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Gaius listened, his fidgeting stilling as Emelyn spoke. The affirmation and sympathy of her words emboldened Gaius, though he still felt self-conscious and embarrassed by his outburst.

He sucked in his breath quickly. "Over a year?!" She'd been there, like that, for so long? Just how long had this place been running? Gaius frowned at the troubling thought.

As she uttered those last, hopeless words, something within Gaius twisted. The despair he'd delt with only weeks ago that he'd fought so hard to beat out of his conscious thoughts, that had persisted at the fringes of his mind, was now making itself known, like a bitter taste at the back of his tongue. Meeting Em's eyes, his expression reflected a defiance. "No..." he said with a small shake of his head, "I know it'll come. Maybe no one knows or cares about us, but somehow it'll get out. It's just up to us to take the initiative."

As if sensing the tense atmosphere around the two, Vixen returned from her adventures around the buffet, carrying a piece of ham someone had been foolish enough to leave on a plate. She lay down on top of Gaius' big feet, looking up at him with content eyes. For the first time since his tirade, Gaius cracked a small smile and looked back up at his dining companion. "I think things will change for the better. They have to. It's how the world works. Things can't be bad forever."

Gaius settled back on his bench, fiddling with the half-eaten gingerbread cookie in his hands. He didn't look up at Em, not fully agreeing with her. It was hard to accept those good things amongst all the bad, but... yes, they were there. "I suppose..." he said, mulling over the words. "I've made some friends here I doubt I ever would have met back home. I'm grateful for them, at least."

The cookie was set back down. Gaius noted how the other girl had left her pie unfinished and frowned, feeling responsible for the disruption. "Hey, don't let me get you down, okay?" He bent his head slightly, hoping to ease things. "I'm just a stupid guy with too many thoughts and not enough distance between my brain and tongue. It's Christmas, after all... And the pie's pretty good, if what my nose senses is any indication," he finished with a wry half-grin.

Emelyn's words brought a touch of relief to Gaius. Being less adept than others at 'smooth' talking had developed an anxiety in the man, at least when he stopped to think, whether he was saying the 'right' thing, or aiming a big foot for his mouth. It was with a warmer expression that he regarded the hedgehog across the table. "Yes, that chair..."

He cast her a quick look-over, trying to lock aproximate measurements to memory. "It's mostly backs you have trouble with, right? So we just have to figure a way around that..."

Gaius raised an eyebrow teasingly. "A tail? Could have fooled me!"

At her politeness, he waved a hand, a low chuckle escaping him. "Nah, it's fine! I do have a big project in process right now, but I can make time for this. I'm one of those guys that needs to be kept busy, otherwise I'll just get into trouble." He picked up one of the chocolate chip cookies and bit off a good half of it. "I don't suppose you've noticed the work we're doing at the southern end of the village? It's not much yet, just some wood piles and holes... but we're going to put up a theater there!" he bragged.

Gaius shifted in his seat to lean an elbow on the table, pleased as any guy would be with getting to talk about his interests. "Contractor, was hoping to be an architect someday, but that isn't going to work out right now, so I'm managing. My dad and I used to do wood projects together a lot... he was better at it than me... And the tools they have here are only the most basic of basics," he snorted, nostrils flaring slightly, and smirked.

"The theater wasn't my idea originally..." he confessed. "I was actually talked into doing it by that octopus guy who lives out by the lake. Seems strange, but I guess anyone can come up with a decent idea given enough time."

"Hey, takes all types," Gaius laughed lightly, brushing the crumbs that remianed of his cookie from his lips with the back of his hand. "I imagine you could come up some useful stuff if you wanted. Like the basket sounds pretty handy. Actually, what I need right now is to call the labs and see about getting a couple dishes for this lump here." He looked down at Vixen sprawled across his feet dozing and gave her a light shove. "Don't know why they landed me with her... seems a strange Christmas gift coming from them, you know?" he shrugged.

Gaius couldn't help a warm chuckle as the thought of 'dog person' holding a new meaning on that island. "Yeah, thankfully. I've always wanted one since I was a kid, but living space never allowed for it." He leaned to the side to reach a hand down to scratch at Vixen's rump, getting a muscle-twitch out of her and a loll of her head. He smiled, clearly already fond of the animal. "I don't think they could have known that..."

Looking back up at Em, he smiled. "I'm glad they did that for you... My own interactions with the labs haven't been so... nice, but that's probably because of who I've been dealing with. I have to admit, I really haven't seen much of this Moreau guy... or Aubrey, for that matter. Ambrose said she was pretty nice, though."

"That description sounds like you're decribing Sabin..." Gaius muttered, then downed the last of his milk with a head-toss and plunked the cup down. "He thinks of us as possessions, the way he looks at us... Aaah," he shook his head and sighed. "I hope that Aubrey can somehow withstand those two... Both bad news. Really bad."

Vixen lifted her head, cocking her ears as the two talked, then pawed at Gaius' leg as she sensed the change in tone.

Gaius looked down, running a hand over her head and managing a small smile before looking back up at Em. "I should probably see about getting some supplies to take care of her... Ah, which duplex should I drop the chair off at, if I manage to finish it?"