Though he should have, Francis hadn't chosen his words carefully when replying to Dietre. He hadn't even considered that what he said could be unnecessarily hurtful. It did paint a bad picture of him, one that made him look extremely mean-spirited, but in reality he just didn't have a filter. Maybe that he thought those things was enough to make him an asshole, but he did lack the intention – usually – of putting other people down when he spoke.
For someone with already low self-esteem, Francis' two cents could be a constant downer. Thus, it was a good thing Dietre had an edge to him when he found the strength to summon it. Coincidentally, when Dietre mentioned 'the animals' in an extended effort to defend himself, Francis looked up from his task with unmistakable interest in his eyes.
From the moment the black bird appeared to the moment it melted away, it had Francis' captive attention. The deliberate way it had materialized on Dietre's finger and flown upward only lent itself to the kid's claim that he could control it. Francis wondered if the control came from the bird's small size or because Dietre felt more comfortable with things that weren't human, but he didn't ask.
"That's something," he said, as the corners of his mouth spread in a smile. It wasn't exactly warm, but it was genuine. "You can own this, Dietre. If you keep at it, you'll be able to control everything you can think up. I'll work with you on it."