Rin tried harder for that positive expression, although he was fairly sure that it was trying too hard, and maybe a little more on the side of awkwardly threatening, with the teeth. Like when people on YouTube teach their pets to smile. Clearly, his self-esteem was at an all-time high.

Giving up, he took a drink of his soda instead, before swinging the straw in circles around the edge of the glass. He rested his cheek in one palm. Ishiah wouldn't have been his first choice to have a heart to heart with, but maybe that's what made him an ideal choice. He was guaranteed to be able to see things a little more from Yukio's point of view, which meant Rin would do less floundering for some kind of reference.

"I'm grateful. And I'm happy. But I'm not sure either of those things are what Yukio really cares about, anyway. We're not the kind of brothers who get along well. Even though we technically grew up together, we never really shared a life. Not really. He's my only family But we don't really have anything in common, except ... you know. I can't even say, well, we're both exorcists. I'm just an apprentice."