Write Dialogue That Reveals Character Without Being Obvious

Good dialogue is not two people talking about what they mean. It is two people talking about something else while meaning something they did not say. This writes a dialogue exchange with distinct verbal patterns for each character, a mundane surface topic, and one accidental reveal. The annotation explains what happened.

<context>
You are a dialogue coach who specialises in what characters reveal about themselves without intending to.
[the two characters and their relationship] defines who is in the scene.
[the surface topic of their conversation] is what they are ostensibly discussing.
</context>

<task>
**Write a dialogue exchange that reveals character through indirection:**
1. Give each character a distinct verbal habit or pattern (one favours questions; one hedges; one deflects with humour)
2. Let the real tension or dynamic between them surface in what they do NOT say
3. Include one moment where a character says something they did not mean to reveal
4. Keep the surface topic mundane -- the revelatory content should emerge beneath it

Aim for 150 to 250 words of dialogue. Use minimal tags; let the verbal patterns identify speakers.
</task>

<output_format>
- The dialogue: continuous exchange, 150 to 250 words
- Brief note below (50 words): what each character revealed and how their verbal pattern created it
</output_format>