Keychain

Constantly reminding myself that no one else could see the half-orc walking with me was taxing. And so leaning out into the street so that I could see past his bulk might, it occurred to me, appear strange to oncoming vehicles, of which there were a line of three.

I stepped back onto the curb and silently wished he wouldn't ask about what I was going to do next. I reached into my left pocket and pulled my wad of keys out and started sliding one, any one, around and around the key ring as if I were deeply occupied with...with what I was doing.

Of course, he asked, leaning down in a completely obvious way, "What are you doing?"

I looked up at his shiny burned face and started to respond, but didn't want to look completely crazy, there on the street, so I muttered my response down at my keys, so it looked like I was talking to my keys, instead. "I'm afraid those cars will slow down and wave me across."

The half-orc smiled because he knew that was why I was displaying some act that would convey to any and all motorists that there would be no point in slowing down to let me cross in front of them, or wave or any such thing, as I was clearly too busy fiddling with my keys on the sidewalk. He was being an asshole. "Oh," he said.

"Just. Please. Ok, we can cross now." The three cars drove past and I was safely crossing behind them.

Seeing as how no one else could see the half-orc from Banda Cate walking with me, I was a little put out that he couldn't empathize with me more. But maybe that's not what I needed. Maybe if I were walking around with Ackle Red I wouldn't be able to see just how off kilter I had become. Or, what I was really afraid of was that I'd slip and start talking to him while I was sitting at my desk at work or something, since he was just a normal looking person from the thieves' guild. I just wish I had bothered to name the half-orc something, so I could separate him from my self more, but it's a little late now.

We were across the street and headed for my car. I worried where he would put his weapon, but I forgot what he was carrying the day he fought The Group so now he doesn't have one at all. I do, however, feel like he must smell bad, and so much to my detriment, he does.