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  “Good Morning.” Delgado yawns.

  “Mornin’.” Xandra replies.

  “Hey, uh Xandra.” they call to her.

  She turns around. She tilts her head slightly.

  They give her a tight hug. “Thank you… for… yesterday…” they said to her.

  She felt comfortable being held by them with their chin resting on her head. She returned the favor by wrapping her arms around them.

  Both the researcher and the Site director felt another pair of arms grab the two.

  Xandra lets go.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t go to your party last saturday.” says Kirby. He lets go.

  “It’s alright. It wasn’t that big.” they tell him.

  “That’s what she said.” Kirby mutters.

  “Godammit…”

  Kirby giggles. “You know we all love you… and whatever’s going on in that head of yours”. He places his hand on their head. “Let’s just hope it can take the shake.”. He starts ruffling their hair.

. . .



  The sun was setting as Xandra sits in the Breakroom She checks in on Nathan by texting him.

  Kenneth walks in and starts to climb onto the couch on all fours.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “What? I can’t lie down?”

  “You can…” she says as he starts to lay down on his side. “... if you want…”

  Minutes later, Kenneth was now lying on his stomach with his leg hanging over the side of the couch. His head and arms on top of Xandra’s lap. He was now asleep. She played with his hair with one hand, letting the curls twist around her fingers; while she holds her phone in the other. She lets go as he unfolded his arms to stretch a bit. ‘Aw, just like a cat. So cute!’ she thought.

  She continues to stroke his hair, until Raul and Thomas, the Site’s security guards entered the room. She places her stroking hand across Kenneth’s neck and looks up.

  Thomas waves at her.

  She waves back. She notices the puffy, tired eyes of Raul as he leaned up against Thomas’s shoulder. His arm intertwined with Thomas’s as he held his hand.



. . .



  Xandra walks in with Chinese take-out. Nathan gets up and follows her.

  As she was preparing herself a plate, she notices Nathan beside her doing the same thing. “I thought you didn’t need anything.” she says, slightly teasing. He grumbles with embarrassment.

  Xandra and Nathan heads towards to the couch to sit down. Xandra snuggles up to him as they were both fixated on their dinner and the screen.

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Slaying Dragons: A Post-tale
Int. Old Castle Ruins -- Afternoon

A raccoon is at an easel.
They turn to face a wolf.

Rachanna (raccoon): “What colors should I use?”

The wolf looks away solemnly, showing only his missing left leg.

Rachanna: “Sir? General Miller? Edwin?”

Edwin (wolf) stays silent.
Rachanna steps forward

Edwin: “I’m not the General anymore.”
Rachanna: “But you are… well, to me.”
Edwin: “Do I scare people?”
Rachanna: “No, I don’t think so.”

Edwin smiles

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

  ‘I like him.’ Xandra thought. ‘He deserves better.’.