[He's surprised by the strength of her, and just murmurs for her to loosen up a bit. He leans his head against hers and stays like that until she starts to pull away.

He sighs softly at her question. How long, indeed?]

Time has gotten soft, both for our world and for myself. I can give you nothing close to an accurate answer; Gilead has fallen into myth and I am a relic from a world that has moved on.