Whoa boy. He was carefully not thinking of it in that thread, but we should do more with them, because Bean (and Ender) bring out a lot of Bruce's own issues with his childhood.
He's been conscientious to treat them both like adults, which I think he's pulled off decently well. But beneath that he's very aware that they aren't, and he has a deep well of sadness for how much they aren't allowed to be children, because he never was either. He doesn't know all that much about their circumstances, but the little tidbit he's gotten from Ender, combined with their general demeanor, makes the emotional implications of the situation clear to him.
On a personal level, he appreciates how direct and practical Bean is, and it's easy for him to deal with. idk if he'd ever show how empathetic he is to them unless we get something to prompt it specifically, but it's there. He just tries not to inflict it on them because he figures they don't need his pity.
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He's been conscientious to treat them both like adults, which I think he's pulled off decently well. But beneath that he's very aware that they aren't, and he has a deep well of sadness for how much they aren't allowed to be children, because he never was either. He doesn't know all that much about their circumstances, but the little tidbit he's gotten from Ender, combined with their general demeanor, makes the emotional implications of the situation clear to him.
On a personal level, he appreciates how direct and practical Bean is, and it's easy for him to deal with. idk if he'd ever show how empathetic he is to them unless we get something to prompt it specifically, but it's there. He just tries not to inflict it on them because he figures they don't need his pity.