Did we force ourselves on you, or you on us? Closed

Of all the things to get a reaction out of Selim, the nickname he had casually tossed out had not been the thing Kazuo thought would do it. The smirk, the shift in his eyes - slit pupils? Well, that was interesting. The look he was giving Kazuo should have been a warning but, as was far too often the case, the younger boy was more interested in the reaction he had elicited than in his own safety. Yet it only got more interesting when he dared to suggest his ridiculous deal.

That brief look, that sadistic amusement, it shifted suddenly and completely.

Kazuo’s eyes widened in surprise at the change in Selim. It truly was as if he had invoked a demon, so extreme the shift. From a pale, ghostly, exhausted boy to the very thing he had invoked, a demon hiding in the skin of a child. He gazed up at Selim as the older boy stalked closer and for a brief moment Kazuo’s instincts screamed at him to retreat. Yet he shoved them away, ignoring the lizard-brain warning screaming danger. He stepped forward instead, meeting Selim’s gaze unflinching. He shed his own mask, letting his smile fall away, staring up at Selim with a deeply contemplative gaze - a too serious expression on the face of a child, eyes that searched, that studied, that demanded more. A desire to unlock every secret, to reveal every crack, to illuminate every shadow.

“Faust. Your guilt is of your own making, not mine. As my death by your hands because I was foolish enough to provoke it would be of my own making. If guilt is a burden and my injury or death would add to it, the answer is obvious. Do not harm or kill me. You ask for false equivalence. There can be no equivalent exchange in matching one person’s actions to another person’s feelings.”

Kazuo paused then, letting the silence fall heavy between them for a long moment, refusing to back away from this very different version of Selim, this mystery of a human. A deal, Selim said. What kind of deal could he possibly make with the boy? What did he have to offer that Selim didn’t already have access to? The previous deal had been a bit tongue-in-cheek and he hadn’t expected Selim to turn it around on him so he hadn’t prepared for an actual negotiation. Yet he didn’t dare turn it down, not at this point. So he did what came naturally; he sought more information.

“What do you have in mind, Akuma-senpai? I admit I have no idea what a first-year like me could possibly offer an upperclassman. Shall I run your errands? Do your homework? Be your spy? And what will you offer me in return? It must be a fair deal. Something more than simply being permitted to follow you around.”

Reducio

Interacting with @Selim Faust

"Look before you leap, for snakes among flowers do creep."

The snake laughed at the response he got.

"And you drop your mask, little bird." His eyes glinted humorously, "A deal will not make the Raven's guilt fade, nor will the simple idea of him not killing you. Likely he'd blame himself for anything bad happening to you. So truly, it was a rather weak offer from the start." He cocked his head to the side, stalking around his kohai. "But it seems you're interested in one nonetheless, even if the last was was just a shot in the dark."

He paused, peering at the eyes that looked up at him as if searching the soul that lie behind them, "So, a spy, you say?" He hummed in contemplation, leaning back, "Your stealth is weak, to be honest, so you'd have to start mingling with people to get any information of value to me." He looked about the hallway, before gesturing the boy further down, eventually turning sharply to a seemingly unused door. He opened it, revealing an abandoned classroom, dust littering any surface available. If the boy followed, he'd speak once again.

"Of course, I'd do it myself, but the Raven has a tendency to avoid all human contact, so it's rather pointless to even try." The snake would snort, talking of another. Or was it himself? The persona he wore before? Is this a glimpse into the mind of Selim Faust? Or an act to throw the underclassmen off his trail?

Who knew? The boy was beginning to be known as unpredictable.

"As for errands, the Raven doesn't have many. Homework? Hardly necessary, he's the top or near the top of his classes in everything." He'd turn back to the boy, eyes amused. "Moving on to what 'I' can offer. Well, many things. For some, I've already taught them martial arts. For others, I offered my protection. It's easy to make enemies, known and unknown, in this school. I haven't even touched on the dangers that actually lurk around and inside the school, their shriveled fingers sticking into multiple students already, twisting them into something inhuman that they can use for whatever they want." He'd snicker, a hand delicately covering his mouth, "Oh but I shouldn't give away those cards yet, now should I?" the grin spread past the flimsy covering of his pale hands, "I have picked up information of my own, little bird. I can offer you some if you want, for a price, of course."

