( Ben understands the hesitation, because he realizes well how silly this looks; he nods, as if to wordlessly say, 'yes I know, please humor me.'

when Robbie finally digs down and cooperated with the half-baked request, lifting his hand to the glass, Ben is surprised at what greets him through the barrier: heat. it's a stark temperature, dampened only in intensity and swiftness by the glass between them. it glows forth, feeling like a sun-baked stone, and Ben wonders if it would burn if they were to shake hands.

whatever Robbie possesses...is powerful. Ben doesn't like to think of it as whatever the man 'is,' because he is whoever he is. Ben doesn't believe what is additional to him is enough to redefine him.

but then, Robbie's remark has Ben scoffing short and sudden, struck with unprecedented surprise. he doesn't find it worthy of humor, of course; rather, he reels. )

—I wouldn't know. ( said apologetically. Ben can make an educated guess as to why Robbie thinks so. Ben doesn't like to think about guessing what side of that kind of goodbye this other man has been on.

maybe instead of a goodbye, this world intends it to be a greeting?

Ben is just quick enough to catch the last of the cracks melt into each other, as if the glass were water, seeping back to something clearer. when he looks at the other man, flickering like an ember, Ben voices a thought: )

I think it's clear that this...entire world is forcing us out of our expectations. Making us look at things differently.

I suppose we'll start to look at ourselves differently, too.