It was a faltering smile that stood against his brother's wretched countenance, that crumbled easily at the proximity. The fact was easily seen, but the reason proved less than straightforward, less than known for someone who was once as obvious as an open book. Nigredo watched with bated breath and wondered when Rubedo had begun to carry the air of a stranger.

Or in this instance, a penitent sinner.

Green eyes fell to the opening in the ruined building, mind assessing its stability and his choices. There was truth in his preference to keep a comfortable distance, but there was also truth in his loyalties. Nigredo was never one to ignore them, not to the point of no return. To accept that he would rather have distance came as undesirable, and before long, the boy pulled himself to the level of the window sill. Without hesitation, he dropped to the space in front of Rubedo and stayed.

"It's okay. Really." Discomfort was to be expected; one would be a fool to believe otherwise. "Anyway, we should worry more about the environment. We can't say what's out there--" Besides a trio of estranged bioweapons. Nigredo gave his sibling a weary smile. "--so it may be wise to remain discreet." And arguing out in the open was not an exercise in good discretion.

The expression dropped to the wayside, however, as the last statement became comprehensible. "I," he started, before biting his lip. He didn't know how to go about this, how to convey a simple truth to someone important. There was a labored intake of breath. "Listen," he started again. "What happened to me..."

Never mind what happened to Albedo. Nigredo had no right to speak of it. His, however... "I don't blame you or your counterparts." He blinked and looked away. "You don't have to do anything for me."