Their respective philosophies on humanity might get in the way of too much closeness; humans tore Ilde's life and world apart, humans locked her in a cage and treated her body like an object of curiosity and contempt, a human jeered at her when she had the temerity to talk like she thinks she's a person. Humanity was the first enemy she learned, us and them drawn in lines on her own skin, and it's hard to forget what's been beaten into you. Especially if, sometimes, you are just too tired to try.

"It was nice to see you in person," she says, touching Jules' arm-- but the conversation took her places she doesn't like going, and she needs to be elsewhere, for a while. Maybe she'll have another drink, too; maybe she'll just find Ivan and bite him if he asks her any questions.