[ The kindness gets... Well, it gets a rather cautious look, as though he's waiting for the backhanded portion of the comment to no avail. When he realizes it isn't coming, he shakes himself a little like a dog. Was he tense? Sure, he has no idea what's going on, but this is... decently normal Ishmael behavior, except with maybe a fraction less bickering. No one said there was a bickering quota for the two of them. She can be nice if she wants to. He could too, if he really felt like it. So there.

... Wait, there was a question, wasn't there? He walks back and is silently grateful that it was relatively straightforward. ]

Simple. I was in my room on the bus, sleepin'. Or about to sleep. We just got back from the Railway, I was right knackered.

[ ... A deeper frown. ]

What? You remember something different?