Despite how tired he was, probably because the man was someone he couldnâ€™t help but smile at, he somehow managed to smile at Eliasâ€™s teasing though the smile was somewhat distant. Lucian would have teased him right back but discovered he didnâ€™t have enough mental capacity for humor after all. His mouth opened to say something but all that came out was a huge yawn. He really did need to get some sleep, maybe they could go out tomorrow sometime and just relax, hoping that they could put all of this aside. Wanting to spend time with his best friend was not a reason for him to push himself. He has been through enough today, once they got Shizu to her new home he was going to go get some shut eye. Surely Elias would understand, the evidence of his exhaustion was right there, he knew he wouldnâ€™t want him to push himself either.<br/><br/>â€œIâ€™m alright. They didnâ€™t kill meâ€¦ or I was rescued before they killed me â€¦â€ He murmured quietly, more than aware of how long the man had been waiting. All he had to do was look at the hack to tell that he had been going crazy while waiting. He decided spare Elias the teasing for now, though he should probably be prepared come morning. There was a lot he needed to get off his chest about what went on.  He was concerned for his friend, just as his friend as concerned about him â€œYou should be sorry.â€ He said slowly when Elias apologized, his tone stern, â€œFrom now on you really need to watch yourself whenever you hack into somewhere. Iâ€™m sure you did this for Azrai and Zachariahâ€™s organization, but that doesnâ€™t mean you should be reckless.â€ He almost sounded like a father scolding his son but he tended to be that way with Elias.<br/><br/>When Shizu had finished speaking with Ivan he was about to introduce her to Elias but the hacker had done that himself. He couldnâ€™t help but smile at that a little. â€œHe doesnâ€™t bite.â€ He told Shizu when the two shook hands. A few years ago Elias would just sort of awkwardly smile at someone whenever he was told to introduce himself. It was nice to see him becoming a little more outgoing; he really was a nice guy once you looked past how awkward he could be. Knowing Elias, despite his awkwardness hindering him a bit, he probably wanted to make friends with Shizu, eager to get on that right away. Honestly Lucian wasnâ€™t sure if he would be able to help in that regard. Shizu did seem like a nice girl but dealing with one socially awkward person was enough for him. He really didnâ€™t want to be responsible for two; it would give him a headache.<br/><br/>Perhaps those two could find some way to make friends with one another, it truly would be nice to see Elias with some more friends that werenâ€™t long distance friendships like Azrai or a few other people he knew of. The friends the hacker had around here and, not surprisingly, Lucian didnâ€™t really get along with. It would be kind of refreshing to be around more people who did get along with him.<br/><br/>He had a pretty rough life growing up, just because his family was rich doesnâ€™t necessarily mean he had it made so to speak, Elias was all he had. The two of them grew up together in Toronto, went to the same school minus college since their careers are different, and lived somewhat reclusive lives. The fact that Elias was a little socially awkward really didnâ€™t bother him either though he knew he could be a hardass towards him from time to time because of it. Lucian use to be an angry person. Sometimes he would even take his rough life out on Elias and looking back he wished he could change that. When he found his passion for flying that had been his major outlet in life, almost completely erasing that angry person. In many ways Elias had helped in that as well, he was an easy person to relax around, no matter how strange it might sound.<br/><br/>It really as a miracle Elias stayed with him as long as he had and that was probably why he could openly say that he loved the man like a brother. He might tease him from time to time, but he cared a hell of a lot about him. People usually went their separate ways after childhood or high school, yet somehow they managed to stick together in spite of everything they have been through together. Part of him wished he could go back in time and punch himself for some of the things he has done. He wished he could have gotten off on a better foot with him, yet at the same time why would he change anything? Everything was perfect the way it was in the end. Taking the bad with the good in their friendship, as every friendship had some good and bad, ups and downs, that was why he was satisfied with how things were.<br/><br/>â€œIâ€™m ready to get this day over with and go to bed.â€ He said quietly, yawning again as he accepted the jacket the hacker had brought for him. It wasnâ€™t that cold out tonight but he slipped it on anyway and smiled at his friend. Elias had brought one for Shizu as well; the man was always pretty thoughtful even if it did mostly come from him being a bit of a worrywart. â€œSorry, Elias, but I think weâ€™re going to have to go out for those beers tomorrow. I really need some beauty sleep, thereâ€™s no use holding a conversation when I can barely keep my eyes open.