"Not yet, no. If it'd worked I wouldn't want to have left without saying goodbye."

Nod.

"... I can try right now, if you'd like?"

She's sort of confused as to what's troubling him. Does he want her to go away? Maybe some form of company after several thousand years of not having any is intimidating and scary?

"I said I'd explain things if you were still trapped here today, and we don't yet know whether you're still trapped here."

"No, we don't," she agrees.

She has another bite of food.

He doesn't seem to know what to say to that.

Navethae doesn't really know what to say, either. She's just going to quietly keep eating food.

Awkward silence it is, then!

Aaaaugh.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" she offers, awkwardly.

"...what?"

"I can't tell if you want to be near me or not," she admits. "You seemed less than thrilled about running into me and immediately asked if I've tried to leave, yet. That - doesn't read as 'Hi Navethae it's nice to see you.'"

"...I don't want you to be trapped here," he says. "But I do want you to - be here."

He looks away again.

Softly: "I'm... frighteningly lonely."

She considers, then picks up her food and moves to sit next to him.

"I don't want to be trapped here either, but neither am I super desperate to try to get away right this instant and abandon you."

"Thank you," he murmurs.

"You're welcome."

Tentative, only-mildly-terrifying smile.

She smiles back.

"So um - do you need me to make sure I am definitely trapped before explaining your hypothesis about why the valley wanted to draw me in?"

"I'd - rather be sure, yeah. If you're not trapped then it... matters much less."

"All right. Then we can finish lunch and then I'll - I'll see if I can get out? At the very least, even if it spits me out, I should be able to rig something up so I could talk to you without being able to hear you. And eventually I can figure out a way you can reply. I - think."

He nods.

"... My offer to hug you's still open. And I can delay if you'd rather."

"...No. I... I don't..." He trails off and shakes his head.

"Okay," she agrees. "That's all right."

He sits quietly.

He hasn't actually touched any of the food.

Well, that's his prerogative.

"Do you mind if I try to set up the long distance talking thing now? I might be able to manage it if the valley kicks me out, but it's easier to reach you if I already have before, and for the first time it's easiest to do it when you're right in front of me."