Mitch opened his mouth as if to try to give some words of comfort, or just anything. Instead, another cigarette appeared in his own mouth. His lips closed down around it and he lit Abel's cigarette with the Zippo before lighting his own. He took a long drag from it, to the point where it started to burn the back of his throat. He grabbed the cigarette between his index and middle finger and heaved a deep sigh, turning his head away from Abel as the smoke blew out of his mouth.
He looked down at the Zippo, tracing the outline of the bear with his thumb while the smoldering cigarette sat in between his fingers. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. "This used to be my Ma's. Bought it just before the War. Was a lucky score because they stopped producing these until the War ended."
He brought the cigarette up to his mouth and just left it there, taking the opportunity to turn the lighter around in his hand. It was still in remarkable condition for its age, and the brush strokes of the artwork were still full and bold. "She painted it herself. Supposed to represent courage in the face of adversity, safety in our hardest moments, and..." He took another drag of the cigarette, more taking a moment to collect himself. "Nurturing and protecting your family."
A bitter melancholy fell over his eyes with those words. "I'm not blaming her for dying, of course I'm not. But I feel like I haven't really had a family in years. And the family I did have was only half of one. I thought I had one here, but..." He looked briefly behind him, and he noticed Ishade standing at the window of the music room. He sighed and turned to look back to Abel. "Well, Luka's departure certainly hasn't made things easier regarding that feeling, y'know... But you've been the closest thing I've had to family since she passed."
He looked down at the Zippo, tracing the outline of the bear with his thumb while the smoldering cigarette sat in between his fingers. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. "This used to be my Ma's. Bought it just before the War. Was a lucky score because they stopped producing these until the War ended."
He brought the cigarette up to his mouth and just left it there, taking the opportunity to turn the lighter around in his hand. It was still in remarkable condition for its age, and the brush strokes of the artwork were still full and bold. "She painted it herself. Supposed to represent courage in the face of adversity, safety in our hardest moments, and..." He took another drag of the cigarette, more taking a moment to collect himself. "Nurturing and protecting your family."
A bitter melancholy fell over his eyes with those words. "I'm not blaming her for dying, of course I'm not. But I feel like I haven't really had a family in years. And the family I did have was only half of one. I thought I had one here, but..." He looked briefly behind him, and he noticed Ishade standing at the window of the music room. He sighed and turned to look back to Abel. "Well, Luka's departure certainly hasn't made things easier regarding that feeling, y'know... But you've been the closest thing I've had to family since she passed."