The wind's blowing a gale. Those who say that a winter wind cuts like a knife have never been in one. A winter wind doesn't cut like a knife, it cuts like several knives - and they've been packed in dry ice, to boot. Benji, shoulders hunched up around his ears, turns up the collar of his coat against this dry-ice knives-wind as he trudges across the campus, to the dorms. His hair's a mess, tossed in every direction, and there's a faint hint of frostbite on his cheeks.

He thought, this morning, I'm just going out for a little while. It's not far to the Science hall, I don't need a hat or mitts. Or socks. Just a coat's fine!
(Granted, when he was thinking this, he was already almost five minutes late for his class, so one can't blame his being underdressed solely on bravado).

"Fucking weather," the young man mutters, burying his hands in his coat pockets.
This doesn't do much, as his fingers are numb anyway.
"Fucking stupid cold weather..."

Alexander is not underdressed. He is wearing a coat and scarf and hat, and essentially looks as if he does this every day and knows exactly what to wear for what weather. He does. (Of course, that he can read the weather magically and more accurately than the TV weatherman probably helps...)

Pause.

Keye...? No, wait, that's not what Keye was wearing today. Means it must be that other boy, the one who looks so much like him, the twin...

"Good afternoon, Benjamin."

He's coolly polite.

"Hn?"

He squints against the wind as he looks over at the professor. It's difficult to recognize someone you've only met once, especially when they're all bundled up as Alexander is. The voice rings a bell, but it's not enough to bring up a name to go with it.

"Uh. H'lo, sir."
Benji smiles hesitantly, bringing up a hand to shield his face so he can afford to stop squinting and really look at the man.
And hopefully figure out who he is.

"And how are you?"

Alexander doesn't usually exchange pleasantries with people. He's doing it now because he figures it would please Keye to hear about his brother, if the boys haven't seen each other all that recently.

He doesn't know all of what Keye does with his time, these days.

"Uh, good, thanks. But cold. Feels like the weather's practicing for the next Ice Age."

Benji's trying not to look to curious, but it's really bothering him how this guy is so familiar, yet he can't pin down his identity.

"Heh. Anyway. How're you?"

"Well enough. Much better than last time we spoke."

This is because Keye isn't about to die. That really messed with Alexander's head, you know. Not that his head wasn't already messed up...

"Have you seen Keye recently?"

Doctor something. That's it. Doctor... Barry? No,...Boris, no,... Barclay. Barclay, that's his name... oh, yeah! Keye's dad. Right.

Benji grins, mainly because he now knows who he's talking to.

"Uh, yeah, a little while back. I met him in the park - or did you mean today? ...'Cause I haven't seen him today..."

"I said recently. Had I meant today, I would have said today."

Alexander is... dry. Very dry.

He does that. At least he's not being condescending and cruel.

"Oh. Well, yeah, like I said, met him in the park a while back..."

Benji winces. That hadn't been the best day he'd ever had. Not the worst by a long shot, but one of the worse ones.

"He... didn't tell you about that?"

Pause.

That doesn't sound good.

"No. He did not."

Alexander's voice has gone all chilly and polite again.

This is because he is as tense as a very tense thing.

Benji rubs his reddened nose with the back of a (numb) hand.

"Heh, how 'bout that," he says weakly, "Well, see, I was talking to this guy I know, and this kid friend of his,... and Keye came along... and there was this fight, and,... long story cut really short, Keye 'n I went back to my place and he told me, uh, stuff. We talked."

"I see... Who was the guy you know?"

Alexander frowns.

"What was the fight about?"

He doesn't ask what Keye told him. Keye wouldn't tell anything that Alexander doesn't already know, so it's pointless to ask.

Right?

"His name's Jibril," Benji shrugs, frowning. He doesn't mention the 'and he's an angel' part. "The fight? Uhh,... well, it was about the kid. 'Cause he's the sick fuck who put Keye in the hospital that time, and... yeah. Keye told me what he did. After the fight, I mean."

Probably shouldn't have said 'fuck',... oh well, too late now.

Alexander is much tenser now. Even though I'm not entirely certain that that is possible, but you learn something new every day.

"What happened?"

... Alexander, don't go looking for Logan. Or Jibril, for that matter. It would be far messier than it was worth.

Benji folds his arms, hiding his hands under his sleeves in a vain attempt to coax blood back into his frozen fingers. Thawing them out later isn't going to feel nice. He tips his head slightly sideways, looking curiously at Alexander.

"You mean after the fight, or... what happened with Keye and the freak kid?"

The professor is really starting to creep him out.

"Before, during, and after the fight. I am fully aware of what happened with the 'freak kid.'"

Along with a few things that Benji doesn't know. (I think. Does Benji know what Alexander did to Logan?)

