[ Is it really friendly conversation? He'd call it 'somewhat sociable small-talk', which he was hoping to lead into with the "explanation" that his pursuit was perhaps erroneous. But it's clear that he's going to have to vocalize everything he thinks seems apparent here. It doesn't help at all that this is such a strange, new situation that he's trying to make sense of whilst stuck in the very middle of it.
It also doesn't help that this kind of nonsense is exactly the type of interaction he would expect from-
No.
That's definitely too much of a coincidence. With everything he's observed so far, that's just too much. This is decidedly not a pleasure, but he gives the extended hand a brief shake to keep up appearances despite realizing he may just have to say some more questionable things before this is over. After all, since when does he care what someone thinks of him? ]
You won't believe this, but my old acquaintance went by that name as well. [ A very deliberate phrasing. ] Though he was born under a different name in Snezhnaya.
no subject
It also doesn't help that this kind of nonsense is exactly the type of interaction he would expect from-
No.
That's definitely too much of a coincidence. With everything he's observed so far, that's just too much. This is decidedly not a pleasure, but he gives the extended hand a brief shake to keep up appearances despite realizing he may just have to say some more questionable things before this is over. After all, since when does he care what someone thinks of him? ]
You won't believe this, but my old acquaintance went by that name as well. [ A very deliberate phrasing. ] Though he was born under a different name in Snezhnaya.