[ the rage at nathalie has cooled very little since the first day they found her, but the way he handles it now comes from a very slow march of time, and from the camaraderie. from someone who he cared for very much, who he thought was stolen away (like halia, like everything) who now sits here beside him again. something in him's a little more settled, too, and it doesn't change the act, but it softens the blow. maybe now he can reach for empathy.

(months from now, he'll feel the same thing even facing down louis - a hint of bitter, miserable empathy.)

... not... today, though. no, today feels like a good time to be a little embittered again. in fact, the snort he lets out is derisive, annoyed, scowling. ]

Oh, I know. She told me so when I interrogated her, afterwards. [ and he'd nearly lost it at her again then, too. ] Told me a lot of self-serving bollocks I wasn't interested in, too, but I wasn't going to let her get away from me until I had an idea of what the hell happened.

She's not bothered you, has she? [ you want me to kill that guy for you energy ]