He'd laugh, walking away with a spin on his heel, "I've even formed a lifelong written contract with another!~" He'd snicker, the tone cruel and bitter, twisting into one's ear and slithering down their spine, "Oh and weren't those results simply marvelous." A smirk would sprawl across his face, sadistic glee would alight in his snake-like eyes. "A simple contract, truly, based on a currency of favors. The end goal being to help each other achieve whatever ambitions we have beyond this cursed school." His head would tilt as he eyed his kohai.

" Or, perhaps something simpler, less interesting." A slightly lazy glint would shine in his eyes, smile less enthusiastic, more menacing, dark. "I could simply promise not to harm you, kill you, even if I snap in the future. Like you said." His attention would shift as the shadows crept closer, closer, tendrils reaching out. The smile shifted in some way, as he'd reached out a hand, caressing the darkness that approached in his mind's eye.

"I mean. It would completely assure you that no harm would come to you, willing or unwilling on my behalf. Perhaps if you've already developed some deep-rooted fear of your Akuma-senpai." His head tilted slightly and he'd looked at the younger boy from the corner of his eyes, "That's if you think I would backstab one I've made a deal with, for no particular reason."

He'd face his Kohai once more, "There's any number of deals we could make. I've listed out a few. Choose from them or offer up one of your own, if you'd like." He chuckled.

" Or perhaps do the smarter thing in some's eyes, turn and walk away. Leave your dangerous curiosity behind and grow a bit of self-preservation." He'd laugh lightly. "I'm sure a few of our peers would say that following behind me is walking down a dangerous path. I've already allied myself to one most see as the villain of this school. I've mingled with the 'Undertaker', made enemies of quite a few strong students, and am stepping closer and closer to the dark core of the school."

He'd shrug, "In the end, the choice is yours. I can exist without you if you decide to step back into the lighter side of the school, instead of falling down the rabbit hole to a twisted nightmare." His hands would shove themselves into his pockets, "In the end, I could perhaps remain a faint memory to you. The upperclassmen who was a bit unsettling, erratic, and who offered to lead you through a valley of shadows that would never end. You could continue living in relative peace."

"Though, I know your type can sometimes think peace is dreadfully dull." He'd smirk roguishly, awaiting his kohai's answer. Twisting phantoms and light curiosity dance in his eyes, and the setting looked almost dream-like with how the light was filtered through the grimy window. Almost as if one was actually asleep, as if they were merely imagining this odd encounter.

Though, that's if the boy followed.

If he didn't, Selim would continue walking away to the room, and then simply sit down and read, thinking about how mildly odd the encounter was.

Selim spoke in the third person about himself. A truly disconcerting thing, yet something Kazuo had read about so rather than finding it weird or concerning as other students no doubt did, he simply found it fascinating. A very rare opportunity to study someone firsthand.

"Of course I am serious." He responded with a shrug. "Though we can both acknowledge that the first offer was made somewhat in jest, I am not going to turn down the potential of a working arrangement that we both could benefit from if it furthers my goals."

He followed Selim into the abandoned classroom, running a finger through the thick layer of dust that coated a nearby desk with a mildly disgusted look. "Honestly, one would think even unused classrooms would be kept clean…" He muttered to himself. “All the magic at your fingertips. House slaves to do your bidding. Yet still, human laziness wins out.”

"You know I'm not terrible for being self-taught, Mr. I'm a Shinobi." Kazuo defended his stealth skills with a slight grin. He knew he wasn't very good but he wasn't terrible either. "But I wasn't referring to stealth anyway. I know how to talk to people. In a way that doesn't involve scaring them away. And if it's my House you're interested in, well it doesn't take much to get them talking. The problem is getting them talking about something useful."

He perched on the edge of the desk, resigning himself to the line of dust it would no doubt leave on his pants, squatting like a cat. Head tilted slightly to the side, a pose that seemed to be his equivalent of a thinking face, and listened to what his senior had to offer. A varied mixture of things, many of which Kazuo saw no use in, things he was already capable of or that wouldn't further his personal goals.

"I don't need or want a bodyguard. If I cannot be self-sufficient in that then it is my own failing and I will not rely on others to cover for it. Martial arts… well that would be an offer I could consider as useful. Though I don't imagine it will do much to combat the things that threaten these halls…" he added with a knowing smirk. "It could still be useful in defending myself from other threats."

