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"I didn't think I was anything." He shrugged, absently, and then slowly eased one cigarette out of the pack -- as if he thought that, by doing so, she wouldn't notice the action and wouldn't raise objections. Maybe Ever could distract her while he fished for his lighter, too.

"I'd never thought about it all, until about then. My upbringing wasn't exactly friendly to the idea." And he raised both eyebrows as he said it, meaningfully. Hopefully, she'd get it.

Ever blinked at her, surprised maybe -- and then laughed. It didn't take him long at all to kindle the end of the cigarette and get it going, to draw a very heavy dose of smoke into his lungs. Being trapped down here, with no cigarettes at all in his pack, would have been a nightmare. As it was, it wasn't that bad.

"I answered you. I mean, as much as I can. Earlier. I'm here because where else would I be? I wouldn't be at Yale, for sure."

If it was meant to offend, it missed its mark: made him blink and then laugh, genuinely, a laugh that turned into a cough as he drew too much smoke into his lungs. He had to struggle to catch his breath again, dropping his feet to the ground and leaning in over his knees, a hand against his chest. Still surprised by that, maybe.

"I probably could have. Make use of one of my greatest talents."

He shook his head, still coughing -- and, even as he did, almost absently offered a cigarette to Claude, eyebrows raised. As if his moment of misery was somehow a compelling argument to take up a highly addictive [but at least not lethal, for them] habit.

Ever should have brought a glass of water.

"I wish that worked here. Have you seen Life's division leader?"

It wasn't the reaction he'd expected, really -- Ever clearing his throat again and trying to drive away the last of the raspy, uncomfortable scratchiness. Of course, he almost immediately went for another pull on the cigarette. Just more careful this time, slow, thinking.

"I was referring more to how hot he is -- I'm not really surprised about people getting away with anything, not on an island in, what, the bermuda triangle, outside of any other system of government?" He shook his head, looking around for something he could tap off into, and opted for the floor. It wasn't exactly clean anyway.

"Who's going to police anyone else? I'm surprised it's not worse."

"Maybe I'm into that." It was an easy sort of reply, gesturing somewhat indifferently with his cigarette: halfway to a shrug. It wasn't, apparently, high on Ever's list of concerns. Or maybe he was just bullshitting her, bringing the cigarette back to his mouth, eyes a tad distant.

"...all of Life labs is like that anyway. I'd advise against a transfer; I'm comparatively pretty sane and well-adapted."

"Uh huh, that's where my --" And then a pause, due to the problems of labels. Ever licked his lips, turning the cigarette to consider the end, as if doing so would make it less obvious that he was stumbling over the word.

"Zeke does shifts, anyway, I don't know if that's really where he is." And he drew smoke into his lungs,shrugging, eyes flicking back up to Claude's face. "Anyway, I only said I was comparatively sane."

Ever made a sound, dismissive maybe, definitely not agreeing, as he finished the cigarette and snuffed it out against the side of his chair. He could have argued with the word, but generally, in his experience, that just made people go all sly and smirky, like they knew something he didn't. No thank you.

Instead he raised his eyebrows as he looked up at her. "Why'd you leave Yale?"