She's uncertain why the dried herbs have caught his attention, but it seems to help him gather his thoughts, and when he replies to her, she can hear the renewed determination in his voice. It makes her return his smile, however brief that it is.

"I think he'd like that. Honestly, anything that exposed him to other points of view would be helpful. The Nexus is... well, even I thought I was dreaming, when I first found it. It wasn't until that I'd been off-world a couple times that it truly sank in that my world was one of many, and the same rules didn't always apply."

So long as he keeps his hands to himself when meeting any new non-humans...

"Yes, you should ask him. Just... don't be surprised if the answer doesn't make sense at first. He doesn't see things the way we do." And yes, she means it when she says "we". Abysa may be a demon, a consort to to the Lords of Hell, but she feels like she understands his motivations a heck of a lot better than the caged scholar's.

Although, now that her mind returns to Micolash, she can't help but feel a little guilty. Their last conversation ended so poorly; maybe some of this could have been avoided if she had tried harder to be his friend, to hear him openly instead of insulting his relationship with the Great Ones. "Abysa? I want you to know something. If you're not planning to give up on Micolash, then neither am I. Okay? If there is some good in him, maybe I can help you find it."