（ no doubt, he expects that something in his space will scare her away. that just seems to be how he is, and she gives him a brief nod. ）

That's reasonable. You should see mine too.

（ there's not much to hers. a medical clinic, an old training field... most of the time, it simply feels empty. her little tethers lined up on a shelf above her desk, reminding her of home. ）

But we can talk more about that after we're finished here. （ a nod to the microscope. ） How's that looking now?