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Lily tilted her head and lifted an eyebrow, glancing from Alg to the open hand. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but man, fighting otherthings and being bad at magic politics doesn't hold a candle to trying to be in the same room as my mother and have an opinion." Nevertheless, she listened to his story with an even-tempered attention, nodding slowly even though her lips were pursed and her nose crinkled slightly at the notion of letting go of her pride.

"Your dad sounds like a douchewaffle," Lily responded plainly. She looked from him to the hand, not really sure how to approach this oddly formal show of affection. She didn't really know Alg other than as a professor, but he was showing a vulnerable side of himself to make a point, and Lily was trying to extend the olive branch, foster a little camaraderie, but she couldn't just lean into him like he was Nasir or one of her packmates.

"I know that. And I'm sorry. I'll...think about stuff," she said lowly, reaching out for his hand. It was a stiff handshake, awkward and stilted even as the warmth of his reassurance spilled over. "Just...don't tell Eve, okay? She doesn't need to worry about me."

For a moment, Lily kicked herself for not having snapchat open, because having a recording of Algernon Mercer saying 'douchewaffle' would have made for the best meme. Nevertheless, she forced herself to focus, to be mature about the situation was in and not just the truant child being fussed at, because she wasn't a child and she was only slightly truant.

(You got nine freebies for attendance before the tenth one counted against you, right?)

"Psh, being a hippie's not really my 'aesthetic'," Lily shrugged, but she smiled softly, an aftereffect of the warm tinglies she experienced in her heart. "But I'll, uhh, look in my heart and visualize it in my mind's eye or whatever, and if I see something, I'll let you know."

She nodded at he stepped away, pausing to consider if she should ask him when the next essay was due or if she'd straight-up missed the deadline. After a moment, Lily decided not to push her luck, and with a soft wave she turned and walked away in even strides. If they left on a good note it was all the same to her.