“Nothing is permanent and fates change so quickly.”
Sometimes life provided some pretty awkward moments. One of the more common occurrences often happened during chance encounters out in the wilds of the city with the inability to immediately determine where conversation was being directed. Harry was having that moment right then. Sure, he wasn’t exactly unassuming. He took up a lot of space. At least, vertically. But he was also not someone people naturally flocked to. Maybe it was the suspicious duster jacket that was inevitably hiding weapons against his person. Or the staff clenched in hand. Or the face that hadn’t been shaved in three days with the permanent scowl attached. Or the dark circles clouding the flesh under his eyes. He’d been standing on the curb, staring ahead like he only just swallowed a particularly sour candy. He wouldn’t talk to him.
Harry’s eyes flickered to the lady at his side. It was bright and early in the morning, so it wasn’t like they were isolated out in the streets of Chicago. It was possible she projected her words to someone hunkering out of sight. Someone she knew about but he obviously wouldn’t. Judging by the fact that no one answered her straight away, he could determine that either A: she was talking hypothetically to herself, or B: she said the words to him because she felt his melancholy attitude radiating from his stiff person and felt like he needed it, without really requiring anything in between. Wow, the way he sorted right through that would make an investigator jealous. He should get into that shit. Oh wait.
“I would have to respectfully disagree with that statement.” He kept his eyes focused ahead toward the busy rush hour traffic. “The world is fluid, but there are always those things that stand as permanent fixtures in the way of progress. For example: Burger King actually is the king of burgers. Big Mac who? Also, Coke always wins blind taste tests. Sure, there are those tests where Pepsi comes out on top but that’s only when they feel like running a new ad campaign with a fresh flavor. Peoples tongues seem to respond kindly to new elements introduced it. Those same people will always go back to Coke if asked in the future, though. So that’s telling. As for fate?” He shrugged. “There are always ways to go around it, or to adapt to the change of course. If it’s my fate to be outside during a raging storm, bitch, I have an umbrella, test me. What do you think?”
He finally directed his eyes down to his new companion, a warm smile on his face. “That’s a pretty heavy philosophical thought for a Monday morning.” He held out a hand. “Harry Dresden.”