[ It doesn't surprise him too much to get that cold response. One look at this man's demeanor and he has a sense they might be closed off; not so keen to be vulnerable in front of people he doesn't know well. Or maybe he doesn't care about how it would affect him? For Kabru, complying seems reasonable given what he's heard about the effects. He's heard that the house can make people lose control of themselves, filling up their heads with impulses or unpleasant emotions. If Kabru has to do something, he would rather it be on his terms. He doesn't do well with the feeling of not having control. He doesn't contest the fact that it shouldn't matter to him, because he doesn't think this man would like a fake display of overt concern. There is some concern, of course, but only as far as one can have for a stranger.

The next question causes him to pause in consideration. ]

I've never used a device like this before. We don't have anything like this where I come from. [ He is from the equivalent of fantasy middle ages. Kabru's heard about these devices from eavesdropping around though. ]

But it isn't poison or sharp enough to be a form of torture. If the penalty means losing control of myself, I would rather choose this.