[ Is it beyond her grasp? Maybe. But is it beyond his grasp, beyond their collective grasp? That he weighs in his mind, when she asks him if he is frightened, and a wry, tired smile lays itself upon his lips, aged well beyond his years. He can't remember the last time he was afraid of someone for being unhuman. He can't remember the last time he was afraid of something that wasn't a shade of his own vulnerability. Did he ever feel that way, when he faced curses for the first time? Was he afraid, that day he'd been gutted like a fish and left for dead?

Was he afraid that day his best friend, his one and only turned his back on him, and left him alone? ]

Heh, nah. You're gonna have to do better than that if you wanna spook me.

[ And he is ever changing, ever growing, must always confront what he fears in order grow stronger. If that is only the fallibility of his own heart now, then he should face that too, shouldn't he? ]

You know...I have the ability to heal myself. To refresh my brain as often as I need, with the cursed energy I possess. Pretty self-sufficient, huh? I've thought about it, before...if I could refine my reverse technique to the point that I could go without sleep indefinitely, if I could weather the negative effects of going hungry by healing my fatigue. Wouldn't that be something...

[ The question remains unspoken, but weighs heavy in the ensuing silence. What sort of person must he be to willingly consider giving up that part of his humanity? What sort of being is he? ]