rohan-persaud:
The nod which Rohan offered came sympathetically. But really, he supposed, maybe the accidents of happy failure were what allowed folks to find their proper paths. He laughed, a wistful noise.
“Funny how it works out, isn’t it? Some people are lucky, though. They’re good at everything. But as far as cheerleading goes, I think I could have done the shouting and the rhyming and all. But the flipping? No, I make a point of staying right-side-up.” He made a rolling motion with his hands as if to punctuate his point before giving a shake of his head. “As a theatre person, I find it’s very much about the feeling behind the faces. Think of something that makes you genuinely very sad, and it helps really sell it. I’m thinking about my buddy out there.” He gave a joking motion over his shoulder.
Rohan sighed then. “To be honest, I wouldn’t know the difference. I’m a wine drinker, and it’s all made-up. I actually have no idea what a bouquet is. Do you know how many times someone has told me they could taste the minerals? What? Like dirt?” He wrinkled up his nose, nostrils flaring.
Still, features softening, Rohan managed a smile. “I agree. What are we? Superhero movies? No. We don’t have to be made for the masses. Just the ones that fit.” He shrugged. “But I don’t outgrow anyone. You can tell. I’m still feeling very bad about…this whole meeting. I’m sentimental and achy and see the best in everyone. So! I’ll miss him tonight, but I’m having an awful time. Does that make any sense at all?”
He nodded, extending a hand to take hers and give it a shake. He raised his brow, offering a laugh. “I mean, I have lived here a long time. But no. I’m a Maine-ah. And I grew up in the hospitality industry. So, small-town kindness with a healthy helping of putting the customer first. Makes me a doormat, but a very charming one. If only I had come from one of those other little towns. You know, with secrets and standoffish locals.” He flashed his teeth at the joke. “And you?”
x
A theatre kid made sense for Rohan, she thought. He seemed like an amiable type. One of those folks that made friends no matter where they went because they were just genuinely good people. Genuinely people like that didn't get wrapped up with people like her. Honestly, shouldn't get wrapped up. Even in casual conversations where you were never going to see the other person again. The smile on her lips faltered. She hoped it just looked like sympathy.
"Oh. Yeah, wine drinker too, weirdly enough. And most people just pretend to be able to tell the difference between wines, honestly." A good sommelier could convince people of the tastes they were about to have. What mattered was expectation and presentation. And the ability to read people. To know what they expected out of the experience. It was how she passed so many of her counterfeit bottles off as genuine. Well, before it all blew up in her face.
"It makes sense." Corrine nodded. "You're empathic. It's not a bad trait to have. Just sucks that people will take advantage of it sometimes."
She was just forgetting her trepidation again when their hands met in the shake. There was that flash again―a golden thread that snaked its way up Rohan's arm and flared around him before fizzling out as she jerked her hand back.
"Fuck- I mean- sorry, static shock," Corrine lied. A horrible lie. If there'd been a static shock, Rohan would have felt it too. "I, uh..." she trailed off, bit her lip, and tried again, "Moved around a lot. New York, France, lots of other places."
She stared at Rohan. How? How was this perfectly normal guy a supernatural? Had to be a werewolf, right? That's why she'd holed up in the Bronx in the first place, because at least if she did stumble into someone supernatural, it would be a werewolf and not a witch or something.
"What are you?" she blurted out. Great, mouth going before her brain thought now. "Sorry. Don't answer. In public and all." Embarrassed, she turned away and hastily set some money on the bar to pay for her mostly untouched drink. "I'm an ass. You're fine. Just got surprised, is all. I haven't been home in a long time."







