A Crossing Of Different Worlds

[Reeves]

She finds her toast returned nonchalantly, all while the question seems to hang in the air between them, and he lets it, turning it over with the same leisurely patience one might give a coin they had no intention of spending. His head tilts, a slow and thoughtful shift from one side to the other, and then the corner of his mouth curls into something that isn't quite a smile.

"You wouldn't be the first to ask. Wouldn't be the hundredth, if I'm being honest."

A quiet exhale, almost amused, the sound of someone deeply comfortable sitting inside a secret.

"Most people who come looking for that answer walk away with more questions than they started with. I've always found that... more entertaining."

His eyes settle on her then, steady and measuring.

"But if you want something to hold onto, natural talent. That's what I'll give you."

Whether he believes his own words is entirely unclear. What is clear is that he's enjoying this, the slight tilt of the scales, the faint suggestion of a game she hadn't agreed to play but might already be losing.