[ You know what, color him impressed. He shoots one of those mildly surprised, approving looks in Lance's direction. What can he say, once a grunge teen always a grunge teen.

It turns into an appraising flicker at the question, from Lance to Nate and then right on back again. Doing a little reading of the room, weighing, assessing... ]

I think it's one of those occasions where you pretend you're not somber by laughing about your problems with repressed bitterness.

[ Correct him if he's wrong. ]