Sounds like you're hiding some big dark secret behind there. [ 'there' being his extraordinarily unexcitable temperament. if he thought she'd weaseled it for the sake of politeness... ] Should I be scared?

[ hell is other people. she remembers hearing that once, though she'd be pained to remember when, where, or why. the proverb stuck because no one had ever attempted to convince it wrong. she gives a curt nod to his temple, as though waiting for him to broach the subject. ] You know, this stuff gets easier the second time around.