[Not for lack of trying indeed. He'd skimmed through a fair bit of that network post and had a chuckle. Not without sympathy, mind you — it wasn't as if Richie hadn't been there himself a dozen times or more.

He laughs under his breath, shaking his head.]

She's a tough nut, that one. Good dancer though, hope your moves really are up to snuff.

[Whether or not Peter is really that great at reading folks might be a moot point: Richie Tozier never had to bother being sly before he came to Nysa. He could slip into a separate persona with no sweat, had about a thousand of them on beck and call, and relied more on mitigating real life potholes with a joke and a rambling impression.

Covering his tracks while playing au naturale, however? He could use more finesse.]

The one and the same. [The book weighs his hands down. He doesn't want to lose it (gotta introduce it to his zippo and make it a permanent withdrawal, whether the Khalo liked it or not) but he doesn't want to clutch it like some sacred relic to his chest the whole time. That's all too suspicious.

Richie slips the storybook back into the shelf.] And what brings you to our hallowed halls of learning? They've got some wild stuff here, don't they? Fairy tales from outer space.

[Fished right out of their own heads. What a cheap trick.]