<div align="center"><strong>-=Simeon Gaorong - doing it for the lulz - pub on Persephone=-</strong></div><br/>Following Griff's entrance remark and subsequent physical contact, Simeon took only a moment to size up the Captain's unfortunate mood, his similarly sour follower, and the relationship between them. It should have been obvious to anyone who saw the two of them together, really, all pent up from some recent moment of tension they wanted to get out of their systems but didn't feel they could in so public a setting. The man had to admire their restraint, both of them wanting to do so much more than they could without embarrassing the other. It was touching, really.<br/><br/>All the same, he simply had to decline. "Despite hearing great things about the quality of your bunk affairs, I simply cannot muster interest in joining the two of you on your imminent romp, Captain. That said, I daresay I am proud of you finally gathering the courage to introduce us to your mystery beau. This is the one you have been pining after for the last few weeks, is he not?" Straight-faced, he stood and offered a nod to the new face, gesturing to one of the table's free chairs for him to join them. "Please, by all means. I am sure whatever snit the two of you had it will blow over soon enough. Have a seat, and a drink, and bygones go their way."<br/><br/>There, that ought to do it. All jokes aside - and yes, the humor was somewhat its own reward - this didn't seem the time for the Captain to let one of his moods potentially curdle his First Officer's pre-arranged cream, as it were. Let him direct his ire at the gentleman target if he was going to insist on being tetchy. The veteran returned to his seat and enjoyed another air-sip of his whiskey while the newcomers settled in and got up to speed on their business arrangements.