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Well, yelling no at him was definitely one way to keep him around. He flopped back against the wall and his eyes widened as she spoke. He unfurled, slowly loosening up again while he listened to her story, and eventually a fond little smile played on his lips.

"I don't think that's stupid. And I don't think you're stupid, either. I think that's.. sweet." He put his chin in his hands, and rested his elbow on his knee. "I don't know too many people who were sheltered that much. The world out there, she's a cruel place. Even without being a hunter. But you seem like you haven't seen that much cruelty in your life yet. And sweetheart, there ain't nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to that."

The culture shock was going to kill her, however. To go from that kind of peace, to this.. He shook his head. "So why'd you say yes? When Deus came calling, I mean. Sounds like you had it pretty made, there with your - " God, she even used the word papa. He felt like he was in a Disney movie. "Your papa."

"Aww, sweetheart."

A girl who had nothing but one person her entire life, was inevitably a mess when that person died. At least Sasha seemed like she was handling it well, though the choice to channel her energy into Deus may not have been her smartest. He reached out and wrapped his big arm around her shoulder, squeezing her gently in comfort. It felt awkward, the way his arm threatened to engulf her, and he tried to be gentle - he really didn't want to make her freak out again.

Still hugging her, he rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, I know all about them horrible things. They came to us all, and now we're coming to them. That's our job. Get rid of the horrible things in this world, while they keep on trucking without ever knowing about it. And hey, at least we have parties here. It's almost like living a real life."

He didn't sound entirely convincing, but he tried.

When she turned to ask him, he blinked down at those big, curious eyes, and quirked a brow in utter confusion. "What about me? Why'd I say yes?" His face melted into some very convincing apathy. "It wasn't a hard choice. I was a d**k back when I was nobody. Too many wrong decisions. And I figured, the best way to fix that was to start all over." His hand sliced across the air dramatically. "Clean the slate. Kill off Robert Morris and start anew." His hand dropped to his knee, and he smiled down at her proudly. "No regrets."

Robert listened, and smiled when it was appropriate. His smile turned just a touch more genuine when she mentioned the flute, however. "You play? Do you have one here? I wanna hear!" He was just rude enough not to ask, but just announce his desire outright, and yet, it didn't sound like a command. If anything, his eyes had lit up bright enough to make it seem more like an excited request. "I love music. What do you play? Classical, or jazz?"

He had no answer for the rest of what she'd said. Because the truth was, it wasn't ever going to get easier. It only got harder from here on out, and he couldn't tell her that. He never wanted to make that pretty face frown.

Robert looked genuinely sad that she hadn't brought her flute. To be locked away in a place like this without the one thing most important to someone, would be torture. He nodded quickly. "You'll get one. We get to go out and get s**t, and we get paid well. You'll have your flute back in no time. Maybe if you learn anything I like, I'll sing it with you as you play." His face crunched up slightly. "Maybe. So long as we're alone."

He was relieved to hear that she was a fast learner. It was a skill that would, hopefully, keep her alive. "So, basically, you're gonna need to get adjusted to the labs, 'n s**t. That's where I come in. Now listen, this is real important." He bent in close, his eyes widening at the seriousness of the information he was going to pass on. "The entire division of Life is like.. it's like living with a big group of boys. Pranksters. You don't trust a single thing any one of those boys say, except for me, and Leon. Leon doesn't really play the whole prankster bit, but I do - which is why I know better." He leaned back, and brushed his thumb against her cheek playfully while winking. "But don't worry. I don't plan on playin' any tricks on you. You're too sweet."

Robert's lips thinned in a tight smile at the question. His instinctive denial bubbled up almost instantly, but Sasha was just the kind of person to inspire sincerity in a man, even him. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "I guess. Yeah. I worked hard enough for it. If I wasn't a good singer.. that's a good bit of my life I was wasting back then." But even his moment of sincerity had it's limits, and the question of what he sang made him hesitant. "I.. can sing everything. Whatever you want, I'll belt it out for you. Not really picky." He lied smoothly through his teeth. He was very picky, but there was no force in heaven or hell that was going to make him sit there and list off his favorite musicals and opera sonatas for a girl. He had to keep some shred of his dignity, somehow.

The pat on his knee distracted him, and when she spoke, he nodded sagely and lifted his eyebrows in solemn agreement. "No doubt, princess. Having someone you can trust, around here, well, it's everything." He grinned down at her brightly. "I'm glad you're in Life, Sasha. We're gonna take good care of you."