him at that age. The once thirteen year old psychic had been nearly Vincent's own teenage opposite; compliant rather than argumentative, more prone to ignoring an insult instead of a more violent approach. It had been very... surreal, in a way. Indeed, it may have been a reason why the two trusted each other so easily - there was no need for the normal power struggle that Vincent had had with his other male trainees.

The sharing of another language had helped with that, too. Vincent had a very strong grasp of Russian from his own school years and his wife's partial ethnicity, but English had been a whole other set of puzzles that he wasn't equipped to deal with. Koty had grown up hearing English alongside Japanese and could translate fluently, making the teacher's own studies on the subject less fruitless. It had also helped with Koty's control, interestingly enough - they had used the lessons on a psychic level in his last few months, which had cemented a level of preciseness that had previously been missing. It also helped shift focus from images and emotions to words and phrases, though granted only under periods of intense concentration. It had helped them both, truly.

Vincent's eyebrows raised suddenly at the reveal of "final wishes" - so, Koty's mother had died, then... It was saddening, especially given that his mother was all the boy really had in terms of family.

Well... sort of.

"Soo ne," the trainer murmured, shaking his head. "I am sorry that you have lost her. She was a remarkable woman." Not a responsible woman, really, but certainly full of life and caring toward her son.

With a slight sigh, the tall man ran his scarred fingers through his still damp and slightly tangled hair, pulling it back into a slightly less messy ponytail. Still, rather than being disappointed, he gave the boy a very slight smile - it took some noticing that he was more disheveled than usual, and a bit to surprise him. Koty deserved at least some recognition for that. Taking a seat across the desk from Koty (the only other chair in the room), Vincent settled and nodded, gesturing to the box. "I would be very grateful to you, Hura-san."

It would have been polite and culturally sound of him to refuse at first (in Japan, anyway), but Vincent had always been blunt. Besides, when someone refused out of politeness in America, people tended to take it far too seriously, so he'd simply grown more accustomed to accepting things if he wanted to. And, on another point, he hadn't eaten since about four in the afternoon yesterday. He was hungry.

[Koty Hura]

Koty simply nodded, stood, and passed the entire top box over to Vincent, taking one of the two pairs of chopsticks for himself. They were wrapped loosely in cling-wrap so that Vincent would know they hadn't been touched by dirty hands. Then again, there was no indication whatsoever where any of this had come from.. Plain white sealed reuseable partitioned boxes. No markings. The chopsticks were really nice, though. They looked like some sort of very dark stained cherry wood, and if Vincent decided to us e them he would find they were very well balanced.. Basically the ideal eating instruments.

"Sensei's gratitude is not necessary. I am grateful that you have the time to sit and eat." That first meal they'd shared, Koty had done everything possible to eat while also leaving the vast majority of the food for Vincent. He's meticulously chosen the smallest bits of everything, only taken a bite when Vincent did... But to someone who had trained numerous students before Koty's gratitude and relief must have been easily visible. After that, any time Vincent had planned for a particularly intense training session, he had brought a lunch to share.. and Koty worked himself as hard as he could to deserve it.

"Mother was.. happy. She was happy for me, and happy that she was able to be herself again. She was happy that she had not failed at raising a son on her own. I take solice in the fact that Mother was honestly happy. Her death was neither painful nor slow, and I am certain she would have preferred the life she lived to growing old and weak." And that was that. Koty had done his mourning.. Losing a father to broken promises was a far greater blow to him than losing his mother to something she enjoyed.

"Sensei's family is here? They are all well?" Koty.. had actually never met any of Vincent's family in person.. He had only 'met' them through Vincent's mind. Vincent was a dedicated and determined father, and his family was much of his motivation. When he dug for thoughts that would calm Koty, they were often of his daughters or his wife. The things that kept Vincent himself from falling off the edge of sanity when times got tough.. Without having ever met any of them, Koty respected each member of Vincent's family.. It was rare that Vincent gave away details.. but more.... impressions. The emotions that thinking of his family brought were powerful, and the love and contentment that their presence brought was powerful as well. Those things had more than once kept Koty on his feet when he was overwhelmed by his abilities. He quite hoped to meet them one day, if Sensei allowed it.

