"I almost didn't recognize you at first," admitted Soma. It hadn't just been because of the helmet, either. There had been something there last night that simply hadn't been present in the quiet scholar she'd known, and she didn't think it was just the magic. "Is that how everyone dresses back in your time?"

And at least the Once-ler was a lot more talkative than he had been a few minutes ago. That was encouraging. Soma leaned forward a little, always curious about where people came from.

"What did you do before you were dragged here?" she asked, open curiosity in her voice. It was hard to figure out, if she were perfectly honest with herself; not a fighter, that much was clear, but the lanky man in front of her could have been practically anything else.