[Charles smiles genuinely for the first time since he brought up his mother, either not noticing the new trap or ignoring it as he makes his next move.]
It takes quite a bit to get me to give up on a person. You may have noticed. [And he does appreciate that understanding, more than he could ever hope to put into words, and he might have let some of that appreciation filter across if Erik wasn't wearing the helmet, because it was easier to communicate it that way than by putting it into words. But he was, and he didn't.]
[Spam]
It takes quite a bit to get me to give up on a person. You may have noticed. [And he does appreciate that understanding, more than he could ever hope to put into words, and he might have let some of that appreciation filter across if Erik wasn't wearing the helmet, because it was easier to communicate it that way than by putting it into words. But he was, and he didn't.]