[Vincent Meian]

Vincent took the proffered dish in both hands (as it was given) and placed it before him carefully with a murmur and nod of thanks to the teen who had gifted it. Despite the simplicity of the box, the whole was carefully wrapped and chopsticks provided. Considering that it was part of the gift, the trainer unwrapped them and set them aside for use in a moment. Good chopsticks - very smooth, stained, and obviously a high-quality wood. Either Koty was trying to impress him (possible), or he took very good care of his own eating habits (more likely).

He gave the boy a quick, slight smile before responding. "I will always have time for my students," he chided good-naturedly. "Whether they have passed my lessons or are currently training in them, I will always have time." Koty had passed Vincent's course with surprising speed, though part of that was due to the trainer's own lack of expertise when it came to non-emotive powers. Creating the shields had been the hardest part, but the easiest to teach - after that, Koty almost taught himself fine control. The only time there was ever really any stress was when Vincent tested the boy on digging through surface thoughts to find core memories. When that happened, there would always be food to help with the exhaustion.

It was hard for children to lose their parents. While he himself had never been privy to that particular sense of loss, the trainer had seen it enough on children in his care. Those who had lost their families tended to lash out at the outside world, cause trouble and harm to themselves and others. It was these people that Vincent often trained. Koty was one exception, but had been damaged in other ways. That was probably why they'd been put together in the first place, come to think of it. Shaking his head slightly, he said nothing more on it; the boy had accepted the loss, and remaining on the subject would only make him grieve more. "I am glad she died as she lived," was all he added, and the subject was dropped.

"Yes, they are," Vincent confirmed, nodding. "My younger daughter attends school nearby, however both Nakia and Appoline are here at the Hammel Institute." Koty knew the names of his family members (the closest ones, at least) from their training sessions, though he'd never as far as the trainer knew actually met any of them in person. "My wife has been assigned to the Infirmary, and my oldest is close to your age, so I expect that you will see them during your stay."

Pulling a pair of water bottles from his desk (he kept them there not only for himself, but students that trained here), the older man offered one to Koty and then cracked open the seal on his own to take a small drink before opening the box of food. "Itadakimasu." Let's eat.

[Koty Hura]

In truth, Koty only cooked his own food once or twice a week.. In a small way, he had in fact been hoping to impress his Sensei.. But he was more hoping to impress him with the quality of the food in the box than with some simple (if fairly nice) chopsticks. He simply figured that if he was going to make any sort of big deal about a box lunch, he should do a whole lot better than those cheap disposable pre-packaged chopsticks one could get here. And quality tools were always a good investment. Regardless, Koty ate.. decently. Not great, but far better than he'd understood thus far that most Americans ate. They seemed almost addicted to fast food and fad diets. Such things made very little sense to Koty. Good, homemade meals would always be a thousand times better than anything made out of a box or ordered from a little speaker. Perhaps by weight the food could be cheaper that way, but not by nutrition.

Koty couldn't help but reflect on his relationship with Meian-Sensei.. The man had been forced into taking him as a student.. but it had taken an uncharacteristically short amount of time for Koty to become not only accustomed to him, but to genuinely look forward to his training sessions more than anything else at the school. In fact, it hadn't taken long for Vincent to stumble into a step-father role for Koty.. Koty had never specifically stated such a thing, and Vincent had never reflected on it out loud, either, but Koty liked to think that Vincent didn't mind. Or at least that he knew and understood. Koty had worked harder to make Vincent proud than he had ever worked to make his own mother proud of him..

"I will most certainly look forward to seeing Sensei's family. I only realized you were assigned here several days ago." He grinned to himself and nodded heartily as Vincent opened the food, Koty's bottle of water remaining on the edge of the desk. "It took me some time to find the necessary ingredients for Sensei's box lunch."

What was in the box lunch? A few things that Vincent liked, a few staple foods, and a few western bits that Koty had prepared.. To keep with the whole.. Japanese and English thing they had going. The box opened into six compartments, each with a different sort of food. Vincent would undoubtedly recognize two of the selections. Pickled veggies and sour plum riceballs. Reasonably generous portions of them, at that. These not-so-little boxes were about a foot wide by eight inches long by three inches deep.. and each compartment was very nearly full.

