Portia: It’s just... ‘o else is there? Everyone else barely looks at me because I’m poor and not ‘uman. Apollon is the only one ‘o treats me like a person. They’re right to treat me like dirt, though. My family are crooks.
Aelsum: Pain is part of the growing up experience, how can you not know not fear without facing. It's like a ten-year-old breaking their arm for the first time. The very important rite of passage. The stunner won't hurt, I won't feel a thing! I'm a cyborg with organic internals that are over a thousand years old. I am a lone wolf, with a crazed and overbearing supercomputer call the mother checking in on me every night
Aelsum: relax, the stunner won't hurt! It will put you into a state of euphoria, calming you down. I use it when I need to bring back specimens alive. And clearly, I don't want to hurt my specimens
Truman: Cornflower is a very soothing shade of blue, Port. You have good taste, even in simple fashion. You do not want to take up the trade of your family? Is that why you're here?
Portia: No, our family all work together. I ‘ave no choice. I ‘ave to go along with their scams if I want to be well off again. So that’s what I do. And I hate it. Lots o’ the people we steal from are poorer than us, but my parents don’t care.
Portia: Yeah... I’ve ‘elped cheat a lot o’ people. Done a few burglaries. I nick stuff from vendors an’ shops even when my family’s not makin’ me do it. I’m not a good person. I’m only grateful Apollon doesn’t realize. You know, I cheat ‘im too. Dad sends me next door to ask for money even if we don’t need it, an’ ‘e gives it to me every time. Makes me feel ‘orrible. I hate when they make me do that. I’ve told ‘em to leave ‘im alone but they don’t listen. Apollon’s saved our necks a ton. Paid the rent when the landlady was about to throw us out. I never ‘ad the heart to tell ‘im we were only in trouble ‘cause Dad spends ‘alf our creds on drinkin’ an’ loses the rest in sabacc. ‘E was never good at sabacc. ‘E always raked it in back when we ‘ad a tavern on Monderon, but that was because ‘e ‘ad Leela to help ‘im.
Jason: Same, man. I love stealing and lying. But it sounds to me you're a little wimpish about it, right? Why's that? Because it's Apollon or because you want to be a good person?
May: *Still floating and drunk* Haha, sounds like your dad's a worse version of Doyle... Gabriel: *Dunks her under the water* Doyle was our friend. He was a criminal, too, but I don't think he had any morals left. If you feel so bad about it, maybe you should try and change things? Or, if you can't, you can get help from someone else. May: She doesn't need preaching, Gabe, she needs to make more money so she doesn't have to scam anyone! *Leaps to her feet* If you danced, you could make a ton of money. That's how I do it, now. I could teach you, if you want. I'll show you how to waltz, or tango, or even how to belly dance!
Portia: I’m not attractive enough to be a dancer. Besides, I wouldn’t be comfortable with it. All those strangers.
May: Nonsense! I think you're simply enchanting! Gabriel: Wow, breaking out the thesaurus pretty early in the morning, huh?
Portia: ‘E wouldn’t do that. ‘E barely even notices ‘ow I look. Mostly because I look the way Weequays are supposed to look.
May: But I wasn't makin' fun of you, Portia... I think you look amazing... Gabriel: You're talking like this Apollon guy is from a different social class, or something. Who is he, anyway?
Aelsum: listening to you two go on and on, makes me glad my world is almost void of life. Outside of a few isolated pockets and the cities, it's peaceful and quiet, aside from the fauna and occasional wasp corpse