Thank you. Please excuse me a moment.

[He inclines his head - and then stops. If you need anything- His eyes fix on the door ahead of them. Thoughts suddenly a hundred miles away - back in a cold, gloomy city, in the kitchen of a dojo, in the bedroom of a little boarding house. There are empty spaces there, now. Spaces he should be occupying, where he said nothing could drive him away from.]

[I'm so ... so sorry.]

Ah, all right. I shall have to keep that in mind. I'm sure my 'user name' will be my name as well. [Is all he says out loud. He just fixes poor Reiner with the blandest smile possible. See, he's fine. He's perfectly all right.] But it's good to hear that you've found companions. I'm sure that helps tremendously.

[The smile tightens. Tenses. Before he murmurs another please excuse me, and ducks into the restroom. Letting water run hot and scalding over his hands. Trying not to think about red hair, red eyes, about broken promises.]

[I left you just like everyone else did.]

[He is a truly, horrible man. Why did he ever think he deserved someone ... ]

[Sorry, Reiner, it's going to be a while before he comes back out, hands washed, and looking like nothing in the world is wrong.]