[ The force of Jayce's words surprises him more than the words themselves. He knows, deep down, that a person does not need to be whole to be worth something—that isn't what kept him awake at night as a child, crying silently in bed because there was no purpose to making noise. No one was going to hear him and magically make his leg strong enough to run, to climb trees, to play sports, to swim. So he'd turned to mental pursuits, and it was perhaps a miracle that he had the talent for that instead.

Stopping them short, he turns to Jayce but keeps a hand on the crook of his arm, both for balance and because he finds the warmth so comforting. ]

Do you ever have dreams where you're still able to do all the things you did before? [ He feels guilty that he hadn't needed to ask about Jayce's leg, the injury that had robbed him of a stronger body. It's amazing he can do all he does now, his stamina far outweighing Viktor's. ] My mind cannot even conjure up the lie for me. All I have is one dream where I'm running along a dock at full speed for what feels like the first time, but this body doesn't know what ti feels like.

[ For a moment, he recalls that dream with shocking clarity, and for a second he could swear that his skin was purple. Strange that it would be one of the only dreams he has that's in color. ]

Ah, this is stupid. You've given me such a beautiful gift, and yet I'm sulking. [ He slips his hand from Jayce's arm and takes the cane as he pulls away, walking a little faster. ] Do you know, I can't even see what colors you chose? Tell me about them so I can imagine it.