[ CARLOS MIRANDA, THIRTY FOUR, CIS-MALE ]. who is that walking through lennox? oh, it’s just [ THEO SALAZAR ]. [ HE/HIM ] is originally from [ LOS ANGELES, CA ] and they’re apparently a [ DHAMPIR ]. did you hear they’ve lived here for [ 3 MONTHS ] ? you know, they remind me of [ BURNED CIGARETTES, CALLOUSED HANDS AND BLOODY KNUCKLES, IMPOSTER SYNDROME, LONG DRIVES AT NIGHT ]
{ b a s i c s }
LEGAL NAME: Theodore Salazar
ALIAS: None
GENDER | SPECIES: Cis-Male | Dhampir
AGE: 34
DOB: May 18th, 1987
PLACE OF BIRTH: Los Angeles, CA
NATIONALITY: American
ETHNICITY: Unknown
EDUCATION: High School Diploma; The Culinary Institute of America (incomplete)
OCCUPATION: Bartender @ The Mocking Bird, Odd jobs/Handyman, Boxer/Muay Thai Fighter, Whatever Pays the Bills, (Aspiring) Chef/Restauranteur
LANGUAGES: English (fluent), Spanish (fluent)
RELIGION: Christian
ORIENTATION: Demisexual
DRINK | SMOKE | DRUGS: YES | YES “NO” | YES NO
{ p h y s i c a l a t t r i b u t e s }
HAIR COLOR: Black
EYE COLOR: Brown
HEIGHT: 6′-1″
TATTOOS: A raven on his right shoulder, alebrije on his chest, three black bands on his left arm, his niece’s birth year on his right radius, one molnija mark on the back of his neck (more on that one later)
PIERCINGS: None
SCARS: On his knuckles from fights/boxing/Muay Thai, right bicep from a car accident, left knee from ACL surgery, on his right eyebrow from a fight
Theo and Dany never knew their mother very well as she was never around other than nights when they were ready for bed. She worked hard to try and support the family, but she, for the most part, resented having Theo and Dany. Sometimes she didn’t come back at night and they were left to look after each other.
The two were very protective of each other and they were thick as thieves. Theo wasn’t a bad kid, but he wasn’t innocent either. He often times found himself in trouble with authority, but Dany always had his back. Eventually, a teacher suggested he invest his time and energy into an extracurricular activity, like boxing and Muay Thai.
Theo had an affinity for martial arts, not knowing it was because of his dhampir abilities. He had an opportunity to go professional, but found a love for cooking. He ultimately got into the Culinary Institute of America. As he got ready to leave Los Angeles to move across the country, he and Dany began to drift apart.
Dany began to disappear like their mother. He saw her sporadically and never got the full story about where she’d been and what she was doing. She always told him she’d tell him later. Eventually, Theo stopped asking. He didn’t even ask her questions when she came back home one time with a child. Theo wasn’t much of an uncle and didn’t have any interest in fulfilling that role, especially as a young college student.
It wasn’t until Theo found his sister murdered that he had to step in to take care of his niece. Theo took his niece to his grandmother, a woman he despised, to take care of her, but she refused. She took the liberty to denounce him, revealing that his father was a Moroi, making him a dhampir. He was shocked and angry to discover that mother and sister were guardians and never told him and never brought him into the fold.
Without any other family members to pass his niece off to, he realized he couldn’t send her into the foster care system. At the age of twenty, he took his niece in to raise her and dropped out of school to start working immediately so he could pay the bills. As he got older, he started to learn more about the supernatural community, although he was in denial about it at first. He also started to notice his own niece’s abilities and realized he had to take her somewhere safe to live.
Now, he’s found himself in Lennox, taking odd jobs to pay the bills, and raising Marisol like his own daughter. He works almost everyday to pay for tuition to send her to a private school for younger supernatural beings. Meanwhile, he’s trying to get a hold of understanding the supernatural community and what exactly he is.
