Merri gave Drake a small smile at his last statement, but he still couldn't help but to feel... hopeless. Helpless. Slowly, he shook his head, his smile fading in as quick an instant as it had appeared.
"Why does it feel like I made the wrong choice? I-- I'm not really needed here." He closed his eyes as he dropped his head. "It's why I didn't go with him. I felt like I need to be here, but... Peony and Toku... they don't need me here. And if something happened in the city again I'd feel awful that I wasn't here, but... I'm not needed. Not that I think he needs me, either, but... oh, Faram, I made a mistake."