There is comfort in his empathy, more than she ever expects to find in anyone here really. Their situations were undoubtedly different, but there’s some kind of relief in the fact that she wasn’t the only one who’d been face to face with their child, years older than they themselves were.
"And there is that rugged individualism that plagues your people, it was notorious even in my time." She manages something of a smile, and despite the deflection it softens just a bit. His words carry a warmth she has not felt in quite some time— it’s not a matter of kindness, but a certain connection, fascination, that allows her to speak more freely than she has in quite some time. Trust maybe, at least some semblance of that.
"Kindness suits you best when you don’t realize you’re being kind." Her tone is light, teasing but she reaches a hand out, placing it on his own and giving it a light squeeze before she retracts it— a sign of companionship, quiet affection too most likely, and the daunting realization of how horribly isolated she herself had been in this place. "Regardless, I appreciate it. It’s more comforting than you realize— after all, 99.9%, that’s how often you’re right? I suppose I don’t have any reason not to put confidence in what you’ve said."
"Perhaps there is hope for you yet, well once you manage that—" She waves her finger in a vague manner at her own upper lip, a roundabout way of bringing up his facial hair. "Do I even want to begin to guess how much pride you take in that?”
♔— “The thirst for individuality is complex, though man kind as a whole is entirely guilty of wanting to stand out from the crowd, I would say. Some perform better than others, some slip and fall into the cracks...” He continued to prattle on, as though he were changing the subject from his brief love encounter. He hated that word ‘love’. He knew what exactly love was, and love was what made him weak, so his father liked to say.
The squeeze on his hand, however, made him arch an eyebrow, lips tugging into a smile ever so slightly. It had been a long time since anyone was particularly nice to him without wanting something in return, though even if she wanted something - he would quite happily oblige. “Yeah, sounds like the right percentage. I’m sure one day the right fella or dame will step into your life, provide you with what you need, what you deserve. But you know, I’m not so sure in this place, so far everyone I’ve met has been far from polite. Just, whoever it is, don’t let em get away.”
