[He shrinks away, just a little. Between the gentle gesture and what Mandricardo says, it's almost harder to handle than rejection or disgust would have been. It's painful to tolerate any sort of kindness, with the ugly parts he'd rather keep hidden suddenly so very, very visible. Even the understanding is difficult, because he feels guilty for being grateful that he's not the only one dealing with such things. Terrible. He's always been a selfish person, though.

The question is what he focuses on instead, since it's easier - it's just numbers, just facts.]

I don't know. Their group is fairly large and scattered... It's their leader that I'm aiming for, but if I could wipe out the entirety of their faction before reaching him, I'd be glad for it.