Perhaps Rex was indeed oddly good at avoiding answers. The kid, however, was obviously terrible at picking up on social cues. Rex was no social butterfly by any means - he was more of a social snail - he knew how to tell when someone didn’t want to talk. They were the same signals he himself used frequently.

Obviously this kid had been drinking too much already or his mutation had addled his brain. Rex was flatly going to refuse to divulge any secrets to this chatterbox stranger. Proper bar etiquette was you left people alone when they wanted to be alone! Rex was actually a bit surprised the kid wasn’t covered in bruises from beating from irate bar patrons, if this is how he approached everyone.

The kid even ordered another round. Rex would’ve glared if he hadn’t been grateful for the distraction. Without alcohol in it, the beer didn’t do much to drown out the kid’s yammering, but at least it was a shield to allow him to not answer.

Then Rex sputtered and spat out his sip. “Good Lord!” he swore, turning to fully face the kid. “What a vulgar tongue you have! No, I do not want to see a picture of your girlfriend. I do not want to hear about your friends. I do not want to listen to you spewing obscenities! I want to sit here, alone, in silence, until the manager returns! Now, please! Leave me alone!”

”Vulgar?” the shifter asked his cheshire grin widening. Clearly this brooding guy never drank with an Irishman before. ”What I say? **** again or was it **** or maybe ****** sorry mate, don’t even realize half the time.” he apologized ignoring that the man didn’t want to see a photo of his girlfriend. Or rather he didn’t ignore it but continued to show him despite being told he didn’t want to.

”Don’t know what decade ya stopped drinking mate, but if a man sits at the bar and buys ya drink ya listen ta his stories. If ya don’t want that yer in the wrong location of this fine establishment.” he said his tail flicking behind him. Wings lifted with a shrug looking around.

”More looks for me to steal then.” he said looking to his phone not letting the sour mood of his fellow bar goer ruin his night. It was still early and a good one. He looked to his phone again and started to purr without realizing it while he glanced at a photo of Amythest, the Princess of Atlantis. He stared for another minute for before he realized the purring he was producing and then cleared his throat before texting his girlfriend.

‘Aye, love. Ya up? Fancy a midnight fly over the city? Maybe a drink?’ he sent a few emoji's as well. They probably didn’t fit with the context but the thief found it funnier that way mainly because the Princess didn’t understand emoji’s.

Talking to the stranger again, ”Must be lonely. Ah well. If ya want to sit and fester in yer thoughts that’s on you mate.” he raised his pint and cheers’d him. ”Enjoy the company. Doubt you’ll like it.” he said looking to the bartender. ”Just give me share for the gig tonight to dark n’ brooding here.” he thumbing towards the man and making sure all his drinks were finished.

”Got somewhere ta be anyways!” he said cheerily with a pat on the man’s back. What he didn’t know was it was a distraction to lift his wallet.

Now Rex was absolutely glaring at the kid, who stodd there with an idiotic smirk and kept childishly spouting off obscenity after obscenity, clearly designed just to antagonize him. It worked too. “And the Lord went before them--” Rex said before biting off the rest of the words with sudden awareness. No! He was not going to call up that witchcraft-ridden fire just for some fool of a child! No!

The man whirled back to his mug and gripped it tightly with both hands. He shut his eyes and exhaled suddenly and violently. He didn’t see the small flickers of red-orange flames shoot out from his mouth, only to vanish in an instant. He was trying to block out the kid who was now ranting about how proper bar-room etiquette went. As if the kid knew anything about etiquette!

Rex’s eyes shot open as a new sound emerged. What was the kid doing...was he…purring? A glance into a mirror behind the bar showed the kid staring at his phone and a photo and looking oddly happy. Things clicked and revulsion covered Rex’s face. What kind of sick deviant was this kid?

Rex hunched over his mug. He steadfastly ignored the kid and focused on his breathing and not summoning a fire whirl to burn the kid away from him. For once, the last thing he needed was to be quoting scriptures. He didn’t acknowledge the kid other than to tense up a bit as a hand clapped him on the back, but otherwise he refused to engage. Nothing good would come from it.

The thief was practiced at his craft and often used his wings and tail as a distraction in case anyone was watching. With wallet in his hand he walked to the door looking into it spotting a few dollars and some cards. As he approached the door he stopped and rolled his mismatched colored eyes. There was an old photo one that had a lot of age to it. Suddenly things clicked for the shifter. Why the man at the bar was the way he was...

His wife took the kid and left him! It all made sense to the shifter now. She was way too good looking to be with him and all his sourpussness women didn’t like to be brought down all the time. Especially good looking ones. He could say that from experience now. There was a long hard debate going on in Carrick’s head as he contemplated on what to do. Keep the wallet and throw out the cards or... return it and say he found it like he had done so many times before.

”Not worth it.” he sighed to himself and took the license I.D. card then dropped the wallet near a table by the exit. ”Pardon me loves.” Carrick smiled as he bent down and picked up the wallet placing it on the table where three women were clearly blowing off some steam after a long days work.

“Hey you’re the singer!” ”Aye, one way ta describe me!” Carrick beamed tapping the guitar on his back. ”Listen, running late to me next gig and it’s all the way across town. Found this wallet on the ground, no I.D. hard to believe no?” “Is this a line?” another one of the girls asked adjusting her wedding ring.

Staring at the glint of the small diamond Carrick chuckled, ”Wish it were, but I only date royalty so it be wasted on the likes of ya.” he set the wallet on the table, ”Any who, could one of ya do the right thing and give this ta the bartender?” Carrick didn’t wait for a response but rather just left keeping the new I.D. card up his sleeve till he exited the bar and took off figuring that was an appropriate response for not honoring the bar code.