zenderael_rl | [EVENT]

It was a food-centric event. Roman wasn't such a hardass that he couldn't take the time out for a dinner break. He left Zale and Noelle to their own devices, wondering if that would prove to be a bad idea in the end, and got himself a plate of moussaka and spanakopita to enjoy by himself at an unoccupied section of table.

Well. He still kept an eye on them from across the room. Just to make sure Zale wasn't getting himself in trouble.

That was her chance.

Jordan had been watching him, waiting (after she'd done a double-take) for him to move away from the other two. She had begun to thought it wouldn't happen, that she'd have to speak with him in front of Noelle who, bless her heart, might give something away, but no, there he was, alone at the table with his food.

If she separated herself from the situation, she'd grimace at her own likeness to a vulture. As it was, she was much too focused.

"Hello," she chirped, tone high with false amiability as she sat down across him. "You're the guard from the first XDAV meet. I didn't have a chance to thank you."

Who the fuck was this, now? He turned his attention away from Zale to the woman taking up space at his table, his brows drawing low over his eyes.

Ah. This girl. The idiot who'd snuck out of the tent with her scrawny friend during the blackout riots. "You're welcome," he said flatly, giving her no openings for a conversation.

He didn't have to give her an opening. She was going to make it.

"You're a berserker," she continued, not skipping a beat. "Why are you here?"

"That's a funny thing to accuse a guy of," he replied. He gave no hint of shock at the suggestion, either because he was and she'd guessed correctly, or because he wasn't and it was a ridiculous thing to say. It was just bland, no emotional reaction whatsoever.

"No, it's not."

He gave her a polite, but mocking smile. "And why," he asked, "is that?"

It made her prickly and wish that Rhys had made her a berserker purely so she punch him in the face and actually do some damage, but she returned his smile with one of her own.

"People here don't take out five men like they're nothing but dolls."

"Pro MMA competitor," he said. "Five untrained ruffians. Numbers don't always beat out skill."

Her smile faltered. "Why bother lying?"

He tapped his plastic fork against the paper plate, giving her a very unamused look. "You think I'd answer that if I was lying?"

"Yes." Her tone and look made it clear she thought this was a trick question.

He huffed out an amused exhalation of breath, lowering and shaking his head at her. "You are unfuckingbelievable. Accuse a guy of being a berserker, accuse him of lying to you about it, and then expect him to tell you the truth about why he's not telling you the truth?"

He looked up and met her eyes, wearing a smile that clearly said he thought she was an idiot. "We got a fucking mastermind over here."

It was true. Aside from monetary purchases, Jordan rarely thought things out in advance. A leap before you look kind of person, it had bitten her in the ass several times, including now.

"Thanks," she said, ring finger tapping against her thigh as she tried to quell her rising annoyance. "It'd be a miracle if the truth came out of any of you."

If she was trying to goad him, it didn't work. Roman had been given his leadership position because X-DAV trusted him not to go blabbering all their secrets to any idiot who asked.

"Are you done?" he asked. "Food's getting cold."

"Oh, no, go ahead and eat," she said, placing her elbow on the table and resting her cheek against her knuckles. "Berserkers aren't renowned for their manners."

As if taking her permission quite seriously, he stuck a forkful of moussaka in his mouth and spoke through it. "You're stuck on that, huh?"

"Mmmhm." Her eyes slid over to where his two team mates were supposed to be. "You're not even trying with her, are you? That's definitely a bow. And your other one, mm, well," she looked back at Roman, "isn't there anymore."

"People still hunt with bows in this day and age." He looked out to follow her gaze though, and annoyance flashed across his face when he saw that Zale had, indeed, vanished.

Damn it, Zale. Fuck it, he could wait until Roman was done eating. He stuck another bite in his mouth, defiantly.

"Yeah, okay." It was obvious she didn't believe him, but that was old news to him already.

"They must have promised you something valuable for your cooperation," she began to say, mostly to herself, mostly to fill the gap of silence, and also to see if he'd have any kind of reaction other than irritation. "Xumurdad's stomach? Or maybe they want to resurrect it here?"

He didn't answer her. The moussaka was much better company.

Because he could break it to pieces with his teeth like the savage he was and no one would give a shit, right!? Berserkers!!

"Bet you killed Hutchins' wife, too." Well, no, she had no idea if he was the one who did it, only that it was a berserker, as she had come to believe.

He put down his fork and looked up, giving her a flat stare.

"If I did, do you really think it's a good idea for you to sit here and tell me you know about it?"

"Are you surprised?" She'd snuck out of the tent, then come and accused him right to his face here. Jordan was coloring herself the paragon of everything opposite good ideas.

"I just can't tell if you think you're clever or if you just have no sense of your own safety."

[7:30~8 Saturday]

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