“I understand.”

Two particular words Teren hadn’t been inclined to expect from Rose, nor were they ones that he fully believed. Did she really understand? The idea was more incomprehensible than plausible to him. The young woman continued speaking with a display of equal determination as he was stubborn. Admirable from afar, but something that made him more coiled internally. Maybe as defense, maybe in irritation to the thought of an open challenge. She finished it with a smile that didn’t affect the straight line of his lips or still gaze. Though he did find a distinct shade of seriousness shadowing Rose’s expression. “That’s an awful lot of ambition for having only dealt with me for a few hours,” Teren mused, not exactly unkindly. It wasn’t an admission he would go out of his way to make her life hard, but it certainly wasn’t a concession to the possibility he might either.

When Rose began to rise, Teren had wiped his face diligently of anything that could have lingered on it before packing up what he had brought up. The male had stood at the top of the tree, watching as Rose climbed down before he even attempted to follow. A clumsy wobble followed Rose’s dismount that didn’t go unnoticed from where he had remained observing, which only encouraged him to roll his eyes before making his own descent down the tree. Hitting the ground with a small jump, he clutched the lunchbox in casual tow despite how unfitting it looked to be held by someone of his appearance’s caliber.

“I’m already annoyed,” Teren had chosen to say on the ground, his tone more commentary than barbed despite the words he spoke to the young woman in front of him. “Whether you’re intentionally trying to annoy me-” he approached, unafraid of stepping into what could have been her physical boundary to tilt his head down at her and simultaneously lift the lunchbox she had given him with a single finger. Just to express that he knew it had been a minor act of some kind of purposeful retribution. “Or not.” He added, lowering it without making an effort to leave her space that he occupied with the intent of presence, versus in an attempt to be threatening.

“I’ll tolerate your perfect imperfection until it does more than annoy me, though, mentor,” Teren added with a thoughtful regard of his gaze, moving forward after a few seconds were lost to time as his frame took a near enough pass by to threaten bumping her shoulder without actually doing so. Playing nice enough was the only real name to the game he had to play here, though. Maybe her determination was more of a tool, maybe it would be more of a thorn in his side - he wasn’t sure which side this coin would land on. That’s the thought that occupied him as his gait led him toward the direction of the house he didn’t need Rose’s assistance with in terms of guiding.