[He's quiet for a moment as he's trying to picture this kind of thing, but hasn't he seen Ace's charisma for himself? He can see it, people liking him when they meet him. He could suppose that Ace could be feared too. This crew has gone to great lengths to protect each other.]

I kind of get it, I mean when you meet Ace. I kind of get what you're saying. That kind of choice though, I can't really imagine it. Knowing that many people, or being known by that many people...it goes beyond something I could understand.

I can't really say what he's thinking when it comes to that. Whether you guys outweigh those that don't like him. For one thing, I don't have that kind of connection to people in general, and for another, it was sort of the opposite for me.

[There's a small tapping noise as he taps his fingers.]

Oh, I'm sorry you lost your Pops. [He's not surprised he forgot his manners in this regard, but he really should check them. If he was offering condolences at home, he'd never stop saying it. It would be meaningless.]

I think I'll leave the hugging to people more qualified such as yourself.