The laughter was... confusing, at first. He probably should have taken that as an immediate sign that Valdis had been joking, but ever since Darquesse he'd found it sometimes more difficult than it ought to be to read situations properly. Maybe it also had something to do with why his choice of words was frequently so blunt, his intentions so obvious, so unlike the subtlety he used to employ without even letting on to those closest to him.

...a joke. Okay.

Valdis's actual explanation didn't actually explain much, but it was slightly less cryptic than Bakura's comment had been at the party. And at least the two of them had apologized and were on ostensibly good terms again.

At that last bit he shrugged, looking away as he spoke. "Yeah, well. I don't have so many friends that I can afford for them to go dying in the streets, you know?"