Ah, you obviously gave him cold feet with the implication. I assume he never took you up on the joke seriously, hmm? [Vander's tone remained amused. He had seen it all before over the years working at the bar and in his own friends group too.] Agree with you there. We only get one life, so may as well live it. Though... maybe sometimes easy to slide into being comfortable and safe now and again.

[He had been accused of a lot of things over the last years of his life. Weakness, playing lap dog, resting on his laurels, selfishness; he supposed it hadn't been a lie. Perhaps it twisted the old knife in to have similar accusations leveled at him in the train by the only one he had skin in the game with. Thank Janna for this distraction today with Maria. She seemed to find the situations where he needed the pick-me-up the most.

He stopped in front of the diner and examined it. He tended to make his own food these days, but this was a special occasion. He reached out and opened the door, not removing his other arm from around Maria's shoulders.] You know, that's more than anyone else has offered me. I might just take you up on it someday.

[After all, he was supposed to be the strong one.]

Do you have a preference for seating in this place?