His smile slowly splits to show teeth. Maybe he'll have to kill it, whatever it is. Wouldn't that be fun? Maybe it he cracks it open, all the rattling things will spill out.

"Don't be rude," he says through his grin, "I was asking about you."

He doesn't get it, and that's the part that's really gnawing at him. Instinctively, he squeezes the hand he's holding just hard enough to start to hurt.

"Tell me what you are."