[ Something about that. He doesn't care — doesn't have the necessary components to — but he still... cares. One of those little things he can't afford to let out to the surface but here, now..? What's the point of keeping up appearances when everybody who knew him back home already believes that he's something he's most certainly not?
There's a beat of hesitation and then he lifts his hand to give her a pat on the shoulder, followed by a reassuring squeeze. Sorry, poppet. He kind of hates that you know better than him what torture means. ]