[Lorenz has gone over this conversation in his head a thousand times. What he would do, what he might say if he had one more chance. When actually faced with it though even that sigh, despite the words that follow, feel like a judgement, disappointment, just one more failure to add to an ever growing list.

He flinches ever so slightly, shaking his head.

Choice? It had always been a game of finding ways to chose the lesser evil.]

I should never have gone home when he summoned me from Derdriu... I thought- [A bitter sound somewhere between a laugh whimper. One he follows quickly by clearing his throat, forcing himself to look up, to meet Claude's gaze even if it was through some strange contraption instead of face to face.] I thought I could sway him.

In the end the only choice I managed was when and where I would fall.