Four Painful Years

>Who would pay for people to defend you?
>And why she did hide her name?

JULIE: "Honestly, I’m real tempted to just spend the rest of my life in this hospital if this is what your ‘protection’ is gonna be like."

LUCA: "Cool. So ‘stead of facing adversity your plan is to throw a shitfit and hide behind civilians. What happens after I die and no one’s around to get between you and a pointy stick, huh? Gonna move onto the next place, get some more innocent people killed? Is that what you want?”

JULIE: "Of course not! I just can’t wrap my head around how much of a gigantic bitch you’re being about literally everything!"
JULIE: "Can you at least tell me who’s paying you to keep me alive? And why?"

LUCA: "That’s classified, so nun’ya business.”

JULIE: "... It’s none of my business to know why I’ve got price tags growing out of my ass!?"

LUCA: "You know who’s cleared to release that info?”

---

Luca jabs her thumb at the cheerily waving glowy man as he leans halfway through the wall.

---

LUCA: "That guy.”

JULIE: "Well, I don’t trust him!"

LUCA: "Why not.”

JULIE: "He’s sketchy!"

LUCA: "He’s offering you a saltwater taffy.”

---

You look back. He’s nodding in agreement with Luca, putting one in his mouth and dangling another between his fingers.

---

JULIE: "Is that supposed to entice me?"

LUCA: "Are you enticed?”

JULIE: "... A little."

LUCA: "Then yeah.”
LUCA: "Look… You want me to chill out? Fine. This is me being chill.”
LUCA: "March your ass over to that holodisk and check out what’s on offer. At the end of the day, you can always choose the dumbass option and strike out on your own. Whatever, you do you. But if you stick around much longer, then the bastards hunting you are gonna catch wise to Grosvenor’s diversion and move right back in, and it’s gonna be less stressful for everyone involved if you just suck it up and cooperate.”
LUCA: "’Cuz truth is, ain’t just your life on the line here.”
LUCA: “And I’m not s’posed to tell you that, so zip it, a’ight?”

JULIE: "... Okay. I mean, if it’s that important I guess I should follow through."
JULIE: "But I have one last question before I go anywhere.”

LUCA: “Sigh...”

JULIE: "Why hide your full name?”

LUCA: “Uh… I didn’t?”

JULIE: “But you call yourself ‘Luca’.”

LUCA: “And?”

JULIE: “Isn’t that like, so people don’t find out your identity while you’re out fighting things?”

LUCA: “It’d be one hell of a shitty alias.”
LUCA: “Luca’s just easier to say. I say the full thing when a client’s involved, or I’m being formal, or whatever.”

JULIE: “That kinda sucks.”
JULIE: “Luqashai’s a really pretty name!”

LUCA: “...”

JULIE: “I, uh… I guess I’ll get going.”
JULIE: “... I know we’re not really friends, or acquaintances even, and you’ve kind of made it clear that you’re only looking out for me ‘cause someone else told you to do it.”
JULIE: “But even so… Thanks for being there. I’ll try to make it up to you someday. Promise.”

LUCA: “It’s fine.”
LUCA: “Now get outta my sight.”

---

You turn towards the holodisk and take a deep breath.