Eye

Ever the people watcher, Bernard sat in the dining area of the state building, watching the officials and hopefuls moving around in the crowd. It wasn't hard to tell which were which. The officials were frustrated, distracted, quick moving. Those who wanted to be officials were nervous and kept their heads down, as if they didn't want to be noticed for not being as important as the rest of those there. It was almost funny, the way they acted. They didn't seem to realize that all of the people above them in the building had once been just like them. That the only difference between any of them was a piece of paper, and if they were better at punching or taking a punch.

He saw the woman approaching him long before she had even decided to sit at his table. He could see the look in her face as she processed him, decided she had a question to ask him, and adjusted her path to do so. It wasn't the first time he had witnessed it, and he doubted it would be the last. Though he had to admit, she was one of the more attractive ladies to do so. She clearly took good care of her body, maintaining a shapely form while also having the power to move and to fight. If she didn't run away after her question, maybe she would be worth pursuing.

She slid into her seat across from him with a smile on her face, which he returned. "This seat isn't taken in it?" she asked, settling herself in anyway.

"It appears to be now," he responded. "Which is perfectly fine."

She flashed another smile at him. "Why, thank you. My name is Janice. Yours?"

"Bernard."

She nodded politely. "It is nice to meet you," she said, before turning to her food.

Bernard turned back to the crowd, continuing to watch. She did not want to seem rude, clearly, and would wait for a time to ask her question. It wasn't the first time, but it was a nice change of pace from the last few. He had only been recently accepted as an official at the state, and throughout his interviews and testings, he had frequently been interrogating about it. He understood why, of course, but to be allowed space before asking was appreciated.

It was a good ten minutes before it came. "May I ask a question, Bernard?" Janice asked.

"By all means."

"I apologize if this is a bit rude or personal, but... I can tell you're watching everyone here. Isn't that hard with one eye?"

Bernard turned to her and smiled before running a hand over the long scar that extended from his scalp, over his eye, and just short of his mouth, feeling the tautness of the skin around it. "I suppose it was once," he responded. "But nowadays I can see all kinds of things that I couldn't before. It just took a little practice."