His smile had softened as Sam talked about his own friends, but the question caught him unexpectedly. He exhaled slowly, gathering his thoughts. "They were... different," he said thoughtfully, quirking a brow at the bookmaker and starting to walk again, but this time more slowly. With the clouds dropping a few white flakes of fresh snow, he was getting a little chilled, and it felt good to start moving again. Especially when the memories had a way of setting his feet in motion, never growing too attached to one place or the people in it...
Until now?
"Those back in the Northlands, and everyone I've met here... each is their own person. Unique." His lips quirked wryly, though a shadow seemed to fall over his gaze as he looked ahead, seeing some other place, a different world. "Those I traveled with and was closest to... well. Humans were distinctly in the minority, for one. Seeing no one but humans here has been... a little jarring."
He took a deep breath, letting the chill of the Caido Deepfrost air clear his head a little. "Most of them... we were thrown together by circumstance. Chance... perhaps fate, but who can say? We found ourselves connected and driven by a shared experience, and shared questions. We... probably would not have come together on our own, otherwise. Riz and Yohgel were related, of course, but Jenny, Oni, and I..." he shrugged eloquently. "But we had to work together and rely on each other, and friendship bloomed from those seeds. Hiraku was sent to my side, and Isuma and Cassandalee had no one else, though in the end they were closer to me than any others. But... still, there was that foundation of 'necessity' to how we met. Here, of course, there has been nothing quite so... forceful, in drawing me to others. Here, I've been able to choose my friendships, freely. Yourself, Isla, Edy, Vervain, Amalia, Caiside, Nairi, and others... I may not know you well yet, but I've seen enough to know that I want to, as time and chance permit."
He offered his friend a lopsided smile. "May I ask how you've been doing? Has coming to the Rathskeller sometimes made it easier to meet people? Or is it still intimidating, having so many strangers around?"
Until now?
"Those back in the Northlands, and everyone I've met here... each is their own person. Unique." His lips quirked wryly, though a shadow seemed to fall over his gaze as he looked ahead, seeing some other place, a different world. "Those I traveled with and was closest to... well. Humans were distinctly in the minority, for one. Seeing no one but humans here has been... a little jarring."
He took a deep breath, letting the chill of the Caido Deepfrost air clear his head a little. "Most of them... we were thrown together by circumstance. Chance... perhaps fate, but who can say? We found ourselves connected and driven by a shared experience, and shared questions. We... probably would not have come together on our own, otherwise. Riz and Yohgel were related, of course, but Jenny, Oni, and I..." he shrugged eloquently. "But we had to work together and rely on each other, and friendship bloomed from those seeds. Hiraku was sent to my side, and Isuma and Cassandalee had no one else, though in the end they were closer to me than any others. But... still, there was that foundation of 'necessity' to how we met. Here, of course, there has been nothing quite so... forceful, in drawing me to others. Here, I've been able to choose my friendships, freely. Yourself, Isla, Edy, Vervain, Amalia, Caiside, Nairi, and others... I may not know you well yet, but I've seen enough to know that I want to, as time and chance permit."
He offered his friend a lopsided smile. "May I ask how you've been doing? Has coming to the Rathskeller sometimes made it easier to meet people? Or is it still intimidating, having so many strangers around?"
