"I understand." He really, really does. "I wasn't a different person when I got here. But I didn't have friends. I didn't make them; I made allies. I made pawns. Like an asshole." A small smirk. "Over time I learned to trust my gut a little more. I still suspect most people are opportunists, but around here- it's different. At home, people instinctively fear me or hate me. Or both. So here, it's easier for me to give people the benefit of the doubt."
A pause, a frown. "Which doesn't mean my experience is universal. And I don't expect it to be."
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A pause, a frown. "Which doesn't mean my experience is universal. And I don't expect it to be."