Oh, Gods...(Candira and Razgriz)

Kumi wasn't sure what was going through the giant's head, but she just sighed, taking a seat as he winked at her. She caught it but chose not to react. It might be suspicious if someone noticed the sub reacting with anything other than disdain at the advances of a showboating student who looked far too old to be in classes with the others. She merely brushed some hair behind her ear and scanned the room as Otome carried on in that dry way of his.

As the lesson went on, she went through a mental checklist of areas that needed to be secured today before she left. She had taken care of a few already, but there were just a few areas left that weren't protected on campus. Just as she was about to start the process of protecting those places, Njord was called up to the office. What was this? She sent a bland look at him, unsure of how he could possibly have gotten into mischief so soon. Unless that climbing stunt had earned him some unwanted attention. Honestly, why couldn't he grasp the fact that it was important to blend in!

Katsumi's ears perked up when Njord was called as well. Odd...normally they relied on other students to drop off assignments or for teachers to do so in their prep-hours. The only other explanation was that he was in trouble...but how could that be? He'd only just returned. Frowning, she thought something about it was odd. She caught the look he sent to Ms. Kumi and the look of disbelief and annoyance the teacher had on her face. Suspicious....

Still, it wasn't her business. She began to turn her attention back to Otome when she noticed Kenji. He seemed to be content to finish class without an interruption, and she could hardly blame him. His calm demeanor spoke volumes about the shy young man. Maturity--that's what that was. Points for him. She smiled and then returned her attention to the front of the room, despite the fact that she couldn't help but feel something was off about this whole situation.

Njord walked through the halls, confusion about the current development swimming through his mind. No one saw him climb the wall, that much he made sure of, so he wouldn't be in trouble for that. Not only that, but now he was out of his class, and away from Katsumi. Was it a ploy to draw him out? Well, at least he had a powerful acquaintance to watch over her while he dealt with...Whatever this was.

He finally reached the principal's office, stepping across the threshold where he saw quite a sight: Unlike the classroom, which was crampled and rather bland in terms of aesthetics, this place looked like a Victorian-era lounge room. It had a coffee table and plush furniture covered in white lace, and stunk heavily of cigarette smoke. The walls were well-decorated, possessing many ornate paintings and sculptures on stands. And at the desk in the back of a room sat a man in a clean-pressed suit, his dark hair neatly parted down the middle and his eyes framed well by black-rimmed glasses. To his right sat what appeared to be a young lady with hair whiter than snow, dressed in the school's uniform for women. Something about her posture though...All too familiar.

"Ah good, Mister Skallagrim. You're here. Please have a seat." the principal said, the Swede taking a seat in the chair before his desk. "Now then, I called you in here because we received a notice that you might not be exactly who you say you are." Njord cocked his head, "But you saw me here, with my dad...Why would this come about now?" The principal cleared his throat, "Mister Skallagrim, surely you can see that you're...well, you're different, right? You look - how to put this nicely - much older than any student here, and even some of our teachers. And what we found, well, it makes us question if your identity is real." The Swede furrowed his brows, scratching behind his ear; this seemingly simple action would now let those of the 'non-human' persuasion listen in. It was risky, but something about this was fishy. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to say anything completely damning.

"I still don't understand why it was brought up now. Who told you about this?" Njord asked more insistently, crossing his massive arms in front of him. "I'm not at liberty to say, young man, and I'm not fond of the tone you're using. I suggest you correct it." Njord let out a small snort of derision, "You're dodging the question. So it's someone at this school."

The principal just pushed up his glasses, "I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

"What does that mean?"

"There's no one else who would make that claim. No one would know me well enough to make such a fuss like that. Besides, my files clearly read that I'm a foreigner with a rare growth condition. You're really going to discriminate and cause a PR nightmare for this school based on my LOOKS?"

At this, the prinicipal said, "We do not discriminate, young man, so you can drop the accusatory attitude. All I'm saying is that we'll be taking a longer look at your records, see if everything is as it should be. And don't think we don't know about your antics...Any more slip-ups and we'll gladly have you expelled. No matter how generous your father might have been to have you enrolled here." Njord pursed his lips; he knew the 'arrangements' for this mission had made his paper records air-tight. And with the constant digitization of data they were going towards, it should have made those well-insulated too. For him to be called in here for this meant only one thing: Someone tampered with his identity, and was trying to get him cast out of school.

"Clever, clever, whoever you are." thought the Swede, adding "Look, Mister..." "Gushiken, Mister Skallagrim" "Gushiken. I'm really not here to cause trouble, I'm not. My father recently moved here as part of his new position at Kabi Pharmacia in Japan, and he wanted me to go to a great school to get an education." Gushiken sighed, "Yes, yes, I'm aware. Just understand, Mister Skallagrim, that we do not want to cause unrest. We only wish our students to have a productive atmosphere to learn and grow. Hopefully you can understand why these things must be taken seriously."

Njord just added with a smile, deciding to try playing it cool, "I do...And honestly if there's anything I can do to prove I am who I say I am, just tell me." The principal scratched his chin, "Well, we're in the process of requisitioning some forms from your old school in Sweden. We'll compare the two and see just what has happened to cause this oversight, but I thank you for your cooperation nonetheless." Well, that was a near miss, thought Njord. "Now then, Mister Skallagrim, you may return to class." And with that, Njord just gave a nod and made his way back to the classroom.