"Information… always useful but not something I am entirely unfamiliar with. As I make it a point to gather information on my own, while an exchange might be beneficial, it could as easily become a sharing of redundant information. Which wouldn't be beneficial to either of us."

He continued to dissect Selim's offers, not necessarily ignoring the senior's vague or direct warnings of doom and disaster, but clearly refusing to be deterred by such irrationally ominous threats.

"A currency of favours, now that may truly be of benefit to both of us. Though I see no point in a written contract. We're not muggles and even if we were, a piece of paper is hardly going to guarantee anyone's loyalty." He scoffed a bit at the idea. Word given is word honoured. Better to not give your word at all if your intention isn’t to follow through. His father's words, a long-ago discussion about some political negotiations his father had been involved in. His eyes narrowed at the thought, gazing at Selim. Even shinobi have their own honour.

"I like flexibility. After all, this school seems to bring about all kinds of rapid changes. Who knows what skills or knowledge we may develop that could further each other's goals, yes?"

The last offer was mocking and it amused Kazuo. He smirked as the shadows seemed to darken around him. "You could. But a promise is not a guarantee, as you pointed out earlier. So what would I really get out of it if you did break that promise? Whether intentional or accidental? Dead. Perhaps there is a risk of death in making a deal with you but there is also a benefit. If the only benefit of the deal is maybe not dying, I'm not interested. How do you do that?" The question was abrupt but honestly, Kazuo was too curious about it not to ask. His eyes shifted to the shadows, scrutinizing them as if staring would reveal their secret.

"I suppose," he continued, "if I were a… what to they call them? Muggles? If I were a muggle living a peacefully ignorant life, unaware of all the potential this world and its secrets have to offer, I might be content to run away and bury my head in the sand. Maybe even if I were one of those other students, the ones who think magic is a party and everyone is friends and if we all work together, everything will be ok!" He gave the rousing speech of every boy-protagonist but with a mocking sneer on his face. "But I am a realist and I have already seen and heard things that go beyond such unrealistic daydreams." He hopped off the desk, turning around to survey the abandoned classroom with its stacked chairs, piles of random textbooks, and other assorted oddities. "There is no lighter side of the school, only children clinging to children's fantasies of safety. We are children being taught the keys to the universe and the universe is not solely shadow or light.”

He turned back to Selim, scrutinizing the older boy with a serious expression, one that did not suit a boy so young. “You are like… a person looking at themselves in a broken mirror. Where the cracks shift and warp the reflection. Pieces of a person. I will make a deal with you, Akuma-senpai. Let us exchange a currency of favours, an alliance of self-interest. But no contracts. No papers. If you make this deal with me, if you give me your word, and you choose to break it, it is your own honour that suffers and you will have to live with that.”

Reducio

Mentioning @Selim Faust

"There is no honour among killers"

Selim (Could you label a conglomeration of personalities under one name I wonder? At this point 'Selim' is a name for many people shoved into one, hardly fair to just stick a single name on such an abomination of personas.) listened to his underclassmen's dissection of his words with a light of amusement, raising a brow as the boy sat much like a gargoyle on one of the desks.

His last words though, brought out a dark laugh, the unnerving accuracy of his character tickled something in him. This boy who hadn't experienced all those that Selim was 'close' to experienced had figured things out sooner than they did in the span of a few minutes compared to their months of puzzlement.

How ironic.

But the final sentence made him double over, wiping a tear of sardonic mirth from his golden eyes.

"Honor?" the blight wheezed out."Honor?". A dark chuckle accompanied by a slit-like grin. "Dear, dear kohai." He looked up at the boy, eyes glinting with a dangerous light, "Both me and the raven are unfamiliar with such a word. We grew up being taught that honor was just a word slapped onto someone to limit their potential. No, the only semblance of honor I have is in cold, hard contracts." He grinned, "The reason being that if one breaks a paper contract, they're put under much, much more scrutiny by those that oversee such things. If you just give someone your word and then break it? Well, perhaps people would look down on you, but they can't act on their disapproval if there's no contract written on paper."

A sardonic snort, "I mean, the only reason I haven't completely abandoned the one I told you about before is because of that paper contract." He waved offhandedly, "The thing is, if I just give you my word and your liabilities end up outweighing your uses in even the slightest. I'll cut you off." The smile turned a tad darker, "Usually if you become even a slight liability and I keep you it'll just get worse, much like what has happened with my contractual partner."

