He suddenly felt for Phaedra, oddly. She was a strong and independent being, but he'd never realized just how isolating her existence was. This girl was afraid of her--and if not afraid, ill at ease.
The Doctor could identify with being so isolated, but people weren't generally put off by him. Only his enemies were.
"Well, Eleni Stark," The Doctor said, putting on a smile, "happier topics. Where are you from? What do you do? What is your favorite television program?"