As Dolphus sadly stumbled through his response, Ari could feel her confidence and the determination she had just spoken with waning.
Her blunt nature seemed to have brought the kid down even more.
Ari looked down with a sad, sorry expression.
From young age she was taught to always give back what she owed. The kid clearly cared about her, he trusted her. Suddenly, she felt guilty for not being able to pay him back for his trust.
“You ain’t burdening me, kid. You saved my life back there in the forest, and only thanks to you and Mariner I’m not stranded on that island trying to build a raft right now. I wish I could help you with your struggle, I see how much it means to you, but I can’t.” Ari raised her eyes at Dolphus and smiled a bit shyly and awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck, “I ain’t smart, unlike you, and I don’t know many things. I’m much better at hammering nails and sawing timber than thinking about serious stuff and deciding what’s right or wrong. That’s just how I am. I’m sorry for being such a good-for-nothing…”
Had this been said by anyone else, it could have easily been interpreted as sarcasm or mockery, but Ari was speaking completely genuinely. She truly meant every single word she said.
Of course none of this made her original statement less true. She was still determined to get out of the Armada, just like she was sure that the kid couldn’t rely on her for everything. But still, now she regretted that she hadn’t approached this differently.