He was just too easy, but perhaps there was irony in that statement because she wasn't so different. She would have ventured to say, however, that Gale was considerably more charming when he was flustered. At best, Nepione was more inclined to trip over her tongue for a moment or two before simply clamming up, or blatantly likely to simply not address whatever put her in that state to begin with. Denial was such a very powerful tool, at times, if not the most graceful and seamless transition in conversation.

Not that she was a great conversationalist either.

Tilting her head patiently as she watched the way proverbial little hamster feet pittered and pattered their way out of the nonexistent hole he'd dug for himself, she simply observed. He could be so transparent and she suspected he didn't even know about it. For but a moment, she was tempted to address it, but she chose compassion. She'd put him through the wringer enough.

"Stop fretting," she reassured him, lifting a hand and with care, she set a hand to his shoulder, mindful of her claws. "I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm not going to make you carry everything. I have hands." The greater likelihood was that she'd go out of her way to handle everything herself. Asking for help was not something high on her list of priorities.

"If it helps, I'm not in a hurry. It'll be nice to take our time a little. An opportunity for respite?" Her eyebrows rose with some consideration before she continued. "I could use some distractions. You seem like a very fitting one today, I think."