I know you're not. But you... [Need pauses, tries to choose the right words. It's so perilous, trying to communicate like this. She doesn't know why he flinched. Should she even still be sitting here, her hand moving to his shoulder?

She tries a metaphor.]

There's a beast following you. Sometimes it's at a distance, but it's often right on your heels. When it gets bold, it goes for your throat and if you don't manage to shove it away, it drags you down. I recognize it. I've seen it hunting entirely too many people by now - and before them, it used to follow me. I know it's hard to get up under its weight.

But you do, and you still try to go forwards. And to think about things instead of only acting on reflex. I admire that.

[even if she does think he could do better on that account, it's not with a lot of rancor. Celehar tries, it's okay if he fails sometimes and can really get on her nerves now and then.]