Tandy Bowen doesn't have to pick between (cloakndagger) wrote in repose,
Re: Billy/Tandy: the neighborhood
Tandy understood a range of things because he was an astute and assiduous observer of why people did what they did. This had begun with his dad, who had married his mom for reasons that defied logic until Tandy had matured to the point he factored in physical attractiveness and found a rational theory. It had extended to his mom and it had side-stepped that to extend to the practical observation of most people who passed through his life. He got on one level that it was odd, weird maybe, to be an observer most of the time. But he ceased observing when he began interacting, and so he didn't miss exactly, Billy's surprise but he shrugged. The gesture was large, because Tandy was large, but not the effort.
"Yeah. As in a party. They have those," he said helpfully, taking another slice of pizza, the grease running to the web of his thumb. Ably, Tandy transferred pizza from hand to hand, and licked the grease free. "As in, we host, people come, they eat, they drink, they socialize, the house is considered quote unquote, warm." He'd assumed Billy had factored in the concept. Billy, Tandy had determined, was a partier.
But okay. Practical conversations about charity were not done. "Okay. No lavishing. No blandishments, no Burger King, nothing. And I'll get you a houseplant. Something," he paused, to consider this, as Billy smiled firstly like he couldn't help it, and then secondly, cracked into genuine warmth. "Green."
The once-over landed like a mite trying to bite a rhino. Tandy blinked back at him. "Because I have no interest whatsoever. I'm excellent friend material. I have no intention of blowing the comic book boy." Deadpan.