Luxuries. For someone that lived in spartan manners, pardon the expression, hot showers were a luxury as they were. He came to think how quick did he get used to these commodities.

In spite of lacking most of the powers of the supernatural, he understood body language. He could read that something bothered Solid, even as he found himself almost cloyed by the place. When he turned, John knelt to listen... and old words return to him, of the person he loved the most throughout these universes.

The same existential question.



For a second he doesn't know what to answer. Even if he had gotten to save her, would the process to restore Cortana had done the same?

As he looks at Solid, however, and sees his own fears in him, he comes to understand one thing. He fears that even if it would have changed Cortana, he would have preferred having her to live, having her happy, even if her feelings and memories with him would change, instead of suffering a slow death to rampancy.

"You saved him." He mutters. If Solid is good as picking tones, he'd realize the way he replies is cold, almost sad. "No one returns the same after coming close to death. But you saved his life. Your duty, and his, is to make it count."

To hope it could be for the better.