[ it's an automatic response to tense up, take the hiss and the teeth as a challenge (and what the hell, when did he ever start thinking of anything as a challenge).
but then she's horrified, and then she's talking, and- ]
What?
[ hale kid. oh. oh wait, no, that's not good. ]
No! No, it wasn't - I went home. It wasn't anybody on the ship. Look, it's fine, really.
[ except it's not, because he doesn't know how to deal with it this time. she doesn't need to know that. ]
daphneeeee
but then she's horrified, and then she's talking, and- ]
What?
[ hale kid. oh. oh wait, no, that's not good. ]
No! No, it wasn't - I went home. It wasn't anybody on the ship. Look, it's fine, really.
[ except it's not, because he doesn't know how to deal with it this time. she doesn't need to know that. ]