[ Is Mithrun, in his quiet and unpretentious way, the most frustrating person in Fragment for Michel personally? The bluntness doesn't garner much of a reaction from him, but his brow furrows at the rest. ]

I don't desire your permission... or to think that at all. What I want is a reason to believe that you'll take better care of the feelings of those who have chosen, for whatever reason, to care for you.

[ Michel would not object to this outburst of honesty stopping at any time. Vexed, he bites down on his own tongue — quite literally — to stem the flow of words. ]