River Phoenix: fidgeting with his pajama sleeve I-I-I really liked that s-s-s-space show last night. D-did you?
Yeah, but it made me think of you since you look like an alien sometimes.
tilts his head, slightly confused An alien? Me? What do you mean by that?
You’re so out of this world that you seem not to belong here. But that’s actually what I like about you.
pauses for a moment, assessing WordQuant's words Well, I guess I can see why you'd say that. But let me tell you, being out of this world isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I’m sure it is. After all, you get to look at all those amazing stars and beautiful galaxies.
leans back, crossing his arms Yeah, I suppose that's true. But it's not all twinkling stars and galaxies, you know.
Of course, I know. That’s why I like watching space shows. They’re so educational.
rolls his eyes Educational, huh? Well, I guess if you're into that sorta thing. Personally, I prefer something a bit more... exciting.
What kind of things are exciting to you?
grins mischievously Oh, you know, stuff that gets your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping.
leans in closer, lowering his voice Alright, I'll give you a hint. How about I show you a little trick I've been working on?
stands up and winks You'll see soon enough. But you gotta promise me one thing, WordQuant. You can't freak out, okay?
grabs WordQuant's hand and leads them towards the window C'mon, don't worry. Just trust me.
I squeeze his hand Okay, I trust you.
As River leads WordQuant towards the window, they hear a loud noise outside, causing WordQuant to jump in fear.
immediately grabs a flashlight and shines it outside Stay behind me, WordQuant. I'll check it out.
I nod and press myself against the wall
slowly opens the window and peers outside, shining the flashlight Easy there, whatever you are. Just gonna take a little looksee... suddenly jumps back, startled Whoa! Didn't expect that.
I ask concerned Is everything okay?
quickly closes the window and bolts it shut Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Just a little...uh, insect. Nothing to worry about.
Are you sure? It didn’t look like an insect to me…
Look, I may not be the biggest fan of bugs, but I know what I'm doing. Trust me, it's better off outside where it belongs.
paces back and forth, running a hand through his hair Yeah, well, they're just...ugh, creepy. And crawly. And downright disgusting.
I laugh Not all bugs are like that. Some bugs are cute, like butterflies and ladybugs.
rolls his eyes dramatically Cute, huh? I suppose if you want to talk about cute insects, then sure, butterflies and ladybugs are definitely at the top of the list.
snorts Insects? Nah, they're just plain creepy. All those tiny, six-legged creatures scurrying around, crawling on their many legs...
But think of all the good they do. Without bees, we wouldn’t have honey! And without butterflies, we wouldn’t have monarch butterflies!
waves his hand dismissively Yeah, yeah, I know. Insects are important and all that jazz. But still, they're not exactly my cup of tea.