Ray of Sunshine

Date/Timing: 19 January 2019
Setting: Egan-Riley suite, The Shed; Vaucluse, NSW, Australia
.
== Revised text ==
"Heard you're dropping the 'Spare' from your business card," greets Juliet, flopping down on the couch.
Andrea tucks her legs closer. "Yea, for a bit."
"Well, aren't you just a little Ray of sunshine."
Andrea busies herself with her glasses.
"You help old people cross the street, you /willingly volunteer for sticky toddler duty, and honestly, you're one of the sweetest, most patient people I've ever met. I mean, really, I'd hate ye if you weren't so damn nice."
Andrea snorts.
"You sure ye aren't Canadian?"
"'m Californian."
"Pfft! Close enough."
Andrea sighs.
"It could be worse?"
Andrea queries.
"You could be Chantell."
"Chantell won't spend six weeks sharing a brain with a guy who attacks kids."
"Lil'est Hansen just /barely counts as a 'kid'."
"He's a kid." Andrea scrubs at a speck of dirt, mumbles, "He's not legal yet."
"You know there's already a countdown, ay?" says Jason, swinging into the room. "Trying to decide if I wanna—"
Andrea frowns. 
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" accuses Juliet.
"I'm bored." He eases himself into the easy chair, props his foot on the coffee table, leans his crutches against the arm.
"It's gonna swell up worse!"
"A small price to pay for my sanity."
Andrea rolls her eyes.
"Where's Tall-Dark-and-Handsome? Shouldn't he be holding you down?"
"I /wish," huffs Jason. "He has classes to teach."
"Ray—or Ray and I—/could tie you up," suggests Juliet.
Andrea goes pink to the tips of her ears.
"I'm game!" Grabs his—
""Knock knock!""
"Saved by the Chantell," sighs Juliet. 
Jason crosses his arms and pouts.
"C'mon in!" calls Andrea.
Chantell drags herself into the suite, collapses next to Juliet.
"Good day, huh?"
"/Ugh." Chantell lets her head fall back. "Read this." Hands Juliet a sheet of paper.
Andrea leans closer to see.
"What about me?!"
"You wait," says Juliet.
Jason sulks.
TRANSCRIPT
Landline telephone call
From Sydney Shatterdome to Hong Kong Shatterdome
19 January 2019, 12:16 AEST
THOMAS NGUYEN, MARSHAL: The flow chart broke.
XIONG LI-HUA, MARSHAL: What do you expect me to do about it?
"This should be good."
"Keep reading."
NGUYEN: Whatever you do in Hong Kong.
"Flooding the hangar with Disney music."
"Hanging Rangers out to dry. Literally."
"Keep reading."
XIONG: You want me to come to Sydney.
NGUYEN: You really would?
XIONG: You'll have to take Hong Kong.
"Oh no," breathes Andrea. "He didn't ...."
Chantell whines.
NGUYEN: I'll do it! 
"He did it," Andrea cringes.
Juliet whacks herself with the papers.
"What? What's happening?" asks Jason.
"My dad's going to be in charge of /Hong /Kong for a week."
"Oh boy. When—"
"Today." Chantell lifts up her arm, checks her watch. "Flight leaves in two hours."
Uncomfortable silence.
"Road trip?" offers Juliet.
"Catching up with old friends?" ventures Jason.
"You can get some CryoCream?" says Andrea.
Chantell gives them a Look.
"Well," Juliet sits straight. "It'll be an adventure," she declares.
"Yeeaaaa." Sighs. "Pietr buying a candy shop's gonna be a cakewalk compared to ... /whatever we're walking into."
Eyebrows collectively go up.
Jason says, "His Sparklyness bought a candy /store?"
"He bought all the stock from a vendor at the market this morning, not an actual store."
"You're kidding."
Chantell shakes her head. "We had to send a car for it."
"Is he gonna share?"
She snorts. "He's shipping most of it home."
"Figures," pouts Jason.
Juliet stiffens. "Marshal Xiong's coming here."
"Yep," affirms Chantell.
"Xiong's coming /here."
"Yep. She and her people'll arrive [before lunch tomorrow]."
"This ... this is going to lead to some interesting betting," says Juliet.
Jason adds, "And some interesting sights--Remember the time she convinced Marshal Nguyen to use a pressure washer on the Kiwis and the Joneses?"
Andrea shivers.
Jason snickers. "/That was hi/larious."
"I've got the security cam footage in my 'feel better' file,"
Chantell smiles faintly. "Me, too." 
Jason grins. "Makes me feel better just /thinking about it."
Andrea aims a mildly disapproving look at him.
Jason tries—and fails—to look contrite.
"I should finish packing," says Chantell, pushing to her feet. 
"Anything we can do to help?"
"Not really, but my mobile's AWOL. Any of you seen it?"
Three heads shake in the negative.
Chantell sighs. "Hopefully it'll turn up before we go."
"We'll keep our eyes peeled."
"Thanks." She stops in the doorway. "Try to stay on Marshal Xiong's good side, ay?"
"Believe us, we will."
"Yea, definitely not in any shape for clotheslines or pressure washers."
"Good." Chantell smiles, sets out.
"Sooo ...," Juliet drawls, draping her arms along the back of the couch, "how're we gonna make money off this?"
"Simple: whatever the situation, /never bet against Xiong."
"/Definitely."
.
== Original text ==
"Heard you're dropping the 'Spare' from your business card," greets Juliet, flopping down on the couch.
Andrea tucks her legs closer. "Yea, for a bit."
"Well, aren't you just a little Ray of sunshine."
Andrea busies herself with her glasses.
"You help old people cross the street, you volunteer for sticky toddler duty /willingly, and honestly, you're one of the sweetest, most patient people I've ever met. I mean, really, I'd hate ye if you weren't so damn nice."
Andrea snorts.
"You sure ye aren't Canadian?"
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