Optimism and hope are rare things in River's world, both within her own mind and the people around her. Kaylee is a pocket of sunlight, always looking to find the best in a situation, but everyone else she knows is some degree of bitter and jaded. Maybe folks in the Core have the luxury of dreaming while everyone else is just trying to survive.

( She tries not to think of the Academy, where hope was crushed alongside her mind, body, and spirit. Her fellow captives there certainly weren't holding hands and meditating together. )

The people she's met in Abraxas have been kind. Warm. Unexpectedly... at peace with their situation, or at least not outwardly raging against it. Sure, she's only been here a few days, so she can't reasonably have met an appropriate sample size of the Summoned to know the overall sentiment about their situation here. But at least here, they seem to have banded together, hoping those connections will help them survive in this realm.

River eyes Istredd for a long moment and can't help asking, "Are you happy? Here, away from your sphere."

Where there are those that might wish to escape it. Was he one of them? Is being here what lets him feel that sense of optimism?