â€ He frowned a bit in spite of his attempt at humor, apology in his tone, but it soon faded when he attempted one last small tease. â€œLook on the bright side, me being kidnapped got you out of the house.â€ He chuckled a little and gave his friend a pat on the shoulder.<br/><br/>He wished he wasnâ€™t so damn tired; he was really looking forward to that going out for a beer. At least he could take comfort in knowing he had eased Eliasâ€™s worry. It was probably for the best that everyone got some sleep after what happened today, Shizu especially. She has probably been through enough for the day and just wanted to settle into her new place and be alone. If he was settling in somewhere new he sure as hell didnâ€™t want to be overwhelmed by everything the moment he moved. Giving things time to unwind a bit would probably be more helpful to her, that way she could get a feel for things for herself and they would be there if she needed anything. Afterwards they could spend time together if she wanted to or run off and make other friends. Though, he wondered if eventually she would make her own friends and not really bother with him or Elias.<br/><br/>They were probably going to have to keep an eye on her for a long time but eventually she was going to be completely on her own. A small part of him, admittedly, wanted to see that happen. There was something about Shizu that intrigued him. She was not some ordinary woman that was for sure, something told him that she was not simply someone who had been sheltered all their life. He wondered if Elias was thinking the same thing seeing as he was probably the one who had given Shizu her identity after Azrai rescued her. Once they got together and relaxed while they drank their beers he might bring up such questions and get to the bottom of everything. Things were easier after a few drinks, as sad as it was. As much as he didnâ€™t really want to bother with any of this who Shizu business, he was too involved now, it really couldnâ€™t be helped.<br/><br/>He wasnâ€™t really going to blame Elias for that too much either; it was just how things had turned out in the end. How as he supposed to know that he was going to get kidnapped?<br/><br/>Running a hand over his face to encourage himself to not fall asleep where he stood, Lucian looked to Shizu then Elias and said, â€œItâ€™s been a long day, letâ€™s get going then.â€ He has never been so eager to get home and sleep in his life. It was enough to make him feel like sleeping into tomorrow, and the next day, just so he could catch up on all of his missed hours. There was a chance that he wouldnâ€™t be flying anywhere anytime soon which would probably make Elias happy. For the time being he had a feeling things would be calm, until Azrai got himself into some sort of trouble and he had to go sneak him out of whatever country he pissed off or get rid of someone for him.  That man really was a magnet for trouble, and as he had said when he first met up with him in Japan trouble he brings often finds them as well. That kidnapping was proof of that.<br/><br/>Lucian shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and followed Elias to his car and immediately buckled himself in once seated. His body felt heavy, exhaustion weighing him down now more than it had now that he didnâ€™t have to focus on anything. As much as he wanted to sleep he kind of wanted to be awake while Shizu was checking out her new place. He knew Elias would have done his best despite his teasing of him possibly decorating it pretty blandly. The hacker really didnâ€™t have much sense for decoration, but he did aim to please and he did a pretty good job whenever he put his mind to something. To this day, Lucian still managed to be surprised at what Elias could do, which was another reason he liked seeing him get out of the house more. He didnâ€™t like him being cooped up, shunning the world, thought not quite like he use to, hiding away those characteristics.<br/><br/>------------------<br/><br/>Even if heading back inside to discuss things was the better idea there was still a small part of him that really wanted to stay outdoors. He found that going down the stairs had been lot easier than going up, even though the trip still took longer than he wanted to. He was still in a lot of pain and it was difficult to do much of anything but at least he managed to reach the bottom of the well without anyoneâ€™s help. Maverick was keeping an eye on him, which wasnâ€™t all that surprising considering he had been the most concerned out of everyone. As much as he appreciated Maverickâ€™s willingness to help him out he really wished that he would not be so protective. He was not a child. Right now all he wanted was some personal space, his patience with everything was pretty thin right now, and he still felt pretty exhausted from everything heâ€™s been through.