Kumi hadn't been expecting to hear Njord's voice in her ear, but she took it in stride. She merely blinked and froze for a moment before she got herself back together and started back in on her fake paperwork. She heard every word of this exchange...it seemed her presence would be needed here a bit longer. Njord would be unable to investigate while he was protecting Katsumi. Since she was leaving her teaching position, it would be much easier to do on a secret level, but with her alibi as a teacher, she would be able to come back frequently with ease.

This business with the identity check screamed of tampering, but who at the school had it in for Njord? Surely he didn't have that many enemies among the students? Was it faculty? Or was it a new enemy? This was serious. If the Swede was compromised, that meant that they would be one guardian short and they'd have to find a new cover for him. It had already taken a considerable amount of resources to get him set up here, and it would be damn near impossible to not see the connection between Njord and whomever would have taken his place.

As Kumi pondered these things, Katsumi went on with her day, oblivious to the trouble that was brewing, though she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something just wasn't quite right.

By the time Njord returned to class, it was time to switch subjects. Kumi would be teaching this one, so of course, she would have no chance to talk to Njord until lunch. She set about getting through her lesson and played the part of teacher perfectly, calling on various students to translate the text they were reading. Katsumi, for her part, poured over her lessons, doing her best as usual. Ami, in the meantime was completely distracted by what had befallen the young Skallagrim. What was going on? She was dying to know, and she wasn't sure how Katsumi could focus at a time like this. After all, she was friends with him, right? Why wouldn't she be concerned?

As Kumi droned on with her lecture, the attention from the students of the class seemed to have largely shifted from him to the lovely woman. His massive form leaned back, his shoulders resting comfortable against the wall as his mind pondered the implications of having his background investigated. It had taken some time to get all the details right, and that included his background. Those little tidbits were more than enough to discourage most from looking any deeper, as he and his brother had found most mortals to be all too willing to accept something as normal.

Still, someone had to have found something that made his origin story seem even the littlest bit suspicious. But what could it have been? And who would have had access to that information? The teachers were too busy going through paperwork to even bother trying to tamper with it, and they sure as hell weren't going to risk their livelihoods over a foreigner. It had to be a student, the Swede thought, even if it was a spirit using a student's guise.

Possessed or no, that would be the best cover for doing this sort of thing. They could work whatever angle was needed, and slip back into the numberless tide unnoticed. But Njord couldn't feel any abnormal auras in the room, save for Katsumi's exceptionally stronger one. Seemed Kumi's bow charm was doing quite well for the young priestess.

"What a pain..." Njord mused within his mind, his eyes scanning the room and trying to see anything that made people stand out. But no, everyone was busy studying and taking part in the translation of text. There were two he could rule out in his own classroom. Katsumi was too honor-bound to do something like this, and wouldn't dare put her education in peril by altering official records. And dear Ami, she was practically smitten with him. If anything, she would try to get him to stay here longer. There was also the remote probability that it was someone from another class; however, he hadn't been here long enough to really interact with other students from different homerooms.

Again...What a pain.

As Kumi called on him, he put aside his thoughts and played the role of a good student, reciting the passage with impeccable clarity (save for a few small errors in translation to reinforce his cover) before taking his seat once more. And when Kumi's lecture was finished, next up was science after a short break. Which meant another lesson with the lovely Norse professor, and the second piece of eye-candy for the males of the class to enjoy. "Science...With this and math, I feel like my head's going to explode." Njord groaned, rubbing his temples; he still couldn't believe these kids just sat here like this, listening to someone - no matter how physically attractive - drone on about subjects that in his experience were utterly irrelevant.

Kumi nodded at Njord as he answered her question nicely. The class went by without any problems. When class was finally over, she collected her items from the desk and slipped them into her sleek briefcase. She smiled and waved at Katsumi and friends as the girls waved at her, and then headed off to the faculty office to see what dirt she could dig up on the situation with Njord. If it wasn't a faculty member, perhaps, someone with loose lips would know something and let it slip. After all, Kumi had ways of getting information.

In the meantime, Ami was all hearts and rainbows. She was interested in knowing what had happened to her object of desire and how he was doing, and if they would like to have lunch together. "Hi, Njord! Where have you been? I was starting to get worried about you. We all were," she added quickly, to cover her ass. She was blushing furiously, however, so it wasn't really that great of a cover. Katsumi just smiled and shook her head at her friend. She wasn't as excited as Ami that the giant was back, but she was immensely relieved. Though why that was was beyond her.

Plus, there were students who'd been waiting on Njord. The martial arts club, the archery club, and even the fashion club was waiting for him for some reason or other. Plus, he was going to be behind in most, if not all, of his classes. It was just nice to have him around again. The energy was up again. Things had been almost too subdued after he left, though Miss. Kumi's appearance had livened things up a bit, too. Things had been running so smoothly lately. Not that it wasn't welcome, but something was just off about it all. Maybe hearing Njord out would help her make sense of the world again.

(So sorry for the delay; was pretty stuck on how to reply, haha.)

---

Njord let these thoughts wander through his mind as he stood from his desk, relishing the chance to stretch his legs. Really, was sitting here that important to these kids? A moot question, since it was painfully obvious to be the case. But one he couldn't help asking repeatedly. It was ludicrous, especially with how skinny some of them looked. It was as if they lived and breathed the words in these books. Good lord, he was finding out how strange a place this was.

