[ If Gil hadn't dumped all those feelings, he would have gotten a verbal swipe about how domestic and sedate he chose to see Rau. This is the claws-sheathed version of this conversation! As it is, Rau reaches down to pick up the black king, twirling it slowly and idly between gloved fingers. His voice is amused, tolerant. ]

I offer you a perfectly good reason to believe it was all as true as anything, and still you insist on the absolute truth. Really, you don't make things easy on yourself.