The next compartment had seasoned cooked tofu with brown rice and the fourth had several pieces of egg nigiri, with a slice of cooked sausage tucked next to it. The fourth and fifth compartments deviated from what one might typically find in a box lunch. One contained sliced grilled steak on a bed of rice with a dark gravy poured over it, and the final one contained what appeared to be half of a turkey club sandwich neatly placed in it.. three slices of bread, lettuce, tomato, bacon, turkey, ham, mayonnaise, and a little cherry tomato speared through with a toothpick that held each quarter-sandwich together..

Koty hadn't even opened his lunch yet. He was far too interested in Vincent's reaction.. and was doing a bad job of hiding said interest.

[Vincent Meian]

Vincent had been cooking for quite a long time, almost longer than he cared to remember. He'd cooked for himself as a child, then while he attended Eisai as a youth, for his family and friends, and eventually simply because he could. Cooking was something that he very much enjoyed, something that gave him a different kind of solace and purpose than training did. It was a focused and deliberate care for someone, whether that someone was himself or another person. Thus, it made sense that when he knew he had students who didn't eat (or rarely did, or needed to more often than others), he would bring them food. It was a courtesy thing, because he cared.

It was partially this care for his student's well-being that made Vincent a veritable target for surrogate fatherhood, which in turn lead to the need to impress and acts of rebellion. He didn't mind the role, and he found that his own experiences seemed to suit him quite well for it... despite never having a single father-figure of his own to really look up to before he was fourteen. If people wanted to think of him as a father, that was fine; if they wanted him to only be their trainer, that was fine, too. Whatever worked was worthwhile, and he certainly didn't mind the occasionally sent "thank you" cards around Eisai's spring graduation - he had them in a box in Nik's office at home, and kept them as mementos from past days.

Koty had never sent him one, though the reason was obvious - his mother had died, and their training had only been done for a year and a half. The boy may have graduated his program, but he had not graduated from high school yet. Hence, his transference to Hammel despite being well-trained.

Given the sheer amount of food in the box, Vincent wasn't surprised - a box this size could have fed the trainer's family for a meal, not just himself. It would have certainly taken a long time to track down some of these ingredients, then time to cook. Even with his own level of skill, cooking this much food would have taken the older man hours. His eyebrows raised slightly in an incredulous manner, and the trainer gave his student a look that crossed puzzled and amused with his normally guarded expression.

Given the amount of interest on Koty's face (and the fact that the boy's own box was left untouched), he guessed that the boy was anxious to hear his opinion. "This is a large amount of food," he started, looking over each of the detached compartments before stacking a number of them back together. "I am not certain I will be able to consume all of this by the end of the day."

Certainly not by the end of breakfast.

Stacking the pieces back together without the fourth and fifth compartments (hot food should be eaten first, in his opinion, so that it does not have to be reheated), Vincent took one of the thinly sliced pieces of steak and tried it, very conscious of the fact that he was being watched while eating. It was grilled a little darker than he liked, but not by much, and the gravy was thick and moist enough to give an enhancement to the flavor where it was needed. Taking his time, he swallowed the bite, then stated, "This is very good."

With a curious eye, the trainer then asked, "Are you not planning to eat as well, Hura-san?"

[Koty Hura]

Vincent would have found that this particular lunch wouldn't have the problem of the hot food needing to be reheated.. Under the compartments he would have found small heat pads.. The type that someone would keep in their gloves or shoes when they were outdoors on a particularly cold winter's day. Koty hadn't entirely planned to find Vincent so soon, and he had been more than prepared to wait for the majority of the day in order to present his Sensei with this offering.

"Of course, Maien-sensei. You are welcome to take what you do not eat today home to share with your family. The food is yours to do with as you wish.. My only requests are that you try each selection and that you return the box to me when you are finished, Sensei." And with that, Koty turned his attention to his own box lunch. It was set up nearly identical to Vincent's, and Koty quickly scooped out one of the turkey club pieces, taking as large a bite as one could politely take out of it and chewing thoughtfully.

