[ Okay, maybe it isn't the right moment for story-time. He suspects Walter can teeter on the edge of panic for a while, but he doesn't want to be responsible for being the one to hold him there. He does nod when Walter asks if it was the guilt-free flood, but he doesn't come immediately back to it. ]

Malcolm does love this place, and I do, too. It gives us connections that we've never had in our respective universes. Actual friends, healthier relationships. For the two of us, we were both ostracized from society, only allowed out to hunt down active serial killers and then looked down upon for how well we did it. I gave up trying to gain acceptance, but Malcolm was still trying. This place...it's hard to describe just how different it is. How much kinder the people tend to be.

But I am well aware there's a lot of this place that's inherently terrifying for most people. The unreality aspects are awful for my warden. The murders are...a lot of people try to brush them aside, because it's too scary to acknowledge. There's a loss of control.

But Malcolm and I- we had all that back home. And Malcolm focuses on the good parts he's...never had before. Hyperfocuses, even. [ He pauses to consider something, then looks up to Walter. ] Do you know much about Autism Spectrum Disorder? I'm not sure what year you're from.