[it might be hard to tell, given that his face is still frozen in fear, but alfendi is incredibly relieved. he had absolutely not been prepared for that escalation.]

No. That's fine. Thumb wrestling is fine. My thumb is going to commit homicide on yours. The rest of your fingers will silently cry out in protest as their brother falls to an atrocious overkill delivered by a bloodthirsty criminal.

[he holds his fist out, thumb raised. he's got this. he knows thumb wrestling like the back of his hand, only not at all, because he's never done this either, but he's read all about it in books, probably.]