( Smile widening by fractions whenever he makes her laugh, Charles has finally begun to lose the tension around his eyes and his shoulders. It's been a hell of a day, and that was even before he somehow got plucked from his own reality. )

I'll make a valiant effort, Miss Oswald. ( He drawls that, blue eyes flashing as he starts to head towards where she's been working. ) Unfortunately, metal is not quite my strong suit. It's a shame, really. I have a friend who would be able to do this almost immediately.

( Does his voice dip at the end there? Of course not. He's not worried. He's not hurt. He's not wishing he could just go home and sort things out. )

But I can fetch and carry. ( Rallying slightly. ) I may not look it, but years of carting around textbooks has made me quite capable.