If Bragi didn't know better he'd say she looked almost gleeful for a second when she'd smiled back at him. Just a second. Maybe less. Bragi would have missed it completely if he hadn't forgotten how little he was supposed to be focusing on her. She spoke, he looked. That was polite. But she hadn't been speaking, and Bragi had kept looking. The game got more difficult all the time. He didn't know what that smile meant. Not exactly. Bragi had his suspicions but even he couldn't quite put them into words. She couldn't criticize his speech, and saying he'd be lost unless his romance was remarkable made her smile like she knew something he didn't. These things made Bragi's heart leap to his throat. All he could do was nod back at her dumbly while she gave him the worst advice yet.
“Sometimes words don't translate well” Bragi said. It was the only true thing he could say that might make it seem like he was agreeing with her. Translating emotion was the very medium of letters. Communicating itself was usually about trying desperately to translate an emotion. Even if it couldn't truly be translated. But Bragi had to agree with her somehow. He had to take the advice. Rosy needed to be a great friend. Even when she didn't want to be. Especially when she didn't want to be. Trap someone with a bit of spark to their spirit in an unfair position and make them work there long enough, and eventually they'll rebel. Rosy had a lot of spark to her spirit.
“It would bother me” Bragi admitted. He was supposed to keep his tone as nonchalant as it had been before. A coolness that suggested the botheration was akin to a broken sole. But Bragi couldn't do it. He said the words he'd meant to, but more emotion than he wanted sunk in. He couldn't pretend that a broken sole and a broken soul were the same thing. Acting was easy the first moment, but every moment afterward it got much harder. Bragi could act very well in the beginning tease, but he couldn't sustain it for long. He met her hopeful eyes. “I'd be devastated to lose you,” he said. It was more than that. Bragi already knew he couldn't handle it. Then to make up for all of this, he shrugged and added brightly. “But since you don't want any help, I trust that you must have some kind of plan. I won't get in the way.” If a frost giant showed up, Bragi would definitely get in the way.