[ She supposes that there might be a time when she no longer appreciates gestures like the one Exarch gave her, but there is another part of her that cannot quite imagine why. A pat on the head is meant to be comforting, and as far as she can tell, everyone needs that at one point or another. ]

Did it upset you when I said that? [ She still feels badly about that, because she did what she has always been told not to do: let her mouth run away from her and hurt people in the process.

Then she laughs and shakes her head, mostly because she knows how ridiculous she will sound. ]

I wish that I could understand you now, and not some unknown point in the future.

[ Petulant? Perhaps. That seems to be another one of her shortcomings revealing itself. ]