The nerve of some people.

Kimbra ranted to herself as she rifled through her purse. After the unfortunate run-in with Bud Flud, she left the party. Kimbra knew that sticking around would only encourage the narcissistic CEO to try chatting with her again. Neither of them had anything to talk about. Bud might have been chosen as her sponsor, but that didn't mean she had to be nice. No way would she ever work with a man like him.

Never in a million years.

"Where did I put it?" She muttered aloud, still searching for the key to the apartment.

On the other side of St. Canard stood a modest, but elegant apartment complex called GraStone Village. It offered a sense of comfort and peace, unlike the rest of the busy city. The residents were tolerable—as most were quiet and considerate of their neighbors.

Well, besides Larry on the fourth floor. He has issues with boundaries.

Kimbra began living at GraStone once she graduated from university. Being out of a dorm and on her own provided a grasp of freedom she had never experienced. Sure, moving thousands of miles away from her hometown and into a bustling city was freeing, but the university campus and strict rules put a damper on that.

Her pace down the hallway remained slow, as she didn't want to bump into anyone. She wasn't expecting to see anybody else out at this hour, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Kimbra felt a pang of worry surge through her chest as she hadn't found the key yet.

Did she forget it inside the apartment?

No, Kimbra specifically remembered tucking the key in her bag before she left.

Did she lose it during the party?

Probably.

If she couldn't recover it, she'd just have to call the landlord to let her in. And considering how late it was, he wouldn't be answering the phone tonight. Most of St. Canard was in a deep slumber by now.

Except for Kimbra.

She was accustomed to being up at these ungodly hours. Working on projects or signing the stack of paperwork that towered on her desk. While the city slept, Kimbra worked tirelessly to make the world a better place. Or at least she tried.

Not that anything she did ever mattered.

Kimbra's fingers brushed against something other than receipts or pocket change. It yanked her out of the depression she had spiraled into. Over the years, she developed the unpleasant habit of overthinking situations to the point her mood would drop. (Something her therapist scolded her for.)

Kimbra quit walking and pulled the object out from the depths of her purse. "Aha! Found it!" She held up a small silver key triumphantly.

She looked ridiculous.

The next step was finding her apartment door. So, Kimbra took in her surroundings, hoping she stopped near it. Dozens of bland wooden doors lined each side of the hallway. Three large black numbers adorned the front of each door. (Each has its own unique number.) They were the easiest way to remember which apartment was yours.

The door closest to Kimbra caught her attention.

380

Close.

She began walking again, skimming over each door's numbers.

393

Getting closer.

With each step, Kimbra's mind grew uneasy as she thought about Bud. Having a sponsor who merely saw your project as something they could benefit from, hurt. The fool also had the courage to flirt with her in front of everyone. He was no different from all the others who took her for granted. People only saw her as a joke. No one ever appreciated her efforts. Kimbra felt like another pretty face that people could use and toss aside when they were done.

Nothing she did would ever be enough. She would never be enough.

402

That's it.

The intrusive thoughts almost made Kimbra walk right by her door.

She inserted the key into the lock and twisted it. With the sound of a click, it unlocked. Kimbra pulled it out and opened the door. The glow of the traffic light from across the street spilled into the dark room. It gave the furniture and walls a slight red tint.

Kimbra flipped on the light switch as she kicked off her high heels. The door closed behind her, cutting off the rest of the world. Loneliness crept upon her each time she entered the place she called home. Kimbra preferred to be alone as social events exhausted her, but every so often she yearned for a bit of companionship.

It's fine. It really is.

A granite counter separated the kitchen and the living room. A short stack of unopened mail, a television remote, and a bowl of fake fruit sat upon it. She set her purse and key beside the bowl.

Kimbra settled at one of the bar stools behind the counter. She picked up the remote and switched the TV on—as she liked background noise. It made the small apartment feel less… lonely. Television at this time of night was mostly commercials. Or some late night show such as the ones with Don Webberson or Rick Swanson.

