... oh, Mari. [ considering how often girls have found him just bawling his eyes out, he advocates for crying when you feel it. but he squeezes her hands, before - he lets go of one, drawing it back, if only so that he can wrap that arm around her and squeeze her as his eyes shut tight. ]

Survivin'. That's the whole goal, ain't it? Find your partner, survive until the end, get a godsdamned wish - but they're stackin' the whole thing against us, and it's gettin' worse.

[ even an optimist like alfyn struggles to maintain hope, even if he's still determined to hold on. ]