He had to laugh, thinking that at least this wizard knew Eric would be better. However, given his job description and the fact that he spent more time with his mother than his own mates probably did not add positively to how fantastic he thought of himself.
Pausing mid-drink, it dawned on Eric that this was the same wizard he interacted with only days ago. "I don't think talking about my ex-girlfriend makes me vulnerable," he said, "nor would it give you power over me." Eric hardly kept his political views a secret and usually was found reading something involving current politics—regardless of whether or not he agreed with the book or article. This time, however, Eric was caught up on most of his reading choices so he had nothing to go on.
"A lie or not, what you say says something about you, as well as how you say it. Even lies reveal something about a person's thought process," he said, finishing his food. The beer tasted all right, not his usual favourite but it worked well enough considering Eric was not there for taste, he just needed to relax. "But the point of talking to strangers is that it doesn't matter what you tell them. I could tell you anything I want, truth mixed with lies, and no matter what it is, you don't care at the end of the night anyway, and neither do I. We're in a pub, not the Wizengamot. And if either of us were in positions of power, we would at least recognise each other."
Eric did not know Marcus Flint from any other bloke he met on the street. Those he interacted with through impersonal means did not imply he could place a face with their name on a piece of parchment. If that were the case, what was the point of a 'stranger' or meeting someone knew if it were as simple as writing something down?
"You're clearly not in politics," Eric observed as he turned to face the wizard, leaning one arm on the bar top and clinging to his beer bottle. "If you were, I suspect you would have been more challenging. Those in politics, regardless of whether or not they care, tend to encourage political discussions and debates. My guess," he continued, eying the wizard, "is that you're far detached from politics. That will make this far more interesting."