”Because you look like you need to hit something.” Sam said slamming a fist into his open hand. ”And if your gonna swing on me I want to make sure it’s okay if I swing back. Unless we take it to the classroom. Then it doesn’t matter if I hit you.” Sam said with a smirk as he pushed himself from the wall he was leaning on again. He leaned forward a little to far then caught himself pulling his coffee to his lips and taking another big swig.

Lifting the cup Sam added, ”It makes me happier. Sobriety is a little overrated off the record.” Sam said adding a smirk. ”You get annoyed more and have headaches and all that jazz.” Sam said summing up what was just a fraction of what he went through when he didn’t drink. Nightmares, hearing voices, having trouble telling a dream or a nightmare from reality was just a few other things he went through.

”You talk a big game so I’d like to smack the attitude out of you.” Sam said smiling more, ”Friendly smack of course. No ill will right?”

Adder's ears shot back and he almost started to show his teeth as the drunk Chihuahua punched his own hand. He did not need to hit something. Hitting inanimate things just hurt him, and hitting animate things started fights. He was not interested in fighting. Fighting just left him having to heal, and so he had to have something to gain.

There was nothing to gain. He was just restless and his mouth and ribs ached. Why would he want to add to that?

"Wouldn't be interested even if you could stand without lurching," he grumbled, as if he were more interested in a fair fight than just not fighting at all. Saying he didn't want to fight usually just led to him getting attacked, while bluffing through superiority turned away most of the annoying people long enough to outrun them.

He was good at outrunning people.

...He could outrun a drunk Chihuahua, right? As long as he could get out of this room. Adder didn't look around for his options; he kept his attention on the guy in the doorway while his mind worked. "And what exactly would I gain?" Keep him busy and lightly distracted. There were windows. None of them were open but he could break through them; his fur would protect him from the glass. It was a bit of a drop to the ground but if he could roll it he'd be okay. He'd landed worse, and while in worse shape. Starving and exhausted and injured.

He picked a window and two back-ups, and waited to see what the drunk Chihuahua would do next.

Sam shrugged when the kid didn’t seem too interested. ”You’ll learn something. How to not bite a mutant with the power to self-combust. I thought it was common knowledge but…” Sam smirked, ”If that isn’t proper motivation I’ll buy whatever you want for your room if you can beat me. If you can beat me. Which I know you can’t so… yeah…” he sipped his coffee and watched the kid as he backed up.

”Maybe I can add some food to that as well? A nice juicy steak? A cow? Whatever you want.” Sam sipped again debating leaning against the wall as the kid. ”Look, all I’m saying is you seem pissed off and could work out some aggression. S### you might even learn a thing or three.”

"How about biting the first thing in reach while being choked?" Adder growled, but drunk Chihuahua just kept talking. Why would he want 'stuff' anyway. What even was 'stuff' and what was its purpose?

What he wanted was to not deal with any of this. This drunkard or his mouth or his ribs or all the people in this place or how hard it was to eat with his mouth all burnt, even with the help of that aloe-stuff. They were just wants, though. Wants weren't necessary. He survived just fine without wants.

"I don't need you to get food, and I don't want your stuff. Just go away already." Or make some move as to the contrary, and Adder would be through that glass in a furry flash.

”Alright then, a kid of the world that doesn’t want to be tied down I respect that.” Sam mocked leaning up against the wall. ”How about this then pooch…” Sam said trying to anger the kid a little before he added, ”You make me go away I’ll make sure I don’t run into you ever again… However, if you can’t you’ll enroll in some of my classes.” Sam said with a smirk as if this was all a game to Sam, which it was.

”We go on field trips, we have pizza parties and we get lots of exercise. I’ll even throw in a bonus. I’ll only use my one eye.” Sam pointed to his good eye with a smirk. He didn’t tell the kid that he could sense the body heat though that was typically his ace in the hole.

...Drunk Chihuahua was weird.

Rich people in general, and especially rich adults, were already weird. But the drunk Chihuahua definitely yapped his weirdness from every street corner and rooftop.

"Why the hell would I make a deal with you?" Adder growled, more bothered by the expectation of trust than the canid insults. "If you're dishonest enough to pick a fight with a burnt and bruised kid, you'd hardly be inclined to keep that deal." Seriously, how stupid did the drunk Chihuahua think he was? Habit of distrust aside, this guy was actively showing himself unworthy of trust.

He'd have to be some spoiled rich pet, never let outside and only ever seeing the world through a pane of glass or mail-slot, to miss something that obvious. There was also the part about trusting mutants to not have work-arounds for old injuries. Because that was so bright.

Whatever. Time to leave, if movement didn't trigger some response from the drunk Chihuahua. Adder let his weight shift towards one of his chosen windows slightly.

”Thrill of a challenge?” Sam asked shrugging then starting to decide that this kid wasn’t going to take the bait. Sam sipped his coffee wondering how far he should push the kid. ”Never said I wanted to fight.” Sam corrected. ”Just hit you. I’m allowed to, kinda my job.” Sam said looking to the nearest window the kid was looking at.

Winter wonderland later and he would be there before the kid could move that would have been nothing really but to a kid who was bruised and burned and clearly in fight or flight mode… Sam decided against it. Even if he wanted to hit the kid. ”Alright. If you’re going through the window at least lift them and not go through them. Otherwise I’ll have to write you up and get someone to fix it and I’m not about that working lifestyle you know?” Sam took a sip of his drink again then he sighed, ”Alright, keep the chip on your shoulder. Come find me if you want to learn how to win a fight when you’re tired of running and licking your wounds.”

Sam pushed himself up from the wall and started to turn the corner, ”Kitchen is fully stocked by the way. Food for thought and your stomach.” Sam was about to walk away before he added, ”Doc is in the infirmary. He doesn’t ask questions, just heals so… yeah.” Sam waved then started to walk back towards his office.

"Hitting bruised kids is even worse than actually fighting them," Adder retorted flatly. Definitely too drunk to function. 'Allowed to' or not, either his job or he was messed up. Or both. Whatever it was, it wasn't only his job. Drunk Chihuahua was definitely messed up.

But not completely unaware of what was going on, so he clearly had some danger level. Probably mostly when he wasn't so drunk, but enough for a little of it to stick around. He seemed to be satisfied or something, though, and Adder held off making for the window as drunk Chihuahua made to leave.

"Clearly you've never tried to eat with a burnt mouth," he growled, but very quietly and after drunk Chihuahua had turned the corner. He wouldn't still be here if he hadn't worked out how to get food out of the place. The food access was what balanced out the sheer amount of people. Annoying people. Loud people. And now drunk people too.

Adder waited until he couldn't hear drunk Chihuahua anymore, and his smell had mostly faded, and then slipped into the hallway and away. Time to find somewhere more private to exist for a while.