[center][h1][color=silver]Lucius[/color][/h1][/center]

It was a rather nice little set dressing for the occasion, as far as the cadet was concerned, and yet he felt a small wave of pressure leave his thoughts as Aurora and Serah had allowed him to sit with them. Though awkwardly enough he kept silent as Elora showed up in a nice simple dress of sorts, nice yet not too over the top, and then their alien comrade and the sole survivor of the simulation alike sought to join them in turn. Soon therafter one person he felt mildly surprised to see there, albeit he couldn't put a reason as to why, arrived. Ah, Minerva? If he'd read the public records right that is. Had a touch of a heated moment with the doctor prior, something her avalible information didn't seem to make apparent as to why he would ignore a member of the team or so forth, though it was almost as if the old man had been maybe...shutting something out? Forcing her out of his perception perhaps, though for her part she'd almost gotten in trouble for it all in turn. And it was he the white haired woman would end up seated next to, of all people, though he would seek to avoid staring. At any rate, Elora seemed to hand over a nice drink to the blue haired girl, and Serah for her part still seemed to be friendly and open enough to get everyone seated at the table and such to boot. 

Pilot Mema-Ka and one Zel-Ghin had also arrived, but the latter had certainly ignored the formality of the occasion in favor of going to inspect the food from the looks of it. Just as brazen in the latter's attitude on things as Lucius had seen before, he reckoned, while the former seemed to simply linger and look around like he was taking it all in. Now at least that much was something he could at least relate to, even if he felt like a fish out of water in something like this. As for Aurora, though? For her part it seemed as if she'd hit some kind of 'switch', akin to how someone might act when at work versus at home, compared to her demeanor earlier. Yet it also felt distant from the usual citizen, as if she had the air of a noblewoman about her. Not that he knew her, or anyone here really, well enough in any capacity...was also part of the reason why he was here at that. Heck Aurora's info had been locked up tight enough it made him wonder-

[center][quote][color=red]"Please, enjoy a taste of Chateau Duval."[/color][/quote][/center]

Wow. Genuinely wow. That was quite the display, and he followed in the red haired woman's lead in attempting to give some small applause for the presentation, staff, and host, though he'd somewhat awkardly and eventually stop clapping out of fear he'd be left behind as the last one doing so. Maybe. He'd stop a bit jarringly sooner than anyone else who'd be clapping at least, enough to bring some small worry to cross his face for a moment. 

Though from the corner of his vision, admittedly, he would feel as if he was being watched a bit more than usual. And in a moment, it seemed, he caught Elora's eyes looking away. Ah? W-Well he was in his full dress uniform, hat and everything included, but was he that much out of place perhaps? But her cheeks seemed a touch redder than before. Was she feeling well? Though as the presentation had been made she'd made an exclamation of her own a little louder than he'd expected.

[quote]“Uh, sorry…”[/quote]

Lucius would slightly lean closer to Elora, trying to get her attention to whisper something as his smile returned and grew a little more relaxed in kind. Nothing to spook her, that wasn't his intention, but even so something felt a bit more natural to her reaction. Not as formal, but sincere and genuine. It was a little charming, if he had to put a word out to describe it. 

[color=silver]"No need to be sorry, it was a great presentation. Though I'm pretty new to all of this myself as well. Never been to something this fancy. If not for the dress uniform, really, I'd be out of luck!"[/color]

Indeed, it'd be his normal uniform or worse that he'd have to wear here if he hadn't had his proper dress uniform. Though more than that, it was just nice to see someone who felt similar enough about all of this from the sounds of it. Made it feel a bit less stiff and tense in the room for his part, at least, that much was for sure. More breathable. 

As they all began eating, however, a few things became apparent. Minerva seemed to blow through the first plate of food. Like calories were just a suggestion to her in his eyes in terms of limits. Yet she did seem to have an athletic build for sure given what he'd glimpsed of her before during the sim. Curious. Meanwhile Corporal Lane had finally made an appearance, which felt slightly more surprising than Minerva for some reason to him based on first impressions alone, and Aurora and Sparks seemed to begin talking shop about Framewerk technologies in the meantime just before the Corporal's arrival it seemed. That and the arrival of Griff being in his pilot suit was certainly a thing he wouldn't have been able to guess at. Then again he sounded like a guy who'd just roll with whatever, maybe a touch of an athletic meathe-? ...Ahem. 

Well as long as Griff wasn't the guy he'd known back in the pilot prep program at home that had downed five smuggled beers and two tall cans of mystery meat before nearly going off the railing of a second floor balcony the night before graduation back home. If he hadn't been there on a whim due to someone else pushing him to go to the student-formed party in someone's room, he'd have not been there to grab the back of the guy's shirt and get half-dragged off the railing before someone else grabbed his legs in turn. Their superior officer hadn't been much impressed, that much was for sure. There'd been so much toilet scrubbing for them all after that too. Ugh. 

Mmm, though each bite of steak he'd start taking was quite nice. Tender, juicy, just as he liked it at a smooth medium rare. Sure steak had been a rare enough occasion back home, but it left him focusing and thinking about the aspects of each bite somewhat as he went along. Trying to get a read on it all. The seasonings, the lack or presence of some char on the exterior, choice in sautee if they'd used a little butter or not, etc, etc. In a similar fashion, he would try the potatoes and stir fry and make mental notes as he carefully tasted each before moving on to normally finish them in turn once he'd gotten a bead on each. Soft enough center, but well roasted, ah, he did have some small soft spot for potatoes perhaps. After all, long enough ago Lira had made some before his graduation, a rare recipe she'd learned from-....from....

...and for a silent minute the younger man would unthinkingly pause, untensils still in hand as his eyes lingered on the potatoes he had left for a moment. A wave of something washed over his body, it felt like, as his expression turned somewhat empty and nigh expressionless for a moment. Such a stupid matter, such little things, and here he was eating what could be his own last fancy meal in his life and this was getting to him. That person was. All of that crap was. But for a glimmer of a moment, he could smell it. See it in his mind's eye even without getting a literal glimpse of things. Could feel the warmth. Could hear the laughter. Could imagine the visages of smiles. 

He then began to move his hands again, but they were hesitant all the same. They came up, then sat back down. Came up, then sat back down. Then finally he wouldfinally take another bite of roasted potatoes, chewing them slowly and letting the sensation linger. Just for a moment. Just to focus on that one glimmer the nostaligia brought to mind while it remained in the forefront of his mind's eye, despite everything. Despite himself. Despite this place, and all that had brought him here. 

For a mere glimmer of a moment, it was as if he'd gone back to a better time and place that tugged away at his heart ache all the more. Even so, he'd savor it along with the food itself in any case...at least for just this evening.  

[@Digmata][@shylarah][@Shifter_Master][@Dezuel][@Randomguy][@Ariamis]