He gave her a one-armed hug. Claire was a bit of a mystery to him; he knew she had some particular ability, just as he did, but he wasn't clear on what it was. He also wasn't clear why a teenage girl would choose to come here, and for what reward - but he'd never ask.
"No problem. You want to talk, here I am," he replied, leaning forward in the chair. The unused decorations around the room were already having an effect on him; he was getting used to being manipulated by the whims of the Barge, but it didn't make him like it any more than he had the first day.
"Claire," he started, then rubbed his forehead. "Look, um. You know anyone who's reluctant to talk about their past, besides me? Did you ever consider that it might have to do with something unpleasant?"
He held held out the hand not rubbing his forehead, trying to emphasize what he was saying. "Maybe, and this is just a suggestion, but maybe that person thinks it's not something you need or even want to know, you get what I'm saying? Maybe it's something painful or disturbing. There's no reason to get passive-aggressive, or feel bad about it. People try to protect each other from things like that, you know what I mean?"
"You want to know if I can waltz or do the Charleston, or d'you mean headbanging and glow sticks?" he asked jokingly. Truth was, he had taken Lucy out once or twice, but had never been much of a dancer. He liked to watch, though.
"Why? Can you?" Kids these days couldn't dance. They just jumped around and waved their arms a lot (though, to be honest, it wasn't that much different from the Charleston).
"Sure you can. You've got that one where everyone stands in a line and does the choreographed face-touching, too, right? The song everyone hates but dances to, anyway?" He refrained from telling her he reaped someone who died doing the Macarena.
He lowered his arm from her shoulders and held out a hand to her. "Just don't stand on my feet and make me do all the work."
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"No problem. You want to talk, here I am," he replied, leaning forward in the chair. The unused decorations around the room were already having an effect on him; he was getting used to being manipulated by the whims of the Barge, but it didn't make him like it any more than he had the first day.
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"I've got no particular problem with hugs," he replied. "Who says I don't like hugs? Hugs are just fine."
He found a box near one of the chairs containing nutcrackers and smiled. "Have you seen The Nutcracker ballet?"
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He held held out the hand not rubbing his forehead, trying to emphasize what he was saying. "Maybe, and this is just a suggestion, but maybe that person thinks it's not something you need or even want to know, you get what I'm saying? Maybe it's something painful or disturbing. There's no reason to get passive-aggressive, or feel bad about it. People try to protect each other from things like that, you know what I mean?"
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He let a moment pass before sighing softly. He went back to helping with the decorations. "I had a daughter."
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"Why? Can you?" Kids these days couldn't dance. They just jumped around and waved their arms a lot (though, to be honest, it wasn't that much different from the Charleston).
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(The comment has been removed)
He lowered his arm from her shoulders and held out a hand to her. "Just don't stand on my feet and make me do all the work."
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