[That's a thing. He's never sure how to handle it - not a lot of affection to go around, in his show. But he knows she's being kind in her way, so he lets it go on, ducking his head a little into the gesture. It's nice, really, and maybe eventually, when he's used to being here and not there, it won't give him that uneasy jolt.]

I almost thought I'd talked D-ne out of it. Should've known better. Someone like her...she was more like us than them.

[A girl from a story that knew it was a story, someone inhabiting a role. She seems to change in each telling, but how far could she have ever really deviated?]