He's like that. [Ran's smile is small and lopsided, wry.] He always has been. He just doesn't open up easily, especially about what he feels . . . sometimes even for me, and we've known each other since we were little. He's also just . . . stubborn.

[Very stubborn.]

You almost have to demand it out of him. [The smile is still there, but also even more lopsided as she focuses on where her fingers are stroking through Kaseri's mane.] It would be nice if something like "Sing" would work, but he'd probably resent you when he woke up . . . and it wouldn't get rid of the dreams.

[A breath.] He needs to address the source of them. I'll try to talk to him. I don't know if I can do anything, but at least maybe now we can talk about them better. I always felt like he was holding back -- and now I know he was.