Hound's steely gaze softened a bit at Epoch's sheepishness, so obvious even he could pick it up. He listened quietly while the other spoke, picking his way across the room and peering at the musical gadgets and devices strewn across every available surface though not touching, not wanting to make the other feel self-conscious with his gaze. He'd been told he had a bit of a thousand yard stare before.... He also needed time to calm down. When he spoke next his voice was calmer.
"To some extent.. I can sympathize. But you needn't defend yourself to me. As cold as it may seem I'm not interested in your bravado or excuses but your actions... you will not become any more useful to us or yourself waiting here. We all help one another in different ways... we won't turn you away because of your preferences." No, Order numbers being what they were, they couldn't afford to turn him away. He finally turned to face Kartahn, a guarded look on his face. "I work alone. It's not impossible. But I know if I'm outnumbered, they will come." That's the only peace of mind you're going to have from here on out... the rest doesn't last long. Not when you're a contractor. He bit the inside of his cheek and turned it into a smile. It didn't quite sit right. "You'll get a longer life span for your troubles, for one." A standard false promise, but the odds were good enough. "You might want to start worrying about disrespecting your allies first. But I'll forget the fruit comments and we'll start clean." His smile sat a little better after that, somehow. Hound snapped his Manual closed and tucked it away, waiting for Kartahn's response.