Even without her soothing tone and the physical reassurance, Cal knew enough to realize Jennifer was offering something a little more substantial than the typical platitudes. While another person in her position might simply accept his frustrations (which, if he were to be honest with himself, was un-sportsman-like whining) at face value and allow him time to vent in freedom, they wouldn't offer a solution the way she had. They would coddle, they would reassure, but at the end of it all, there would be empty phrases and nothing on which he could build when he had to wake up and do it all again tomorrow. This, whatever this was, was more difficult and yet had the potential to be more beneficial. It was a manifestation of no pain, no gain, a phrase very close to his heart.

Still, to admit to such things, even in the coded way she had just done, had risks. And if Calendius had somehow misread her admissions, or if Jennifer wasn't even aware of their implication, anything he said to confirm them could be equally, if not more troubling. "Maybe we should teach them about our history. That way they can understand. They do kind of get thrown into it all, I guess." He chewed on his words carefully, the human empathy usually hidden in equal parts beneath careful vapidity and tanning lotion struggling to make an odd appearance. "But it's a great system. I'm sure they'd agree with the right education... Right?"