"Damn thermostat," Ben muttered through his chattering teeth as he walked out of his room.

"You know," Kai turned her head away from the window back to the source of Ben's voice, "I'd tell you to 'chill,' but I'm pretty sure you already had an alien for that."

"I did," Ben opened the hallway closet and took out a jacket, "but if that was Big Chill's only shtick, he might as well have had an Austrian accent."

"Like how that crab alien had the accent of that 'Family Guy' baby?"

"Yes," he sighed as he put on the jacket, "Brainstorm had a British accent for no good reason, but that doesn't make him the same as that 'Family Guy' baby."

"Really? I seem to recall one episode in which he said, 'What the deuce?'"

"Oh yeah . . . can't believe I forgot about that."

"Going somewhere?" she asked, referring to the jacket as she walked up to him.

"Why would I go anywhere now? It's, like, 11:30. And even if something is still open, it feels like a two-dog night."

"Don't you mean 'three-dog night'?"

"No. According to some excessively enraged fans, we're already two dogs; you're the formal term for a female dog, and I'm the son of one."

The young woman let out an agitated sigh.

Despite the fact that she only had a speaking role in one episode from the original series, Kai had been on the brunt end of a lot of unnecessary outrage over that thing about "wanting to train Ben."

No one was complaining, because the reactions could hardly have been considered "complaining."

Instead, looking at the reactions, one would think Kai made a YouTube video about sexism in video games.

The only "complaint" that made any kind of sense was a post on an online forum that said she was better suited to a career in the "People for Unethical Treatment of Animals."

Kai thought that one was admittedly kinda clever, since she understood both Spanish and acronyms, but that was very much the exception.

Every other "complaint" was just typical online commenter bile, most of which was misguidedly focused on Kai's chastity (or lack thereof).

That, and ultimately being dissatisfied with reprising her role in Omniverse, pretty much turned her off to a full-time career in acting.

"Hey, I'm just the messenger," reminded Ben. "You know I'd never say that about you."

"Thanks."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some thawing to do."

"Mind if I join you?"

Ben looked at her with a slightly surprised expression for a second or two, before gladly welcoming her to join him.

He was never one to say "no" to a face (and body) like hers.