He stalked forward, eyeing his kohai who came up with such a fitting title for him, "Demons have no honor." A smirk, "What we deal with is contracts, not flimsy spoken word that can easily be conviniently forgotten."

"You will not find any honor in me. Words aren't binding, paper is. You can thank my dear Otou-sama for giving me even that value." He spun away, grabbing an upturned chair and flipping it so the legs struck the stone floor, before reclining in it. "That man brings me on the dullest of his business trips, I swear, but I'm observant enough to pick up more than a few things from their dry conversations." He chuckled again, "One of those things is that if Otou-sama doesn't bring out a paper contract to sign with his parters and just gives them his word, then his intention is to betray them if they because useless."

A gesture moved his arm in a slight sweeping motion, "I mean, perhaps I had a slip of the tongue in my previous offers of deals." That hand shifted, and the Raven Snake knocked his head with a curled fist, "But I'm a tad bit messed up in here, if you're sharp eyes haven't noticed." A morbidly humorous grin slipped across his pale visage, "Sometimes things get a bit chaotic, with all this constant noise. Don't worry though, I intend to clean it up in the future, but they're a bit stubborn, hate being locked away so I can have some peace and quiet."

He laughed lightly, the sound hauntingly melodic, a stark contrast to his self-imposed corpse-like visage. "If you hate the formality of writing a contract on paper then you can walk away, but you seem to be rather reluctant to do so." He shrugged, "If you insist on this deal to be of spoken word, well, I can oblige, but keep in mind what I have said." A grin, "I'll cut you off if you become a hindrance."

The demon-like boy idly scratched at his right cheek, which had scars curling up his pale flesh from that disastrous masquerade ball. Watching his kohai with sharp eyes fitting of a preditor, he forced himself to ignore the myriad of whispers in his head, some approving, some disapproving.

The Cruel One didn't really care about gaining any's approval though, from inside or outside. The snake was self-serving, ever-hungering.

He was cunning though, which was rather useful when one's trying to gain control of the vessel they're being trapped inside.

A broken mirror indeed, but the pieces of it have gained their own kind of life, some more than others.

He was slowly becoming more and more like a mass of individuals glued together against their will, a blight.

One that is likely to never be... 'fixed'. No matter what that Fox's intentions are.

Kazuo’s eyes narrowed to slits at Selim’s laughter. “And who will ‘oversee’ our contract, Akuma-senpai? Who will notice if you betray me, except me? Who will know that we made a deal? Shall we collect a professor and ask them to witness it? Another student perhaps? Who do you trust to do such things?” He turned his head slightly, peering at him out of the corners of his narrowed eyes, lips curling into a mocking smirk.

“A piece of paper means nothing and if you were taught that honour is bound by a piece of paper and not your own intentions, then your father is a fool, as would be anyone who would trust him. A piece of paper doesn’t bind you to action. Whether it is by your words spoken aloud or by writing those words on a page, if you intend to break that promise, the result is the same. Those who have no intention of keeping their word will always break it, regardless of how they gave it.”

“We are not two businessmen trading agreements on company assets or politicians trying to negotiate trade deals. If you want a contract that suits our kind, then why not make it a magical contract, hmmm? I admit I do not know the working of such things personally but I’m sure someone in this school should have the knowledge to do such a thing. I would think that would be far more suitable a method to bind a demon, don’t you?” The smirk widened to a grin, the smaller boy baring his fangs in his own way.

Kazuo turned away from the serpent, pulling out a notebook and a fancy red brush-tipped pen. He began to write in neat lines of hiragana, smiling as the red ink stained the page, forming the contract Selim seemed so very insistent on having.

This agreement, made on the 29th day of November, between Shimada Kazuo and Faust Selim hereby declares that the two shall enter into a contract of mutual benefit. These two shall engage in an exchange of favours with the intention of aiding each other in achieving their goals for so long as they continue to attend Hogwarts together. Should either party leave the school, whether by graduation, expulsion, or transfer, the contract may either be terminated or renegotiated upon agreement of both parties. Should either party betray the other,

He paused, pursing his lips in irritation.

“And what would be the consequences of breaking this contract? There is no point in making one if there are no consequences in breaking it.” He turned to gaze at Selim, arching a brow. “Suggestions, Akuma-senpai?”