“Cheers to that.” it was an outside perspective and point of view, he liked that Theo was able to point that out, and vice versa. Enzo didn’t have many people he could trust here, and he was thankful for Theo. “Regardless, you knock sense into me. Street smarts or years of experience, I need it.” he stated with a nod. That was the truth, he really appreciated the people he met and came across. He always made sure that Theo knew it. Enzo could see that relationship between Theo and Marisol, it was nice, they had each other. There was a connection there, family. Even if Enzo had a pack, family was something special. Luckily for Enzo, it wasn’t always just in blood, but bonds. “I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. So stay positive.” he chuckled as he took a swig of his beer. “Of course, I’m free most of the days. I can pick her up, and show her around Acadia. It’s no problem, give you some time to relax.” he nudged his friend.
Theo chuckled at the thought of him being someone who could knock the sense into someone else. All he could think of was when he was younger and full of dumb advice and ideas (as many young boys were). No one told you that when you grew up that one day you’d become the adults you constantly rebelled against. “That’s a pretty good philosophy to live by,” Theo nodded. “I’ll try and give that philosophy a go since I’m starting over.” Maybe this was all a big flashing neon sign that he should change something since he made this big move. “Thanks. I appreciate it. Next one’s on me,” Theo said, waving down the bartender to get them another round.
“There’s no need to apologize,” she reassured him, “you can never really tell who is what here. I understand.” With all of the revelations that had come out in the past few months, sometimes Scarlet herself had no idea what or who she was dealing with from time to time. “Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it,” she said earnestly. “You seem like a very nice man. From my first impressions, that is, not from some wicked power or anything…” The magician lightly chuckled as she spoke. Conversations were hard for Scarlet if she wasn’t trying to charm someone. In the moments of silence, she found herself uncomfortable. Not with the other people she would speak to, simply because her mind tended to wander if she wasn’t putting on a mask for all to see. “I’m glad they’ve been welcoming. It can be overwhelming here from time to time. This is my hometown, where I was born and raised. Chaos comes… in waves. As it does anywhere you may live. I promise, it’s actually very, very nice here. And it’s nice to have new people here as well.”
-
Theo looked down at his drink when she called him a “very nice man.” He didn’t remember ever really being called that. When he was younger, he was called quite a few different names, mostly because he got into a bit of trouble every now and then. His mother always seemed pained to call him her son. He was honestly surprised she didn’t call him and his sister her “progeny” or “offspring.” He had to admit that he didn’t hate it when Scarlet said that though. “Well, thank you. Must be all the charm,” he said sarcastically, knowing he didn’t really have any kind of the panache or charisma his sister had. “Have you ever left Lennox?” He still wasn’t sure about staying in such a small town, being used to living in a big city where there was always something to do and people to see. Then again, maybe the quiet and slowness of the smaller town was what he needed. It could be a welcome break to all the chaos of Los Angeles or New York.
Theo was right, and this was the first time that Enzo has spoken about his feelings out loud. Out in the open. He truly thought that this was something he’d get over, but the more that he would run into Nora, the more he noted that it wasn’t something he could easily bury. Theo was right, he should set himself on fire to keep others warm. That hit him, it was just natural for Enzo to give and give, and not expect anything in return. He was afraid that would be the case, and was it selfish to want more? more than what he had, to explore more, to possibly see where these feelings will lead…..Sighing, he nodded his head. “Yeah, I tend to do that, you’re the first who has ever said it that loud for me to realize.” and he was thankful for Theo. The man saw a lot in him, and kept it honest. Enzo needed that, a friend that could knock some sense into him. Chuckling at the nudge at his arm “Lend me that wisdom and knowledge so I don’t have to keep kicking my own ass here.” he joked. Taking a big gulp of his drink, he could see where Theo was coming from. He had a busy life as is, with his niece, and settling. Relationships were also work too. “I get it, but at the same time, you may find someone that’ll show up when you least expect it, and change your life.” and it didn’t always have to mean in the romantic sense, it could be in the form of a very good friendship. “But tell me man, what can I do to help you out? do you need some house fixing? or groceries, I’m here for you.”