She drummed her fingers on the counter as she flipped through the mail. Just junk mail and a bill or two. Nothing special. Letters from her hometown should arrive soon. Her four older brothers liked to write letters and send her mementos. Their father preferred to call, joking that 'I retired from writing long ago.'

Kimbra missed them.

A familiar voice on the television forced her small ears to perk up.

"Here at Sparkling Crystal Pure Flud Water, we make it a priority to give you the best."

No. It can't be.

And sure enough, when Kimbra looked up at the TV, there was Bud Flud himself. He proudly stood in front of a large factory with a water bottle in his hand.

He continued. "I can personally guarantee our products will meet your expectations. If not, then my name isn't—"

Two water bottle mascots entered the shot and began chanting a catchy jingle. "Bud Bud Bud, Buddy Fluddd!"

Please make it stop.

"I just can't get rid of you, can I?" Kimbra said aloud as she shut the TV off.

Silence. She was left alone with only her thoughts.

The body has over seven trillion nerves, yet that water bottle salesman got on every one of Kimbra's. Even in her own home, Kimbra couldn't escape from the likes of that arrogant man. He seemed nothing short of self-centered.

The thought of meeting him in person again made the dog queasy. She let out a heavy, still-irritated huff.

Tomorrow is another day.

The next morning dragged along at a painstakingly slow speed. Like slowly ripping a bandaid off the most delicate part of your body. It started off with Kimbra waking before dawn to go on a quick jog. It cleared her mind and provided a chance to plan the day ahead.

Kimbra hopped off the last step that led up to the complex's lobby. A loud yawn escaped her mouth as she stretched. She took a moment to warm up before heading off. A few arm stretches, touching her toes, stretching out her legs, and she was ready to go.

Let's do this.

The white furred canine jogged down the empty sidewalk. A dull glow from the streetlights illuminated the pavement. She passed several stores who had not opened yet. Each window bore a closed sign. They'd open soon to the public, offering a variety of goods and services to those who entered.

A few drunken individuals moped out of Frollie's, one of the many bars on the main road of St. Canard. It made a smile form on Kimbra's face. She had gotten kicked out of there back in college. Admittingly, she's done several shameful things in her youth. As time passed, she grew up and became the responsible adult people now knew her as.

Okay, so she still had a bit of growing up to do. Everyone is entitled to keep a portion of their youth, right?

She stopped her jog once she arrived at the corner of Kestrel Park. The sun peeked over the horizon, causing hues of yellow and crimson to bleed out across the endless sky. Say what you want about St. Canard, you couldn't deny that it held a gorgeous sunrise.

Kimbra squeezed her eyes shut, taking just a moment to bask in the rising sun.

What time was it anyway?

She opened her eyes and checked the watch on her wrist.

6:34 a.m

Good. That allowed enough time for her to head back home and get ready for work. She generally went in at eight and would stay until almost midnight. The department directors didn't have to come in early like the lab boys or technicians. Sometimes Kimbra did, largely due to loneliness or sheer boredom.

She made her way back down the walkway to GraStone. The closed signs in the windows were now flipped over to open.

St. Canard eased out of its silent slumber.

Kimbra snuck into work without coming across Dr. Ainsley. She preferred to avoid discussing why she had left his party so early. Their conversation would start off by Ainsley telling her she needed to be more social, and again she'd have to reassure him she's fine. Kimbra knew the doctor cared for her, but occasionally he could be overbearing.

The other reason for creeping around was Kimbra wanted to avoid Bud Flud. Things get ugly way too quick when they are in a room together. She didn't feel like dealing with him today.

Kimbra, you're the one who always starts it.

Well, Flud deserves every harsh word that came out of her mouth. It's not like he valued her opinion, anyway. No one did.

