The reaction of people seeing Ryder out in the open was quite a spectacle. The guards on duty would just momentarily glance at him like they would with anyone, but then do a double take. However this time, they would practically ogle at him, looking absolutely flabbergasted.

Ryder didn't look very pleased with this unwanted attention. His unhappiness almost showed on his face in the dining hall. Everybody stopped eating and stared at him. However, Zach professionally escorted him around the tables and told him to grab a tray. The ladies and men who were serving the food automatically plopped the food into his bowl and tray, before their eyes slowly trailed up to his face. Then even they froze.

Zach smiled at them, and even though his lips barely moved, Ryder heard him say, "Just go with it." He then turned to Ken and Suzanna, asking if they had eaten. They nodded in reply. Zach led him to a table, and unsurprisingly enough, people moved away from that table. Others also understandably scooted over to make room for those who had vacated the table.

Ryder didn't react to it, he just stood and waited until everyone had left the table.

"You've made quite a name for yourself," Zach told him warmly as he sat down. Ryder made a small grunt in reply, and picked up a spoon.

"You can eat," Zach continued. "I'll be back by the time you're done okay? If I'm not, just don't go anywhere. Okay?" He also looked at Ken and Suzanna meaningfully as he said this. The two were standing side-by-side behind Ryder. He nodded, now poking at his mush of food.

Zach smiled one last time and left. Ken and Suzanna stared at Ryder's back as he ate by his lonesome, and Ken could sense Suzanna fidgeting slightly beside him. He glanced over at her to see a slight frown on her face. Suzanna noticed him and met his eyes.

"What are you thinking?" Ken asked her, eyes narrowed.

"I wish we hadn't eaten earlier," Suzanna replied. "It looks so lonely." She jerked her head in Ryder's direction.

Ken didn't say anything in reply and stared at Ryder, not really seeing him.

"Let's eat with him for lunch and dinner, okay?"

Ken still didn't reply. Suzanna moved significantly, which alarmed him, but they both froze suddenly. They saw the small figures of Owen and Amara standing at the end of the circular table, holding their trays. Owen looked bold, even though his lips were pressed into a thin line. Amara looked less comfortable, but Owen held her in place by the hand.

Ryder also seemed slightly surprised to see them entering his line of vision. Only then did Ken and Suzanna realise that he was distinctly staring opposite himself, lost in thought as he ate. Owen held his gaze for a short moment, and then pulled Amara over to sit next to him at the table, somewhat opposite to Ryder.

Without a word, Owen began wolfing down his food. Amara had her head bowed, but she slowly peeked at Ryder from under her long lashes. She nodded slightly, and picked up her own utensil to eat. After staring at them, transfixed, for a couple of moments, Ryder returned to his own food. However, the atmosphere was disrupted once again.

"Hooh!" Day hooted as he walked into the dining hall, popping his shoulders. His eyes immediately fell on the lonely-looking table where Ryder, Owen and Amara sat. "What is this?" he remarked loudly. "Such a depressing looking table." He slid onto the bench that went around the table, almost beside Ryder. "You don't look so high and mighty, Ryder."

Ryder glanced at him sideways, and Day stiffened and diverted his gaze. "Okay, maybe try not looking at me so directly right now." When his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Day made a brave move and shoving Ryder's shoulder lightly. "Come on~ You're making me feel self-aware!"

Everybody else in the dining hall stared at Day as if he had sprouted wings. But then again, some of them held some underlying admiration at Day's social skills. Others looked scared, looking like they were worried Ryder will rip his hand clean off. The rest just held pure disbelief. Suzanna meanwhile, giggled a little, making Day grin at her.

"Didn't you already eat, Day?" Suzanna asked, smiling back.

"Yeah I did," Day replied. "But I heard my new buddy was here so I decided to drop by!" His eyes shifted to Ken. "And you need to relax a little. You'll tire yourself out if you're on guard the whole time."

Ken ignored him, like he did most of the time. Day tutted.

"Respect your elders. And you'll get wrinkles on that already average face of yours."

Ken finally reacted and shot a glare at Day. "Shut it."

"Now, now," Suzanna sang, patting Ken's arm. She caught Ryder's eye and smiled apologetically. "Sorry about them..."

Ryder stared at her smiling profile for a while, before turning back to his food. Day left Ken to Suzanna and glanced at Ryder. Smirking, he leaned in a little so that even Owen and Amara couldn't hear what he was going to say.

"You're wondering too, right?" he asked softly. "'How can such a cheerful girl have such dead eyes', right?"

Ryder blinked at him a few times before shoving a spoonful of the mush that was tasteless to him into his mouth. After swallowing, he said in a voice smoother than usual, "I know the most terrible person, and he has the kindest eyes. That is nothing."

"Hm? Who?" Day asked, face falling and leaning on the table.

Ryder scowled at him. "I can't tell you. You're not her."

***

"We need to find a place for him to sleep."

The sun was setting outside, throwing the workroom into a dim lighting. Alexis was bustling around the room lighting lamps. Lennox and Nita were sitting with their heads together, muttering in low voices. Day was sitting with his legs up on the table, randomly going through papers. It was then that Pedro had walked into the room, and made this statement.

Day was the first to speak up. "Huh? Who?"

Pedro turned to him with a smile. "Ryder, of course."

Day squinted and slowly lowered his feet and put the report he was currently going through aside. Pedro continued.

"Today went along without a hitch. He just sort of went around understanding the ways things work around. No problems at all. We're taking him back to his cell for the night though. But if we really want to integrate him into our base, we can't keep him there forever. Therefore," Pedro raised a finger in conclusion, smiling. "We need to find a place for him to sleep."

