New Friends Meet

Lionel met Gooser to have a good chat. Gooser wanted Lionel to like him. Lionel didn't really want to meet Gooser but put on a friendly face. Gooser was nervous but doing his best impression of a cool relaxed guy.

They started out with simple small talk before ramping into anything of substance.

"Lionel has the word lion in it." said Gooser.
"Yep and Gooser has the word goose in it." said Lionel.
"Don't maul me. He he..." said Gooser.
"He he..." said Lionel.

They tried chatting about mutual interests. Gooser thought he'd sway the conversation in a direction to show his expertise and taste. He spouted out a controversial opinion to make an ally of Lionel.

"Don't you think that Smippers are overrated? I feel like I was never into Smippers and Smippers are like so big and always talked about..." said Gooser.
"I think you're not giving Smippers enough credit. I quite enjoy Smippers." said Lionel, casually.

It seemed to backfire. Lionel was not about to bond with Gooser over a dislike of Smippers. Gooser started to wonder if Lionel knew or was somehow involved in Smippers. Gooser felt he should have thought out his proclamation more before saying it. The foundation of Gooser's Smippers opinion felt rocked as well. Why did he even care about Smippers? Gooser conceded a subtle backpedal.

"Oh, I mean more the early Smippers was the stuff I wasn't into. Recent Smippers, yeah, it's pretty good."
"Mmm..." said Lionel.

Gooser quickly changed the subject. He thought he'd try to win Lionel over a bit more by making him laugh. They both liked laughing. That was something they had in common.

"Could you imagine a guy wearing a flea collar? Ha!" said Gooser.
"Ha yeah that would be something." said Lionel.

It seemed to work. Lionel continued to hold a friendly and pleasant expression on his face. They chatted some more. Then Lionel nonchalantly, or perhaps purposefully nonchalantly, to make a show of it, glanced at his watch.

"Oh do you have to leave?" asked Gooser.
"Oh I do actually in a few." said Lionel.

They wrapped up their conversation and walked along. Gooser continued to chat with Lionel. Lionel nodded and was friendly. But he was secretly trying to contain a rage inside, from the need to shake Gooser. But Gooser kept walking with him. Lionel could take it no more. He darted his hand out and made an anxious overly grinny expression,

"Well bye!!" said Lionel.

Gooser got the picture.

"Oh yeah, bye." said Gooser, as he shook the hand. Then Lionel turned the other way and got the hell out of there. Gooser worked real hard to never act like he wanted anything again. Everyone after that thought Gooser was real cool. Then once he had all the people thinking he was cool he started confessing that he wanted a bunch of stuff. Some of the people found it overwhelming some of them were like "Whatever Gooser, you're cool anyway and I want things too."