I have no intention of doing either, and I have no illusions I will gain anything from it. [ Why would he do things like 'introduce himself' or 'apologise'? Explaining himself suffices well enough, and normally he wouldn't even do that, so in a way this human is fortunate, to Kimmuriel's way of thinking.

As the barest courtesy, however, he steps out of the shadows so the person he's been progressively irritating over the past half an hour can see him properly. ]

I was practicing, [ he says, as if that justifies it. He seems a bit irritable, though, but to his...dubious...credit...it seems more aimed at himself. ] Clearly I am worse off than I thought.