"I certainly hope we cross paths again, Doctor Bane. Have a safe trip home." Ansel watched as Lucio's mother hurried off, admiring the way she moved through the small crowd as if she were in command of the room itself. She certainly had a strong personality; Ansel found that most people who had the determination to become doctors had some amount of moxie in them. He laughed heartily when Lucio apologized, shaking his head.<br/><br/>"There's no need to apologize, Lucio. I like her. Quite a bit, actually. She seems like she would be a very entertaining lady to speak with." He redirected his eyes at Lucio now that Marie had disappeared from his sight. "If I ever get the opportunity to meet with her again, I think I would enjoy it." He paused, his pupils growing slightly as he stared into Lucio's eyes.<br/><br/>"Thank you for inviting me, Lucio. I truly did enjoy it. I'll have to make an effort to come to more of your choir's performances." Another pause. He took a step closer to Lucio, leaning forward slightly. To passersby, the two men would look like close friends having an intimate conversation about personal matters, perhaps, but nothing that would suggest the two were anymore more than platonic. As much as Ansel wanted to take Lucio into his arms, he resisted.<br/><br/>"Now that your performance is finished, I assume you're heading back to your dorm for the night. Studying, homework and the like? I remember when I was in school. Balancing studies with extra curricular activities was always a hassle. I eventually ended up quitting competitive swimming so that I could focus on my studies. I still partake in the activity from time to time but I'm nowhere near as good as I used to be.<br/><br/>"Luckily, with singing, that's something you could do for the rest of your life, assuming you take care of that sweet voice of yours. Ah! I almost forgot." Ansel grinned, reaching into his pocket to pull out a small glass rose, only about inches in length. The glass was colored and tempered beautifully, with a golden trim around the rich red petals. "For you. Subtler than a huge rose, and it lasts longer."