[He meets his eyes with her, frowning.] What? No. You're not stupid, Iona. You're anything but stupid. [He refuses to let her apply such a word to herself -- he felt it was so far from the truth. Tackling life head-on was not stupid.
It's enough for him to shove aside some of his awkwardness, just barely, and he regains some semblance of focus. He's still embarrassed, of course, and the words come out as a murmur.]
Are you really being serious, Iona? [He knows she just said she was, but he wants to be sure.]
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It's enough for him to shove aside some of his awkwardness, just barely, and he regains some semblance of focus. He's still embarrassed, of course, and the words come out as a murmur.]
Are you really being serious, Iona? [He knows she just said she was, but he wants to be sure.]