<br/><br/>He really hated how these injuries were continuing to drag him down as they did nothing to help his current mood. While Zachariah and Maverick followed Ivan, Azrai lagged behind a little trying to gather his thoughts before the little meeting began. There was so much he wanted to get off his chest as well and had a feeling that Ivan might not give him the chance to do so. It was hard for both of them to speak about things when they didnâ€™t have a few drinks in them, Azrai especially. He was already craving some more alcohol and was extremely irritable whenever he didnâ€™t have that relaxation. Aggression issues or no, he tended to be bad company whenever he was grouchy and didnâ€™t have any alcohol. Those few drinks he had earlier would have been enough if that shit hadnâ€™t happened. It was getting to the point now where he could use a few more.<br/><br/>The conference room felt stuffy and made him extremely restless. He was listening to Ivan but his gaze was towards the floor, brow furrowed slightly in thought. It was nice to hear the full story and he now understood to a degreeâ€¦ Without Shizu he would have died, it was only natural that Ivan did whatever he could to prevent that from happening. Ivan was his best friend after all so he wasnâ€™t going to hold anything against him. However, on the other hand, he wasnâ€™t sure whether he was pissed about the condition or not. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes while he took everything in. He needed to find the right words to say before he gave a response, otherwise he would end up arguing. This was not something that he could afford to waste energy arguing about. Right now he wasnâ€™t feeling as aggressive as he had earlier but he would rather be safe than sorry.<br/><br/>It felt like his darker side was trying to claw its way to the surface and shove the person everyone was more familiar with down inside, drowning him out almost completely.<br/><br/>He didnâ€™t want that to happen.<br/><br/>Maverick didnâ€™t seem to be comfortable with the serious atmosphere either; he seemed a little jittery though he kept quiet while Ivan was speaking. Every word that Ivan spoke, he made sure was engraved on his mind so he could come up with some sort of plan. It was needless to say that it wasnâ€™t difficult to tell he was worried about how Azrai would react to it though he seemed calm right now. If he really was becoming more aggressive, he would definitely need to be monitored. Even Azrai knew this, though he was not thrilled about having someone watch his every move until they were sure he would not lash out randomly. It had to be done. If everything failed then he would most likely be kicked out of the organization and nobody wanted things to come down to that.<br/><br/>Zachariah on the other hand, was pretty calm. He stood with his hands behind his back and a very attentive gaze like he always did whenever he was listening to what his followers had to say. He and Ivan really were alike in some ways, and understood that there was no easy explanation for this. If there was something he could do then he would have spoken up, but when Ivan finished he simply gave him a nod of approval and a look that said he had covered everything, â€œI believe that will be all, Ivan.â€ He said softly.  Glancing over at Azrai he noticed that he still seemed to be struggling with himself while he took everything in. He let the room fall silent, that way Azrai could speak up when he felt he was ready. It might take a few minutes or a few hours before he was comfortable enough to speak his mind.<br/><br/>Believe it or not, it had actually been Azrai who had taught him patience. Before he met him he use to be rather impatient, that had changed when he met Azrai. The man had been so guarded and unwilling to speak to him when they first met that he had to practically force himself to be patient. Eventually that turned into a practice, and now he was so much better at keeping himself together.<br/><br/>â€œNoâ€¦â€ Azrai spoke softly after a long moment of silence, meeting Ivanâ€™s gaze, â€œI do not have any questions. What you have told me answers everything I have been concerned about, I assure you.â€ But he really wasnâ€™t sure if they really did answer everything. In truth, he just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible so he could go back to drinking for the rest of the day. He truly appreciated that Ivan was the kind of person who didnâ€™t beat around the bush. Unlike Maverick, the man didnâ€™t sugar coat anything at all, he preferred someone who was straight with him. But that did nothing to ease his emotions, the hurt he was feeling because he was not able to speak with Shizu face to face. He might be good at hiding himself, but there were times he worse his emotions on his sleeve, he knew Ivan was already aware of what was going through his mind.<br/><br/>Running a hand through his hair he sighed heavily and stretched. His body reminded him that he was still in pain, and he winced slightly, moving to lean against the wall. As honest of a person as Azrai was, even amongst close friends, even when he would talk to Cassandra about something it was hard to talk about himself. It was difficult for him to explain certain things to make people see eye to eye with him, or at least understand where he was coming from. He supposed he was pretty shy in that regard as well, maybe even a little self-conscious which was actually pretty rare for Azrai. He was on the fence about giving his side of the whole Shizu situation. Was it even worth giving his side or would there only be some kind of argument in the end? That question always ran through his mind whenever something serious came up.