Reducio

Mentioning: @Selim Faust

"You get many chances in life... but only one chance in death." - Ivan Karhoff

The 'demon' as that 'personality would soon be named in accordance to, listened to the younger student's reasonings about hoe paper contracts were flimsy. After listening to it, in the chaos of his scrambled mind palace, he could only apply one comment to the Badger's belief.

"I can see why you were made a Hufflepuff. I wouldn't be surprised if this one view is what derailed you from the house of snakes, amongst others perhaps." the boy mused in mild amusement, undeterred by the younger child's 'bared teeth'.

He observed the boy, slipping off the desk and circling around so he could see what his little kohai was writing. Clicking his tongue, he paused for a moment, closing his eyes and reaching out mental tendrils through the labyrinth of files he kept visualized and locked away in his skull. Skimming through the folders, he found the one clearly labelled 'Contracts'. There was only one in there, and he skimmed through it, committing it to his temporary memory.

eyes snapping open, he grabbed the notebook, temporarily ignoring the posed question the Badger asked. Quickly, after snatching the pen, he scribbled out the details fresh in his mind. It took up much more than one page.

The snake, soon to be turned rabbit, hummed. "At this rate, I'll need to make copies of the contract. Hand them out to those I'm interested in like candy." His voice held a tone of humour, it was hard to tell if he was joking or not. "I Suppose it'd fit the tail behind my surname."

He plopped the notebook back in the smaller boy's hand. Its new contents were sharply detailed and soon copied out on a piece of parchment the Slytherin had snatched from his bookbag. everything was in the duo's native language... for, a bit more privacy. The calligraphy was impeccable, giving a hint to what Selim's background may have been.



The pale boy spread the contract out on one of the desks, looking over as he waited for his kohai to finish reading the edited notebook copy of the contract. "Consiquences?" The boy hummed. "Well, if you want such a thing, I suppose for me it could be telling you my second name. As for you... well, you'd just be viewed as an enemy by me, whatever that could turn out looking like depends." He paused, mind going over his proposition, "I suppose that may not seem equivalent... but the effects of speaking what I view as my 'true name' are unpleasant... to say the least." His tone turned dark, amber gaze looking away as he felt his throat itch with promises of confirming that statement.

The look was gone as he moved out of the way of the newly-inked contract. "If that doesn't work, then pitch me some propositions. If it's enough for you, then you now... simply need to sign the contract." He smirked, eyes glinting dangerously. "Perhaps when our magical studies progress we can make it more... binding, if you want."

He gestured to the parchment, one hand holding out the quill he had used to make his own signature.

the deal sat there, waiting to be solidified. He'd add the 'consequences' once it was officially confirmed that his little kohai wanted to go through with the deal. No point in doing it before then, it would just be a waste, less able to be used if he wanted to make the same offer with another person.

Not everyone wanted consequences to the deal, to Selim, such a thing was optional.

Kazuo paused in his writing, quill poised as his gaze shifted to Selim, an unimpressed look on his face. “Or perhaps the hat is a senile and obsolete piece of history that doesn’t know what to do with a person whose capabilities could permit him existence in any House yet who is so wholly uninterested in the entire process of sorting children into boxes that he shows no particular preference to any House. I’m entirely unsure how you might think that single view would align me with a House who would, as a whole, probably never even consider the idea that someone might betray them.”

As he spoke, Selim had reached for his notebook, scribbling out an entirely different contract, one that was quite a bit lengthier. He arched a brow, smirking at Selim’s comment about making copies and handing them out. “Aesthetically pleasing. I would quite enjoy watching you hand your fellow students contracts every time they asked you for something.”

Selim returned the journal to him and he hopped up onto the desk, choosing to sit as he read through it. The hiragana was an appreciated touch and Selim’s handwriting was clearly flawless, another fact Kazuo filed away for later. A dusting of European coating to hide the fact - obvious perhaps only to him because of that shared lineage - that Selim’s family were true to their Japanese roots. “Perhaps I should call my family lawyer,” Kazuo joked as he read. “Your contract is… interesting. The attempt to clarify all points makes it bloated and repetitive without actually closing any loopholes. Why have a clause discussing ownership of assets? We are not going into an asset-based business together and, frankly, I have little interest in a situation wherein assets of any kind need to be shared. That will, consequently, make the contract more difficult to both negotiate and terminate. It is my preference that the ownership of any assets that may be involved in our contract be negotiated at the initiation of the exchange. I think this clause… ‘An equal/shared payment contributes to an equal/shared ownership of assets. can be removed. If assets are involved in any exchange of favours, ownership should be negotiated at the time of the request. And this one… Once mutually agreed upon, the contract makes the equivalent exchange binding until both parties have been satisfactorily appeased. This should be reworded. I suggest Once mutually agreed upon, the contract makes the equivalent exchange binding until both parties have fulfilled their agreed upon obligations. Appeased is far too vague a definition.”

