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<br/>​</div>"Hm?" Robin asks curiously, surprised at K's offer.  Perhaps this was a gesture of goodwill?  He looks up into her eyes, mulling over the question for a brief moment before giving a brief smile and placing his textbook gently aside.  "Okay, let's go." He climbs to his feet, glancing back at K once more.  Was this all a harmless team bonding event?  Or was there some sort of motive behind their conversations?  Regardless, Robin would stick with generic, somewhat vague answers: occasionally adding specific information to make his answers seem more legitimate.  He wouldn't lie to Akena...but he didn't exactly need to become forthcoming, truth-wise.<br/><br/>As they made their way towards the dining hall, Robin gave Akena a casual glance, nodding in approval at her questions.  "It's complicated stuff, but I'll try not to drone on and on..." he responded, a grin on his face.  "The cylinders are Atlas data storage devices: highly secure, and can only be opened by one with the proper...qualifications.  I use them for my work, to keep samples or records securely stored away during travel.  I can't open them in the room, though: only in an Atlas-registered facility.  Just, um..." He gave Akena a somewhat pleading glance.  "<i>Please</i>make sure no one attempts to open them...no one can, I think, but the data storage devices will quite forcibly delete the files if they're seriously damaged on the outside." Figuring that should be enough to satisfy her first question, Robin hastily moves onto the second.<br/><br/>"As for the book?  It's a silly reason, more related to my father's work than any personal interest of my own.  He believes there's a distinctive Faunus 'gene,' one that could perhaps be spliced, edited...deleted..." The last word hangs out, a momentary scowl crossing Robin's features.  "I'm interested in shared genomic regions between Faunus: not some universal 'causality gene.'  The reason for that...well..." Robin gave a brief smile.  "That's a secret."  Truth be told, he hadn't discussed such reasons with anyone - not even his father or mother.  Such reasons were hidden behind a wall of lies, each one plausible in itself.  Yet he knew such answers would hardly appease Akena, who had seemed so hostile to him before.  "You don't have to believe me; hell, I don't expect you to.  I just prefer to keep my work secret...I'm hardly open in real life, and my research isn't much different."<br/><br/>Yet inwardly, Robin cursed beneath his breath.<i>What was it about Akena that made him so <b>open</b>?  </i>He'd hardly discussed such matters with anyone else, especially something so personal.  Perhaps it was a method through which to vent his daily anxieties?  Or perhaps he felt more comfortable around Akena: it wasn't as if she was a Faunus or anything.  Not that he'd ever had a personal conversation with one.<br/><br/>Robin glanced casually into Akena's eyes to see her reaction, surprised at their physical closeness.  The two were side-by-side, shoulders almost touching: footsteps in perfect synchronization as they walked towards the Dining Hall.  Realizing he'd held his gaze longer than necessary, Robin coughed slightly, breaking the gaze and putting a few inches of distance between them.  He cast a glance at her once more, unsure of how to properly respond or justify his actions.  Perhaps a question of his own before they reached the dining hall?<br/><br/>"So, K?" Robin calls her name, still attempting to gauge the level of awkwardness between them.  "What was that...meditation you were doing earlier all about?  While I was reading?"<br/><br/>Covering up an awkward silence with a question.  Perfect.