After the requested second (three of them, actually), the door opens and Balthazar steps out. The surroundings take brief precedence over Fish ever so briefly, and then he's smiling in a distinctly less toothy manner, keeping a tight rein on his creepery. By reflex, he extends a touch of manipulation toward Fish, just to see if it's still working: see, he was weird when he was inside the room but now he's not so bad! Do you like him? You like him, right?

"Thank you." His diction, now not muffled by the door, is precise and clear, but not rigid. Friendly, if scaled back now that they're face to face. He tucks the CiD inside his jacket without looking away from Fish at all, makes a calculated and obvious hesitation, then takes a one step towards Fish, halting immediately. Ostensibly it's because he's at least trying to act human and considerate right now. It's also because the sensation of what Fish is just hit him behind the eyes like a splash of cold water. He isn't disgusted or afraid because he doesn't really know what Fish is, he only knows Fish is definitely different, in a distinctly deadish way.

Huh. But he schools his expression to polite, only slightly smarmy curiosity. "Can I ask what time it is here?"