Raven + Eric
For the briefest off moments his flawless mask slipped ever so faintly; that charming smile, that easy going nature, all giving way to a look of sorrow and exhaustion. Raven's words had struck a cord. The fact that she didn't find the place to be so bad, and her remark over his efforts possibly only doing more damage...those thoughts had plagued Eric for too long. He hated the Regiment, hated how the government subjugated people whose only real crime was being born different. How they had locked them away, denied them basic rights afforded to the rest of the world...then forced them to become weapons to be used on the whim of the very government who enslaved the supers. There was no real choice; serve or rot away in a cell.
It was daunting, perhaps too much so. Even his efforts here were never truly going to mean much in the grand scheme of things. But Hawthorne had no other way to make things right. Not really. Even with his powers he was powerless to stop the system, so all he could do was keep trying to make this existence a little less shitty. "Perhaps it is damaging, but what else can be done?" The words were so softly spoken, uttered almost to himself and not her. Yet when she laughed that mask of his returned flawlessly, that smile seen again as the handler turned his focus back to the present. "Oh I dare say that bunk beds would be a smart investment, yet keeping things intimate and not crowded just seems like the smarter play at the moment."
In truth the real expenses of such an excursion would be moot since using the gifts of a super or two to handle transportation issues would keep things cost efficient. Not that he minded splurging when it came to his parties. "Well I am glad to have your seal of approval, and I thought such a festive celebration would even top this little gathering too." With a bright, seemingly effortless grin, he raised his glass after her little salute and clink, only to down the rest of his champagne too. Without missing a beat he refilled the glasses before slowly turning his gaze back to the party.