"It's only that you sounded concerned." Okay, he's going to ease back on being an ass, but mostly only because she doesn't seem hostile and he doesn't genuinely want a fight here - antiviolence field or no antiviolence field, he does like the company, on occasion.

"Studying?" Now the interest was real, and he watched her with directness, "Are you in high school? College--? I was a university professor myself, not long ago. Dr. Crane is my name, Dr. Jonathan Crane."

At the reminder that he was on the floor, he looked around, then snorted. "I don't want to give people the impression they can come up and bother me whenever they please. Unusual behavior deters all but unusual people - which, I grant you, is a larger population in this place than I'm accustomed to."