Oh. [well now he has to think about THAT more critically! that'll go great in these circumst--] Uh? Oh--really? That'd actually...probably help a bit.

[...but that means being un-hugged. these are the sacrifices a soldier has to make sometimes.

Manabu reluctantly wriggles free so he can sit up on his knees and deal with the matter of pants and tail-bindings, which would be way more embarrassing if he wasn't trying to hurry up and not freeze his actual ass off. once the tail's loose, he's distinctly less tense, exhaling in a loud sigh while trying to get pants back up without pinching the base of his tail.

while sagging back against Grey:] This has to be the weirdest situation I've ever been in...even without time travel.