Crux tried not to think too hard on Cryptis' praise, he shrugged non-chalantly. How could he express that he'd been in a panic the whole time? That he didn't know how he'd known what to do because half the time if you asked him he'd forget everything.
Luckily the focus shifted to something else and Crux looked at her intently as she spoke of her own disability, crystals too... He almost didn't hear her question his mind already racing. He'd always assumed that his mother's sickness and his and his sister's disabilities had been a chicken and egg scenario, unclear which one had caused the other but they had always seemed intertwined in his mind. Maybe... Maybe that wasn't the case? But the conclusion he was left with was an unsettling one. If other children could be born with the crystals affecting them in such ways then... Their mother's sickness hadn't been the cause, which left the alternative as far as he understood it. As if he needed more reasons to feel guilty over her death.
But things were going from bad to worse, it seemed he had put his paw in his mouth. He watched in horror as the girl broke down. Oh shit oh fuck oh shit oh shit oh shit. Crux wasn't sure this was his worst nightmare but it was certainly up there! She'd forgotten... the earlier comment about relearning suddenly clicking into place when he'd been the one to dismiss it. "I'm-" He cut himself off. He hated it when people pitied him for his disability, he didn't want to pity her, he wanted to help! But how could he? He hadn't known her before this, had no idea who she had been. Didn't even know what had triggered memory loss.
"I'm sorry Cryptis I was unaware." It was a start he guessed. "I can't imagine what that must be like." He wasn't going to downplay something he couldn't even begin to understand. "I don't know who you were Cryptis. But there are some things I think I see. I see that you're a friendly enough wolf to spend time with my young nephew and entertain him. I see that you're a kind enough wolf to remember him and a smart enough wolf to recognize patterns enough to link the two of us together. I won't pretend I know you but there are things about you here and now that give me an idea." Crux tried to keep the uncertainty he felt from his voice, was he saying the right thing, was he coming across as patronizing? He hated that what he wanted to do was really just reach out and help her to wipe her eyes and just let her know she was safe to cry here if she wanted but he dared not touch her again.
