"Hm, alright then. You are an arse, by the way, just to get that out in the open."

He grinned slightly.

"Bruce vouches for you, so that wins you points right from the off. He'd not associate with you if there wasn't a decent person somewhere in there. A lot of people would have launched for me had I elbowed them in the stomach like I did to you, but you didn't. You taunt people, without being overtly cruel, and I have this sneaking suspicion that you're not asking me what I think of you out of simple curiosity."

The boy shrugged.

"Could be wrong, of course."