Phillip doesn't stop his gentle petting motions, carefully combing through his hair and against his scalp but with no real goal, other than to give comfort and to keep touching him. He does want to get into the story of all of that eventually, and maybe that story would be an easier place to start, but it's also far from the most important thing they need to discuss.

"So sometimes it just... what? Brings our your 'darker instincts'? It was still you." He could tell that much, at least. And clarifying that it was still him is certainly more pressing than the why, if they're to move to discussing the rest of it.