[...well, he'd tried to steer clear of dipping into anything weighty or dark for all of five minutes. it was only a matter of time, really. the temptation to follow Tonic down this avenue is far too great,

he quickly gives up, and he scoffs a little.]

Actually, the opposite is more commonly the case. You'll more often hear people talk about how living and working under the sun will burn and harden a person, and that living in the shade is the easy life. So, it's hardly the fault of the sun.

[he's more suited for this sort of conversation, in all honesty. he nods accusingly toward a woman overloaded with shopping bags and warm, freshly-wrapped loaves from the nearby bakery.]

It's abundance that makes them soft.