a very wise man once told me a similar thing. then he demonstrated it by ripping the head off my mother.

smart and pretty. do you have a name?

do you believe that dreams have a purpose, my sweet?

but don't you see? we're getting somewhere. didn't you *feel* the electric between us? mmmm, it sets my hair on end, gives me goosebumps! the hunt, quintain. we're laying out traps.

do you know what i find interesting, darling? if you said that to anyone else around here, they'd ask you what a mouse is.

mice.

( stalking forward. ) you're much nicer when you're not trying to prove a point, topolina.

oh, hello. who's this? the boss?

( sizing up yaya like a kid with a new toy. )

i bite.

( to del: ) don't worry about her, her bark is really worse than her bite. just tell the scary blonde what you want to drink.

not so. some of your patrons are on their last legs.

very well. @delasi.bsky.social, what do you want, my sweet?

take a bath and think over this. i think you'll find things will clear quite quickly for you. baths make all things clearer.

my quintain.

and so are you. beautiful. perfect. you've got this . . . life, in your eyes, you know. it's . . . passion, this huge passion for everyone and everything alive, you can't help it.

i love it.

that war that you fought . . . it's *over* now. see? you can move on. you deserve it. you've *earned* it.