"There's the company too." Balthier's exhaling as he relaxes. "Okay, jab me in the ribs in a bit and I swear I'll move."
There's just something - it's part of why he decided he could handle the Assassins. Something about how Arno sat on the roof and just vented about his stress, and how Jacob was willing to come over and ask for help. It's a community. The fact that he's sort of had adults replacing the spots his father never filled in his life, and he could see Tadgh, or Shaun, or - well - even Evie might do for it, if he was willing to admit it.
He was glad that he told Shaun on the internet about joining, because being called little brother made him get worryingly teary.
"So, the Quartermaster fellow - did he have an animal based nickname? Since you've got a raven, and a falcon, and a fox?"