"It's a little more than that." Dryly, since nothing about that confirmation comes out as particularly humorous beyond a faint attempt at amusement. Some time goes by as he debates on how to follow that up when it comes to a sort of explanation beyond just - leaving it there, tempting as it is to do so and pivot away to another topic entirely.
"I was an outsider of sorts growing up. I learned to deal with it in my own ways, but doing that came with a cost. Or more like several, but I understand as much as I can where those things overlap, if they even do. This isn't to make it sound like everything's always simple enough to be resolved just by letting it go. It's a little more complicated when it comes to the reality of doing it."
While speaking he watches as she clears the ice from the ground and holds out a hand to feel the breeze generated by the warm air. It's also of interest to him, and not just because it's wind magic adjacent if he wants to call it that, but because it's another manipulation of everything in here past the easier solution of blinking and the ice disappearing. After looking back up, Claude offers her another slight smile.
"The same goes for letting people in since I've been working on that for a few years and most days I'm convinced I'm no better at it now than when I started. That's more to say it's alright if things are a work in progress since the people who care about you won't mind. Though," with a slight pause for levity in part of the next thought, "that sort of wisdom comes with being old like I am now, after all. My younger self spent a lot of time pointedly not caring what anyone thought."
no subject
"I was an outsider of sorts growing up. I learned to deal with it in my own ways, but doing that came with a cost. Or more like several, but I understand as much as I can where those things overlap, if they even do. This isn't to make it sound like everything's always simple enough to be resolved just by letting it go. It's a little more complicated when it comes to the reality of doing it."
While speaking he watches as she clears the ice from the ground and holds out a hand to feel the breeze generated by the warm air. It's also of interest to him, and not just because it's wind magic adjacent if he wants to call it that, but because it's another manipulation of everything in here past the easier solution of blinking and the ice disappearing. After looking back up, Claude offers her another slight smile.
"The same goes for letting people in since I've been working on that for a few years and most days I'm convinced I'm no better at it now than when I started. That's more to say it's alright if things are a work in progress since the people who care about you won't mind. Though," with a slight pause for levity in part of the next thought, "that sort of wisdom comes with being old like I am now, after all. My younger self spent a lot of time pointedly not caring what anyone thought."