It reacts in a way that is hard to read as either pleasurably surprised or hurt by the way it tenses shortly at her squeeze. Afterword, it squirms out of her grip--as does the one around her wrist--and he rights himself to swim over to the end of the ramp, climbing up on it just enough so he can keep his respiratory system underwater.

In the end, most of his upper body and the first three feet of his tentacles are comfortably resting on the surface of the ramp. He lets out an obviously comforted sigh, then reaches out of the water with his hand to beckon Sybil closer.