As Vincent would no-doubt know, Koty didn't tend to respond verbally to compliments.. He was more apt to give a tiny smile and nod, each of which were often so tiny that if one wasn't staring at him they would miss it. Speaking of staring, he had definitely been staring at his Sensei... and as he chewed his sandwich he actively worked to keep the temperature in his face down. It wasn't proper to stare, least of all at someone who deserved respect like Meian-sensei.

In a fantastically short amount of time, Koty would down the rest of the sandwich in his box.. all the while retaining his manners and appearances. It was a bit silly to drag out a meal when one had noone else at home to share it with, after all. Koty had gotten quite good at eating quickly. At that point, though, he paused to open the bottle of water he'd been offered, taking a sip and letting out a bit of a sigh. "Sensei .. is aware of how grateful I am, are you not? I had.. very little time and only as much direction after you left Tokyo. I wish for you to understand that the lack of.. of written or official appreciation for Maien-sensei's ..guidance.. does not reflect how grateful I am for Sensei's time, effort, patience, or trust. I wish to.. to...." He paused.. not having thought this through very well and not entirely sure what he wanted to say now that he was in the middle of it.

"I have tried to emulate Sensei's cooking style.. And recreate some of the dishes that you most often brought to our training sessions. I would be happy to bring Sensei breakfast as often as you wish." Maybe what Koty was trying to say was 'I wanna make you proud'.. or maybe it was a little different and deeper than that.. Maybe Vincent was used to this sort of thing.. being the ideal and well-practiced surrogate father figure that he was. Maybe Koty didn't need to say it at all.

[Vincent Meian]

The trainer gave the boy an amused glance at the conditions, the only real sign of it being around his eyes and the ghost of a smile that passed his face before vanishing. Still, it seemed largely unlikely that Koty even realized that his 'orders' could be construed as such, even when spoken in such formal words, so his mentor merely shrugged it off internally and replied, "I would not dare let such generosity become wasted. Thank you, Hura-san."

Staring wasn't something that unnerved Vincent. He was used to it, having grown to his current height during puberty and having to have dealt with just about everyone in Japan staring at him from the age of seventeen onward. Seriously, if he walked into a room, people noticed; the only time he was free of it was if there was either a tall American (rare) or a tall person of color (rarer still) nearby. Still, he was always aware of being watched and looked upon, even if it didn't unnerve him like it did when he was younger.

Knowing Koty, however, the tall man simply let the observation slide without comment and gave a small nod back, reinforcing his approval for the teen. Not that the kid needed his approval for anything, given that he'd already all but mastered what Vincent could teach him, but for some kids approval was everything.

They ate in silence for a short time, the trainer eating the steak and gravy dish as well as the breakfast plate with equal pleasure. The boy wasn't a master chef, but he certainly knew his own likes and could cook for them. When a person makes something that they enjoy, the likelihood that someone else will enjoy it as well increases dramatically. At least, so the cook in him believed. Then, there was the moment when the teen sighed, and Vincent looked up, a very mild curiosity in his features without impatience.

Ah, so that was it. The boy had missed him, wanted his guidance further and to thank him for everything they'd been through, but felt he had no way to contact him. The trainer had thought he had left a forwarding address with the school in case of letters (which explained the cards in his wife's office at home). Then, Koty stumbled with his words and the older man took them up, in his usual blunt way, "You wished to thank me for treating you as a person."

Really, that was the heart of pretty much all the appreciation he'd ever gotten; these kids (as in, the ones he trained) came from broken homes or felt their powers made them monsters. He treated them like people, people who had rights and emotions like anyone else, people who were more than what circumstance had made them. It had made him no less hard as a trainer because he didn't abandon those that failed his expectations - it did, however, make him a more trusted person overall. It's easier to trust someone who sympathizes with you, after all.

Looking back to the dishes, Vincent gestured over them. "You have done well in your attempt," he praised mildly, "though if this is to become a regular occasion, I would prefer to see your experiments as well. Do not limit yourself because you think there is something I will not appreciate, and do not force yourself to cook if you do not enjoy it." This was very key - the trainer loved to cook and had a knack for it. Not everyone did, and trying to impress him by fitting into his own abilities rather than expanding your own was a waste. "If you can find a task that you enjoy as much as I enjoy this, I will be all the more impressed."