His current train of thought, however, derailed slightly as Ami came up to him with her cheeks tinted darkly. God bless her soul, she was an adorable little liar, especially with how she tried to recover with that last bit. It really was too cute. Giving her a charming grin, he simply replied as he placed a gentle hand on her head, "You're a real sweetheart, you know that? Had a slight family emergency. Brother got himself mixed up in something not so good, so I had to go home and help get him unstuck. Took a little longer than expected, as you saw." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was certain parallel to the real reason he was gone. Plus, the family angle would likely help him seem a little less suspicious; after all, who wouldn't want to help a family member in need, right?

"Really?" piped up another male student, coming over to talk to him as well, "I hope everything's alright." Njord just gave a nod, "It's better now, but I won't lie and say I wasn't worried." Then he just smiled again, "In any event, it's all good now. But if I might ask, do we have PE today?" That part was kind of a lie, but they wouldn't know that. The student just smiled, "We do. Last time it was just running, but Higarashi-sensei might have us play soccer today." The Swede gave a small fist pump, "Hallelujah. The outdoors; today's already fantastic."

Regardless, he just knew today was going to be a busy day: Yuki was probably waiting for him with his new altered jacket. And no doubt he would have to explain his situation to the Sensei at the dojo and the archery club. Hopefully they would understand where he was coming from and why he had to disappear so suddenly.

((I totally understand))

Ami's head was pretty much entirely covered with Njord's hand, which made her turn a deeper shade of scarlet as he told her what had happened with that charming grin in place. She was totally smitten. The idea that his brother had been in trouble piqued her interest, though. There was another boy like him in the world? Her knees went a little weak as she imagined someone who looked exactly like Njord but a bit younger and with slightly darker features. Maybe some drool started forming, but the moment was over soon after his hand left her head. If he'd just let her hand slip to the back of her head, his fingers would have been caught in his hair and he would have had the perfect opportunity to kiss her.

Quietly, the poor girl sat down, tragically lost to the world, face glowing red. Katsumi had been watching, restraining her mirth at the poor girl's barely bridled emotions. When Njord mentioned a family emergency, though, her ears perked up and her smile faded a bit. Before she could ask about it, another boy had confirmed that Njord's brother was fine now. For the Swede to leave town to attend to the situation, things must have been pretty bleak. No wonder he'd been gone so long...

"I'm glad it all worked out for you," she said, smiling before standing. She needed a little break. "Oh, Yuki has your new uniform for you in the club room. I'm sure that sensei will be happy you're back, too. A tournament is coming up for martial arts. We'll be having an archery meet here, too."

Njord's smile just widened as Katsumi rattled off a list of things for him to consider; thank god the jacket was done. This one was snug as hell, and despite a few extenuating circumstances he did not like feeling confined. The news of an archery meet and a martial arts tournament was music to his ears; he'd have an excuse to show off his prowess, though he wondered if he might make the team for archery. While it wouldn't completely prevent him from doing his job, it would certainly help if he was able to be placed on the same level as she was, or at the very least in the same tournament brackets.

"All exceptionally excellent news!" was his only reply, showing his glee quite uninhibitedly. He only barely took note of her friend's quite amusing reaction, but snickered nonetheless. The young lass was so innocent; though why she was attracted to him of all people was a mystery. Maybe it was his magnetic personality, as the saying went. Or she liked guys with muscles. Either way, it was downright adorable and he had no qualms whatsoever about basking in the attention.

Kenji, on the other hand, was starting to get a little angry; usually a student caught forging their identity was expelled. That was his plan behind altering the Swede's records. Just a little, but maybe it was too little and now that plan was done. Further alteration would be unnecessarily risky; with them looking into it, any changes would almost certainly be caught. Which meant it was time for another way to get this done.

If he wanted the Swede gone, he needed to have him do something bad. Something so unforgivably atrocious that the principal would have no reason but to kick him out. There were more than a few options, but the problem was trying to figure out the best course of action to take.

But that would have to wait, for class was about to start again. But at least after this was PE, so that would be something to look forward to. Just one more boring class, even if it was with a rather attractive teacher, and then he'd get to go outside and really strut his stuff.

Katsumi caught Njord's smile getting bigger and bigger. He was kind of like a puppy in that--simple things made the man happy. Boy, not man. Though it was hard to believe with his immense size. Well, he was certainly enthusiastic, if nothing else. Ami did a poor job of hiding her feelings for the giant, but he didn't seem to mind. It was pretty clear from where Katsumi sat that he didn't take the girl seriously, but for some reason it was more of a bummer than something to inspire indignation. Then again, Ami seemed fairly relieved that he didn't react in kind. The poor girl would probably explode if he did.

While she waited for the classes to change again, Katsumi did a little stretching herself. Today was the day she would be judged to see if she could be in the competition for archery, and she was anxious to get to the club. She had been practicing diligently all week. Her concentration had been improving considerably. It had gotten to the point that she could move nearly flawlessly in the ceremonial form of archery. Plus, she hadn't missed a bulls eye in weeks. There were still things to correct, but even her coach seemed to think she was approaching the professional level.

In martial arts, she had more oomph in her work, more control, more agility. In general, she was a better fighter, but she had been keeping that under wraps. The last thing she needed was Njord asking for a rematch. Last time he nearly killed her at least three times. Just the thought sent a shiver down her spine.

For all of her improvements, though, Katsumi was still a fairly trusting individual. She sensed no danger from Kenji, and had no suspicions of his involvement in Njord's manufactured troubles. For the time being, she was content to sit through her science class and work through PE before she got to go to her clubs. It was turning out to be a pretty uneventful day. She still had a few minutes before class started...maybe she would go ask Yuki about Njord's uniform.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she said. With that, she got up and excused herself, heading for the door.

