[ He stiffens, intensely. But it says a lot about how much he trusts her that he doesn't immediately jerk his entire body to throw her off him; normally, he would. He would freak out and do that. But he trusts her, and Barbara... she looks normal to him. Human. It's okay. It's fine. She doesn't disgust him, the way the others do. ]

No. I... I couldn't either. I'm not... an action-oriented person anyway. I've always been someone just... in the background.

[ He swallows again, a pale attempt to hold tears back. ]

... Vincent was... it was worse than any one of these trials. I deliberated too long. I went there to be with him in his final moments, and I should have stopped him, but all I could do was save my own pathetic life.

[ He doesn't mention his tulpa tormenting him at the time, the entire time, before and during and after said encounter. It's information she doesn't need to know, about his... illness. ]

I'm getting tired of seeing empty meat.