Comment about his mother might have hurt him in another life, life he led about 6 or 8 years ago. But, no, even then the soft, caring feelings he had for woman who gave birth to him had been engulfed by anger and hurt. And most importantly - disappointment. Children weren't supposed to be disappointed in their parents, but he was. Ryan resented his mother for being the way she was, for making him feel like that, and himself for feeling so.

However, Sophie didn't need to know any of that and he opened his mouth to tell her that his mother didn't give a damn about him and perhaps even that she hadn't for too many years to count. In that last moment, man switched to more neutral words, shrugging as he spoke in nonchalant voice: "our parents don't live our lives, we do." It didn't mean parents didn't set children on their path, though. And god, had he tried to stray away from the dank alley his mother had sent him into. Only to end up in sewers, at least moral ones. Still, it was only his own fault, no one else's.

But there he was, tiny part of him getting side-tracked again, philosophical even. Letting his old habit mix with job was not a good thing and Ryan moved around the barricades, heading to one of the walls and leaning against it, his eyes still staring at her intently. "Obviously, I wasn't sent to have a little chit-chat with you over tea," he spoke, nearly lazily, as if not bothered by concept that Sophie was still walking on her own, like it was only question of time and she had no chance to escape her fate.

World outside window looked bleary - trashed and dark, barely lit with few blinking street lamps. It was growing even colder and fog was rolling in eerily. No signs of life, not even a light in another window - all buildings looked blind and empty like a scull. He caught that sympathetic look she gave him and was momentarily torn between relishing it or getting annoyed. Pride won, of course. He was Ryan Orth, a nobody, but he still didn't need pity.

"You can't really buy your way out of this, Sophie," he spoke, following her train of thoughts although on different tracks. Well, technically she could. He had an item that gave him unlimited opportunities to travel around not one world, but many of them. At least until it broke down. And before that, he could find a nice one to settle in, he just would need a little bit of funding to make life there which she would have provided. However, there were certain factors Ryan couldn't ignore, like they'd find him and that he couldn't trust her. "Besides, the moment you thought I was on your hook, you'd strand me here, wouldn't you?" he smirked.

Ryan pondered when she'd go for the orb, when she'd figure he was distracted enough. Although he was a street rat, thought of hitting woman first didn't really appeal to him. In fact, even through their previous struggles, he had attempted to hurt her as little as possible. But the game had to come to end soon and if he really had to make the first move, he would. It wasn't like he was trying to remedy his goals by his actions, was he?