[He's thankfully(?) keeping those out of sight for now, but also: very fair!!]

That sounds quite troublesome indeed. But since they're your friends, you want to help them?

[He asks, like basic empathy is a foreign concept.]

[Oh good, please use small words with him, he Does Not Get It.]

Ah, so by bolstering their confidence, you believe they'll be happier and less upset with themselves! I see, I see... Have you gotten any good advice so far?

Hmm, that does seem like fairly solid advice, but I'm guessing you were looking for a more... direct solution?

[So it feels like you're doing more than just sitting around and listening.]

Unfortunately, I can only speculate, as I have very little experience in this field. Most of my... [a small hum as he considers] associates have overly inflated egos, really. So it isn't a problem I've faced before.

I assume you've already tried speaking with them about the problem?

Ah, understandable. Some people really do miss the simplest of things...

[A sympathetic nod as if he totally gets it, but it's mostly just because he gets people being dumb about things they're too close to.]

Well, I do wish you luck with your dilemma, and I'm sorry I don't have any helpful advice for you!

Ah, of course! What a silly oversight, I should have started with that! You may call me Zvei.

[He presses a hand to his chest and ducks into a bow briefly before sitting back up.]

I do wish you luck with your companions, Miss Oryou.

Oh, don't worry too much about it, I've gone by plenty of names before.

[He says with a laugh and a little wave, like it isn't a big deal.]

But I am pleased that listening has helped at least in some small part!

Hmm, that's fair! Unfortunately, I don't remember what my actual name is, so I usually let people call me whatever they'd like.

[Sometimes those names even stick!]

[wow rude— no jk he doesn't even see it as rude, given the incline of his head and the mildly confused look.]

I would answer that if I could, but I'm afraid I don't know. I've yet to run into anyone who recognizes me, so I can't even fathom a guess, at this point. My species can be rather long-lived, anyway.

[So possibly?? ~it is a mystery~]

I would imagine it's the latter more than the former, if only because I don't remember anything about my past. Though even that is questionable, as in my earliest memories, I wasn't injured...

[He shrugs after that's out there, though, smiling once again.]

But that hardly matters here and now, does it?

Oh, I've heard plenty of them. It is honestly quite fascinating how many people hide behind their tragic backstories as a shield... Ah, but perhaps some would assume not having a backstory at all to be a tragic one. I'm really quite fine without one!

[He says, but this is 110% not the truth. Don't worry about it.]

Ah, I imagine that must be difficult! Though it's hardly a bad thing to want to help others. Tell me more about your husband?

[He must be an interesting guy to be married to Oryou!]