[ The way he tries to protect himself from the topic at hand doesn't go unnoticed. It's a difficult thing to not notice considering how it starkly contrasts with his tone. Had she asked too personal of a question? Her openness and curiosity had been known to overstep from time to time and the thought of making him feel uncomfortable - of potentially chasing him away - has guilt pricking at her cheeks like the heat from the fire.

Despite her worries, he eventually answers. A part of her appreciates that he's trying to soften the reality of what she's been brought into, using the word play to mask something that she hadn't really been all that shy about in the past but was now something integral to their survival here. To her, it comes across as a kindness. A kindness to a stranger that has little understanding about how this place functions and the guests that have been brought here. Everything that she's learned so far, including from him, is shaping up to be a different sort of political landscape that she wanted no part in trying to navigate. But like before, there's no choice but for her to play the game. ]

If I get assigned a Suit, you mean. Maybe I won't even have to worry about it.

[ The note about being temporary means it didn't guarantee anything. The state of her future aside, there are more questions she wants to ask - but seeing the way he holds himself now makes her hesitate. So when she does ask a question, it's something else entirely. ]

This might seem out of the blue but could I sit beside you?

[ She knows that the arm around his knee has nothing to do with the chill of the evening settling in, but they doesn't have to acknowledge that. In fact, she'd be happy to say that the thing gnawing at her heart needed the company more than anything else which is why she's more than happy to tack on - ]

I'm a little cold.