Of course she's still amused, despite knowing she probably shouldn't be chuckling at his misfortune, minor though it may be in comparison to those of others. It's still important to him, after all.

But god, there really is something about him that seems about sixteen years old right now - something precocious and vulnerable, and she wonders if that might be when the mask started forming, if what's inside maybe never quite made it out of those awkward years, and needs to catch up with the rest of him.

Her smile turns kinder, smaller. "With luck it won't have to," she says. "I think things only get that bad when you ignore the first couple times the message tries to get through to you. Once you know what to listen for, it's easier to recognize. That's been my experience, anyway." She debates asking again about the otter, but shelves it for now. That's not the button she wants to push. "So tell me about these friends of yours," she requests instead, ultra-casually, like she's not being as nosy as she really is. "Who are you getting along with, besides Ray and me?"