[ There's a telltale twitch of one corner of his mouth when Marianne says I see, if only because he thinks he understands the sentiment behind it. What else is there really to say when presented with this much all at once? Even though he's been mulling it over for months - it's still plenty confusing and with no way to find answers for any of it now that they're here. Assuming there even are ways to find answers at home.

Now's not the time to halfway distract himself with the Leosylph, so Claude straightens back up to look at Marianne. ]

I'd say different times is accurate, but it's also more than just time alone like the months between you, me, and Hilda. Petra and Sylvain both have things that happened that couldn't have happened for us without things being... very different. Or impossible. [ This really isn't that helpful either, and Claude knows it. He furrows his brow to think for a minute of what else to offer that might somehow make more sense. Or, conversely, make everything even more muddled. ] Teach seems to be involved for all of us somehow, though I'm not sure we've really figured much out there.

[ Then again, with so many other overwhelming aspects of being here: Claude realizes he could also wait to dig into the further details, especially without even touching on Abraxas and all it has beyond familiar faces they know. That makes it easier to flash a smile that's not for show this time around. ]

Petra and Sylvain will be glad to see you. Despite everything, that was the case when I found them after they arrived and the same for when Hilda arrived later, too.