[There's a lot he still has to say about Hadriel, namely the nature of the gods here, but he's trying not to overhwhelm Lance with the sheer volume of information that has to be conveyed. Despite everything and especially despite himself, the question gets a small huff of quiet laughter. It's so much like Lance to say and think that he can't help feeling a little fond, a little longing -- like things could go back to the way they were. but he knows that's a fucking lie and a half better than anyone else for so many complicated reasons.

Still there's a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips for just a few seconds, though it doesn't reach his eyes.]

Because the puppies wouldn't provoke a lot of intense emotions, Lance.

[His voice is quiet, soft, kind of like there's an unspoken apology for having an actual answer to what was obviously a rhetorical question.]

The door's under the control of the entities that call themselves the gods of Hadriel. They gain power from forcing you to have certain emotions. [Emotion leeches, so to speak.] They power Hadriel with their magic, but they're missing right now. It's why we had to gather the coal. It gets colder at night without a fire.