He hadn't meant to brag about his own situation, not at all. Just because he was doing well, didn't mean he had to hide it. Still, he empathized with Valentine as he began to speak - seeing those he cared for suffering was unpleasant to him. Sure, he'd only met him twice, but he'd enjoyed those two times quite a bit and his mind had wandered to Valentine since, from time to time.
Though glad to see him again, seeing him in a more negative mood wasn't what he'd hoped for. His lips pursed together, ears flicking in Valentine's direction. Things hadn't been well for him. He'd been sick, he'd been forced away from his pack, and he'd come back to nothing. Well, damn. He gazed at him, compassion in his eyes, head tilting to the side as he considered. "Well," he'd murmur solemnly, "The world does have a strange way of toying with us at times, doesn't it?" The gods were not necessarily cruel gods, but sometimes the world shifted and swayed in ways that could send them tumbling. It was all part of the way things went, and often things did not go as planned.
"King of nothing," he'd repeat brusquely, his expression life as he leaned toward Valentine to offer him a gentle nudge to his shoulder, his tusks grazing the other man's shoulder lightly before he pulled back. "But at least you're still a King. Better than being nothing at all. Still impressive to me." His tone was playful and a bit teasing - he did feel bad for Valentine, but he'd always been better at cheering others up than giving them advice on their problems. He didn't know if Valentine wanted of anything of that; if he simply wanted a shoulder to lean on or an ear to vent to, he could do either.
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