[there's a pause, though his smirk doesn't disappear, his ears twitch a little bit. Sonic prides himself on being quick on his feet, both literally and metaphorically, so trying to pull one over on him isn't going to work very well. Did he step on a landmine? This kid didn't look that much younger than him when they ran into each other back at the bookstore, but Nikki had noticed he couldn't raise his arm up quite all the way... And seemed skinny in a way that didn't seem entirely tied to growth spurts. He's been around enough different people to recognize when there's scrawny because teenage puberty and when there's scrawny because of other issues, though what issues are remain a mystery.

Still, it's not his business to sus out any of the details. So he shelves the deflection and the nonchalant smile for later (in case it does become a problem)]

That's... Kinda sad to think about. Here, you can be whatever or whoever you want to be and you choose to be a problem for yourself. [he turns to look out at all the non-Dreamers and huffs a little] Some people go through life living up to other people's expectations or lying to themselves to survive. What's the point of a Dream if you're just going to treat it the same as if it was real? Seems like a waste to me.

And I hate to disappoint but... [a grin as he gestures to himself in a 'ta-da' fashion] What you see is what you get; just a guy who loves adventure.