Cliff and Coral exit Love Bomb through the glitched door in the woods.

  Cliff Mason
Hey, kid...
That was some good work back there.
You really talked the hell out of that angel.

Coral
* Hah... Don't count yourself out so fast.
* I appreciate your quick thinking with the... leg.

  Cliff Mason
Don't even mention it!
Material issues need material solutions, right?

Coral
* Oh, so you were listening!

  Cliff Mason
Aw, I was just following my training.
A good soldier's gotta keep his ear out for any advantage.

Coral
* Ahaha! Roger that, sir!

  Cliff Mason
Just doing my part to keep the people safe!

Coral
* A real All-American Hero!

  Cliff Mason
I like to think of myself as more... international.

Coral
* Please.
* You're so red white and blue you've got hamburger juice dripping out of your pores.

  Cliff Mason
Hamburger juice!?

Coral
* Yeah, you know. You take the hamburger and you put it on the juice press.
* It's the hot big thing over in the States. All over TikTok.
* Very 2020's, maybe it's just before your time...?

  Cliff Mason
That's-- no, surely, that's not-- you're just--
...Is it?

Coral
* AhahAHAAA, of course it isn't, ya big dummy!
* I'm shitting you, Cliff. We like to do that in these parts.

  Cliff Mason
Heh. Local customs, of course. I should've known!

Coral
* Guess you're really not in Kansas anymore, ay Toto?

  Cliff Mason
Hey now, I'm settling in just fine!
I think I'm finally figuring out how things work around here.
Uh, mostly. That door back there, I got no idea.

Coral
* Honestly?
* Me neither.
* Like, I got theories, but... nothing that adds up yet.
* Oh well! As far as weird anomalies in Fairwell go, you can for sure do worse!

Coral
* ...Gaaaah, what am I saying?

Coral's cheer shutters down.

Coral
* Sunny's still missing and I'm treating this like some island getaway...
* I need to focus! Agh!!

  Cliff Mason
Hey, hey, it's alright.
We're gonna find her.
I can promise you that, Coral.

..It is Coral, right?

Coral
* Ahhh... that.
* I'd guess you're curious.

  Cliff Mason
Aw, no, don't, uh, you don't gotta if you don't want to, obviously, you know,

Coral
* Nah, it's alright.
* So, um, when I first got to that island back there, I sorta... assumed there was an implicit "no boys allowed" type policy in place.
* And I guess there isn't, but...

  Cliff Mason
It'd be pretty awkward to switch now.

Coral
* ...Something like that.
* Call it a gut feeling...

  Cliff Mason
Well.
You don't gotta worry, "Coral".

Cliff shoots Coral some finger guns. She gives a genuine laugh.

  Cliff Mason
I won't blow your cover!

Coral
* Ahhh, haha!
* ...Thanks, Cliff.


Coral
* Actually... while I got you.
* I get carrying a gun around is, like, normal in spacefuture USA, but...

  Cliff Mason
Oh. Right.
Look, it did avert a serious disaster, you gotta admit.

Coral
* It's still kinda freaky for a run down to the shop...

  Cliff Mason
Alright, alright.
While I'm in town I won't, uh...



Cliff looks past Coral. Peering through the gumtrees he can see an Avean Grunt, staring back at him.











The grunt darts back into the woods. It's gone again, out of sight.











Cliff stands there with his mouth half open, stunned and silent. Coral keeps walking, then notices she's overtaken him.

Coral
* Cliff...?

Coral
* ...Everything good?