Oh, sure, [ says Claude, waving off her concern with much more ease than he actually feels. His smile returns - very fake, but the thoroughly practiced sort of fake that's difficult for most people to pick out - as he tells himself that he's endured verbal abuse much worse than this in the past.

(Just... Not from something wearing his father's face, claiming concern for him that may well have been rightful, considering how he ended up. But it's fine. Everything's fine.) ]

This is all just some weird nightmare scenario, anyway. Honestly, if any of these people were actually here I'd be glad to see them, even if they weren't glad to see me. But since they're some kind of figments of my imagination or something, I can at least rest secure in my certainty that the real versions of them all actually adore me.

[ He winks, grinning. ]