[ It's easy to smile back in return for her gratitude, though really, it crosses Claude's mind - and not for the first time - that he should be thanking her just as much if not more. For a chance to talk about things he's not yet told anyone else, for a nudge towards doing that soon enough even if that's yet to come, and maybe even for giving him a chance at all to (hopefully) do the same for her when things didn't have to turn out that way. It wouldn't have been difficult for it to sour entirely through his own doing.

But: for now, maybe he doesn't have to overthink it and they can just be two friends sitting at an instrument only one of them knows how to play united over all the strange turns life can take. ]

I'd like that.

[ Speaking of that, Claude's going to set down the instrument he neglected to play as part of this bargain originally and then brush his hands off on his pant legs as he stands up like he's accomplished something here in terms of musical performances. (He hasn't.) ]

I hear the bars on board are well-stocked so I should probably branch out from something besides ale. I wouldn't mind trying one of the wines if you'd be interested in choosing one for us. What do you say?