"Oh," Lennox mused, turning away from Nita. "Okay then."

"Hang on..." Alexis tapped Lennox's shoulder. Lennox met her eyes, and the two seemed to be communicating silently. Nita got annoyed.

"We know," she snapped, bringing their attention back to the others. "So stop doing that." She turned to Pedro, cross-armed, while Lennox and Alexis blushed behind her, embarrassed.

"Hehe, we did it again~" Lennox said, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry~"

"No blushing!" Day barked across the room.

"Forget it," Nita told them, before addressing Pedro. "We recently reassigned rooms, so pretty much everyone has a roommate."

"Yes, and we wouldn't want him alone is one of the extra rooms either, would we?" Pedro agreed.

"Yeah, but I doubt anyone would want to switch out for him." Lennox frowned. "Day or I could, but then again, like Nita said, pretty much everyone has a roommate, and those who don't are in no fit condition to accept any." He thought for a bit, then continued. "Then again, Day or I could shift to an extra room..."

There was a few moments of silence, but then Alexis, Nita and Day practically exploded.

"HAH?!!"

"You think we'd let you room by yourself?!" Day shouted.

"There's no way in hell we would!" Nita screamed.

"Ah, then Day could–" Lennox began timidly, but Alexis cut across him.

"Day is the only roommate who can properly look after you, dipshit!" she bellowed.

"O-okay, okay," Lennox gave in. "Neither me nor Day are changing rooms, okay?"

They all fell into silence once again. Pedro merely stood there, smiling.

"We could have him room with Ken." Nita suggested after some time.

"Oh, we could do that!" Lennox said, brightening. But he almost instantly fell into dismay again. "But Ken's roommate is autophobic..."

"Yeah," Nita continued, unfazed. "We can just switch Stace into a different room, and have the person switching out room by themselves."

"Ah!" Lennox perked up. "But the problem will be finding someone willing to room by themselves..." Lennox sighed heavily and pushed back from the table. "This is going to take some time and work..."

"Ah," Pedro finally spoke up. "You don't need to do all that work! There is another alternative."

Lennox looked up at him, grinned, and slumped on the table. "As expected of Pedro. Always a dozen steps ahead the rest of us. So?"

Pedro smiled and turned to Alexis.

"Alexis?"

"Hm?" Alexis straightened up.

"You have an extra bed, no?"

"Um, yes..." Alexis answered.

There were exactly three seconds of silence before what exactly Pedro was implying sank in.

"Oho~!" Lennox exclaimed first.

"Wai-what?! Holdonholdonholdon! Are you telling him to crash in my room?!" Alexis shouted over him.

"Yes," Pedro replied, unchanging expression.

"What a splendid idea!" Lennox chirped.

"No! What is wrong with you?! Why?!" Alexis tried reasoning with them.

"Building. The. Friggin. Tower!" Lennox complimented each word with a clap.

"What tower?! There is no tower!" Alexis retorted.

"Come on, Alexis, we talked about this!" Lennox said, frowning.

"I can't just let that guy in my room!" Alexis bellowed, slamming her hand on the table.

Lennox made a slightly disgusted face. "Alexis, if that's what you're worried about, don't. You have the sex appeal of a dead snake."

"Idiot! This isn't about my sexual appeal or whatever!" Alexis screamed, grabbing the front of Lennox's shirt with both hands. The latter looked bored and stuck out his tongue. "This guy is a literal killer!"

"You'll be fine~" Lennox told her, patting her shoulder. He could practically see the vein bulging in her forehead. Suddenly, she whipped around, still holding Lennox by the shirt.

"Nita!" Alexis said suddenly, surprising the girl. "Yes, Nita! You have spent lots of quality time with the guy! You can let him crash over!"

Nita processed what she said for a couple of moments, and then shrugged and frowned. "No can do. He killed my tower the moment it got high enough."

Alexis let out a 'tsk' and a faint "Can we stop using the tower metaphor?" She turned to Day instead. "Hey, what about you, Big Brother? Where's your overprotective side when it can be actually useful? Surely you won't allow this?"

Day looked up. "My only concern in that guy." He gestured at Lennox. "The rest of them don't mean anything."

"What kind of a cheap brother are you..." Alexis deadpanned.

"Alexis."

Pedro's voice resounded clearly throughout the room. "Is it not okay?"

Alexis was about to reply, but then suddenly bit her lip. She opened her mouth again. "Amara's there."

"It's better to have both of them contained in one place, no?" Pedro cocked an eyebrow.

Alexis remained quite, loosening her grip on Lennox's shirt. Lennox finally broke the silence with a sigh.

"Fine then," he said, dejected. "We're going the long way, I guess." He tapped Alexis's hands to make her let go. He threw her one last glance – an especially sad one – and turned back to the table to reach across the table to a stack of papers.

Look at this motherfucker trying to make me feel guilty, Alexis growled internally, glaring at him. She lifted her eyes, to catch Pedro's eye. He was looking at her, while smiling slightly. She paused, and neither of them broke eye contact. Pedro wasn't really saying or doing anything, but Alexis felt growing unease. She pressed her lips together, and she felt her forehead shine with sweat, but the intensity still increased. Pedro only blinked at her innocently.

But the unnecessarily loud sigh from Lennox finally got to her.

"Okay fine!" she said loudly, throwing her hands up in the air in defeat. "I accept!"

"Really?!" Lennox turned to her, eyes shining. "Yay! High-five!" He held his hand up to Nita, who slapped hers to it, grinning.

"Is it okay?" Pedro asked her, still smiling innocently, but there was no more tension.

"Yeah," Alexis said through gritted teeth. "It's okay."

"Splendid."