[ He does know she's telling the truth, which is why his throat is suddenly feeling tight and he's doing a whole lot of rapid blinking and not looking at her. Wow, this sure did get heavy fast. He hadn't been ready for all that, doesn't know how to respond to it. At first, all he manages is a shrug. The he clears his throat. Then, in the closest he can approximate to a normal voice: ]

Sounds fake but okay.

[ When in emotional distress, make a joke! It's a foolproof system. He just hopes that's a meme Taako has gotten around to showing her by now. ]

Sorry to get all depressing on you. I didn't mean to say any of that. Normally I lie about this shit.