[A laugh trips out of him. The joke makes it easier, doesn't set Hank at ease but gets him close enough to it that he can inch his hand down off his eyes. He's not watching a horror movie, he's talking to a person, he ought to at least pretend he's willing to look at the guy.
Hank does glance at him. But it's only a glance; he turns his head back toward the floor again, hair hanging limp and oily over his face, and rubs the heel of his hand against his eye.]
You ever thought of practicing that pacification technique? Start with something classic and low effort, like 'be not afraid' or 'I come in peace'. Walking in all teeth and... everything else, and telling me bullets don't work? That was really your first instinct here?
[He laughs again, the sound a little more deliberate this time. It doesn't make him feel much less shitty, having something he can make himself laugh about, but 'much' is a lot to aim for right now anyway, so he'll take what he can get.]
no subject
Hank does glance at him. But it's only a glance; he turns his head back toward the floor again, hair hanging limp and oily over his face, and rubs the heel of his hand against his eye.]
You ever thought of practicing that pacification technique? Start with something classic and low effort, like 'be not afraid' or 'I come in peace'. Walking in all teeth and... everything else, and telling me bullets don't work? That was really your first instinct here?
[He laughs again, the sound a little more deliberate this time. It doesn't make him feel much less shitty, having something he can make himself laugh about, but 'much' is a lot to aim for right now anyway, so he'll take what he can get.]