[ it feels like a non-answer, but when he forces his brain to process the words he realizes it's simply the truth. they must not be that close, certainly not as close as he and his mother used to be, but he can't tell if it's delta's lack of a strong bond with his uncle or something else that causes the tremor in his hands. despite the faraway daze his brain is in, he still feels it in his hair. ]

It's not that cold. [ cooler by the water, yes, but not enough to make someone shiver. he briefly considers asking if delta wants to move closer to the bonfire, but that would require both movement and being near people, neither of which he currently wishes to attempt. delta's lap feels like it was made for his head.

the joint appears before him like an angel from the sky. he tilts his chin to wrap his lips around it, drawing in a breath before letting go. ]

It's cool if you don't really want to talk about him.

[ he's fully aware the amount of half-cocked shenanigans he and his mother would get into is outside of the realm of normal mother and son interactions. most people have regular things to say about their family, or nothing much at all like delta. his mother once threw his math textbook out the window because ashe told her he had to study instead of helping her feed the stray cats by the dumpster. ]

What're you thinking about right now? [ he blows a small stream of smoke upwards. ] Something's up with you.