[ Can’t help but look back to Cain, eyes widened a fraction. There’s an ease to his reassurance here that Fitz hadn’t anticipated, naively thinking this might bring about the end of their connection if mishandled.

And there are questions he wants to ask, too. About the name Alexei, the fear he saw in the other, Abel — ]

I want to. [ ‘cause Cain got him out of there. and they’re friends (and he’s tired of hiding in plain sight, worried about how anything in his head might be made real). ] It’s just — complicated.

[ he retrieves the replacement from a nearby pile and drops it into Cain’s open palm, marking an unusual avoidance of empathetic touch.

after a pause, ]

Do you pay attention to all the chatter we [ the Displaced ] have about multiple worlds and timelines? S’okay if you don’t.