[ There's a moment of utter silence before he gives an amused little snort. Claude will no doubt be able to feel him slowly start to relax again with the conversation drifting away from the problems at home and the mire he'd tried to struggle his way out of since he was old enough to understand it. ]

You know. I swore there was no place I could hate as much as Ailell. This place had to go and prove me wrong. It's at least tied now. But I don't care if it turns me into a lobster, I'd take Cadens' sunshine over just about anything right now. Of course, give me like a week back there in it and I might be begging the rest of you to pitch in for a summer home in Aquila. If you're gonna make me melt, you could at least let me do it at the beach.