[ sorry, junpei says, and charles just shakes his head with the shadow of a smile — don't worry about it, because, well, he gets it, doesn't he? he thinks he might have said the same, if things were reversed. he gets what it's like, to look at your life and weigh it against others' and find yours lacking. he knows what it's like to throw yourself against danger over and over, just to make sure someone else isn't hurting.

he blinks at junpei's quick move, and then thinks, right, course, and immediately feels bad about possibly having made things worse for him without intending to.

and maybe he should just, you know, move back across the room or something, but he's shifting over and plopping down on the box regardless, knocking their shoulders together. ]

Ha, yeah. You think they'd listen? [ what a joke, that. ] This place... seemed pretty harmless, you know? Until now. [ he sighs and tips his head back, looking at the ceiling. ] Kinda wish I'd studied some magic, now. Pretty sure there's a spell or three out there that'd be helpful right about now.