[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/w18T1S3.png[/img][/center]

Scientifically speaking, it was a curious thing, watching Lauren's demeanor shift so fluidly. For a girl who seemed so perennially cheerful and easy-going, it was clear that Ben's reaction had touched on several nerves - and perhaps, possibly, even wounded her.

There was certainly a look of surprise on her face; after all, Ben had never rebuked her before, and she wasn't doing anything to him that she wouldn't have done in front of Amy or Sangue, or even just to tease him when they were alone. But it was clear that Ben was trying to appease Costa Negasi - who knew Lauren best out of all those assembled, and was, if her look was anything to go by, almost expecting this - in throwing his best friend under the bus.

Lauren's enormous emerald eyes had gone somewhat glassy, the spark lost as Ben wrapped himself around her and prevented her from getting grabby again. When he squeezed her shoulders, no doubt trying to play it off, the spark returned as an inferno. The glare Lauren gave Ben had a clear message.

[color=8882be][i]F i n e. I won't be gentle next time.[/i] [/color]

[color=8882be]"Yeah,"[/color] she said casually, "[color=8882be]let's go see Pops, gang."[/color]

Her mother's smile was unreadable.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/dBInTnK.png[/img][/center]

The sound of his name being shrieked by a voice - that voice - had nearly made him throw a knife on impulse.

Regardless, for the sake of those present, Jericho decided it would be best not to try and violently detach himself from Bianca Nuit's clutches for now. He slipped both of his knives into his chest holsters at Valentinian's suggestion - even though impressing any of the menagerie of girls around him was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment - and followed Beryl's lead into the room, instantly taking its measure as the Mindaros chattered.

[color=9e0b0f][i]Certainly doesn't [b]look[/b] like anything esoteric's going on...[/i][/color]

His gaze fell upon Grat's electric guitar, and he stopped on his path towards the dorm's large window to stare at it for a second. From what he knew of Gratia the music lover, it probably shouldn't have been so surprising that she knew how to play something. Maybe it was just the idea of her [i]enjoying[/i] doing something that felt so alien.

[color=9e0b0f][i]Then again...[/i][/color]

His gaze drifted towards the Mindaro parents, taking the measure of their daughter's room with an innocent glee that made something in his normally-iron stomach twinge.

"[color=9ACD32]And my, this dorm is bigger than I thought it would be![/color]"

"[color=ADFF2F]No wonder Gratia's stuff's everywhere. It's almost half the size of notre maison![/color]"

His gloved hand clenched so hard that, were it not for the material that made up Judgment, he might have made his palm bleed.

[color=9e0b0f][i]This isn't a third of the size of a Gold Stripes flat...[/i][/color]

How goddamn poor [i]were[/i] they?

[color=9e0b0f][i]And if they got her this guitar setup before she came here...?[/i][/color]

Something unfamiliar in his chest ached for a second. They seemed like good people. Fate was cruel to give them the shaft like that...yet each of them found joy in the smallest of things, were filled with empathy to the point where it became as much of a flaw as having no empathy, and seemed to keep their heads up about their crappy circumstances.

Their humanity was staggering. Especially to a non-human like Jer. He swallowed.

[color=9e0b0f]"Cool room,"[/color] he heard himself agreeing distractedly, before he even gave himself permission to speak out. [color=9e0b0f]"Nice guitar, too. This was my second one."[/color]