K

Cover art is by me (original image)

         ❝ While we wait for that, is there              any possibility of us having an              actual conversation, Agent K? ❞

He didn't sound like he was in the mood for an actual conversation, but he could do this guy the courtesy of talking with him before the neuralization took place.

❝ Not exactly, no. ❞ He’d mentioned the  Government once or twice. Rick hadn’t really thought anything of it. It was strange that the man was bringing it up now, after everything they’d just gone through. He  couldn’t help but wonder what any of this had to do with what he’d just said.

    "I wanted to tell you this, tell someone-- well... just in case, I      suppose. I've never had many friends, Rick. And most of them      are dead. Dead or... as good as. I'm not asking you to believe      me. It's some crazy shit, I will admit to that. And, hell, you might      think I've gone off the deep end a bit." He shrugged. "Just feels      good to get it out there."

   ”Actually, it’s ink.” She’s got pride in her voice, like she’s proud to have proven him wrong, despite the fact there is literally ink in her mouth.

   "Not much better, kiddo.     At least food colouring is meant to be ingested."     He sounds amused. He knows she'll be fine.     That stuff is hardly toxic.

Though she wasn’t fully aware of just how much of a compliment it was, Winter still grinned widely and half-curtsyed to him. “Thank you very much. Freshly ground ‘s everythin’, I think.” She paused for a moment before asking, “Were you hungry?”

"You haven't got a menu I could see, have you?" So, give him about 20 minutes to look that over and ask about your specials-- twice. He was a man of habit.

"If you enjoy this so much, you should try helping me pull weeds from my carnivorous plants. They’re not big enough to swallow you whole, but they’ll certainly try."

       "Haven't been eaten by a plant in a good while. About time            I risked it again." Then again, that might be sarcasm.

   "If y'don't believe me, go ahead and shoot it at something. A tree or something. Mind the splinters though. And this thing has a bit of a kick to it." Really good judgement happening here. Obviously it's a great idea to hand a kid his gun.

   ”Yeah, that’s the one,” she laughs, making a mental note to mention the movie adaptation to him at some point, it there’s time. “No, no! That didn’t convince me, but it hadn’t really occurred to me until I read Under The Skin that aliens could be so human and ordinary, and all that. I thought about it, and then I believed. Under The Skin was a catalyst, so to speak.”

  "Maybe I'll have to finish it then." And then congratulate the author on maybe making his job a bit easier. Always good if people weren't afraid at the thought of aliens, even if they didn't know for sure that aliens not only existed, but lived among them.

                           What was she supposed to say to that? It bothered her, the thought of anyone willing to lay down their life for her. She’d done it herself —- and honestly? Her life wasn’t worth that sacrifice. Not in her eyes anyways. 

    He sighed. "Listen-- if it makes you feel better-- I'd lay my life on the line for, well, a few people. Or a good cause. Don't you go thinking you're special or something." Oh, Kay. That doesn't even sound like you mean it a little. Try harder.

"You know a place? Oh really? … Even for a ship that is from the future?" If you could detect sarcasm, then ding ding ding. Got a winner. "Not just a traveler, part of a crew who always … disappears when they feel like it, sir."

   "I'm part of an organisation that polices and monitors alien life on the planet Earth. We have plenty that you might find useful. Just a matter of you telling me what's wrong with your ship." Even better if the other man let Kay get a better look at the ship itself, but one step at a time.

      ❝ ——-Having trouble? ❞

   "Give it a minute, kid, and you won't be looking so amused."      He was confident the neuralyzer would work. Soon....ish.

               ……. ‘m sure I heard ya laughin’.

   "Well, here I thought I had no sense of humour at all."

       “ that was technically eleven words. ”

   "Sue me. Are you interested or not? People are dying out there.              Or will die. And either you're in or I gotta get going."

   ”… Were you eavesdroppin’ on my phonecall?”

        --Everyone here was eavesdropping on your phone call."

       "Why don't we start with what is it you saw exactly."