[ At her rebuke, he actually smiles, the corner of his mouth tugging up with unmistakable fondness. ]

Heh...yeah, I know. Believe it or not, you're not the first person to tell me that. [ He laughs, a breathy sound that turns quick to a cough. ] Guess I'm just...not great at reminding myself that.

I...I know I'm not one of them. And...that I let my fears and doubts control me sometimes. [ It's why he's always had such a hard time making friends. He's so afraid of losing them, of being alone that he becomes his own self-fulfilling prophecy. ] I actually...told my friends about it just before I got here, and they accepted me without question.

[ Then, his smile fades, just a bit. ]

But then...we got here, and...they didn't remember that. They didn't remember a lot of the bad stuff that happened.