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When Oliver arrived at the Life division training course, he didn't know the request made to him was the same as that of the other young man already hanging around at the entrance. It wasn't a trainee Oliver knew, which only added to the intimidation he felt as he tried to find another unobtrusive place to wait. There were not many places to wait.

The nervous kid settled for waiting in the middle of the room, sorting miscellaneous items from one coat pocket to another while smoke rings drifted over his head.

A curious eye followed the short young man as he approached and took up post against a different wall. Not unusual in and of itself, but he seemed incredibly nervous, fidgety. Sorting items from one pocket into another as if her was determined to keep his attention down and now wandering. Zeke was fairly certain he'd seen him before, in the infirmary, running around playing go-for for any higher ranked hunter that needed him. Probably his name had come up before, but Ezekiel couldn't recall it.

He blinked as Harley's voice rose up to hail him--them--and an easy smile stretched along features as he snuffed out the end of his smoke and slipped the half finished cigarette back into his pocket. "Hey gorgeous."

Patiently he'd wait for her to great the smaller trainee, Oliver, then return the embrace in full when she got to him. In fact, he'd straighten up enough ti pick her right off her feet for a second or two before setting her down so she could make introductions. "Nice to meet you Oliver." That remained to be seen, but he was fairly confident he'd never have to worry about the kid popping an attitude at him.

Zeke could have warmed them what they'd find, but he preferred to watch their reactions as they entered the large room with the moat--laser equipped death fish and all--and it's square, stone table. A rather simple looking game a Jenga was stacked exactly in the center.

"Ready when you are, sweetheart." He didn't sound enthused, but then again, the last time Zeke's experiences with the Life course were not exactly good ones.

Harley gave a short cry of delight as Zeke swept her off her feet for those two fun, weightless seconds. She was just as happy to be back on her feet, because it meant she was able to drag two of her favourite boys down the stairs with her.

The slight tension in the room - the one mostly centred around Oliver - was lost on her as she sized up the jenga tower that resided in the exact middle of the table.

"Alright! I'll start, then." She hummed thoughtfully, and poked at some of the pieces in quick little jabs, pulling free the loosest one she could find, and stacking it on the very top. "So! How are you two? Doing okay? What is neeew?" Idle talk; Hattie was pretty bad at it.

As much as Zeke did not like this place for many reasons, he sank down onto one of the stone benches and propped his elbows up on the table, hands clasped together loosely.

"Same old, " he answered mildly, answer Harley's question with a turn of his head and a quick smile. "Did you ever get that hamburger you wanted?" He could have been curious about that specifically, or he could have been asking subtly if she'd ever made it to the aquarium.

After Harley had placed her piece Zeke reached out and nudged one free so he could pull it out slowly and place it on the top of the stack.

"You know? I did!" Harley squeaked out at the question, keeping her arms and hands to herself in an attempt to not shake the table and ruin all their chances at this game. "It was <******** delicious." She heaved a heavy sigh of longing, gazing off into the distance as though waiting for some long lost to come back to her.

"The Aquarium was pretty badass too! They had a blue ring octopus there, it was apparently a new thing? But it was so cute! I missed the feeding times for the sharks though, so I was a little bummed about that." Zeke hadn't even needed to ask about the aquarium to hear about it; Harley was nothing short of a chatterbox, especially when she knew it was a topic that the majority of her current companions shared. Besides, she somehow thought Oliver would be the type to find it interesting, too.

As she spoke excitedly, she reached out, poking a piece free and stacked it on top without a second thought; she probably wasn't even really looking at what she was doing, either.

"But next time, though! We'll have to pick a huge one to go to." She grinned at Zeke, rather excited for the idea of going to another aquarium with someone who actually appreciated it. Oliver's silence however, was not only noted, but then forcibly removed:

"What've you been up to, Ollie? Go off-island at all recently?"

Despite his nervous silence, Oliver couldn't help but smile as Hattie talked about her adventures. She was always able to fill up a room with chatter, and in a way it was reassuring being around someone who talked enough for both of them.

He shook his head, examining the jenga tower with some thought. "I-I keep forgetting to um, book time," came his quiet reply, a little less timid while his attention was focused. "Do you think there are any aquariums in Chicago?"

Finally he found a piece that seemed loose enough, and with the tip of his tongue sticking out ever so slightly, he pulled it free and set it on the top of the tower.

"The Shedd aquarium is in Chicago, yes." Zeke's gaze slid to Oliver, as if the kid had finally said something of interest, and really he had. Anyone that showed even the slightest interest in ocean life and aquariums was worth paying at least some measure of attention to. "I haven't been there personally, but I know folks who have, and they say it's really nice."

Harley was reaching for a piece and Zeke's attention drifted back to her, watching intently for any wobble and tip, but she managed to free it, placing it on the top. The thought occurred to him that he'd placed himself in the company of someone every bit as devious as Paige, and that could potentially end badly, again, unless Oliver played the voice of reason.

And that just didn't seem likely.

He waited for her hands to withdraw again before reaching for a peace of his own. It slid easily from the side, and he drew it free slowly and settled it on the top, giving it a gentle tap to slid it into place beside Harley's.