Leiland honestly wished he knew how to accept this, how to be all right with someone praising his abilities, his presence, at telling him that he was worthy and capable and far more than he gave himself credit for. He wished he had any idea how to process what Percival was saying without a set of voices achingly similar to those of his parents in the back of his mind shooting down every word that was being put to him. An accident, an excessive spare, placeholder, failure, disappointment, those were descriptions that he was more used to. But.... if he was being honest with himself, he felt like he could easily get used to hearing the opposite. And maybe some day be able to even quiet the doubts in his mind.
"No. Don't apologize," Leiland said, reaching out and grasping Percival's arm, holding him in place for a moment as he stepped back into his space, closing that gap that Percival had tried to put between them. "We've all got something in ourselves that drives the darkness. But that doesn't mean it's who we are. Besides, if we're being honest...."
Leiland paused, shifting his gaze away from Percival. If he'd still had the capability to display embarrassment, he knew he'd be showing it all too clearly now. Perhaps there was a small benefit of being incorporeal... even if there was also a part of him that thought that he might not so much mind Percival seeing the evidence of his thoughts.