"Yes," murmurs Cole of his own insightfulness. It always takes getting used to. He understands that, better now than he did before, when he was caught between, Fade and feeling. Gabriel hasn't met something like him in a long time, but it will come back, old habits like still water below the earth.

The invitation is kind and welcome. Cole manages a little smile of his own and nods once. "I would like that," he says. "My friend The Iron Bull gave me hot chocolate once, when I was learning how to eat and drink. It was very good. I liked it."

Babbling as he follows Gabriel inside. Cold is something he can endure, but warmth is nicer, comforting. They're going upstairs, but there are many memories here, in the rooms around them. Old, drifted away and gone, of loneliness and addiction, the taking of gifts and giving them away. Newer, present but not here, heavy with fear and doubt, heart blackened by a thousand bad memories, but Gabriel is a light that shines through the darkness, he makes it better. Something terrible happened to this house once, something that made it blue, but now it's fixed.

Cole says nothing as he follows Gabriel up.