[ After years of practicing hard and soft martial arts, he's more than familiar with the concept of qi. But he doesn't buy into the spiritualism. (Or if he does, he treats it with the same offhandedness as oxygen. There -- but not worth wasting words on. ) At her statement, his gaze goes dim and inward -- but only for a split-second. ] Some problems aren't as easy to fix as a leaky sink. Mainly because a lot of adults aren't sure what the problem is. They've accumulated so many, they're nothing but bad qi.

[ Realizing that sounds a bit harsh, he softens his next remark with a smile. ] I think lots of people don't get the difference between 'loneliness' and 'solitude'. That, or they just don't have the patience for books. [ It's true that he enjoys silence, if not stagnation. A peaceful evening. A good book. The trajectory of his thoughts when he turns the pages isn't always pleasant. But he appreciates the calm for the simple fact that it's not the volatile energy of conflict. ]

[ The energy he grew up in. ]