jeriendhal | Five-Minute Terinu, Chapter 18, Part One

Peta’s Art Room. Our beloved artist is sitting over her art table, feverishly working on ~~elfpr0n~~ the next issue. There’s knock at the door.

Peta: Come in!

Lance (entering): Hi, Peta. Got a moment?

Peta: Sure. What’s on your mind?

Lance: I just wanted to talk to you about the next issue, if that’s okay.

Peta: What about it?

Lance: I was just looking over a copy of the script...

Peta: How’d you get a copy of the script?

Lance: I borrowed Gwen’s, while she was busy getting her nails done. Anyway, I was giving it a read y’know, just to see what brilliant stuff you’ve come up with this time, and I couldn’t help but notice that I wasn’t, erm... How can I put this?

Peta: “In it?”

Lance (laughs nervously): Yeah, exactly. Yknow, I’ve been with the story since Chapter One. Page Five. Panel Four. Right there, up front, where the action is. Flying starfighters, arguing with Terinu, getting into fistfights with Gisko, arguing with Terinu, blowing up the Crust Breaker, arguing with Terinu some more. Except that I haven’t actually had much to do, um, for the past one or two... or three... issues.

Peta: Four actually.

Lance: No, no, I had a couple of pages in Chapter Thirteen. Which I really appreciate, I just wanted to let you know.

Peta: Page and a half.

Lance: Well, yeah, but I was there, playing a very important part as a sounding board for Rufus, while he got ready to... um... actually do stuff.

Peta (gently): Look, Lance, I want to let you know that you are a very, very important part of the story.

Lance: Oh, thank you!

Peta: And you’ve been doing a brilliant job. You’re a real team player.

Lance: Yeah, team player, that's me. Big man, on the team.

Peta: It’s just that, well, sometimes even the best member of the team has to sit on the bench for a few games.

Lance: Oh, I understand completely. It’s just that...

Peta: Sometimes even for a season or two.

Lance (weakly): ...a season?

Peta: Or two.

She gets up and starts pushing Lance towards the door.

Peta: I’m really glad we had this conversation, Lance, and I’m looking forward to working with you in the future.

Lance: But could you at least tell me when I might...?

Peta: Really soon.

Shoves him out the door and latches it shut.

Lance (muffled): All right then. I’ll just, um, get my uniform cleaned. Or something.

Peta: You do that!