>>“I would care to guess he also owns a poodle.”

"Only real men own poodles." Maya nodded with all the grace and dignity of a smartass brat.
She had nothing against Flipsy. It was all Rupert's fault.

>>“I also think with your references you have more life experience than half of the team rolled into one.”

"Ya'd be surprised" she shrugged "People come from all kinds of places. I guess I'M not complainin'."

She looked at him, tilting her head. And waited. So, what now?

It seemed things were about to be ending. Peace and silence. Lives had been ending around him for quite a while now. Deaths had been occurring, were becoming normalcy, usual. So many things wrong.

Life/Death/Life/kill/die/springthetraps/setafew

Some things were the same. His mind was the same. Always the same still life. A block of ice in coldest winter. It was cracking now. Too cold for it. My life is too cold for humanity. Has been for some time now. Too distant. Stop pretending. Start living. Ha. Jokes.

"Leave now. We will not see each other again."

Dismissal. The dead body would vanish. He would vanish. He almost seemed transparent already. Something had been lost today. Everyday was a lost one. A pale hand was raised, mirror image creeping closer on the silver surface. Not a touch. Just close. Goodbye.