There was nothing else Kit could have said, except perhaps Another time, you must be very stressed and exhausted, or We're just happy to see such a loving family reunited, or even No, sorry, it's very late and my friend will pass out when the sun sets. Any list of generic pleasantries likely would have done the job. Rutile can't complain much about it, as they had been reeling too much from the hugs to say anything productive.
Thus Rutile and Kit end up whisked away to dinner by a large group of chattering Arybars, all of whom seem to have something important to say at exactly the same time, making conversation rather impossible. The restaurant is small - quaint, really - and cozy, with the many of them crowded around a table, and Rutile sits close to Kit in an effort to take up as little space as possible. When the menu comes around, Rutile has a difficult time explaining that "No, truly, I don't eat anything," only to be told, "Oh yes, we can see that very clearly; you're practically a sack of bones!"
In the end, Rutile lets them order something, and then slides it over to Kit, who will hopefully appreciate it more.
The dinner ends with as much joviality as it had begun, with several new contacts programmed into Rutile's and Kit's yimos and an insistence that if they were ever in the area again to certainly stop by. The Arybar family is seen off with waves and well-wishes, and even the little girl smiles at Rutile and thanks Kit very seriously for the ice cream. Despite the chaos, it is nice to be so unabashedly appreciated and welcomed into their family; it is a feeling of companionship and acceptance that Rutile sorely misses, and their departure introduces an ache to their heart all over again.
By this time, the sun has long since set, and Rutile feels the lack of light dragging on their limbs. Despite this they smile, and gently tap Kit's shoulder. "That was quite an evening," they say, tired yet bemused.
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Thus Rutile and Kit end up whisked away to dinner by a large group of chattering Arybars, all of whom seem to have something important to say at exactly the same time, making conversation rather impossible. The restaurant is small - quaint, really - and cozy, with the many of them crowded around a table, and Rutile sits close to Kit in an effort to take up as little space as possible. When the menu comes around, Rutile has a difficult time explaining that "No, truly, I don't eat anything," only to be told, "Oh yes, we can see that very clearly; you're practically a sack of bones!"
In the end, Rutile lets them order something, and then slides it over to Kit, who will hopefully appreciate it more.
The dinner ends with as much joviality as it had begun, with several new contacts programmed into Rutile's and Kit's yimos and an insistence that if they were ever in the area again to certainly stop by. The Arybar family is seen off with waves and well-wishes, and even the little girl smiles at Rutile and thanks Kit very seriously for the ice cream. Despite the chaos, it is nice to be so unabashedly appreciated and welcomed into their family; it is a feeling of companionship and acceptance that Rutile sorely misses, and their departure introduces an ache to their heart all over again.
By this time, the sun has long since set, and Rutile feels the lack of light dragging on their limbs. Despite this they smile, and gently tap Kit's shoulder. "That was quite an evening," they say, tired yet bemused.