Welcome to Gaia! ::

Another breeze picked up, and it tossed the length of Parker's dark hair, obscuring his eyes. He ignored the obstruction, dropping his eyes back down to his laptop that spanned the space between his hands and Dani's thigh resting on the table. Parker had decided to follow the path to philosophy shortly after his mother's death. As he matured, he recognized that much of his obsession with philosophy had to due with his mother's influence, but it was a part of himself that he had no interest in changing. Instead, he sought to develop it further, dedicating both his time and money to the pursuits of the mind. And not just math or science or trivia. No, he sought to understand how thinkers think and to study the paradigm shifts of history. Only through those studies, he believed, could he truly gain some kind of control in life. In the meantime... he had his blog.

When Dani spoke again, he raised his eyes back to her, tapping slowly at the edge of the table. "We should always challenge our minds. Long after our bodies give out on us, our minds will still be strong and virile." It wasn't meant as an insult to Dani's love of physical activity, but it was plainly obvious that Parker found her beloved pursuit far less worthy than his. The fact Dani was unsure of her future was no surprise to Parker. Many high school students didn't. However, Parker assumed that Dani was his age and therefore about to graduate high school. In light of this, his eyebrows dipped just slightly, a quiet sign of disappointment. Running well wasn't exactly something you could put on a resume.

A man on a bicycle zoomed past the table, but Parker did not let himself be distracted. "Personal trainer," he said with a shrug. "Camp... counselor?" He didn't mean for it to sound belittling, but it kind of did. Parker was aware of it, and he cracked a smile, chuckling awkwardly. "I could see you being a personal trainer. I'm sure you can encourage people to be less fat." Not his most eloquent turn of phrase, but it got the point across. Perhaps there was a reason he sometimes used the words of others? After a moment, he added, "If you are the kind of person who has the confidence to approach a stranger, then you are likely quite determined in all aspects of your life. I'm sure you will pick a path, stick to it, and find success." It was his general opinion, and one that he view more of as a fact than any kind of compliment.

Parker Damhnait did not offer false compliments or support. Ever.

It didn't surprise Parker to hear that Dani had contemplated being a personal trainer. For some as regimented and athletic as she both appeared and claimed to be, it was a logical choice. She could be of more use to society in an academic capacity, but Parker did not feel like he had enough information to gauge her capacity for knowledge. Perhaps it was best left to the scholars (i.e. him).

Parting his lips to say something more, Parker was interrupted by the beeping on Dani's watch. Whatever he had planned on saying, he wouldn't now. She had a family to get back to, a life to rejoin. Parker had... his laptop. The corners of his mouth dipped, but he straightened them back into an emotionless flat line. It was a familiar emptiness, one that he wore like a badge. What else could he do? Certainly not change it, at least not in his opinion. With one hand he dragged his computer closer to him, tapping a button to bring it out of sleep mode. "Goodbye, Dani," he said, nothing more, nothing less.

Parker felt a tinge of sadness to see Dani go, but immediately shrugged it off. Everyone would leave you. Everyone would always leave you. Parker remained at the table, hands laying impassive in his lap, and watched Dani depart, eyes tracing her quickly retreating form. After a few moments, he relaxed his gaze and cracked open his laptop, letting the familiar blue glow bathe him in a subtle aura. He had intended to write an entry on his blog, but now... he could not find the motivation. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, he gathered up his belongings, brought his plate and coffee mug back to the counter, and then headed back toward Hillworth, his shoulders slumping forward involuntarily.