[He tucks his away again, heads for the stairwell at an easy pace, leaving room for her to walk beside him without either of them getting too close to each other's space.]

It's a thing for talking to people who aren't nearby. It only works between the people here, on the barge, but it'll let you ask more questions, or ask for things you need.

[Without running out in panic, without exposing herself to other people when she doesn't want to. Maybe it's the wrong thing to say, maybe it'll just make a worse hermit out of her, but - he knows what it feels like to just want to hide, away from it all.]