<br/><br/>Sometimes it would cause conflicts, which was something he really would much rather avoid.<br/><br/>There was another long moment of silence before he spoke again, â€œI am well aware that Shizu and I would have been separated eventuallyâ€¦â€ he began softly. â€œWhile I was in Japan with her, I had told her I would be the one to show her the â€˜New Worldâ€™ as she had described it. It wasâ€¦ nice to spend time with her and act as her teacher.â€ He pushed off of the wall, exhaled softly, and ran a hand through his hair again, signs that he was becoming extremely uncomfortable from both the position and being so open with everyone. They were probably curious and he knew he should continue, but mentally he was screaming at himself to run out of the room. He would find whatever alcohol was lying around, and justâ€¦ drink, he really did not want to deal with this. He really hated being on the spot even though he knew he sort of brought on himself the moment he spoke up.<br/><br/>He glanced towards the door, itching to give into the desire to run off, but then Zachariah spoke up, â€œIf it makes you feel any better, I will allow you to visit Shizu after you are in control of your aggression.â€ Azrai looked like he was about to say something, but the older man held up a hand, immediately cutting off anyone who wanted to question his decision. â€œFor now you will need to be monitored, which will be done by Ivan and myself, until you reach a point where youâ€™re feeling like yourself again. I will also be limiting the amount of missions youâ€™re allowed to take on for the sake of the organization. I know your job as a hired gun is your only source of income, but I feel that you need to take it easy.â€ Zachariah looked to Ivan and Maverick, knowing that they would most likely agree with him.<br/><br/>What Zachariah had said took Azrai completely aback. He was standing there speechless, staring at him with disbelief, once again wondering how he should respond to all of this. Being monitored was not something he was thrilled about either, it was written all over his face. Seeing Shizu again on the other hand, he wasnâ€™t sure if that would be a good idea. All he wanted was for her to live safely, away from any violence, free to do what she wanted; it was probably for the best that she did not get dragged into his lifestyle. He was a magnet for trouble so he knew that it was probably not good company. If she got hurt because of one of his enemies he would never forgive himself. As much as it hurt him, as much as he still wanted to make sure she was safe, he had a feeling she was better off staying away from him.<br/><br/>It might be him beating himself up and feeling bad about everything, but it was how he felt.<br/><br/>â€œIf I had not taken on that mission, Sanctus Unum would have gotten their hands on Shizu and won the battle.â€ He paused and looked at the ground again, speaking softly, his voice showing a bit of emotion, â€œAll I want is for Shizu to live happilyâ€¦ I do not want her to have to deal with violence. Perhaps it is for the best that we do not see each other again.â€ After all, his mission had been accomplished, and the number one rule was to not get attached. He had slipped back into that professional demeanor for a little while there while he further explained himself. â€œI have completed my mission and now she is in a place where she will be able to live happily. That is enough for meâ€¦â€<br/><br/>But that was a lie, the truth was he did want to see Shizu again and wanted to know how she was doing in her new home. He wanted to talk to her about the Oni blood as well, though Ivan had pretty much covered everything. Which made him wonder, would Ivan been in contact with Shizu or would they all just sever ties and that would be that?  It would be easier if they would just sever ties. He also had a feeling that she was being monitored as well, to be sure that nobody would come after her. It was tempting to ask about that but he was definitely not a stalker. Spying on people was creepy and he never understood how the people who did monitor others managed to go about their jobs. As protective as he was when it came to those he cared about he wouldnâ€™t go far as to watch someone long distance.<br/><br/>Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he went to speak again but was cut off by Maverick this time, â€œI know youâ€™re upset, Azrai, but I know youâ€™ll pull through. Having Shizu give you her blood was better than just letting you die, even if it changes you a little. I donâ€™t think I need to say that twice.â€ He shifted his weight a little and took in a deep breath, which ended up turning into a yawn. â€œDamn. I donâ€™t know about you, but Iâ€™m more than ready to call it a day. Some sleep really sounds delightful right now.â€ He added with a bit of an awkward chuckle. Having been running around doing things for Zachariah had him beat. He hated to sound impatient but he really was getting too tired to function. He was sure the same went for everyone else as well.