[Arthur can't help it; he smiles enough that the corners of his eyes crinkle deeply. Brother? Just a spin of phrase he's well aware, lingo, but he can't remember anyone using it on him even colloquially. The word 'challenge' gets as much of his attention but in a different way; he'd never looked at it that way before, the matter of being 'trapped' here. If this was the prototype program, training in environment building (it could have been - the test of finding one's way out, cheating the maze) then maybe, he would understand a bit more the lack of convention, the lack of rules applied in the way they hadn't known enough about to strictly play by.
He thinks about those movies where you wake up and everything was a dream.
Still. A challenge. Huh.] Hadn't thought of it that way.
[ It's more a mumble, thoughtful though it is as well.
His mind feels a bit stuffy, like there's cotton where all the proper thinking parts need clarity but he lowers the bottle, sets it against his mouth again, brow quirking at the question before shaking his head.]
Nah. Don't think...don't think I could, honestly.
[Mouth tightening in a thin line, he leans enough to set the water bottle (3/4 gone) on the floor beside his foot, taps the neck of the bottle once.] This's plenty.
Really.
[He replies quickly to Yusuf's response blinking on his device; the chemist will pick him up, or help hold him up some of the way back. Watch, Arthur thinks dimly to himself, I won't even need it - like not needing an umbrella you remember to carry. He wouldn't mind this time though.
Glancing over at the other man, Arthur doesn't thank him again since that makes the previous one feel somehow less important or less honest; neither of which is accurate, so he decides on something else.]
Should you get back?
[It's far from suggesting White should so much as a good co-worker's regard for the other's security. The most would happen is some brief talking to about lingering but Arthur somehow doubts that as well. White's good at his job here - and depending on the day that entails this, that, the other thing, or all three and he's obviously been around for a while here. Important staying factors. No he won't get in trouble likely, but Arthur points out because he also wants to give White the opportunity to leave.
It's one of those moderately polite business meeting things that seems to work its way into so many of his exchanges with those he hasn't known for years (and that's pretty much everyone except for two.)]
no subject
He thinks about those movies where you wake up and everything was a dream.
Still. A challenge. Huh.] Hadn't thought of it that way.
[ It's more a mumble, thoughtful though it is as well.
His mind feels a bit stuffy, like there's cotton where all the proper thinking parts need clarity but he lowers the bottle, sets it against his mouth again, brow quirking at the question before shaking his head.]
Nah. Don't think...don't think I could, honestly.
[Mouth tightening in a thin line, he leans enough to set the water bottle (3/4 gone) on the floor beside his foot, taps the neck of the bottle once.] This's plenty.
Really.
[He replies quickly to Yusuf's response blinking on his device; the chemist will pick him up, or help hold him up some of the way back. Watch, Arthur thinks dimly to himself, I won't even need it - like not needing an umbrella you remember to carry. He wouldn't mind this time though.
Glancing over at the other man, Arthur doesn't thank him again since that makes the previous one feel somehow less important or less honest; neither of which is accurate, so he decides on something else.]
Should you get back?
[It's far from suggesting White should so much as a good co-worker's regard for the other's security. The most would happen is some brief talking to about lingering but Arthur somehow doubts that as well. White's good at his job here - and depending on the day that entails this, that, the other thing, or all three and he's obviously been around for a while here. Important staying factors. No he won't get in trouble likely, but Arthur points out because he also wants to give White the opportunity to leave.
It's one of those moderately polite business meeting things that seems to work its way into so many of his exchanges with those he hasn't known for years (and that's pretty much everyone except for two.)]