Cole's smile warmed again when Willow started to tell him how she'd been raised, and he gave a quick, husky laugh. He'd been around in the Dark Ages. He sincerely doubted her parents had been quite that severe. "So you're a late bloomer when it comes to technology. Trust me, I don't think you've missed too much." It did make him wonder if her interest in him really wasn't related to who he was at all. "Social media is simply a popularity contest gone wild. A desperate cry into the ether for attention and recognition. Don't get me wrong, I'm practically contractually required to use it every now and then, but...I think the rise of social media is, at least in part, a backlash to the way we embraced the impersonality and convenience of technology. People don't want to deal with other people face to face anymore, but because of that, it's been a steady decline from meeting someone and conversing in a personal space, to calling, but calling is tedious so let's e-mail, but that requires too much effort, so I'll text you. Now, instead of texting, it's a question of 'What's the bare minimum I can do to acknowledge this other person in order to keep up some semblance of a personal connection? Oh, I've got it. I'll like this Facebook photo or this Instagram post.' And, in the greatest plot twist, having lost that sense of connection to the world around them, people now reach out into the void of the internet to find some form of validation that makes them feel smart or beautiful, witty and desirable. And if they don't receive that kind of adulation, they settle for the attention they get by trolling platforms and baiting as many people as they can." It was clear that Cole held a certain jaded distance from the whole idea of social media, but as he'd said, he was obligated to have his accounts and to keep them updated at least semi-regularly. To be fair, the rise of cyber-sex and online affairs had been kind of a drag for him.
Cole's hand settled atop hers, holding it still against his thigh, the pad of his thumb brushing across the ridge of her knuckles as he contemplated her more personal questions. "I...hunt," he told her after a moment of thought given to his hobbies. "I travel. I enjoy meeting new people wherever I go, but I also enjoy time to myself. As for how I make my living, I'm a professional liar." His eyes caught hers and he grinned. "I'm...a storyteller. And what about you, Little Miss? What is it that you want to grow up to become?"