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‘You like that bullshit I came up with?’ said Garovel privately. ‘Pretty impressive, huh?’

Hector had to admit, the speed at which the reaper had answered her was surprising. ‘Am I crazy, or did you seem... prepared for that question?’

‘Heh. You’re really keeping that armor on because it gives you something to hide in, no?’

Hector wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t.

‘That’s what I thought.’ The reaper floated over to Hector’s other shoulder. ‘Don’t mind me. I’ll just continue being incredible over here, if you need anything else.’

“Lord Darksteel.” This time it was Manuel again. “Might I ask what you think of these Hun’Sho people so far?”

Okay, this “Lord Darksteel” business was getting a little out of hand, Hector felt. As awkwardly flattering as it was, he figured he should tell them--

‘I would be interested to hear your opinion as well, Lord Darksteel,’ said Lorios.

‘Yeah, Lord Darksteel,’ said Garovel, though he was still keeping his voice private. ‘Go on. Tell them what you think. And don’t tell them to call you Hector, either. I’ve had enough of that shit.’

‘What? Why not?’

‘They’re showing you respect. Just accept it gracefully like a proper lord would.’

‘But--’

‘Better hurry and answer ‘em. They’re waiting patiently.’

Hector had to force himself not to groan in exasperation. “Ah...”

Manuel, Elise, and Lorios were all looking at him.

Slow and deliberate speech, Hector reminded himself. Careful, measured words. He’d done it before in front of total assholes. He could do it again in front of these nice people. Probably.

Oh god.

“I think,” he heard himself say, “that... the Hun’Sho... are very polite.” Why the hell was that simple-ass sentence so difficult to get out? Agh. He had to give them more of his thoughts than just that, he knew. “Almost... too polite, actually.”

Manuel nodded. “I understand what you mean. I, too, have thought that they might be concealing something from us. Which is their right, I suppose, but given Lord Diego’s behavior... I am growing more concerned about them.”

“I have to agree,” said Elise. “And their treatment of the Hun’Kui is troubling, as well. It’s like the Hun’Sho are pretending they do not even exist.”

‘Sadly, I doubt there is much we can do to help them reconcile,’ said Lorios. ‘We should probably just be glad that they aren’t trying to kill each other.’

Hector was more than happy to just listen. He hadn’t gotten to know these three very well at all, which might have been why he found it more difficult to speak to them, compared to Zeff or Diego.

And after that conversation with Emiliana earlier, he supposed he was feeling even more self-conscious than usual. He really didn’t want to fuck things up with these people, too.

Though, a strong part of him still didn’t feel like he’d fucked up with Emiliana, either. He’d said what he’d wanted to say--and meant it. If she’d gotten mad at that, then, well...

Ugh.

There was one thing he knew for sure, at least. All this time, he’d been absolutely right to be terrified of social interaction.