Koty didn't need to say anything about pride; Vincent had all the pride in the world for his students, even the ones that struggled to meet his goals in their training. So long as they were happy with their lives, he couldn't be more proud of them. Koty included.

[Koty Hura]

As a person.. Yeah, that was definitely a part of it. Being a person was kinda important to someone who could suddenly and accidentally fall into the memories of someone else. There had been a short time after Koty had manifested that he felt different. Not like a monster, as so many children who became metas did, but like a ghost or a demon.. capable of showing up and staring into someone's past and what they were scared of and what they wanted and what they were thinking. He was quite often glad that he happened to be a decent person. Almost as glad as he was that Vincent had been his trainer. If there were ever a man Koty had met that could have reinstated those good values that he'd grown up with and pushed away the bad ones that would have him using his abilities for cheap and petty personal gain, it was Vincent.

Koty didn't continue Vincent's statement. It was, in fact, a statement. Not a question. But it did go deeper than that. Quite a bit deeper.

"No, Sensei." In reference to limiting himself. "I have.. experimented somewhat, though these dishes are my best currently. Aside from you I.. had little direction in what to attempt, Sensei. The western food I have learned to prepare were recipes that my mother had always wished to try.. I do not have a vast collection of dishes, but I do my best to make each selection better each time I prepare it. I find cooking... 'meditative' more than anything else." Meditative was a good word. It was calming in a way. It was a constant reminder that even with a deadbeat dad and a dead mother, Koty could take care of himself.. at least for the most part. Cooking helped him to center himself and focus on things beyond petty everyday issues. It was less a source of pride than one of appreciation. Not to mention that it was neat to better understand the time and effort Vincent had put into his lessons and his students. The 'behind the scenes' gestures that made all the difference between a good teacher and a great one.

"Seisei, you do have my sincerest gratitude for.. treating me as a person. I am eternally grateful. But more than that as well. I wish to convey my thanks for your faith, Sensei. For agreeing to train me given all of the obstacles involved as well as your.. dislike for my style of ability. I wish to make you aware that I understand that you have gone above and beyond for me, Sensei. Far beyond what was required or expected of you. That it was never my intention to risk offending your honor or efforts by failing to formally thank you for the great deal you have done for me, Sensei." the look on Koty's face would suggest that there was more there, but he couldn't quite find the words for it.. Instead he gave himself a small nod. What he had managed to say would have to be good enough for the time being. His Sensei wasn't likely to be leaving again any time soon. He could find the perfect words later, even if Vincent didn't need to hear them.

[Vincent Meian]

As much as it might have surprised the boy, his taciturn trainer let a small smile creep onto his face, one that reached his eyes even if it didn't make much of a difference in the overall landscape of his tan features. Meditation was a tool that he often used, both personally and in training, to slow the process of thought and the rampaging of emotions to a gentle crawl; to instill focus and intent, to brush away doubt and leave only an understanding that would could be done would be done. Such a technique was calming, a balm to the spirit and rest for the mind. Was it so hard to believe that his students continued such training in other avenues when he himself did the same? He did not think so.

"It is such," the older agreed. "I will often lose myself in the task and be surprised to see how much time has passed. My point remains, however; do not feel the need to give me your best alone. As you are still learning, I would help you extend your knowledge, if I may."

His response here was the not the same as it had been over a year ago; then, the tall man was Koty's trainer, and his duty was to help the boy learn to control his powers. To an extent, he had done so - there was still learning to be done, though Vincent himself could not teach it. Nakia, perhaps, as she had a tactile ability as well and knew how to reign in the powers she had with contemptuous ease. But he... he'd taught everything he could in that field. It was a necessity for Koty to learn control.

This was something he asked to help with because it was something the boy enjoyed.

Considering their culture and Koty's own shyness when the trainer had last seen him, Vincent was almost startled to hear a continuation on the thanks he was being given. Everything the boy said was true, though some of it shameful if he thought on it. A trainer should never scorn or dislike a student's abilities, no matter the reasons behind it, personal or professional - it was harmful to the student, and stunted their training. True, the Japanese teen knew exactly how his trainer felt on the subject of empathy and telepathy as powers... knew the discomfort he held when dealing with them in training. That still did not excuse his prejudice, even if he worked in spite of them.

