[Erik snorts over his glass.]

'Barely anything.' [The repetition is dry, but without edges.] Perhaps we can agree that's a matter of perception. But yes, we spoke, so what were your intentions?

[His interest isn't like Charles's--he doesn't have that ability to make a person feel like they're the only one in the room, like they're being appreciated for something no one else has ever been clever enough to see, but he does have a way of focusing, like the slim end of a knife.]