“Sometimes it takes someone who doesn’t know us all that well to point out the things we’ve gone blind to,” Theo said with a shrug. He knew that he was guilty of not always taking advice or not enjoying hearing feedback about himself when someone else said something, but he also knew it was true. “Ah, not so much wisdom and knowledge going on up here. Just common sense and street smarts,” Theo joked. He took a swig of his drink, thinking about when he last long term relationship was. It seemed like it was before Marisol or at least right when he first got custody of her. To be honest, sometimes he did wish he had someone to do the whole parenting thing with. He never thought he’d have kids before Marisol after seeing how his own mother treated him and his sister. Still, he thought that if he changed his mind about it, he would have started a family with a wife. He never would have anticipated becoming Marisol’s guardian. Now that it was just the two of them, he was always concerned about bringing someone else in even if it would be easier or less lonely in a way. He never minded it just being the two of them though and he would always be loyal to Marisol. “You’re probably right about that. Good things happen when you least expect it. Probably one of the upsides to not looking for anything specific,” he said. “The apartment isn’t too bad. But, I think there are some days it’d be helpful if you could pick Marisol up from school or soccer practice. You could just take her to the academy and I can pick her up from there since our house is kind of out of the way.”
“oh! no please do what you need to – do you want help?” she offered, setting her things down on her desk adeline put her full attention on him. “i can’t help with much but at least make moving the things easier and quickly. oh, no, actually you would be surprised at how free my time can be.” at least well she was at the school she had the time, it was easily filled up when adeline forced herself around her family. it’s why she loved being away from them, a surprisingly new freedom was found. “i teach the fae, i’ don’t want to presume species but i can always offer any answers you may have on the topics.” motioning as he grabbed the books before picking up a few of them herself.
Theo smiled at the woman and nodded, appreciating the help. It would definitely get him out of there faster and to his next appointment. He was trying to get everything done as quickly as he could so he could be on time this time to pick up Marisol from soccer practice. He made a mental note to ask for Saturday afternoon off so he could go to her first soccer game at her new school. He tried to go to as many games as he could to support her, but sometimes he didn’t make it. But this one was a big one. “What I wouldn’t give for some free time,” Theo joked. He glanced down at the books Adeline picked up. “Oh, the fae,” he said, his voice trailing off. That was still a new word that was added to his vocabulary. “I’m sure that I’ll have questions later on. I thought fairies were just in....well, fairytales. Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. Cinderella.” After they finished taking off everything from the shelves, he tested all of them to see which ones were loose.
“hm?” she turned her attention from the spot she’d been zoning off too, blinking to the boy. how long had he’d been there? should she be expecting people? adeline quickly put on a large smile, nodding along to his words. “oh i see, i’m sorry no one told me someone was coming by when i some with them – oh no now is perfect if it’s a good time for you of course. i thought perhaps i forgot a private lesson or something for a moment.”
Theo smiled at her and brought in his bag of tools to start working. “Do you mind if I take everything off the shelves?” He asked, pointing to all the books and knick knacks. He couldn’t start working on them until they were all cleaned off. He started to pull off a few books and neatly stack them on the desk. “Ah, well, I’m guessing you’re a very busy person then. I’ll be quick about this,” he said. He glanced at a few of the books, reading some of the titles before setting them down.
Scarlet’s eyes trailed his hand as he pulled out the pack of cigarettes, and for a moment, she felt her chest tighten. Not that she would judge him for smoking, nor did she dislike it. She could almost taste the nicotine, as she had once smoked. But those days were far behind her. Weren’t they? She chuckled at his remark, shaking her head. “I can’t, actually.” Shrugging, she glanced away for a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed at her attempt to make him smile once more. She could feel the apples of her cheeks warm as she blushed. It was too late to avoid looking like a fool, wasn’t it? “I suppose you can see right through me, huh? Once again, just trying to make you smile. I have a habit of trying to make the day a bit brighter for people. I apologize.” The warmth in her face didn’t seem to be going away, and her chest grew tighter by the minute. She had really botched this one, hadn’t she? Frustrated with herself, she did something most would see as unlady like and completely finished her drink by gulping it down. She was far too sober for this feeling. “Welcome to town, Theo. I promise life here wasn’t always so chaotic. I hope you’re settling in well.”
