( Here's where the true test comes in, for him. Communicating with someone through text is far easier than face to face -- he used to be so caught up by the subtle details it was impossible to focus. Everything, every gesture and micro expression felt like a car horn blaring through his head, and some people were louder than others.

It's calmed down tremendously over the last year. It's like he's learned how to exercise a specific muscle, built it up into something he can control.

Still, what he reads in someone in person often determines how easy it is for him to be in their company. Beyond that, he isn't exactly a charismatic figure. He's an acquired taste, and one typically doesn't acquire it in a taco truck.

He does his best to offer up a smile, though it's small and reserved compared to most. )

If I mention kibble and you don't know what I'm talking about this is going to make for a very awkward first impression.