If anything, he should have thanked the boy for helping to teach him the difference between the two a little more firmly. Among so many other things.

"You are giving thanks to a man with no faith for giving you the only shred of it he can muster?" he mused, a note in his voice suggesting a playful combativeness that wasn't quite chiding. "I have only done what was necessary for you to understand the powers and abilities you have matured into, and to thank me for that would be understandable if misleading." He was not a hero - he was only a man, and a man that cared for people earnestly was still just a man. "You honor me too much, but as that is your way, I cannot refuse."

With another very slight and soft change to his expression, Vincent dipped his head respectfully at the boy. Not a bow; an acknowledgement and sign of understanding. He couldn't stop Koty from doing as he pleased. He could only allow him to draw his own conclusions in time. Until then, the trainer was proud enough to take the compliments in stride and allow the gratitude to continue until the boy felt his honor had been satisfied. To a point, that is; there was only so much Vincent could put up with in terms of signs of gratitude.

[Koty Hura]

Vincent wanted to help Koty with cooking.. to help Koty.. with cooking. Not to make him a better student, but.. to help out a person that he respected.. possibly as an excuse to spend time with him. What a way to tug at Koty's heartstrings.... As for the whole 'should bear no prejudice toward a student' thing.. Yes. Koty did understand exactly how Vincent felt.. but he also understood that he himself had been one of the exceptions.. that Vincent had in no way regretted his time spent doing all he could to train him.. and that made all the difference.

Then Vincent started talking about faith.. and Koty disregarded the playfulness in exchange for the need for Vincent to understand. "For a man with no faith to find even a shred to give to a student - one student in hundreds - is to truly honor that student, Sensei.. I know as many of your flaws as any man, Meian-sensei, and I would stand beside you to face certain death.."

Ack. The words weren't coming out right, but.. Vincent likely knew what Koty was trying to say anyway.. Koty was quiet for a short moment, then let out a quick sigh. (Japanese) "I understand well that you are not a man that needs gratitude or compliments as well as I understand anything, Sensei. I apologize for my childishness. Simply put, I have missed you a great deal, Sensei, and I am more than happy to know that you are near once again. I am more comforted by your presence than by my blood father's.. I wished to say this to you."

And Koty's mouth would be full of the rest of his turkey club for a bit. Gah, that had gotten intense. This was why Koty tried to stay on the quiet side most of the time... Because he could handle containing raw emotion and extremely powerful memories, it was just.. making them make sense that was the hard part. Telepathy was pretty simple, really. It was friggin talking that screwed everything up.

[Vincent Meian]

The seriousness with which his amusement was taken made the older man sober a moment, though there was still a hint of humor in his features. The boy exaggerated, certainly, but the intent was obvious. "Wakatte," he replied, using their own tongue for a moment to show complete understanding before reverting back to English. "My faith may not be noticeable to most, but my students do have it. It is for you that I am here, and there is no other place I could trust to carry my belief."

The Japanese admission was something of a surprise, but he understood the switch in language. It was to make sure nothing was lost in translation, that the right emotions were being conveyed, and the due amount of respect given. Since Koty was an alumni of Vincent's, he expected the respect of a contemporary rather than a student, but the boy had always been exceptionally polite. More so than a man so disrespectful as he deserved, truly. ["Don't apologize,"] he answered, switching over as well for the ease of the other language. ["It's not a crime to miss someone that had an impact on your life, great or small. Rest assured that I'm glad to see you well, and that you've found more of your birth family to connect with, even if it was not as you'd hoped."]

Vincent likely would never have that chance; his mother had died mere months after his birth with no siblings or parents in her line, his sister had been separated from him with the same blow, and his father had not been listed on his birth certificate. All he had were a string of foster homes from his childhood to remember it, and many of them did not speak to him at all, let alone gladly (for which he didn't blame them; he was a terror of a child). The fact that Koty had something to hold onto that showed where he came from was enough.

Communication was hard for everyone; the ability to understand but not express was one that plagued many people, not just telepaths. But, it was something that everyone had to learn at some point. Taking the cue of silence, the trainer continued to eat as well, enjoying the combination of rich and subtle flavors in the gifted box. Who knew missing breakfast could have such a fortunately timed reward?