---

Kumi walked into the teacher's lounge, waving to the science teacher who got to give the next lesson. No sooner had the guardian in disguise entered the room than the other occupants jumped up, shouting surprise. Several party poppers went off and Kumi stiffened in shock, holding her rapidly beating heart.

The substitute had been warmly embraced by all of the teachers given her propensity for classroom management and her sense of humor. She was a joy to work with, apparently. Though she was touched by their show of affection and the sheet cake they'd bought her, she found herself thinking that she could use it to her advantage to find out more about Njord's mysterious situation.

She smiled brightly and bowed. "Thank you so much! This is wonderful," she said with a smile. When they started pouring pouch, Katsumi gave murmured an enchantment that would spike it. Pretty soon, lips would be very loose here--among other things. Hopefully, it would help her case. Good thing everyone in the lounge was on their planning period.

"Alright everyone, let's have a party!" she said, holding up her cup. The toast was made and the drinking began.

Njord was relieved that Katsumi didn't take his 'rejection' of her too poorly; truth be told, he was flattered at the attention. But there was no way someone like her would ever be able to hold on to someone like him. In fact, there likely wasn't anyone here - with the exception of a few individuals - that had any hope of reining him in. He was who he was, and all naysayers be damned.

Regardless, it was time for new classes and soon enough it was PE. Today was a blast; the activity was soccer, and most of the students had a very difficult time keeping up with the competitive and surprisingly agile Swede. He was certainly what many would consider a 'ballhog', but did help set up some fairly well-placed kicks for others. The instructor was impressed by the student's performance and even suggested that he join the school's team. Something that Njord said he would take into consideration; in truth, he likely wasn't going to since his main goal was trying to get a spot on the archery team with Katsumi. If only to be sure he could carry out his mission to the fullest possible extent.

Still, he was wondering how much longer he would be needed; Katsumi's aura was already several times more potent than when they first met. At this rate, she would be strong enough to hold her own against some of the 'middle-class' unsavory characters trying to get after her. No doubt her secret admirer was already impressed with her development; it probably wouldn't be long now before he decided to make a move.

For the moment, however, there was topic that he was wanting to talk with the young woman about: Namely making the team. "Hey, Katsumi, wait up!" Njord shouted, chasing after her as she went out of the room. "Yo" he said as he caught up to her, asking "Hey, can I ask you a question? I know I was gone for a while, but I'd really like to make it on the archery team. Besides the obvious of continuing to go to practice, is there anything I can do to, you know, up my chances?"

Katsumi was a little surprised that the giant had followed her out. She was just going around the corner to tell Yumi about his return. After all, the uniform was ready and everything. "Hm?" She stopped and waited for him to catch up, a little unsure what could have possibly been so important. Ah, the clubs. Well, that did make sense since she was technically his senior. Still, it seemed weird that he would follow after her like that.

"Archery? Oh, you mean you want to compete, right? Well, the slots are all taken for the upcoming meet, but as a member of the club, you'll have to be there to help. You'll probably be asked to help set up the targets since you're so strong," she said with a chuckle. "Since you're new, learn as much as you can at the meet, and just try to show your enthusiasm. The more involved sensei sees you being, the easier it will be to get a spot next time." She tilted her head thinking that it wasn't like him to be serious like this or to worry about being chosen. Then again, maybe the goofiness was just a front.

"I wouldn't worry too much, but it takes a lot of practice to be good at the kind of archery we do. Just make sure you don't disappear again." She smiled and then started walking again. "I'm just gonna get Yumi to bring your uniform after class. I'll be back. Or you can go with."

---

It had been a few hours, and though the other teachers in the party were sloshed, Kumi had no better intel on the situation than she had walking in. She was pretending very well, though, and getting a lot of information on other teachers that she hadn't been expecting. Still, it was clear that this search was fruitless, and while she really had been touched and had fun, she kind of wanted to leave. Every time she tried, though, they dragged her back in. She could use her powers to solve this, but it would be hard to explain away. They weren't really giving her an opportunity to leave.

With a sigh, she took another beverage and settled in for more gossip. She crossed her legs and sat back, smiling as she listened to the teachers talk before one of them took the seat beside her. Oh, and he was all about taking chances romantically. He was very close to her and feeding her compliment after compliment, and there it came, "Will you go out with me?"

She took a good long look at him. He was young, but not too young, and kind of handsome, actually. He was sweet, but she turned him down. Her heart was already long gone--given to someone who probably didn't realize he had it. Still, it was his. And now, she really wanted to leave. she let him down easy and then got up and made to leave only to be dragged back in.

'Someone, please help me,' she thought, head hanging low.

Well, that wasn't something Njord expected to hear. But at least it meant he could still carry out his assignment, so that was something positive. Though he figured that if there was a meet, they would have others to set up the targets for them, not their own classmates. Far too easy to sabotage, even if there was no real reason to.

But hey, he wasn't about to complain.

At her comment about his strength, he gave a playful flex of his massive biceps, his grin showing he wasn't trying to be a dickish showoff. A showoff for sure, but not one to be taken seriously. "Sounds easy enough; I'll try to give more warning in the future." he replied with a nod, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Still...There was something else he wanted to check on. And he had a feeling his associate might be in a little bit of trouble.

"No, that was pretty much it. I'll stop by later to thank Yuki for the work...Oh, but I should thank you for going to check on that for me." Letting out a small chuckle, he added, "Anyway, I need to find that hot new teacher and ask her a question. See you at practice!" And just like that, he took off again.

