"Try to be calm," Darling says, doing his best to keep his voice even. As concerned as he is, panicking won't help the situation at all. Even if the wide, worried gaze that this man is casting at him twists something in his chest.

He moves closer, reaching for the slithering black shape to see if he can dislodge it, somehow. Only to have it crawl over to his arm and wrap around his wrist.

"Ah," he says, a little dully, and sits back on the ground with a sigh. "Well. It's off you, anyway."