"Work past?" Rin asks, and does his best to hide the pout that came to his mouth at the feel of the words. What was he supposed to be working past, exactly?

"But wanting to protect my friends is what's keeping me around. How I feel about people is what's keeping me strong, isn't it?"

He knit his brows together and stared up at Ishiah's tall, imposing presence. He might have been intimidated, some time ago, but he'd come to know Ishiah, and trust him -- for better or worse. He no longer seemed like an aloof authority, but someone Rin could talk to ... when Yukio refused to really listen.