"Oh, shit- sorry boss," he ducks his head down to her hand height and gives the whatever-the-fuck-it-is a small but very formal salute, "won't happen again, I respect the brass too much."

The smile that splits his face reveals a couple of missing teeth, and he heaves himself glacially to sit back upright, his joints clicking as he does.

"He pinch off your sense of humour, too?"