[A curious stiffness takes hold of her expression.]

Maybe it's like a fairy story. And maybe life is always going to be a bit more complicated than that.

That doesn't mean that things like hope, or mercy, or even justice aren't real.

[She sets to scanning the array of faces again, softening some.]

Personally, I've found the little acts of kindess matter most when the world is at its darkest.

Is your person wearing a hat?