It really can't survive with that closure, no. Of course, Tesla isn't at all inclined to address the fact that he knows that same tradition has begun, much less the fact that it's entirely likely that he'll be the first to explode into anger, but if nothing else he means to do his very best to pull her down into anger with him. It is, after all, only fair and he knows her too well to suspect that there isn't something weighing on her mind too, past even the fact that she hadn't trusted him with her death.
(And he's not forgotten that yet either, nor is he any less than inclined to not use that as a leverage point if there comes a chance to.)
Still, he takes the keystone when she offers it, and after a brief moment, nods as if he can tell that this is the proper keystone. He can't, of course. Even his electromagnetism isn't enough to tell whether or not it's putting out the right amount of radiation to be the real keystone, but he trusts Helen to have the right one. After all, the alternative would only cause greater frustration and that's really the last thing either of them need. There's the frustration that needs to happen before they can settle back into life as normal, and then there's entirely unnecessary frustration. Not having the right keystone is the latter.
That said, he doesn't do anything with the keystone immediately. Instead, he sets it neatly down next to the projector, where at least it'll be easy to find if he should happen to need later, and turns back to the projection.
(The action of turning away is, at least, partially meant as a comment on how things stand. He will accept what she's offering, but he's not pleased, and it's easier to deal with the projection right now anyway.)
It's only after he's found the first of the keys into more than the default projection that he turns back towards Helen, and he keeps the action casual enough that it could very easily be read as an afterthought; something that's backed up by the perfectly casual tone of his voice.
"Mmm, I can tell. Although if I didn't know better, I'd almost say you were trying to buy my forgiveness."
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(And he's not forgotten that yet either, nor is he any less than inclined to not use that as a leverage point if there comes a chance to.)
Still, he takes the keystone when she offers it, and after a brief moment, nods as if he can tell that this is the proper keystone. He can't, of course. Even his electromagnetism isn't enough to tell whether or not it's putting out the right amount of radiation to be the real keystone, but he trusts Helen to have the right one. After all, the alternative would only cause greater frustration and that's really the last thing either of them need. There's the frustration that needs to happen before they can settle back into life as normal, and then there's entirely unnecessary frustration. Not having the right keystone is the latter.
That said, he doesn't do anything with the keystone immediately. Instead, he sets it neatly down next to the projector, where at least it'll be easy to find if he should happen to need later, and turns back to the projection.
(The action of turning away is, at least, partially meant as a comment on how things stand. He will accept what she's offering, but he's not pleased, and it's easier to deal with the projection right now anyway.)
It's only after he's found the first of the keys into more than the default projection that he turns back towards Helen, and he keeps the action casual enough that it could very easily be read as an afterthought; something that's backed up by the perfectly casual tone of his voice.
"Mmm, I can tell. Although if I didn't know better, I'd almost say you were trying to buy my forgiveness."