It wasn't all that hard to find Kumi; even if he couldn't feel her presence, he had a gut feeling about where she might go to glean some intelligence. But he definitely wasn't expecting the scene he showed up to: The loud shouts of laughter were quite audible through the door, and he slid the thin barrier open to reveal a lot of dancing. Some of it not quite innocent, and dear Kumi was in a bit of a bind.

"Hey, no students allowed!" shouted one of the male professors before laughing quite hysterically, his face flushed from the 'extra' in his cup of punch. The Swede had to clap a hand over his mouth to prevent himself from busting out in giggles; wow, did she take the high school cliche to the next level with this stunt. Oh well, he figured she had her reasons for doing so. Likely for his current situation.

"Sorry, I just need to borrow Miss Kumi! I need to go over some assignments I've missed, and I could really use her help!" Njord replied heartily, taking his friend by the arm and leading her away from the tangle. And soon, they were both in the hallway, the muted sounds of merriment carrying through the door. Njord glanced briefly in both directions and saw that they were in the clear, then shot the woman a knowing look. "Boy, that's something I would expect out of me, not you." he then said with a wide smile, adding "You've learned well, grasshopper."

Crossing his arms over his chest, he then said "Sorry if I messed things up, but I had a feeling you could use a hand. And based on what I saw, seems I came at a good time. So...Find out anything useful?"

It was strange for Njord to not be even more playful. She'd expected a flood of questions, a series of jokes--a few in bad taste-- or something like that. Then again, maybe this was just his serious side surfacing again. He had been gone for a pretty long time, so it made sense that he was trying to get his bearings again. Oh well. Katsumi waved goodbye as he wandered off in search of Miss Kumi. It didn't take her long to fill Yuki in about the giant's return, but by this time, news had spread of his storied return. Who'd have thought so much gossip could circulate so quickly. Still, Yuki was excited to see how well she'd done the alterations to Njord's uniform and how bright red Ami's face would get when she saw.

Katsumi laughed and stuck around for awhile, listening to the gossip and correcting various rumors before she left for her last class of the day.

Meanwhile, in the teachers' lounge, Kumi was about ready to use more noticeable powers to solve her problem. But then, like a hero, Njord came to save her. She didn't even acknowledge the teasing he was doing. She was just grateful to leave. She would have hugged him if her arms would have gone all the way around him and she wasn't posing as his teacher.

"Thank you for that," she said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, it was all for nothing. They didn't know anything useful. Though now I know a lot more than I bargained for about these people. If Katsumi ever needs to blackmail one of her teachers, I have the information for it."

Njord should have figured as much; but then again, he didn't blame Kumi for trying. It was certainly a new avenue to explore, and one worth investigating. Still, it would have been nice if something came of it. Her little joke earned a chuckle from the giant, his reply being "Be careful, I might just put in a request for some of that information."

But before he could ask about what the next steps should be, a loud shrill voice pierced the otherwise silent hallway.

"Kumi-saaaaaan!"

And before long, his brother's most trusted advisor was tackled by a raven-haired girl, her arms hugged powerfully tight around her in what could be politely described as a 'death-hug'. "Oh wow, I thought you would be gone by now! I'm so glad I got to see you!"

Poor Njord was speechless, his mouth agape with shock; was this who he thought it was? If so, what the ever living hell? Seriously, this was a bit much.

"Eh....Connie, is that you?" the Swede asked, taking a cautious step towards the two of them; if something didn't happen, she might just squeeze the life of the teacher. Just then, the girl shot him a pointed glare with her sea-green eyes and let go of Kumi, only to bop him hard on the head. "Ah, damnit, that hurt!" Njord half-shouted, rubbing his head and holding the spot where she hit him. "I told you not to call me that, stupid! And how couldn't you recognize your own family?"

"Fine, fine...But why...This?" he then added in a grumbling voice, to which Connie stated "Why not this? Besides, she was the only one willing to let me use her form. I would have taken something more appropriate, but a certain someone set a hard line on force." Njord held up his hands defensively, "Hey, I didn't put him up to it, alright? Anyway, what are you doing here? And what's with the act?"

That last statement earned him another knock on the head, Njord swearing mutedly as Connie replied, "Who says it's all an act? Parts of it are genuine, you jerk." Connie then looked back to the teacher, saying "But in all seriousness, it's been far too long, Kumi. We don't see enough of each other, really." Connie then gave a twirl, stating "Not bad, right? Even in this form, I know I'm more than beautiful to catch even your eye."

Kumi hadn't been expecting any of what happened next. In fact, it was such a shock that she nearly screamed. The death hug of the young girl she didn't recognize forced the air from her lungs and she nearly fell over from the force of the tackle. Njord's words, however, were the most breathtaking yet. The look of abject terror on her face as she realized what had just happened was akin to that of a woman cornered by a monster.

"Y-you..." She sputtered, taking a few steps back. Kumi broke into a cold sweat as she backed into the wall. Oh, it was all innocence now. But he was a shameless flirt in every form, and much more damaging now that he was disguised as a student--let alone a female student. "You came to see me...?" the teacher managed, slowly regaining her composure. "That was so kind of you to see me off." She had to get the hell out of here. Connie was nothing if not scarily persistent.

Just then, Katsumi rounded the corner, fixing her ponytail with a large paper bag dangling from her arm. It turned out that Yuki had just gone to get Njord's finished uniform. the unsuspecting girl had been sent to find Ms. Kumi to cover one more class and see if she could find Njord, so it was sort of a surprise when she saw them both together with what appeared to be another new student.

