"...You."
Elena stared at him.
Seeing her hovering in the doorway like a startled deer, Raphael raised both hands in a gesture of surrender and sighed.
"If you're this scared, I'll get you a gun in a few days. So you're not walking around anxious the whole time. Children's version, probably, less chance of accidental discharge."
Elena made a sound.
"Children's version? Excuse me? Who exactly do you think you're looking down at?"
Something in the phrasing did exactly what he'd intended it to do. She shoved the door fully open, huffed once, and walked out with the energy of someone proving a point.
"Who's scared? Not me. What did you make? Let's eat."
She marched straight to the table without looking at him, radiating *see how unbothered I am.*
Raphael watched her and shook his head slightly.
"Too easy. One comment and she walks right into it. That psychological profile would not survive the first round of selection."
Then he caught himself and paused.
