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Gilbert considered the layout of the floor, the remaining few mats, and the bedding they had on hand. Sure, they could just finish laying out the mats and see how they did, but he kind of wanted to know if the bedding was going to be serviceable before they went absolutely hog-wild and arranged sleeping spaces that no one would bother with. If worst came to worst, they could halve the area they'd already set up, double-stacking the mats and then setting out the bedding, but he didn't think it would actually come to that. Some people might be more fussy than others, but as he toed off one of his shoes and extended a socked foot toward the mat, he decided it was more or less like camping.

He'd been camping a couple of times as a kid, with friends. They'd learned pretty quick to bring foam mats to put under their sleeping bags, too, because the ground was cold and hard and really not all that hospitable when all you had beneath you was a centimeter of tent flooring and your sleeping bag. This was really no worse than anyone would suffer on an average camping trip, and most of the kids were old enough that while they would probably like to b***h and moan -- and more than likely would -- they could suck it up and get over it. The ones who were really bothered could be directed to the plush outpost with beds, and the rest of them could tough it out and make the best of a bad situation.

That was kind of what he was planning on doing.

Standing with one foot in a shoe and the other flat against the ground, hip cocked due to the inch lost in height, Gilbert mused, "Seems pretty decent. No Red Lion hotel, but you know, you work with what you have."

He smiled at Menthe again, hands tucked against his hips. "You look like a secretary." The way he said it wasn't an insult; it was almost... appreciative. Yeah, she looked like a secretary all right. The kind he'd like to see around his office. A pretty face and a nice figure made the day pass faster, eh?

Down, boy. You haven't been in space that long.

"Anyway, we can set up the bedding and test a couple of these things out, I suppose. Might as well see if they're serviceable before we set all the rest of the mats out and end up having to start all over." So saying, he headed over to where the bedding was, gait comically uneven.

He had his own worries about his position at the station when he went back. Gilbert was a brand new transfer, which meant that he hadn't actually gotten to really get to know anyone or sink his teeth into any big projects just yet... close, but not quite there. Thankfully, at least, he lived with his cousin, so he would have been reported as one of the missing and it wouldn't be assumed he just walked out on the job. That would be enough to kill a man's reputation for life.

Settling himself down onto a mat next to Menthe, he shifted his shoulders around until he was reasonably comfortable and looked up at the ceiling. It was no five star hotel, but it would have to do. Frankly, Gilbert would have liked to take one of the beds at Leo, but he wasn't all that sure who was going to be fighting for them, and he didn't want to make any enemies straight away. He could live with this for a while, and he would.

"I imagine that most, if not all of us, have been reported missing." Gilbert rolled over, resting his cheek against a pillow and giving her a reassuring smile. "Even if you don't have any family around, your boss will more than likely call in and report you missing, given the fact that so many of us are gone. I imagine you have a good history of being a reliable employee, yeah?"

He wiggled his toes, having discarded his other shoe before he got into the sleeping bag, and looked thoughtful. "And I do believe we are going back. Something brought us here, and something's going to take us home. You've just got to keep that pretty head of yours thinking positive, all right?"

Another reassuring smile. He was good at those.