"Oh, excuse me. I hope I'm not interrupting, but I was sent to find the two of you. Ms. Kumi, the teacher who normally teaches our last class had to leave because she was ill. They were hoping that you could take it over." She bowed her head respectfully and then turned to Njord. "The boys were looking for you. They wanted to ask you something. Oh, and here's your uniform," she said, cheerfully handing him the bag.

Finally, she turned her attention to the pretty girl with them. "I'm sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Katsumi Sango. I'm in class 3C. May I ask your name?" She asked, not at all intimidated or thrown off as she had been with Njord. What a horrible mistake that would turn out to be.

And there was the reprieve; though one might argue that her timing could have been better. Especially now that Connie had shown up, and in a girl's body no less. This was going to be a headache; maybe he should have tried to be more restrictive on his brother like Kumi pointed out. Still...Wasn't the worst thing in the world that could happen, right?

"Appreciate it." Njord replied, taking the proferred bag and looking inside. "I'll have to go find her later and give her my thanks in person".

But as Katsumi turned to address this new girl, she turned to stare at her, her eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare as she stormed up to her and stared Njord's classmate dead in the eye. Her face was merely a few inches from Katsumi's own, the distance probably uncomfortable but Connie seemed unfazed by the proximity. "So, you're this new girl my brother blabbed on about...What's so special about you?" Connie then stated rather rudely; at this, it was Njord's turn to thump someone's noggin.

Poor Connie fell to her knees, clutching her head in obvious pain, shouting "What was that for?" Njord held his still-clenched fist next to his head, "For being a smartass. Do it again and you'll get it twice as hard, got it?" Connie just mumbled, slowly standing up but rubbing that one spot gingerly. "You'll have to forgive my sister. Connie's a little abrasive towards strangers."

"Sister?! What the hell is that about?" he then heard his brother shout in his head, making the Swede wince ever so noticeably.

"You're the one who wanted to go the family route, idiot. And I don't know how much Katsumi heard since you decided to make such a spectacularly stupid entrance." Njord chastised back; though truth be told, he wasn't really one to talk. But then Connie didn't need to know that.

Letting out a sigh, Connie then said, "My apologies....I'm Connie Stanson. I'm in class 2A. But I bet my darling brother didn't mention that he had a sister here, did he?" Njord's expression became something of a mix between utterly flabbergasted and mild annoyance, his next words being "It's not my job to introduce you to everyone in this school! Make your own friends!" Connie shouted back, "I'm not telling you to announce my presence, but maybe a casual mention would be nice!" And soon the argument devolved into what sounded very much like bickering between siblings.

Katsumi was a bit flustered at the girl's proximity. She blinked and took a step back, not really sure what she'd done to deserve such scrutiny. "Brother?" Katsumi asked, utterly confused as to what the stranger was talking about. When Njord's that came down. On the poor girl, however, Katsumi couldn't help but be worried. After all, not long ago, the man had left a crator in the floor of the dojo after a blow like that. Plus, the girl drooped to her knees like a sack of potatoes.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Katsumi asked, eyes full of concern she knelt beside the girl only to be shocked at the news that she was Njord's sister. As Connie stood, so did Katsumi, and she could d herself stuck speechless. Not only did the siblings look nothing alike, but Njord bad never mentioned a sister before...and hadn't he just been to see a brother? What a large family...and a violent one from the looks of their argument. She merely nodded at the apology, stunned at the display before her.

Wait...so Njord had spoken to his sister about her? But why? It wasn't like they were close friends or anything...and that line of thought was interrupted by Ms. Kumi, who put a gentle hand on Katsumi's shoulder. "You should head back. I'll bring Njord once I settle these two down. Hold down the fort for me, okay?" the teacher said with a smile.

"Um..okay. If you're alright, then I'll be going first." With a bow, she excused herself gracefully.

After making sure their charge had rounded the corner, she stepped between the two students and took them both by the ear with a sharp twist, a vein pulsing on her forehead. "Enough. Now we have things to do and places to be. I need you two to get your asses in gear because I am t be here to keep things running smoothly after today. My real work is piling up, so kindly do your job!" she hissed.

With that, she let them go."Now what class are you supposed to be in?" She snapped at Connie.

Kumi might not have had Njord's imposing physique or Connie's temper, but she could be pretty damned scary and strong when she wanted to. Which appeared to be right now, because soon the two of them were forced apart. "Ow, ow, ow!" they both seemed to cry out unanimously, only stopping once she let go. "Damn it, Kumi, that hurt...." Njord grumbled, gingerly touching the delicate lobe as if to inspect it was still there. "You hurt? Ha, as if, you lumbering oaf!"

However, Connie immediately stopped and looked at Kumi with wide innocent eyes. "Kumi-san...." he mumbled, her voice carrying a warble of sadness like he didn't want her to be mad at him. This was something Njord had never really seen of his brother; usually the guy was steady as a rock. Was he really into Kumi that much? Or was it this vessel he chose? Either way, it was starting to feel really weird.

Giving a defeated huff, Connie then muttered, "Moral studies..." and just wandered off, soon disappearing around the corner. Njord's eyes followed him - or rather her in this case - and could only shake his own head. "Good lord...I'm beginning to think I might have made a mistake" he then said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and making the bag with his uniform crinkle. His gaze then wandered down, "Oh right...I should probably try this on. This other jacket is stifling, how the hell do they put up with it for so long?" he mused aloud, before returning to the teacher standing next to him.

