Overblown? Maybe. But it felt like such a long time since he had felt the freedom to laugh like that, to just let an emotional bubble up and burst out and not worry about whatever impression he was making.

"You mean like I still do, except I get to do it with a ship and not a simulation?" he shook his head around the last huffs of laughter, partaking of a few more bites of soup before it got to cold. He nudged him with his shoulder again and winked. "I'm glad you decided to hitch your wagon to this horse then, gentle sir. Makes a stallion hold his head a little bit higher."