Armand is stuck, both in the thoughts of the past, and his fears of the present, along with spinning his wheels to preserve his future. Honesty is something he uses sparingly, as a weapon, as a humbling moment to show that he's open and vulnerable (but only when he means to be).

And yet, not, as he settles into Daniel's hold, he's tentatively shaping his mouth around something else. "There is a version of me that will exist because you want him to," he says. "And I willingly wish to be that for you. That Armand. However, I'm not sure that it will be who I am, because I don't know who I am. I only know that I exist to protect what I want."

Right now, that's Daniel Molloy, and god help anyone who gets in his way.

He does perk, slightly, at the thought of dinner and Daniel impressing him. "What machinations are you orchestrating?" he asks, still trying to shake off his doubts.