"Oh, my bad for thinking you might have been a mind reader,” he said, still trying to get used to the idea of there being supernatural beings. The town was filled with them, which was what Theo wanted for Marisol, who was possibly beginning to exhibit her own abilities. He didn’t know who her father was, so it seemed that she could be anything. Theo wasn’t entirely prepared for something like that. He hoped that the private school he was paying for would be able to help with that. Theo looked at Scarlet and watched as she fell silent for a moment. He shrugged his shoulders. “Side effect of being a cynic,” he told her, drumming his fingers along the counter. “You could have worse habits though,” he told her. “Never apologize for it.” While he admired her attempt to make him smile and furthermore, her desire to brighten other people’s days, he was much more suspicious and distrustful. Having grown up in a city full of strained smiles and fake generosity, people didn’t do nice things for others unless they wanted something. He wanted to make sure Marisol was more like that, always wanting to be kind and brighten someone’s day, so he had to work on himself to be a good example. “Just be careful of the people who try to take advantage of that,” he said with a small smile. “Thank you. Everyone here has been very...welcoming. It’s nice, I suppose. I’m hoping it’s not too chaotic. Last thing I need is more chaos in the mix.”
When Des hired Theo, she knew she could depend on him. This hadn’t changed in the handful of months that they had known each other and she was quite familiar with little Marisol. It hadn’t been that she was going to lecture him, but instead just going to say hello. “Dude, didn’t I tell you she’s cool? We get along just fine, don’t we Marisol.” She looked to the young girl with a sly grin before giving her a fist bump. Des always loved kids and she thought Marisol was a sweetie. Of course she was welcome to hang out for a little bit if she needed to. “Get back and start prepping… I have a feeling some shit is gonna hit the fan at the Academy again real soon. People have been talking about elves and other shit….” Des thought back to her conversation with Emery. Of course she trusted him, she wasn’t just going to let such a brazen claim go unnoticed. “You notice anything weird going on? Like some shady conversations?”
Theo smiled a little when he saw Des interact with Marisol. She liked being at the bar and she liked Des, but obviously a bar wasn’t a place for a pre-teen. “Yeah, I know,” Theo said with a nod, “I just don’t like bringing her in when I work.” Marisol made a face and looked at Des. “It’s because he doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of me again. Remember when you--” Theo put a hand up to quiet her. “Hey! I thought we’d never talk about that incident again, Marisol,” he said. Marisol grinned and opened up one of her textbooks. “It’s also because he swears a lot and he doesn’t want me to hear it. He already owes me four hundred and twenty six dollars,” she added. “Just do your homework,” Theo said with a small smile as he put in an order to get something for his niece to eat. He started restocking everything he needed for the well and then focused his attention on Des. He hadn’t given much thought to what was happening around Acadia Academy and he certainly hadn’t heard anything about...elves? “I don’t think I’m a very good source of intel since I thought elves were only in The Lord of The Rings,” he said. He’d heard things like werewolves, moroi, and something about mermaids...or was it sirens? But never in a million years had elves crossed his mind. After finding out what he was, he never pursued researching what else was out there. He was content with basically living as a regular human being.
“To be honest, no.” he paused “But I take care of my pack, so in a way, it’s like taking care of younger siblings.” he stated with a light laugh. He was an only child, and had only been with his parents up until the age of eighteen. After that, he never saw them again. Enzo had to grow up on his own, teach himself, look for guidance. He found that in all the wrong places, which he wasn’t proud of. Until he met his biker family, and it changed him. So any bit of help, that he can give to his friend, he would, it was just the kind of person Enzo is. He even surprised himself with how open his heart is, when hurt and pain can close one off. “I don’t know. I mean, I just have to feel it out.” he had to , or else he’d be stuck with this feeling, and he didn’t want to keep it all in. Enzo nodded his head be whatever she wants him to be.” That line just keeps repeating over and over, I’m the friend, the support, the guy who will do anything and everything for her.” he stated, as if he realized that he did that often. Opened himself up, gave but didn’t receive what he had wanted in return. “Waiting, I don’t really think time has been my friend.” he laughed a little sadly. He took Theo’s words to heart, and he had a point, he wasn’t going to be like this. Eventually he’d make his point, say what he needs to say, and just see what happens. “You’re right, you’re right.” he looked over at him. “Thanks man, you knocked some sense into me.” raising a brow. “How about you? seeing anyone, eye on anyone here?”
