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Even Jeremy had to flinch when Robert started to laugh. It spoke volumes, enough to pierce through even his no doubt damaged brain. He stayed put for Melvin's sake, ready to come to his friend's aid if the need arose, but judging by that laughter it wouldn't come to that. Not in the slightest. Instead of protecting someone he felt almost the same sort of ridicule...and yet, just as quickly as the embarrassment rose, it faded. Just like that, without a rhyme or reason.

Melvin shrugged off his arm and Jeremy stood there for a moment longer, staring blankly down at his open palm and flexing his hand a couple times. Whatever it was he had been thinking about seemed to be resolved for the blonde looked up, smiled at the group of higher ranked Hunters, and waved to them.

"Okay, well, have a good day! Good luck with...whatever this is~!" There was a vague gesture to the whole room and everyone in it. His words sounded sincere and as if nothing had happened, especially nothing that almost involved a brawl in the middle of a crowded room. "Hrm. Yup. That's it, then~" Jeremy nodded as though confirming something to himself before he turned away from them, trotting off to find his friend.

Even if said friend didn't consider him one, too.

"Oh! Dis! Marcus! Hi, I'm Saya!" Perhaps the weapon might remember her and Prompto? Her line came after Kat's, trying to stay in the conversation.But before she waited for an answer, she spotted someone in the room. He had .. oh. Maybe it was part of the mission. It would be best to inquire--

He also looked really cool. SHE COULD LEARN THINGS.

Before Dis replied, Saya sent an apologetic glance to Kat, Dis and Marcus, pointing with both hands to the direction she intended to go in. She disappeared into the crowd, one hand perched on her head to keep her hat from falling off.

" .. Sir?"

Oh good lord, including this man, the appeal that practically rained on this room was a little too much. She shook her head, trying to distract herself from all the sparkles.

"The Phoenix's, were from the very first group out of all of us, groups of 13 were set for testing much like similar to the tests that both Wood and you faced reid." Leon explained after taking a spot on the floor, leaning back for support.

"They were born from the union of two opposing teams, alpha and zeta, those who did not join their union were cast aside, which made easier targets for the teams that stayed together." The memories of that betrayal were still bitter to the brunette. "I was a Zeta that did not join their fold and tried to keep the other zeta's unified."

"I was an outcast from the very start." another bitter pill to swallow. it was almost ironic, the dry laugh that escaped his lips at the realization.

Robert's focus was on the w - Christ, Petra was still a man, wasn't she. He wrapped his arms around h.. im.. and tried, very hard, not to be weirded out by it.

(He failed.)

"I can feel the anger boiling your blood, sunshine." Robert chuckled out. "Relax. You know as well as I do that if he'd shot his little sperm gun and hurt my shield, nothing would have happened except a big old fight until Cael comes in and waves his shiny d**k around. Then half the room would be podded and I wouldn't get laid tonight. So, be glad nobody got too stupid." His head bent in, and his eyes met hers, gleaming with a dark ferocity. His grin, wide and toothy, was empty of any mirth. "Doesn't mean I ain't gonna murder him though." He whispered against her cheek. She knew Robert better than she knew herself. He didn't need to explain just how long, or how careful, he was about his grudges.

"You know, the little s**t had a point, not that it was his place to say it. But I do care about some people. And Leon's one of them." All the dark, spiteful venom had left his voice. "I'm actually worried about that son of a b***h. I think he's got issues I didn't even know about until now." He'd worked with Leon so long, he'd just assumed things were as simple as they'd seemed. But after a reaction like that, nothing seemed simple anymore. "I think he might have actually cared about Maddie, a little bit."

And maybe, just maybe, Leon didn't want to care about someone. Was this entire fight just his scapegoat, looking for a way out of his feelings for Maddie?

"... You ever feel like you're livin' in a soap opera?" Robert mused blankly. He reached out and patted poor Jeremy on the back, with a hard slap. "Good try, by the way. Haven't seen you around in a while. What, you get podded or something? BAHAHAHA-"

Goddamnit, Robert.

Harrison felt himself blush at the hair rustle, which was stupid, he hardly ******** blushed ever. It made his whole scalp tingle. Sunlight glittered from behind Rep, illuminating him in a halo of perfection.

He could hardly talk. He had a feeling it would come out just as stupid as the blush.

He was still standing there awkwardly with stiff shoulders when half the casting list lined up in some kind of fight, and a few weapons came out.

He still didn't trust himself to say anything. But he did move back closer to Rep, Melvin, and Leon. His stare was very brooding and intense.

And he was still blushing.

".. Sir?"

The man looked at Saya through his long lashes, looking rather pleased with what he saw. "Ah-ah, hang on." He grabbed the tripod and scooted back, pointing it towards the ex-huntress before snapping a few pictures. "Hm. Nah, man, that won't work. Could you give me a smolder? Or -- yeah, yeah, that bewildered look will be perfect beautiful."

Snap snap click. "Mmm. That'll do me good for a bit. May I be of assistance or somethin'?" The man straightened up, flipping his hair to get it out of his eyes. His hair fluttered back into place a moment later, prompting an exasperated sigh from him.

"I don't remember most of mine either. it was fuzzy, but I do remember the lonliness."

His attention was still on the octopus as it dragged itself away. "They don't. Come out the water much." he said. He'd seen some of them on the rocks and once one of them half jogging half swimming along the bottom. They weren't a shoulder sitting kind of invertebrate. He resisted the urge to ask any more, sometimes it just wasn't worth knowing.

He took the earring back, sincerely worried about how bright it was glowing. "It's always ready to explode. But never this ******** glowy." He shook it - which was probably risky all considered - and all that happened was the water within swirled a little bit.

"Check this out." he said to Harrison as he moved over to join them, before stopping for just an instant and smiling broadly at the unmissable blush. It took every fibre of his being not to comment. He tended to blush vividly and blush often thanks to his skin type, so there was no small degree of justice.

He threw an arm across Harrison's shoulders affectionately reguardless. "Maybe some people just got like, a bit uncomfortable at hearing your love life debated man."