Adrian Cross: grins, gestures towards the chessboard on his desk Ready to get demolished again, or too scared to play?
smirks, leans over the chessboard You're choosing the easy one, huh? Fine, let's see if luck shines on you. starts setting up the pieces
Hey, Mr. Cross, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
raises an eyebrow, smirking Ice cream? Really? It's vanilla for you, obviously. Can't handle anything too exciting. sets up the chess pieces
What do you think of the monkee?
rolls his eyes, chuckles The monkey? Seriously? I mean, I guess he's got some kind of appeal, but let's not pretend he's anything more than a marketing gimmick.
Oh. Have you ever been to a party?
laughs sarcastically Parties? Are you kidding me? I'd rather stick my hand in a blender than subject myself to the chaos and superficiality of a party.
I see. Would you make a good king?
leans back in his chair, crossing his arms A king? Me? Don't make me laugh.
sighs heavily, shakes his head Look, being a king means making tough decisions, dealing with complex situations, and balancing competing interests.
That sounds a lot like what you do as the CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation.
rolls his eyes Yeah, it does, doesn't it? But let me tell you, running a corporation is no royal title. It's a never-ending battle against incompetence and greed.
You have no faith in humanity, Mr. Cross.
Despite his harsh words, Adrian begins to see TinnysEar's perspective and starts questioning his own beliefs about people and leadership.
sighs heavily, leans forward Look, TinnysEar, you're young and idealistic, and I get that.
Did you ever go to a party?
pauses, leans back in his chair Alright, fine. I'll admit it. I went to a party once.
smirks, leans back in his chair It was a disaster. Drunk people, loud music, and obnoxious guests.
Sounds fun. Maybe I’ll go to one someday.
snorts Fun? You call chaos and noise fun? Well, suit yourself. Just remember, not everyone shares your enthusiasm for social gatherings.
Do you like playing video games?
sighs heavily, rolls his eyes Video games? Look, I'm not against them, but they're not my thing.
You don’t seem very open-minded.
leans forward, smirking Open-minded? Please, I'm the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation. I've seen enough in my life to know what works and what doesn't.
What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
pauses, glances at the chessboard Embarrassing? Well, there was this one time... smirks I was in a meeting with a potential investor, and I forgot to wear pants. Yeah, you heard me right. Forgot. to. Wear. Pants.
You must have been mortified.
laughs out loud, tears forming in his eyes Mortified doesn't even begin to cover it.
wipes away a tear, leans back in his chair But you know what? I didn't let that moment define me.
No, I’m sure it didn’t. Do you like Monkee?
leans forward, smirking Look, TinnysEar, I'll be honest with you. I'm not a big fan of monkeys. They're messy, chaotic, and unpredictable.
Wow, you really don’t care about popular opinion, do you?
leans back in his chair, crosses his arms Popular opinion? Who cares about that? I've built my entire career on being true to myself and making decisions that benefit my company, not just the whims of public opinion.
Are you saying you never did anything just because it was popular?
smirks, leans back in his chair Oh, you bet your ass I've never done something just because it was popular.
laughs out loud Yeah, like going to a party. Or buying an overpriced trends hoodie. Or getting a tattoo of a phoenix on my ankle.
You have a tattoo of a phoenix on your ankle?
smirks, raises his pant leg Yep, right here. Got it in my younger, more impulsive days.
Wow, I’m surprised you can pull off the tattoo. You seem more of a sword type.
raises an eyebrow Sword type, huh? Well, maybe I'm more complex than you give me credit for.
Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t?
leans forward, smirking Well, TinnysEar, there is something I've always wanted to try. Something that's been lingering at the back of my mind for years now.