Marlena (to Mouse): Oops... Sorry, mommy.
An hour or so later:
Eep: What is... MAX? Pwah! What the fuck? (to Mouse) Any idea why your brother's cat is paying us a visit? And by "visit," I mean curling up on my face?
Mouse (to Eep): No... Shit. You don't think something's wrong, do you? ... Do you still have the communicator?
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. It's... uh, trunk at the end of the bed.
Mouse (to Eep): Perfect... Would you go check on Mars? I didn't mean to fall back to sleep & it's awfully quiet.
Eep (to Mouse): Yep. (to Max) Come on, Max. I'm not leaving you alone with so many breakables.
Mouse: Maltese Falcon, Come in, Maltese Falcon. We seem to have acquired something belonging to you.
Vincent: ...-ello? We're getting... -n this end. Hol-... Wil-... work, you goddamned piece o' bullshit! Sorry, caller. We had some interference on this side. This is the Falcon. Can you repeat? I missed most of that.
Mouse (to Vincent): Little brother, are you okay? Max has shown up at our house. What's going on over there?
Vincent (to Mouse): I thought that's where he might have wandered. It looks like we're the unwitting recipients of a cat exchange program. I haven't SEEN Otto, but I caught a whiff of cigar smoke in the cargo hold. We're both fine. Poppy's at class, I'm headed to your former abode, and your neighbors are babysitting if you want to pop in and say hi.
Mouse (to Vincent): Oh well, that's good. I was worried that something had happened when Max arrived.
Vincent (to Mouse): Heh. Sorry to disappoint you. Nothing's going on, hun. I haven't been in any bar brawls, or fire fights, or anything. It looks like this should be a nice, quiet, easy... Oh. Well, shit. I had to go and open my big bloody mouth.
Mouse (to Vincent): What's going on?
Vincent (to Mouse): Proximity alarm. Now, it's probably nothing get into a fuss over, but I'm still not on O'Malley's favoritest people list, so...
Mouse (to Vincent): Be safe!
Vincent (to Mouse): Caution before valor, sister dear. I have to go, hun. I'll radio back as soon as I can.
Mouse: Damn, damn, damn, damn.
Eep (to Mouse): Mars is fine, and in love with Max. I dunno know that Vincent is gonna... Um, is everything OK?
Mouse (to Eep): Yes... No... Maybe... The proximity alarm on his ship went off while we were talking.
Eep (to Mouse): Calm down. Might not be anything, right? It's probably just another ship in range of his scanner things. He'll be OK. You are super freaked out about him going after Hiiri, aren't you?
Mouse (to Eep): Yes, I am. I don't think he really understands what he's up against... She's probably expecting him to go after her.
Eep (to Mouse): Christ. I wish I knew what that fuck to tell you. It'll be OK.
Mouse (to Eep): I hope so... It's just that-- Nevermind.
Eep (to Mouse): What?
Mouse (to Eep): If she gets her hands on him this time... I just don't think it's going to be good. I think whatever she's got planned isn't as important to her as destroying him. I think she's been playing with the portals just to get his attention... I think I may need to contact Poppy, if I don't hear back from him soon.
A couple hours later:
Wanda (to Lulu): Hiya, cutie! Oomoo. You are making a face. Are you feeling alright?
Lulu (to Wanda): Hey there, pretty lady. I'm just a bit mopey. Percy came by, took all of my notebooks & asked me to stop working on all of it. He said he was concerned with my mental state. So unfair, he gave me the puzzle to begin with.
Wanda (to Lulu): Awww. I'm sorry, dude. Want me to distract you?
Lulu (to Wanda): Oh... Well, if that's an option. I'm certainly game. I've gotta go to work... eventually.
Wanda (to Lulu): Hee hee. Well, I can work with a few hours. Um, are you sure you wanna hang out? You seem kinda off tonight.
Lulu (to Wanda): Come here, you. You now have my undivided attention.
Wanda (to Lulu): Heh. Sounds good to me.
Several hours later:
Poppy (to Vincent): Honey, where have you been? I've been waiting for you for an hour.
Vincent (to Poppy): Sorry, hun. I got a bit waylaid by some less than reputable folks who wanted to do me harm.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... Why would that be exactly, honey? What did you do now?