"I'll meet you in class, Kumi...I'm going to find a restroom or something. I'd change out in the hall, but then you might get jealous once all the ladies come rushing at me." he joked, running off with a chuckle before she might decide to just up and smack him clear across the country.

---

Later, it was time for martial arts practice. But this time for Njord there was going to be a bit of a hang-up.

"Hey!"

That was what the Swede heard while making his way to the dojo, his bag slung over his shoulder. He turned his head to see none other than Connie standing behind him. Giving snort, Njord just asked, "The hell do you want now? You're to make me late for practice." Connie's eyes narrowed, "Don't give me that tone. Is this really how you spend your days? Playing the school-boy?" Njord just grinned, "Have to. Only way I can do my job."

Connie just huffed and added, pointing a finger towards 'herself', "Well, what about what you promised to me? Did you forget about that so easily?" Njord could only shake his head, "Are you being intentionally stupid? Katsumi's who they're after. Just stick around her, and for god sake try to be friendly. Eventually we'll find out more about this new player in the game." Hefting the bag more securely, he then added, "Now, you can either follow me to the dojo or you can go back home. Your choice." He then started walking again without giving his sibling any chance to reply; Connie could only sigh in resignation and trudge behind the giant.

Her time as a teacher had only strengthened her ability to see through Connie's bull shit. His big eyes and warbly voice did nothing to move her. Njord's protest at the treatment of his ear went completely unnoticed. When Connie finally shuffled off in defeat, Kumi turned her attention to the giant troublemaker. No shit, he'd made a mistake. This was exactly what she had been afraid of, though she was a bit surprised that Connie didn't try anything with Katsumi. It was a relief, but worrisome.

Njord was taking the situation too lightly. As he prattled on about uniforms she glared at him as he barely managed to get out of her attack range with that last comment of his. After a deep breath, she put her teacher face back on and headed into the room. Atnthe e d of classes, she excused herself, saying goodbye to Katsumi and her friends before disappearing from campus and reappearing in the underworld, breathing a sigh of relief. Connie was Njord's problem now

Katsumi had said goodbye to her favorite teacher and was feeling a little down as she changed for practice with the others. Still, it would be interesting to see a practice with Njord again. Sensei would surely be excited. The girl put her hair into a bun and finished changing quickly so she could help set things up for practice.

When the dojo was finally ready, she smiled and started to warm up with a punching bag and one of the freshmen who had arrived early. She lost herself in the movement and concentrated on her form, focusing intently on her practice. She hardly noticed when the bag seemed to have a little more give than usual. The sensei called her before she could do any real damage, but her freshman was going to be a bit sore for awhile. She found her place with the others as practice began, and waited for instructions.

Njord arrived at the dojo just before practice started; already he could see that some students had paired off and were sparring. Taking a deep and exaggerated breath, he just said with a wide smile "Ah, how I missed this place." And boy did he really; it was one of the few places

"Really, brother...Is this where you sate your fighting addiction? I don't think there's a single student in here that could handle even half of what you could do now. And you pride yourself on even matches." he then heard Connie say to him quietly, not really wanting to feel one of Njord's hammer-fists again. Some of the other students looked over to see the raven-haired girl looking at them all judgmentally, as if evaluating their strength.

"Who is she?"

"Is that Njord's girlfriend or something?"

Those were some of the things that the Swede and Connie overheard the others asking; Connie's brow twitched noticeably, but before a single word could be uttered, Njord just stated, "Make a scene and you will regret it. So be on your best behavior. Understand?" Connie closed her mouth again, and just went off to the side of the dojo to take a seat while her brother went to change.

"Yo, Sensei...Sorry for the Houdini act." said the Swede calmly as he came back out in his gi, taking a space in the back of the formation amongst the others. It was still quite a sight; this gargantuan stood heads above the others, and his posture still suggested a far more-advanced combat readiness than he let on. And in truth, he hadn't missed Katsumi's little performance; he could only feel for the kid. He would be fairly sore by tomorrow. Between his presence and Kumi's charmwork, her growth was exceptional. She still had a ways to go, but she was far more developed than anyone could have expected.

His vibrant hues traveled to the rest of the students, his voice booming, "Everyone here seems more talented than I remember. More confident, more focused. So, who can I take on today?" Some of the poor kids' faces paled immediately; he just got back and he was already looking for a fight? Seeing what happened between him and Katsumi, no one wanted to touch that with a forty-foot pole.

Sensei's eye twitched a bit after being addressed so informally, but at least the giant had used her title. "Glad to have you back. Maybe this time you'll stick around long enough to qualify for a competition." She excused him to change and took note of the rather surly looking young woman who had come with him. It was clear she didn't want to be here, so why...? Ah, she had come with Njord. Interesting fellow, that one. But how were the two of them related?

After warm ups, sparring practice started. But she noticed that Njord was without rival...and she couldn't blame the other members of the club for backing out. Even Katsumi had ignored the man. Her star pupil was busy instructing some of the freshmen about form, correcting them when necessary. Since her fight with the giant, Katsumi had improved a great deal, but her hesitation to fight against the giant who'd nearly killed her last time did not go unnoticed. It was clear that the giant would need to show restraint before the overs would deal with him.

"It seems you've forgotten what happened to the dojo last time you fought someone. Before you can spar with other students, I'm afraid you'll have to prove you can restrain your strength. After all, we are here to hone our craft, not fight to the death. Katsumi is my best student, and her level of training is the only reason she didn't sustain major injuries in your last match. If you can prove you can reign that power in, you may challenge her again."

