That makes her smile, pale but still real. She hates being touched by strangers, usually, hates it with jittering horror, but right now she just doesn't have it in her to snap at him. She closes her eyes and tilts her head against his head, shivering.

"Nikolai would say I was being a dumbass. Syg would probably just--punch me out or something." The fact she feels either of these losses so much surprises her. Nikolai and Syg weren't supposed to be friends. They were allies. Tools. But Nikolai was gentler with her than he had any right to be, even if his gentle was harsh, and Syg was amazingly happy just to belong. And they were hers, for a while, and now what she mourns is all that potential. All that they could have, should have been.

"Yeah. You know how to make green tea? A lot of people--they just fuck it up." Because she gets what he's offering.