[Jay smiles. It's a practiced gesture, something he privately spent hours practicing in the mirror, because smiling is something real people do when they're happy. It's a perfect arc in his pale face; a good imitation, except it doesn't reach his inky eyes. When Jay smiles like this, it's cold.
Despite his best efforts, it's the sort of expression that makes most people realize he isn't a nice boy after all.]
Thank goodness. I'm relieved you weren't hurt. Knives can be pretty tricky, if you aren't used to them!
[As with the rest of this conversation, he barely seems to pay attention to the wickedly-sharp paring knife in his own fingers. It's like second nature to him. Another perfectly peeled potato gets plopped into the waiting bowl of water, another long and winding piece of peel into the discards pile.]
Yes, you've got it exactly right. Here's how you play: you have a set number of wolves and a set number of sheep. Your goal is to get as many of them safely from one side of the river to the other, using a boat that can only hold so many at a time. If you leave a sheep alone with the wolves, the wolves will eat the sheep. It's actually a pretty simple puzzle, as long as you take your time, once you realize you can always bring someone with you on a return trip back to the other side of the shore.
[He tips his head to the side.]
But for us, it's a little more complicated. Because we don't know who the wolves are, you know? Since we're all together, everyone is acting like a sheep.
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Despite his best efforts, it's the sort of expression that makes most people realize he isn't a nice boy after all.]
Thank goodness. I'm relieved you weren't hurt. Knives can be pretty tricky, if you aren't used to them!
[As with the rest of this conversation, he barely seems to pay attention to the wickedly-sharp paring knife in his own fingers. It's like second nature to him. Another perfectly peeled potato gets plopped into the waiting bowl of water, another long and winding piece of peel into the discards pile.]
Yes, you've got it exactly right. Here's how you play: you have a set number of wolves and a set number of sheep. Your goal is to get as many of them safely from one side of the river to the other, using a boat that can only hold so many at a time. If you leave a sheep alone with the wolves, the wolves will eat the sheep. It's actually a pretty simple puzzle, as long as you take your time, once you realize you can always bring someone with you on a return trip back to the other side of the shore.
[He tips his head to the side.]
But for us, it's a little more complicated. Because we don't know who the wolves are, you know? Since we're all together, everyone is acting like a sheep.