Theo wouldn’t have been able to tell that the guy didn’t have any siblings judging from how he took care of everyone. He had a knack for it and Theo could see why Enzo became a professor. Theo hadn’t been gifted with such a trait. Other than his sister and eventually his niece (well, only his niece now), Theo and Daniela had an “us against the world” mentality. Theo didn’t care about anyone else but himself and Dani. Without a parent to guide them and living in a tough part of town, they had an intense sense of preservation and had a hard time trusting others. Some older figures in town like a food truck owner, a mechanic, and the elderly couple who owned the convenience store down the street looked after them to make sure they didn’t get sucked into anything criminal. Theo looked at Enzo with a serious gaze. “I know that you’re a caregiver, but just be careful about setting yourself on fire to keep others warm,” he said as his final say on the matter. He knew that Nora also liked him and they were best friends, but they were getting dangerously close to something more, especially if Nora led Enzo on and Enzo kept picking up those breadcrumbs. “Listen, man, any time,” Theo said, nudging Enzo on the arm. He laughed and shook his head before taking a sip of his drink. “No. It’s been hard putting myself back out there, so I haven’t really invested any time in pursuing anyone. It’s just hard to figure out timing, being available to invest the time in a relationship, then explaining Marisol to everyone and everything else that goes with it.” Theo was always nervous about trusting other people, especially after his last relationships went south. He always broke things off before someone else could leave him first. It was a terrible defense mechanism that he used to keep himself from being left behind again.
“Go sit over there and start your homework,” Theo told Marisol. He pointed over to a corner in The Mocking Bird for her to hide in for a while. “I’ll bring you something to eat in a minute,” he added. She nodded and headed to the small table, setting down her bag and pulling out her notebooks. Theo turned around and saw his boss, Desdemona, walking around from behind the bar. He was running a few minutes late since he had to get to Marisol’s school to pick her up after working at his other job earlier. “Hey, sorry I brought her. A friend and her mom are supposed to come and pick her up, but they’re running late after a doctor’s appointment. She’ll be gone before the dinner rush begins,” he told her. Theo came around behind the bar and clocked in on the computer before getting ready to start his shift.
The magician’s smile grew at the sound of his small laugh. “Theo, such a lovely name. And I don’t believe that. You seem like a very interesting man with a very interesting life, Mr. Theo.” Scarlet wasn’t sure if that was true, but stroking other people’s egos was something she did best. Aside from that, the man certainly looked interesting. “I’ve been here my entire life. Born and raised in Lennox. I’ve traveled a bit here and there, but this is home. What about you, lovely?”
Theo snorted, not really taking her interest in his name as being very genuine. What were you supposed to tell people? Your name is average? Your name is weird? Someone gave you an old person’s name? He reached into his pocket to grab his pack of cigarettes so he could use them as an excuse to leave her in case he didn’t like where things were headed. He tried not to smoke as much now, especially not around Marisol, but every now and then he needed to smoke to calm his nerves. “Yeah. Right. Because you can tell in the five minutes we’ve been speaking,” Theo said, raising an eyebrow. He hoped she wasn’t a mind reader or whatever. He had to be careful where he stepped now that he was learning about all the supernatural species that lurked in every corner. “Just moved here a few months ago.” It was a temporary move though he told himself. He didn’t know where he’d go, but it was all dependent on Marisol.
They could go in circles all night but get nowhere. Maven merely gave him another smile, as if amused by his mien even though it was clear he was tired of her being there. “Trying to get rid of me so soon?” She retorted with a smirk. “Why, am I not your type?” A clear joke, but one that seemed to still come across as a mock due to Maven’s natural mannerisms. Maven’s gaze shifted over to the bachelorette party in the corner, laughter and smiles galore as they celebrated what would be a ball and chain commitment. “Hm.” She took a sip of her drink, rolling her eyes. “Please, whoever she’s marrying, I give it a few months before things crash and burn.”
