[ there is a brief moment just after wilhelm shifts to prop himself up on his elbow that iris fears the other boy might have been drawing away. it's quickly dashed away by the reality of the opposite, but for at least that half-second iris had felt a familiar spike of fear. there had been many times, during those few months before laurence ultimately stopped paying him any attention, that iris had had to walk on eggshells around the other boy... never quite knowing what he could or couldn't do that would no longer be considered acceptable to the other demiflora's shifting views.

so far, he hasn't yet fucked up with wilhelm. but his current track record isn't very encouraging. ]

It's been... good.

[ the answer comes out tentative at first, because iris hadn't actually known how he'd answer until it actually left his mouth. he sits with that for a second, as if testing the weight of its truth. ]

Well, [ he says after a beat, ] the memory stuff was kinda weird and I definitely didn't enjoy having to drink fire water. [ just! saying! ] But everything else...

[ he trails off, gaze snagging on the movement of wilhelm's hand. reaching for the necklace he'd caught sight of, once or twice, and wondering if it was something of his brother's. iris's hands meet laced over his ribs, where he would normally feel the weight of rosalie's pendant resting there... only he'd arrived here without anything. not that necklace, or the collar the valley had outfitted him with just to keep him under control.

he draws in some air, lets it out in one slightly shaky breath. ]

I think it helps that I was sort of... in between stuff, right as I got here. I had to leave a place I was just starting to get comfortable in, and was about to sign myself up for what was probably going to be a really bad time.

[ he smiles a little ruefully, shrugging. ]

Anywhere's already better in comparison. But I don't hate it here. In fact, I think... I think I like it a lot. Actually.