Ah, yes. Failure. Julian has a long, complicated relationship with failure. When it comes to his job, the idea of failure feels like a non-option, but also in the face of it Julian comes completely undone, losing all of his (extremely overblown, Miles you say with a smile) confidence. But it is more than that. Julian is who he is because of failure. Or who he isn't. Had his parents not found him failing, wanting, then they wouldn't have had he remade, changed him from his fundamental core, changing who he was on the most basic biological levels . The mind of Jules Bashir would still be alive inhabiting this body (albeit a lesser body), and Julian Bashir, doctor, Starfleet officer, wouldn't even exist. Julian wonders on a daily basis if that wasn't the wrong choice, but he is who he is and it's too late to go back in time. But even though he is stuck in a dream world with a person he will most likely never see again, this is a secret that he has spent 20 years keeping a secret. Speaking it out loud now would seem like breaking a spell.
"Easier said than done," Julian muses after a moment of silence with a humorless chuckle. "What's the ancient saying? 'We are our own worst critic?'" He glances over at Daniel. "Not sure I can say this to someone I met all of a few hours ago, but you seem to have more strength of conviction than nearly anyone I've met. You seem to be doing much more than simply muddling your way through, though I'm sure you can't see that. We rarely can."
"Well," Julian says suddenly, almost brightly, slapping his hands on his knees. Enough of that then. "Here I am, stuck in a dream world being hunted by something dangerous that wants to eat or possibly murder me, and not helping either of us by making you relive experiences that can't possibly be pleasant in any way. I am, it turns out, not very good in these situations. Should we run again or continue stay hidden? Can one even fight a possibly horrific mystical dream creature? I have no with to die here, even if it does end up with waking up. Do you have any ideas? Because I'm clear out, and you have much more experience with strange worlds and dangerous situations."
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"Easier said than done," Julian muses after a moment of silence with a humorless chuckle. "What's the ancient saying? 'We are our own worst critic?'" He glances over at Daniel. "Not sure I can say this to someone I met all of a few hours ago, but you seem to have more strength of conviction than nearly anyone I've met. You seem to be doing much more than simply muddling your way through, though I'm sure you can't see that. We rarely can."
"Well," Julian says suddenly, almost brightly, slapping his hands on his knees. Enough of that then. "Here I am, stuck in a dream world being hunted by something dangerous that wants to eat or possibly murder me, and not helping either of us by making you relive experiences that can't possibly be pleasant in any way. I am, it turns out, not very good in these situations. Should we run again or continue stay hidden? Can one even fight a possibly horrific mystical dream creature? I have no with to die here, even if it does end up with waking up. Do you have any ideas? Because I'm clear out, and you have much more experience with strange worlds and dangerous situations."