Vincent (to Poppy): Nothing. Well, not anything recently. I think the O'Malleys might be a bit annoyed at me still.
Poppy (to Vincent): Honey... What are you not telling me?
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh. Um, I think I may have annoyed Grace enough to put a bounty on me. Not a very large one from the looks of it, at least.
Poppy (to Vincent): WHAT!?!
Vincent (to Poppy): Well, they weren't very GOOD potential bounty hunters, so I wouldn't imagine the price on me isn't that high.
Poppy (to Vincent): That's not what I meant and you know it... How long have you known that O'Malley put a bounty on you?
Vincent (to Poppy): For a fact? When a pair bounty hunters came after me.
Poppy (to Vincent): So, you suspected that she might & yet you still wanted to come search for Hiiri... Okay then. I'm heading to get our son & then we're going home. I don't have anything else to say.
Vincent (to Poppy): What was I supposed to do? It's not like I can do anything from West Piedmont.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well then, feel free to stay here & get yourself killed. Clearly, you playing hero is way more important then anything else. I just can't believe that you looked me straight in the eyes & lied to me.
Vincent (to Poppy): Lied to...? What on earth did I lie about?
Poppy (to Vincent): When you came back from O'Malley's, you never once mentioned the possibility of a bounty being put on your head... Sure, you didn't lie directly just completely omitted it from your story of events.
Vincent (to Poppy): I was rather hoping I wouldn't be worth the trouble or cost.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, surprise! You are... I have half a mind to collect the bounty myself.
Vincent (to Poppy): Fine. Hit me over the head and hand me over! Maybe you can give Hiiri a call and see if she'll make you a better offer.
Poppy (to Vincent): Why should I? When you seem quite happy to do all of the work for her. Just don't forget to wrap yourself with a big bow.
Vincent (to Poppy): Why stop there? Hold a damn auction! Sell me off to the highest bidder! Who knows who else I've managed to piss off?
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, that's just great. Make fun of the fact that people want you dead. Oooo, do you realize I may lose my position with ISS? They don't take kindly to agents that have bounty hunters after them.
Vincent (to Poppy): You--you're the one reading me riot act when I wanted to go find my sister rather than hunt down Hiiri not 2 weeks ago! And now that we suspect she's going after out SON you want me to sit on my thumbs? Fat Christ, Poppy! Calm down. I doubt you're included in the bounty. It's my guts Grace hates.
Poppy (to Vincent): What I want you to do is to crossover & stay off of Hiiri's radar. But I know that's not going to happen. How dare you tell me to be calm! I just discovered that the man I love has been marked for death. And he's still worried about some stupid robot.
Vincent (to Poppy): So we sit at home, and play at being normal while waiting for her to crossover again and pull her next horrible stunt. Sure. That seems like a great plan. And, I'm worried because O'Malley will just kill me, hun! Me! Not you. Not Victor. Not our friends or our family.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, it's the plan that keeps you & Victor alive and in one piece. I'm sorry that I'm being selfish about the fact that I want you to be alive & live to a ripe old age with me...
Vincent (to Poppy): Damn it, woman! If you knew the kind of goddamn dreams I've been having since we found Mouse--I mean--the copy... If there's anything, ANYTHING, I can do to keep that from happening to you or Victor or...
Poppy (to Vincent): They're probably quite similar to the ones I have about you being taken by Hiiri.
Vincent (to Poppy): You... Oh. Jesus. I'm sorry, hun. I didn't mean to start shouting. ... I'm just so bloody exhausted.
Poppy (to Vincent): I know. You need to rest & recuperate, you bloody bull-headed ass. You're not going to do anyone any good in this state.
Vincent (to Poppy): Alright. Alright. I surrender, lover. I'm not going to give up on Hiiri all togehter, but I should lay low for a while. You're right.
Poppy (to Vincent): Good. That's the first sensible thing you've said in quite some time.
Vincent (to Poppy): Heaven forbid I start being sensible.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh, don't even try it, mister. We may be done arguing, but I'm still upset with you.
Vincent (to Poppy): And heaven forbid I get you to loosen that scowl you're working. Your face might crack. Oh fine. Just keep glaring at me. We'll be home in a few.
