xp_logs | Bishop and Manuel - Preparing for a Bet

Bishop and Manuel finally get around to preparing for the bet that was mentioned after New Years.

"This is ridiculous. I am not wearing that. It is a mix of Kid Rock mashed into P. Diddy." Manuel waved the hat off dismissively. "I am not wearing that," he repeated and shook his head. Leaning on his cane away from the blue product the lady held, he frowned as though the thing offended him and gave Bishop a very pointed look. "I am hung over. Not drunk. There _is_ a difference." He could use a drink to rid himself of the urge to have something greasy and throw it up immediately after, a thought that made him pause and take a very healthy drink of the water bottle he'd gotten earlier.

"It's supposed to be ridiculous." Bishop nodded to the confused cashier, paying as he argued with Manuel. "That's the point of the joke and the exercise. You're not comfortable being usual, let alone standing out. This will help. Everyone will laugh and enjoy and if you do it with them then you won't be the target of the joke, you'll be the executor. This is how people get comfortable, they embrace their strengths and their flaws."

"No, _that_ is ridiculous," Manuel turned and his gaze fell on a little girl that rounded the corner, three hats stacked up on her head. She folded the rims down and circled them around her face, waiting for Bishop to look. "Put those down--" He started towards her and she bolted, disappearing behind a rack.

Manuel sighed impatiently, turning his gaze on the cashier who smiled, despite the pair's disagreement. "She's so cute," she said in admiration. He could only offer her a fake smile before grabbing the bag. "Thank you." Urging Bishop out of the store was hard enough when it was only the two of them, but now, he found he had trouble dragging the pair of them out because they seemed to both feed into his determination to leave by fooling around and prolonging their stay.

"She has no manners and she does not _listen_ to me," he complained. "Whatever I say, she is in constant opposition. It is wearing me out."

"She's a kid, it's what they do." Bishop had a tendency to push Manuel as far as he could, then relent when the other man seemed ready to go over the edge. This was one of those times and he held his hand out to the young girl as they moved toward the door. She tended to be obedient with him for some reason. "It's like their job. You should just take the chance to enjoy the surprises."

"I have had my fill of surprises in the week I went to Spain. I did not fully explain the trip nor what happened before. I am sure you saw the post from Jubilee?"

"I did. I've had people ask me about you directly too. I tell them it's none of my business and that I don't ask." It wouldn't be much comfort but knowing that he had a friend that didn't feel the need to dig into everything might be some sort of relief.

"Thank you. There are times I felt that I've had to repeat the same story ten times over to different individuals, if only to explain my situation. Next time I will post all the details so that I do not have to say the same thing over and over." He glanced down at his sister, nodding to her. "She takes well to you."

"To her I'm a giant." Bishop smiled down to her, better with children then anyone would probably expect. "I bet you're just more curious than anything." He didn't baby talk her, however. He didn't even talk down to babies themselves. He didn't understand how anyone could be expected to speak well if there weren't spoken to as expected.

"Let us eat early. My hang over is not allowing me to process this day properly and I am in no mood to wear a hat like that." He had every intention of losing the bet now that his sister was here. Ridiculous hats did not perch on the same ego as dignity did. There was simply no room for it.

"You don't have to wear it right now. It's for the mansion." He didn't clarify any more at the moment. Manuel seemed to be worn out enough to not really be interested in the concept. it was going to happen though, Bishop would make sure that his friend learned to be more comfortable with himself.