[Balthus ought to know by now that Hilda is a master at dishonesty when it comes to things like feelings and vulnerability, superceded only by the likes of a certain half-Almyran archer. She's not lying when she says that making things big and dramatic takes the edge off, but there's still a part of her that's a bit freaked out by the fact that she keeps dying like this in dreams. Dying, after all, is something she fears more than anything else.

She's also playing it cool regarding her complicated feelings about the man who's come to check in on her. But that's another issue entirely.]

His name's Dohalim. He definitely is one of those sensitive types, you know? The kind who really cares about art and expression and all of that stuff. But without being all stuffy and weird. He's charming about it.

I'm glad I got paired with him.