Katsumi stiffened. She still got chills down her spine whenever she thought of their last match. The only reason the match ended was that he called it a tie, despite the fact that she was clearly losing. It had been like trying to fight a brick wall that was surprisingly agile. His only weakness had been below the belt, and she was still a little ashamed that she'd gone for it. Still, he'd had her pinned. What else could she do? She locked eyes with him and frowned.

She trusted him a lot more, but she wasn't sure she could confidently face him again. Katsumi watched the scene unfold. What would happen now?

Njord just snickered as she brought up the past incident with the dojo; true, he had done a decent amount of damage, and no amount of work to repair it would ever erase that fact. But it wasn't like he wasn't holding back at all; even with the charm bracelet, it took considerable effort not to exert what he could do at this level.

If only they knew. Even still, would they believe him? Some might, but not everyone.

He then looked over and saw Katsumi staring at him, the conflict readily apparent in her gaze even as the smile never left his face. She was torn, that much he could discern; and his next words likely wouldn't be all that much comfort either.

"Pressure brings out the best in us, Sensei. It's when the stakes are the highest that our souls burn brightest after all; humanity is special that way. Still...I can see that she's not too keen on fighting me right now. I'll have her decide when she's ready for round two." he then said, keeping his eyes locked on the young woman as he said this. Soon after, his gaze shifted to the instructor, some of the others stopping as well to see what was going to happen.

"That being said, it's obvious that I'm itching for a fight, isn't it? So then, Sensei, seeing as there are no takers on my offer...What say you? Fancy to test your mettle against me?" he then said, his massive form shifting a half-step back and priming for battle. "I can tell you're strong, but I want to see just how strong you really are." the Swede added, patting his chest before holding his arms out wide, fists clenched and ready to fight.

Connie couldn't help but grin a little at this, "So like you, brother, to challenge the most able in a group. I wonder if she'll accept it though." Another student who was close by overheard this, asking "What do you mean most able?" Connie just huffed bemusedly, "Idiot. Anyone here would never be able to beat Njord in a simple contest of brute strength. That type of fighting bores him anyway; he's always looking for someone who has the highest level of skill in combat. I doubt she'll last very long, but out of all of you here, your Sensei certainly gives my brother the best chance of a match-up."

As she listened to the Norse madman talk about pressure bringing out the best in humanity, she couldn't help but be offended by the brute's challenge. Regardless of his intentions or wants, it appeared he was a very undisciplined fighter. Well-learned, perhaps, but undisciplined at his core. Not to mention rude.

"You have not earned the right to challenge me, child. You seem to forget whose dojo you walk into every time you come here. Since you are from another country, I assume you don't know better, but it is considered rude to challenge a master when you first arrive. You will challenge no one until you can prove you have restraint, regardless of your views on pressure. We are here to hone skills, not to beat each other senseless. If you cannot appreciate this, you're better off sparring elsewhere."

Katsumi frowned, knowing full well that Njord hadn't really meant to insult Sensei. It seemed he still want used to living here. No wonder, he really hadn't been here that long before he'd been called home. Perhaps if he understood the culture better...but that didn't really suit Njord's personality. This was the same fool who had shouted about love hotels and danced around without a shirt while he was cleaning the classroom. Sighing, she returned her attention to the kata she had been practicing and figured that if he wanted her help, he would ask for it. Of course she would have to split her time today. She could only stay a little longer before she had to change and make her way to archery.

Now it was his turn to become annoyed; granted, he was supposed to maintain the cover of a student, but this kind of ignorance could not be allowed. Not in his eyes anyway. His face fell from that goofy little smirk he seemed to carry everywhere to something more focused, darker. He had to wonder if maybe she missed the point he was trying to make: He might not know discipline in her sense, but like hell he was going to let her talk down to him like that.

Still, better to carry it out as tactfully as possible...Though whether or not he succeeded would remain for fate to decide.

"Maybe here that's the case. But where I am from, we fight and train without restraint. Not just to 'beat each other senseless', as you so thoughtlessly put it, but to show those around us that limits can always be broken. We push the limits as much as humanly possible and achieve skill we once thought unobtainable in our lifetime. That is what I mean when I challenge you. I do it not to insult, but as an acknowledgement to your own skill and a desire to improve my own."

Connie just smirked even more, bemused by the master's response to his direct challenge. She could tell her response was not out of fear, but a wish to instill a sense of morality and humbleness into her brother. "She struck a chord there. Impressive to say the least; not many are capable of that anymore. Still,Njord is far more disciplined than you realize; if he really wanted to fight you, you would be lying broken on the ground already." the girl thought, Connie's male voice echoing inside her head as her eyes trained themselves on Sensei and the Swede.

Letting out a slight huff, the Swede could only state as his posture relaxed, "I suppose, however, that the viewpoint is moot and does not help either of us to argue it. If it is restraint you would like me to show, then it is restraint that I will demonstrate."

The sensei appeared to regret belittling another discipline as she had, but she didn't take it back, nor did she apologize. Njord's restraint seemed to be working in her favor. It wasn't enough to sway her, but it was enough for her to leave Njord to his training. She nodded and then went to help other students work on their form. Katsumi didn't fail to notice Njord's restraint and maturity. She also felt that her sensei's assessment was a bit too harsh. She sent him a sympathetic look and continued her kata practice until she had to head over to archery. At this time, she walked to Njord.

"Are you coming to archery practice?" She asked.

((Ugh, this post sucks, but it's all I've got right now. T_T))