"Yep, right now. Two people talking arm in arm is more normal than two people silent arm in arm," Phoenix says, voice calm and smooth. Arthur may know how to fight, but Phoenix is very good at acting like he belongs in places he's not meant to be, and then getting in and out without anyone realizing he wasn't meant to be there.

Plus, you know. Talking is likely to make Arthur less tense, which will make the people around him less likely to think there's anything to be tense about.

Phoenix's ears twitch as he listen--the gesture isn't as dramatic without his fins, but one can imagine them fanning outward for him to hear better.

"Why are you here now, then?" Phoenix asks. He hears the pain in Arthur's voice and doesn't want to pry into stories about the family he's lost. At least, not when they're trying to escape.