Rory closed his eyes for a few seconds, his insides twisting uncomfortably as Eisen spoke. This is exactly why he didn't want to have this conversation. If anyone could even get close to changing his opinion about this, it was his best friend. Eisen knew him better than anyone - with the possible exception of his mother and his brothers, but their relationships with him were just... different - and Rory knew, deep in his heart, that there was no way that Eisen would let him off the hook that easily. Eisen knew him well enough to poke at the weaknesses in his defenses, to make look like what they were: just a few worn-out husks of excuses from a scared, lonely man.
"It's not a matter of capability, it's a matter of longevity," Rory intoned quietly, defending his position to the last. Just as it had a few days ago, Rory's skin began to tingle, his body buzzing with activity as thousands of tiny, invisible pheromones were released from his pores, rushing up at Eisen to come to his defense.