Since departing from Claire and Serah last, Caius had gone back to Torensten in order to handle paperwork for their time in Provo, and to continue helping Torensten rebuild after the Kraken attack. Torensten was more than a little bit used to being attacked, but the Kraken was far more devastating than anything that had hit it since the dragons had descended from the skies and laid waste to the city all those years ago. But now Torensten was starting to see something resembling normalcy again, at least until the next time it was attacked. Celes had confessed to needing a break in order to find herself and her... Center, so to speak. While it was uncler just what was driving her, Caius was happy to help in what ways he could in order to ensure things would be in order so Celes could take her break and find her happiness. Training an intern when it came to the paperwork, Caius had found himself staying in Torensten most of the time, only taking small trips to Provo here and there for work. Since then, Caius had helped with the paperwork best he could while training Tomoe, finding out the hard way that Celes had... Well, a natural talent for management, to say the least. It took the both of them combined to get anywhere near the amount of work that Celes had been doing on her own.

So he had done his best. Training Tomoe to help ease the load, and had sent a letter suggesting that perhaps a second should be brought in if they were to get back to a regular workload while allowing Celes and Caius more flexibility to leave for work and otherwise as needed. But this wasn't the only thing Caius had found himself dealing with in the time since. Two young upstarts had joined the guild, named Nick and Yuffie. Nick was woefully inexperienced, while Yuffie was... Well, a well-intentioned headache and a problem just waiting to happen, to say the least. His facial hair had only just started to grow back!

Then there was Maria. Celes' doppelganger. That had been... Interesting, and he knew he was likely going to have to keep an eye on her until Celes returned to try and preserve the General's good name. Once she came back, he was sure she would figure out a more permanent way to handle that, but for now, that was his job.

Then there were the reports he was getting about the Original Sin. They were small notes, little things, but they all seemed interconnected... They were corresponding for something. But what?

Between this and taking over Celes' job to train the recruits, Caius had been busy to say the least. With a bit of time to himself but not enough to go and do a job or something, Caius had decided to go out for some fresh air after hours spent at the desk and training recruits when he wasn't. He was just passing by the University of Magic when a figure would crash into him. To his surprise, it was young Claire. Right, she had come to Torensten to learn magic, hadn't she?

Caius certainly looked different from when Claire had seen him last, though. He lacked the grime, dirt and matted hair of someone who had been traveling for some time. His blonde hair was neatly tied back into a ponytail and he wore dress clothes instead of armor. For the best really, Torensten was hot as could be.

But before he could greet Claire and ask what it was she was doing, an explosion rang from the university that half of Torensten could hear. Caius would squint at that.

"Sorry for what part, exactly?"

Claire changed the subject. Of course he did. How many mischievous little scamps had he dealt with in his line of work? So many times had kids lied and tried to change the subject to get out of trouble. And Claire, as smooth as she was, likely wasn’t prepared for Caius’ approach. Perhaps changing the subject and buttering them up would work on big sister Serah. But Caius was far more direct.

“Changing the subject and buttering me up only confirms your guilt, you know” he pointed out bluntly with an exasperated sigh. The mercenary would hold out a hand to gently take Claire by the wrist. “Come. We’re going to the Rest. Quickly now, I’ll provide you an alibi this one time.”

He was actually going to save her behind? Apparently Caius wasn’t completely stiff. But if she took his offer, he began to move quickly but without letting his legs move with too much blatant haste. He didn’t wish to raise suspicion.

“Before we get too far. If that explosion has any potential to cause harm, you should tell me now so I can go in and save people. Because that’s going to be the difference between a scolding and my turning you into the school for what you did” Caius pointed out with a continued calm but very much direct tone. “You’re getting a scolding either way, but this is a better option than the alternative. If I find out anyone was hurt and I could have stopped it, I’ll be having a word with your sister as well.”

Choose wisely Claire.

Oh, so she admitted to it, did she? Well, that was fast. Caius had been sure she had done it, but he had been preparing for the possibility she wouldn't back down. It seemed that he didn't need to bluff after all. "Small explosions are a thing, and can still be quite dangerous" Caius corrected her when she tried to downplay it though, with the idea that because they weren't caught in the blast that it couldn't possibly be dangerous. "Before we get on the tram, I want you to detail me the specifics. I don't want to get too far away from the university if it happens that you blew up something that could potentially be dangerous to the other students."

Essentially, in case she had blown up her fellow students by accident. Of course, Caius was unaware that it was simply a sound bomb. So he did need to know before they could go anywhere. "Best detail it quickly, the tram's coming up. Wouldn't want to be standing here suspiciously in the middle of the street while they're looking for the culprit, would we?"

Perhaps he was a little strict in that sense, but he had told her before that it was essentially his job to protect people. And it was a job he intended to do here if he needed to, so hopefully she would understand that. Claire then asked what happened to his beard, and the mercenary would sigh in turn.

Yuffie. Yuffie was what happened.

"I thought a change of pace would be nice" he lied. It was most definitely Yuffie's fault, but he had no interest in explaining to a teenager that Yuffie's loud boasting had caused a critical error in the shaving process.

Surprisingly, Caius for once looked visibly annoyed when Claire refused to elaborate except that it was safe. He wanted details. He needed to know that the people there would be safe. But before he could grill her further, her own tone would suddenly change. Suddenly, she was calling him on his own bluff, and asking for the truth of why he looked different.

Sheesh, talk about a headache. Being scolded for lying by a child whom you were scolding for lying. But it was clear they weren’t getting anywhere until he told the truth and he needed to be sure the people in the school were safe.

“Recruit burst into the doors and started loudly boasting while I was trying to shave. You can probably figure out the rest. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it so I started playing it off” he responded bluntly in turn. “If you mean the clothes… It’s hot.”

That was really it. It’s Torensten. It’s hot. He couldn’t wear his armor all the time in Torensten. It was too hot for that. So with that, he stared her in the eyes.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. But it would make me feel better if you told me what this thing you planted was, and where in the school it was, so I can do threat analysis” he then tried yet again, this time more honest about the why. “Preferably quickly. Even seemingly harmless things can have consequences in a place full of potions and magic books and magic crystals scattered everywhere. That’s why I’m worried.”