[hurt registers on her face at the same time as he mentally recoils; shifts his weight backward and receives an inquisitive kweh? from Solveig, the bird visibly tensing up. sensitive creatures, chocobos.]

[one hand darted to pat the feathers, small body canting forward in a hastily covered up motion. voice stumbling,]

Y--- you don't. Not need It's...

[too dumb to shut his mouth in time to keep it inside; not dumb enough to continue through. shoulders close in, defensive but not, not scared of her, more scared for her, and it feels like a big thing that she's come out here with him but it probably isn't but that was the way of things and whether it was or wasn't, here they were, and this was about Hei.]

[about Hei and about her, about how much Hei got to her, about how much they couldn't stop or even predict.]

... I just wondered if you had. Either way, it's hard to forget. [an uncertain pause.] Do you think moving helps?

[this was the second time.]