[ Splinters? His mouth hangs open. Thick hide means never knowing what a splinter is, at least not one smaller than a dinner knife.
He looks at the empty seat, then nods, folding himself down to keep watching for a moment. After a minute he picks up some sandpaper, inspecting it close to his face before lowering it to a piece of wood. He watches her for approval as he rubs the rough side against the wood once, then again. It's clear he's trying to be gentle, though his version of 'gentle' is still strong enough to shave off a few layers in those two strokes. ]
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[ Splinters? His mouth hangs open. Thick hide means never knowing what a splinter is, at least not one smaller than a dinner knife.
He looks at the empty seat, then nods, folding himself down to keep watching for a moment. After a minute he picks up some sandpaper, inspecting it close to his face before lowering it to a piece of wood. He watches her for approval as he rubs the rough side against the wood once, then again. It's clear he's trying to be gentle, though his version of 'gentle' is still strong enough to shave off a few layers in those two strokes. ]