[ he tries to politely stifle a grimace and fails. whoever this gerard fellow is, hopefully he's not quite as much of a mess as nero and bradley are.

but he nods—there has been so pressure and so many curses, and it's been a wild time that's bound to mix up their minds and hearts. he wonders if love is simpler than they make it out to be. something you feel rather than agonize in thought over. or maybe it's both. but it can't just be the latter.

he grins, wide enough that his eyes crinkle. ]

We do! We do. That's most important—that we'll never lose each other. If death couldn't separate us, then what hope does anything else have?

[ it's a reason to be optimistic. that said, he recognizes some of those colors, because—he's had them himself? go figure. their paths coincide even in this. it's strange, that in shared weakness, he feels stronger.

they'll get through this. ]

Maybe we don't have all the answers right now, but... that's okay, isn't it? Maybe we can figure it out together!