[He lets go enough to let her pull back as much as she wants to, but since she doesn't break contact just yet neither does here. It's grounding, and it means they're both there, no matter what just happened.
That the question is turned around on him is no surprise, but he still isn't sure how to answer all the same. He doesn't want to talk about it, no, but he also doesn't want to discourage her from doing so by making her think like there's some sort of unequal, unfair exchange.
So, finally, he offers--]
You know I've died before, and this time was... It wasn't that bad.
[Even though he'd actually experienced the real death portion of it, something he hadn't at home, that part isn't so bad. It's the lead up to it, the pain and the fear and the regret, and he'd felt those things in the quarry but not in the same way as at home. This is like a pale imitation, and maybe it'll be worse as it continues to sink in, but for now he's okay.
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That the question is turned around on him is no surprise, but he still isn't sure how to answer all the same. He doesn't want to talk about it, no, but he also doesn't want to discourage her from doing so by making her think like there's some sort of unequal, unfair exchange.
So, finally, he offers--]
You know I've died before, and this time was... It wasn't that bad.
[Even though he'd actually experienced the real death portion of it, something he hadn't at home, that part isn't so bad. It's the lead up to it, the pain and the fear and the regret, and he'd felt those things in the quarry but not in the same way as at home. This is like a pale imitation, and maybe it'll be worse as it continues to sink in, but for now he's okay.
Okay about that experience, anyway.]