The branch does strike him in the leg, glancing off the thick icy skin of his lower calf specifically, and the alien's head snaps up as he startles and then whips around to scan the foliage for whoever was attempting to mess with him. He'd though that he was alone out here, but he's not particularly worried about anything leaping up to attack him... in fact, he might relish the chance to vent his frustration.
That's not the case here, though; when he finally spots the human, her body language doesn't read as even remotely aggressive. Rather, she looks like she's having second thoughts--realizing that fucking with him is a damn bad idea. Good. Algidus lowers his head and stalks forward precisely one step before he realizes that he knows her... or knew her, back when they were different people. He feels something within himself begin to soften; he feels his usual self-defensive walls start to lower. It's a relief and it is profoundly uncomfortable.
"What," he spits, trying to combat the feeling. He kicks the twig back in her direction; it bounces haphazardly once before falling to rest at her feet. Meanwhile, he waits expectantly for her to continue--and as he does he's busily trying to figure out if this is the original or if another of the Box's clones has ended up here. She's wearing long sleeves, some kind of dark jumpsuit, so it's impossible for him to see the flecks of red virus up her arm and use that as a tell...
oh hai thar good friend!
That's not the case here, though; when he finally spots the human, her body language doesn't read as even remotely aggressive. Rather, she looks like she's having second thoughts--realizing that fucking with him is a damn bad idea. Good. Algidus lowers his head and stalks forward precisely one step before he realizes that he knows her... or knew her, back when they were different people. He feels something within himself begin to soften; he feels his usual self-defensive walls start to lower. It's a relief and it is profoundly uncomfortable.
"What," he spits, trying to combat the feeling. He kicks the twig back in her direction; it bounces haphazardly once before falling to rest at her feet. Meanwhile, he waits expectantly for her to continue--and as he does he's busily trying to figure out if this is the original or if another of the Box's clones has ended up here. She's wearing long sleeves, some kind of dark jumpsuit, so it's impossible for him to see the flecks of red virus up her arm and use that as a tell...