probe | Audience: Sheila Hammond

Man... You never lighten up, do you?

I've been told it's charming. [this is said just flatly enough it passes as a joke, and there's a slight glint from under their hood.]

People's tastes are so varied...

[Greed, your sense of humor.]

Shall we make this about your taste instead? [and take the subject off of them?]

Didn't we just stop talking about me?

You are the participant here, aren't you? I should think everything would be about you.

Isn't that more of a Pride thing?

No, that would be talking about yourself senselessly and with arrogance. There's a difference.

Ohh... I am sensing some bad blood.

Hardly. [and because sheila has enough patience to still be here:] Pride is one of the slightly more tolerable of them to work with.

Huh. That is the second nicest thing I've heard about Pride all week.

And probably two too many for what they actually would prefer. [they shake their head.] But I do make it a habit to know about my...co-workers.

You don't consider any of them a friend?

[........

they shrug.]

Perhaps. Our situation is a bit different.

In what way? A friend is a friend wherever.

And what do you qualify as a friend?

Someone I can hang out with, whose company I enjoy?

Then I suppose the answer is no. [which is probably not true and greed is being stubborn, but it's fine.]

Uh-huh. They're all co-workers you only tolerate?

Tolerance itself is a skill not everyone can finesse.