"Uh, well..." he shrugs, looking awkward, "Nothing really happened before. The kid looked kind of surprised to see me,... then Keye showed up and just went after him. Jibril stopped him from getting to him. Then Keye got out a gun and he was pointing it at the kid, said stuff about stopping him from hurting other people. 'N then the kid ran away."

And that's Benji's hastily summarized version of the event.

"I see."

Alexander thinks about this. Specifically, he's deciding whether he should go and beat Logan again for coming near Keye. Still, he wasn't actually hurt, so...

"What is this Jibril like?"

Benji is slightly surprised that Alex doesn't seem bothered by mentions of a gun. Honestly, is he the only sane one around here?

"Uh... tallish," Benji frowns as he tries to bring the image of the angel to mind, "Last time I saw him, he had hair colored like a candy cane. It was pink before, though... I guess he changes it alot. He dresses kind of... weird. I can't really describe him."

Oh, yeah. And he has wings. Yeah, right, like I'll mention that.

Given that Keye once threatened him with said gun--granted that he was under the control of a psychotic demon at the time--Alexander would be more surprised that it wasn't mentioned.

"Mhmm. And why do you suppose he would be hanging about the 'freak kid'?"

"I have no freakin' clue, sir."

Benji shrugs.

"They seemed... pretty close, but I, uh, I really don't know. Sorry. Don't know Jibril that well,... don't care to."

"I see."

He looks Benji over again and mentally reminds himself that he should be nice to his son's brother. (Does that make Benji his son too? ... nah.)

"Care to warm up a little in my office before you keep going?"

"Uhh,... yeah, sure. That'd be great," he smiles gratefully.

If he was expecting Keye to get to know his parents, it was only fair he got to know Keye's... So far as one can get to know Alexander Barclay, anyway. It's not an easy task.

No, it isn't. Especially given that he reacts badly to anyone asking about his history or his family, or really anything about him. He'll talk about his work, or his books, or his magic--if you know it exists, that is--but not about himself.

"It's right over here."

And Alexander leads the way towards his office, which is just in the next building, and seems to take it for granted that Benji is going to follow.

"Alright."

Benji does follow - the idea of getting somewhere out of the cold, if only for a short while, is very attractive.

And now for some small talk.

"So, uh... did Keye mention any plans for reading week...?"
Considering that his twin is the only thing they have in common, he makes a good subject for conversation.

"No, I don't believe he did. Why, did you make some?"

He's curious, and not... likely... to take offense because Keye is spending time with his twin's parents instead of with his adoptive father.

I think.

"Yeah, unless he's changed his mind. He's been invited to come home with me for that week,... meet my parents and such. They've been wanting to meet him for a while now."

Benji shrugs a shoulder, looking faintly pleased, but uncertain.

"Hope you don't mind,... "

"No, I don't."

Oddly, he doesn't. I wasn't sure until a moment ago.

"It should be good for him to meet a few normal people."

He certainly isn't normal. He loves the boy dearly, but he's not normal by any stretch of the imagination.

"Heh. Yeah, true," Benji chuckles.

Nothing against Keye, but... yeah.
Does Benji wish his twin was more normal? Maybe a little.
As to whether he'll do anything about that... we'll see.

"I should like to meet your parents as well, but I doubt the invitation extends to me."

Besides, he's busy. Really.

He's got to be ready to kill his students at a moment's notice, doncha know.

"Huh? You would?..."

Benji chews on his lower lip, looking thoughtful.

"I could ask,... I don't think they'd mind, so long as I gave them a heads-up. What's one more, right?"

Alexander chuckles.

"Oh, I think I would rather invite them to my place sometime."

And keep it to a dinner, rather than spend a week with them. You can learn things about someone if you live a week with them.

Especially if you're parents ostensibly trying to get to know each other.

"Hey, well, whenever. I'll relay the message if you decide to do that."
Blink.
"Or I could give you the home number, that might be easier. Whatever."

"I think giving me the home number would be easiest."

He's more likely to remember a number exists, you see.

And he doesn't see Benji all that often, so he can't be sure when his message would make it through.

Benji scrounges through his pockets and comes up with a small pad of fluorescent-colored post-its and a pencil. He scribbles a number, tears off the small sheet, and holds it out.

"There ya go."

"Thank you."

Alexander tucks the post-it in his briefcase, which is where he puts all important things that he doesn't want to forget about but doesn't care if people find. (He hasn't put his wallet in there since Wick found it.)

... and cue awkward silence.

"Uh. Yeah. So,..."

He fidgets with the zipper on his coat, disliing the silence but unable to think of a way to break it, until...

"Well - I'm going to get back to my room,... I've got some reading to catch up on."

Alexander nods...

"Oh, here. Have Keye return this to me when next you see him."

He hands Benji his scarf; he can keep warm by magic, and also he has a car. So there.

"Wh- oh. Hey, thanks. I will."

He winds the scarf snugly around his neck, and starts on his way.

"See you around, Dr. Barclay."