His eyes continued to scan the page, his finger tracing over one part near the bottom that drew a chuckle from his lips. “This part is fascinating. Neither contracted party will take anything involving the contract personally and keep relations professional at all times and Debts, favours and gifts between contracted parties will not be mistaken for friendship or other personal relationships other than being professional. What a fascinating inclusion to a contract that clearly, by its nature intends to oversee the exchange of goods and services. Who could possibly want to write a clause into such a contract that tries to forbid the very essence of human behaviour?”

He chuckled, raising his gaze to meet Selim’s. “This is… Burnett’s contract isn’t it…? Strike those clauses if you wish me to take this contract seriously.”

“And this… one last thing. Ending the contract requires due notice. Should either party wish to end the contract, they must give the other party… let’s say one week’s notice? Otherwise… what’s to stop you from simply ending the contract without notice and stabbing me should you get bored of this?” Kazuo arched a brow, smirking.

“Learning your true name is a fascinating offer but does not appear to be a true penalty to you. It certainly is not an equivalent value to becoming your enemy - and all that might entail - certainly implying all sorts of awfulness that could be enacted upon me. Most contracts deal in financial compensation but this contract is too vague in what goods and services are worth to maintain a set value as a penalty. Since this contract is based on an exchange of services more than goods, I suggest simply that the person who breaches the contract will be required to fulfill a service, without negotiation or reciprocal value, for the aggrieved party. It is direct and in line with the essence of the contract.”

Kazuo glanced at the quill and the contract then smirked a bit. “If my amendments and the penalty are acceptable, I will sign.”

Reducio

@Selim Faust

"You get many chances in life... but only one chance in death." - Ivan Karhoff

He listened laxly to the boy's mini-rant about the house sorting and chuckled lightly when it was complete, "Oh I hardly believe it's a good system, the education system as a whole is based on old outdated science that believes rewards and punishment breed motivation in students. There have been many studies done that have disproven that fact, and grades and rewards, in fact, make a student's work less creative, less motivated in general to actually do a good job in whatever subject they're doing. Motivation is purely intrisnec, and not, in fact, extrinsic at all." He snorted, "Rewards breed nothing, punishment breeds stress, it's a wholly flawed system that I often play along with merely to be amused as professors wonder why their students seem to not care about classes in the slightest. Competition hardly helps because no one participates in competition for just that, they do it for the reward at the end, and hence, do the bare minimum needed in classes often, or are uncreative as to not risk losing that grade. They do what the teacher wants because the reward system was purely made to breed obedience for the muggle wars. Then humans got addicted, and now there are rewards everywhere."

He laughed lightly, "And people are wondering why work ethics are degrading so swiftly these days."

Selim listened as the boy pointed out flaws in the old contract, taking everything in a stride as he took the logical reasoning, and pulled out some new parchment, writing down the adaptations in that same hiragana as before, brush twisting rapidly, but precisely over the paper. He paused as the boy finally concluded the origins of the contract, Selim nodded. "It is. A basic template I plan to use for future contracts, adapted upon discussion with the other party. Some likely wouldn't comprehend everything in it anyways so then I just fall back on this one and change the things I feel may need to be changed at that point." He finished up the ending of the main part of the document and glanced over as he mentioned that his penalty doesn't seem like it would have a negative effect on him. The Slytherin smiled humorously, the expression eerily empty of any humour and having a hauntingly depressing hint to it. "It would, that I can assure you. I do say that your suggestion sounds far better, and much less painful for me if I bear the consequences. Unless, of course, you use me to get to my clan. That would be something I couldn't allow even for such an immaculate contract."

He finished up the line designated for signing, and wrote his initials on the first half of it, then passed it over to the younger boy.

"If it is up to your standers, then sign as you will, little Jackal." He smirked at the new nickname. Yes, it fits much better than 'badger' that was for sure.