> John: Taunt?
John makes eye contact with sunglasses and listens with rapt attention, a smirk widening more and more as Bro explains himself. It finally grows to a sly, easy smile. āAh.ā The cards are taken, bill split as agreed on. John doesnāt pay it any mind, doing the end of the meal dance without missing any beats. His focus is elsewhere. āI think that we have more in common than you might think, Mr. Strider.ā He speaks with confidence. āI canāt say Iām precisely a zen master, but many of our philosophies in life have some overlap. There are also many contradictions in both, contradictions that require a fluid mind to navigate and accept. I do not doubt you have such a mind, since youāre able to describe your philosophies with such exacting precision.ā Johnās teeth flash at that into a pleasant grin. (While big, theyāre even, a little too even. His motherās insistence, of course, to get rid of the overbite he had as a child.) āI confess I had no imagine in my mind of you or how youād be. I didnāt know you very well. Iām glad thatās changed.ā Itās time for the tip. John snags at least that. āBut I have to wonder. What sort of image did you have of me, and has it changed?ā
Goddamn you, John. He was going to help out with that. Bro debates slipping at least a twenty into his wallet later. Wonders if he could get away with it undetected.
Bro doesnāt let that dissuade him from continuing the conversation. āWorking out gives you a lot of time to think. Used to do a ton of introspection when I was younger.ā These days, he usually does the podcast thing. Sometimes audiobooks. Mostly educational stuff. Had to spend that time productively.
What sort of image did he have of John? Not fucking much. Bro was used to Lalondeās kid being Rose, not this guy. And heās kind of rusty at reading people, to be honest. Doesnāt mean he doesnāt try, and heāll share some of what he thinks.
āRegular overachieving college kid. Probably try to pick my brainsāwhich I wouldnāt mind, that kind of shitās fascinating. Looking for somebody to rant to about your girl problemsāless fascinating, but wouldnāt mind. Surprised youāre not doing much of either here, to be honest. āLess youāre being all secretive about trying to dissect whatās goinā on up there. Have fun when you get to the paraphilias.ā Broās in good enough spirits to make jokes. Could be the drinks; could be the company.
"Ah, well. The question then becomes not simply what you think of me, but why you think I am here right now. That determined, the question changes again. It becomes what limited amount I know about you, and what information about yourself you broadcast in a place where I might be able to see." There's a hint of darkness to that. John stands up and slips back on his jacket. His head is tilted down in a smirk. "Thinking of that provides a little more insight into exactly the sort of person I am. I wonder. How would you treat such a person, were you to figure it out?"
John heads towards the door. He seemed comfortable at the table talking, so why leave? "I'm far worse than an overachieving college kid, but I think you might find it better. I could tell you the basics, if you can't guess."
