[ he makes a huffing sound, laugh-adjacent — yes, he did feel bad about it. he still feels bad about it, so this is fine, he supposes; it gives him something to do, a way to help, insignificant though it feels. ]

So it is to make me feel better? [ wryly said; it's not like she's wrong, but he can at least sound a little self-deprecating about it. ]

Yes, it seems so. [ he sighs. by this point he has spoken to caitlyn, spoken to heimerdinger... spoken to jayce.

and so he can say with some confidence, extrapolating from everything he's heard, the way everyone has treated him (while still looking at the gauntlets, swapping one tool for another), ]

Are you here to ascertain I have not been, hm, returned home as well?