[he's oddly sturdy—moreso than any human. his flesh is three times denser, and he weighs three times as much, and from the way he balances so well, he's really like a rock in comparison to many humans. he doesn't move against her]

Oh, many things. It's a sound that forms the peak of a syllable. In this case things are complicated, and this vowel makes no sound at all. Instead it lends its skill to the "i" in "time"—without it the word becomes "tim." Ah, and then without the "i" it becomes "tm." Suddenly without the aid of the vowels, it becomes nothing at all, not even symbolic.