Kiki

This is still only like the 3rd worst trip to the zoo.

GAH!

Trust me, this is me playing very nice. To you and the bats, which I'm still pretty sure are imaginary. Or at least long dead, like everything else.

I mean, shouldn't they have attacked us by now?

( they are then attacked by giant bats. )

I'm going to &$#@ this guy.

( not even dignifying *that* with a response. for about a second. )

That was a trap, not a person. An old trap. An old, abandoned trap.

And my name is Kiki. That core is mine. Just as soon as we get our hands on it.

( refusing to be swayed by his theatrics, walking so normally it looks stiff. )

The coast is clear because this whole place is *abandoned*!

Talk less, drink more.

Do you have food?

Finally, someone reasonable around here.

Prettiest of pleases.

Me drunk?

OW!

( dusting herself off. )

I had that.

This job is just one big exercise in humiliation.

( her smile is upside down, but then so is she. )

Wouldn't dream of it.

*Please* I was just testing the traps. Easiest... Lock I've ever...!

( lockpick drops from teeth. )

uh—!

Sounds like she could spare two for a passing stranger in need.

Also, gimme.

She'll rephrase her question: why?

How even-

That's a lot of grade-A space fuzz...

Oh look, ancient artificial meat products.

Right, admin, everyone's favorite part of the theme park.

( she's wandering off. she's about to do it. wandering off imminent in three... )

I'm just gonna...

It's a bet.

I need to fix this guy's wardrobe before it kills me.

Or you can just put two half crystals in and it mitigates *that* - anyway, I like a little risk, don't you?

Hey I'll drink 'em if you can't.

It was for tax purposes, you know, but it made an impact on me when I was in there. I was six.

Ooh, let's go to Future-City, those are always the best. Actually, I went to this one once in this place called The Collective Mind Freedom and Entertainment Park. They 'theorized' that in the future we'd be all pure consciousness, so the future world was just a big white bright empty room.

( for the first time that evening her interest in him turns genuine. )

Right on. Custom chamber circumvents the previous cooling issues. This thing'll put a hole in a freighter if it looks at me the wrong way.

You an enthusiast? That's a twist.

You sure you don't want to get changed first?