[His instinct, as always, is to be extremely skeptical of this kind of sentiment. What's throwing him though, is that Maruki truly seems to actually mean it, and... Elan doesn't know what to do with that. This sort of earnest kindness is absolutely non-existent where Elan comes from, at least as far as adults go, because surprise surprise, a hyper-capitalist corporate space future really isn't particularly conducive to cultivating kind and nurturing authority figures.
With his memories of everything prior to Peil being just, gone, the adults in Elan's life back home tend to fall into one of two categories. Category one: conniving CEOs. Category two: said CEO's (plural) vast legions of lackeys and boot-lickers. The latter tends to have a few sub-categories of it's own, but they all still more or less serve the same force. The teachers at Asticassia are all hand-picked by the Benerit Group to help indoctrinate the next generation of cutthroat business people... But the morally bankrupt scientists and doctors whose research helps produce things like the Enhanced Person program are Elan's least favorite. "Doctor", to his mind, usually conjures up the memory of Belmeria Winston, sobbing and grovelling and having the absolute gall to beg one of her teenage lab rats for sympathy. Thinking about her still threatens to set him trembling with rage.
He's not getting Bel vibes off of Maruki, though. Which is a big deal! It's still far too soon to fully trust the guy, but Elan decides he can at least risk throwing him a bone, in the interest of future cooperation.]
...Putting that kind of trust in others generally isn't in my play book, to be honest. [he tilts his head, smirking wearily.] And before you say anything, yeah, I know: being a counselor, I'm sure you've heard that line a thousand times over. That said... I suppose it probably wouldn't kill me to keep that in mind, if things around here really go to hell.
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With his memories of everything prior to Peil being just, gone, the adults in Elan's life back home tend to fall into one of two categories. Category one: conniving CEOs. Category two: said CEO's (plural) vast legions of lackeys and boot-lickers. The latter tends to have a few sub-categories of it's own, but they all still more or less serve the same force. The teachers at Asticassia are all hand-picked by the Benerit Group to help indoctrinate the next generation of cutthroat business people... But the morally bankrupt scientists and doctors whose research helps produce things like the Enhanced Person program are Elan's least favorite. "Doctor", to his mind, usually conjures up the memory of Belmeria Winston, sobbing and grovelling and having the absolute gall to beg one of her teenage lab rats for sympathy. Thinking about her still threatens to set him trembling with rage.
He's not getting Bel vibes off of Maruki, though. Which is a big deal! It's still far too soon to fully trust the guy, but Elan decides he can at least risk throwing him a bone, in the interest of future cooperation.]
...Putting that kind of trust in others generally isn't in my play book, to be honest. [he tilts his head, smirking wearily.] And before you say anything, yeah, I know: being a counselor, I'm sure you've heard that line a thousand times over. That said... I suppose it probably wouldn't kill me to keep that in mind, if things around here really go to hell.