" William, are you in here day drinking?" Kirie asked, incredulous.

He waved his bottle.

" Nova is, too," he said. " Rosalie Rosenthal, that xenophobism crime committing bitch..."

He groaned and sunk his head back into the pillow.

Nova was spinning idly in the chair.

" A-ny-waaay, I called you up 'cos I wanted you to.... Get me off base clearance... So we can go drown in our mutual traumas at a place where Rosenthal won't be calling Stick Of Butter Baby xenosophic slurs..."

" William. I'm not doing that. I'm not naming the cat that either. We're naming her Amelia. I filed the paperwork already."

" You're both terrible at names," Nova said, taking a drink. " Call it something dignified. For fuck's sake. Give me this cat. I'll name it, since neither of you have any sense..."

" Yes, our new cat, War Criminal Jones," William snarked.

" Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you."

" The cat can just have three names," Kirie said, deeply sighing, pressing her hand against her forehead. " I'll order you something to eat, alright? And get you another bottle of liquor? But I'm not going to give you off base clearance. Knowing your luck, you'd just run into Stheno."

" Don't need anything to eat..." Nova mumbled.

" If you get hungry, just bite me again," William called over to him.

" Again? Lyena!"

" Self-defense..."

She left in a huff.

" I'm not your mother, William! Or, for that matter, your mother-in-law, Lyena! Fix yourselves up."

" Don't even know what an in-law is," Nova sulked as she closed the door. " The fuck are any of you ever on about..."