"Everything in Magnagrad is stained. Even us."

Oren blinked at her words. He looked down at his hand, past the glove, as though contemplating dirt he hadn't known was there, wondering about its origin. He... had never truly thought about it like that. An opinion to keep in mind, perhaps. But only your mind - speak it in the presence of your superiors, colleagues, even subordinates... well, let's just say that a few more eyes would watch you after that. Eyes that could lock you away with just a blink.

But again, it could all be his paranoia. It was no secret that the city was not the best at keeping its streets clean.

Turning, he approached and watched as Seminov struggled to lift the hatch, but didn't offer his assistance. The soldier would probably just be scandalised by his attempt. He descended quickly, unwilling to spend time looking from afar when their purpose was to walk among them. However, the sight that met him... and the pungent mix of odours that assailed him when he entered the base... well, at least he [i]tried[/i] to stop his nose from wrinkling.

Taking in their escort's youth, however, was a reminder, that most of the skilled soldiers had been sent to the Eastern Continent, leaving behind the untrained conscripts, the weakened old men, and the incompetent. That, combined with how remote the outpost was, meant that it was of little concern to the high officials, and subsequently, less maintenance would be performed. Oren found himself frowning at the thought. It was Seminov's crude comment that snapped him out of his thoughts. It was distasteful, to say the least. But at least he seemed less afraid of them.

Oren looked at the pair of sergeants. As Ziotea called out to them over her shoulder, he found himself agreeing with her. He looked back to the pair, before adding, "Since, strictly, we're not here to evaluate your upkeep of the outpost, I think we can all agree this encounter can be - forgotten, shall I say? But as Mother Ziotea says, you'd best reconsider how you'll spend your days out here. Not all are so forgiving."

He gave them a small smile, though empty, before following after Seminov and Ziotea.