Cole is quite glad to be acknowledged, even more so to hear a reply to his advice. He walks companionably beside the teen, not feeling vulnerable in the least. The stranger has a kind voice, he trusts that.
❝Oh.❞ Disappointment is heavy in his tone as he murmurs the word. Far away places wouldn’t usually deter the spirit, but seeing as they were trapped to an odd city, he isn’t sure how to sound optimistic. At the very least, he can answer the other’s questions.
❝Yes, my mind is taking a walk as well.❞ he nods in solidarity. Even if his own thoughts are easy to chase after, the fact of the matter is that his thoughts revolve around other people. To name the most important of people would be to name anyone in need of compassion.
He mulls over his answer for a moment and allows the silence to creep upon them, if only for a short while. It takes little time for him to turn his gaze toward the stranger once more, his expression strained as he searches for the right words.
❝I think I’ve caught up with it now.❞ he waits a beat, looking at the other expectantly while still allowing him to analyze those words. Only when he suspects the boy is close to understanding does Cole lower his head, voicing his suspicions. ❝That far, far away place is bothering you, isn’t it? I can help… but we have to stay here and fix it.❞
There’s silence in the wake of his words. A numbing silence that Aladdin feels goes on for far too long. Hesitation is the first emotion to come to the magi. Is his own world, any talk of Alma Torran would have raised suspicion or confusion - but what about here? He doubted people knew of it, let alone cared.Yet here this boy stood, proving the latter wrong.
Though, he wouldn’t say he cared about that world just yet, but there’s certainly something in his voice. It leaves Aladdin curious, enough so that he’ll accept this help.
Besides, he’d rather spend an evening with a friend than alone with his dreams again.
A smile tugged at the magician’s lips, showing approval. “It’s been bothering me for years, but I haven’t told anyone about it.” The most he’s shed on his former home was the fate he had suffered all those years ago, and that, was to stop it from occurring in his world. Even then, it had been announced late and had earned him a severe scolding from his best friend.
Where should he start, though? It’s hardly something that can just be jumped right into. Maybe the dreams - if that’s what he could call them - those would be perfect. The expression he wore turned solemn, as feet traveled to the nearest railing. Though it was overlooking nothing more than a dimly lit park, Aladdin felt comfortable enough to speak.
“I have dreams...of this place, but I don’t think they’re dreams at all. More like memories, I guess.” A pause, as he tries to find the right words. “When I was granted the Wisdom of Solomon, it came with memories too. Of Alma Torran, of my father and mother...Ugo. Sometimes I dream and see them all. The memories I was given before were dark and showed the ending of a civilization but these dreams...they’re happy.” Absentmindedly, his eyes turn to the hands on the metal railing, watching as the skin on his knuckles tighten as he continues. “I can’t tell if they’re just dreams or if they’re...real.”