Cobra was aware of Richard staring at him more intently than before, evidently suggesting that he finally wrapped up. Mouth full of gruel, head full of nothing, body tingling from the coffee, Cobra merely shrugged. He did a quick glean toward's Richard's soul to make sure he hadn't missed anything too important. Yep, just standard ghost rumors common this time of year that explained a lack of energy, weird guild stories about missions, and the fact that Jellal seemed agitated about something. So basically, the usual.
"While I don't quite believe the rumors, it has felt strange around town this week, so I can't say it's not a bit concerning. But, hopefully it will all be cleared up by the time we leave." A knowing smile then appeared on his face, to which Cobra remained absolutely clueless. There was a certain…gratitude to Richard's words that caught him off guard. Uneasiness ran down his back as he swallowed the last of the food. Just like with the strange woman the other day, he felt he was missing something vital, something just out of reach in the conversation.
Just then, Cobra heard tent flaps rustling. Crud. Jellal and the others were awake already? Richard (thankfully) hadn't asked what he was doing today, and he didn't really want to come up with an explanation that might accidentally expose him if pressed. Downing down the rest of the coffee (that was basically just strong mud at the bottom), Cobra pushed the utensils back into Richard's hands and sprinted down the hill, not particularly caring if it appeared rude to anyone watching.
He didn't hear anyone calling after him, only snippets exchanged between his team as he raced away. Good. It meant he wasn't in trouble. And he'd like it to stay that way. He slowed down as the realization sank in along with his fleeing adrenaline.