Aiden snorted but then looked up with that slow, honest expression he'd learned to show in front of people he wanted to trust. "No," he said, steady. "I will join on my own terms. I want to join."
Those words landed heavier than Daniel's dramatics. For a long moment Ryan simply felt glad. Aiden had been quiet about wanting more. To hear him say it plainly felt like a gift. Ryan put out a hand and touched Aiden's shoulder once, a small, human gesture of thanks and understanding.
Now it was Kai's turn. Ryan looked at him and did the only human thing a leader should do in that moment: he invited plainly and left the rest to the person in front of him.
"Kai," Ryan said, "this is your new group. We can be your new friends. I hope we work together and keep this bond for a long time. You are not forced to stay. If you want to walk away now, you can. I won't stop you."