"I think you know the answers to those questions,” he replied. He always told himself that he didn’t have a type even if he did, but he definitely knew that she was not anywhere near that. Theo pressed his lips into a thin line as she made her opinion on marriage very clear. She was haughty and vain. She probably didn’t want to get tied down. Probably a textbook narcissist. He pitied the people that got sucked into her orbit. Even though his mother was a guardian, he wondered if she was a narcissist as well. She was always worried about her looks, didn’t like taking any kind of blame for things, and often times looked down at her children. It was a look of disappointment, he thought. “Look...If you know that I’m trying to get rid of you and that you’re not my type at all, why are you still sitting here? Trying to wear me down so you can get something? Plenty of other men you can bother. ”
Enzo was a caretaker at heart, he cared for his pack, took care of them. So he wasn’t going to sit around watching his friend struggle either. Call it instinct, but Enzo learned to take care of others, since he had been on his own for so long before the pack. “Yup, and one day it’s dances, tomorrow you’ll be shipping her off to college.” time really did go by, and it must have been stressful for Theo. Smiling as Enzo knew that Theo wouldn’t be ready to let go of Marisol when that day would come. Taking another sip of his beer, he almost choked on it, hearing Theo’s words. “You say talk, as if it’s easy to say how one feels. We’re talking about years on and off coming into contact and not seeing one another. I’m not just going to drop a bomb of feelings on her.” he stated as he was now in deep concentration. “There is a chance that yes, she could feel the same. There is also another chance that I’m too late.” he sighed before he lightly shoved Theo’s shoulder. “Rejection no, but I don’t want to ruin a friendship either.” Enzo didn’t want to live with regret, but it was getting difficult. How was he suppose to approach Nora and tell her that for some time, he started seeing her more than a friend. “I don’t know, it’s a kind of connection that I wouldn’t say on a friend level, at least I don’t feel it is. But maybe I’m the one thinking that.”
"You never had any younger siblings or cousins or anything, did you?” Theo asked. He knew some of Enzo’s life before Acadia, but he didn’t know all that much about his family. Enzo mainly seemed to be in the same boat of not having a family to lean on. Theo had been on his own raising Marisol for so long. He never really asked anyone for help except for the beginning when he was a twenty one year old kid with no knowledge of how to take care of a baby. Every now and then though, he could use an outside perspective to see if he was doing things right. Theo just hated the thought of screwing the kid up, especially after he saw his own sister going down the same path as his mother. It seemed like it could be a generational curse if he didn’t do something about it. Theo laughed lightly and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Easier said than done,” he said, knowing he’d be the same way if he were in Enzo’s position. He listened to his friend expressing his dilemmas about telling Nora how he felt. “Then my best advice to you is to reconnect with her and start slow. Gauge to see how the conversations go and see if you can tell her that you see her as more of a friend. If you can tell she’s not that receptive to talking about relationships or anything like that, just play the long game and be whatever she needs you to be. She knows you care and you’ll always be a part of her life. Just don’t keep waiting around to reconnect with her at least.” Theo took a deep breath. There were two different ways that Theo could see Enzo playing this out. Ultimately, they could both play out the same way. One was just a faster method than the other. “Otherwise, be straight forward. Women like that. I know you don’t want to ruin a friendship, but you can’t wait around for the rest of your life for her and you can’t keep getting dragged around like a dog on a leash.”
Thalra watched the man calculate his response, and the effort he was willing to put into it. Which seemed like not much at all. Even as drunk as she was– and it was not as drunk as she was putting on– she could tell he’d much rather not be speaking to her right now. Most likely he didn’t want to have to call a cab for a drunk woman out of a sense of responsibility. She beamed at him, taking the small compliment and stretching it for miles across her face. Then she laughed and took another swig of beer. “I’m too good for him, huh?” she asked, a sudden mischievousness gleaming in her eyes that she leveled at him.
With a quick and steady hand that betrayed her actual level of tipsiness, she swiped at the man’s wrist. Taking it gently between her fingers, she held it up between them both and slipped the diamond ring half way down a knuckle on his pinky finger. It was the only way it would fit. “How about you, ‘someone else who came along,’ are you too good for him too?”
Theo realized the mistake of what he’d said as soon as the woman smiled. He’d just opened up the conversation again, which was the opposite of what he wanted to do. Theo set his bottle of beer down and was ready to pay his tab when the woman next to him picked up his wrist and slid the diamond ring onto his pinky finger. Where did she get a diamond ring like this anyways? Was she actually engaged or did she just have a diamond ring on her at all times? Maybe she swiped it off of some other unsuspecting soul.
He lightly pushed her hand away and pulled off the ring, setting it onto the counter and sliding it back towards her. Judging by her quick reflexes, she wasn’t nearly as drunk as the rest of her demeanor led on. He wasn’t sure if it was because she was playing games or if she was supernatural. It was possible that it was both. The woman next to him seemed like the kind of person who would play games. “I can’t confidently say that I’m too good for him, but I’m not interested in him. Or pursuing anyone for that matter,” he responded as politely as he could.