Three hours in and the executive caught up to Kimbra in her own office. He wore a displeased expression upon his face. She had just started to leave to check on C.O.R.E, and there he was.

"I have places to be." Kimbra attempted to push past him.

Bud stood in the doorway, blocking her exit. "Why are you avoiding me?"

Guess he noticed.

Kimbra's cream-colored face had lost the bit of color it had. All morning she had been dodging him. Each time he'd enter a room, she'd slip out and go hide out somewhere else. Was it immature and petty? Maybe.

She rolled her eyes and told a lie. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Each time I approach you, you just run off, and it takes me half an hour to find you again!" He eased closer. She took a step back in response.

"Perhaps I just don't want to be seen with the likes of you."

Bud appeared unfazed by her insult. "We're working together now. You can't just avoid me all day for the next seven months."

I can try.

"So what, am I supposed to be your babysitter or something?" Kimbra placed a hand on her hip, getting more annoyed by the second.

"I'm a grown man. I don't need a babysitter."

Liar.

"Then what?"

"Why don't you give me a tour?" He suggests, keeping eye contact hoping the scientist sees how serious he is about the project. Everyone else seemed too busy to bother showing him around. Or they too were avoiding him.

Kimba frowned. A tour, Bud wanted her to give him a tour of the gigantic facility. She was literally his babysitter.

"Fine," Kimbra surrendered. "I'll show you around the company."

She pondered for a moment. "I can't show the testing facility until next week," Kimbra realized that Bud didn't have that sort of authorization yet. "I'll have an intern make you an ID tag, so you can go as you please."

And so, you don't have to follow me around all day like a puppy.

Bud only nodded in response.

Kimbra held out her arms, presenting the room to the sponsor. "This is my office."

"Nice view." The hound's attention turned to the vast windows that aligned the wall adjacent to the desk. You could see most of St. Canard's skyline from there.

"I pay no mind to it." With a flick of the wrist, she disregarded him to keep the tour going. "This is my desk. Ignore the clutter."

Bud tried to ignore the towering stacks of paper scattered all over the desk.

"Here's where I store all my files." Kimbra led them to a tall metal filing cabinet that sat against the wall.

She then pointed out a small fern sitting at the top. It rested in a clay pot and was undoubtedly loved. "This is my office plant, Herald," Kimbra leaned over to Bud and whispered. "I had to separate him from the other two because he has homicidal tendencies."

"Homicidal… what?" Bud asked in disbelief.

"He keeps killing my other plants." She rambled as she stood on her tiptoes and observed the fern's leaves. "He had a troubling childhood."

Bud wanted to storm out of there, but he just huffed. "It's a plant."

A plant, a small insignificant plant that could easily be replaced. Yet here a so-called scientist was, coddling over it.

Kimbra patted the fern affectionately. "Don't listen to him Herald, he just hates anything that's living."

"Can we just get on with the tour?" Bud replied irritably, and squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Fine, don't get so uptight, geez. Let's see…" Kimbra tapped a finger against her chin as she pondered over what to show him next. "Oh, I'll show you the other departments!"

"Other departments?"

"Yes!" She moved past him to the office doorway. "We'll have to take the elevator since they're on different floors."

Leaving Bud alone in the room, she strode on down the hallway to the elevator. Not even a 'hey let's go' or a 'are you coming or what?'

He then heard the scientist yell out for him. "Get a move on, Flud!"

I can't do this for the next seven months, Bud told himself.

Kimbra patiently stood in the elevator, waiting for her sponsor. Once he stepped in, she pressed a large button that had the number thirteen printed onto it. The button lit up, and the doors closed. The lift moved, easing its way down five floors. Kimbra and Bud stood without speaking. There was nothing much for them to say. For once, they weren't fighting or throwing insults at one another.

Bud found himself glancing at Kimbra, he never had the chance to look closely at her face until now. Her light blue eyes remained looking up at the counter, which was counting down.

18... 17...

Her purple hair that was draped over her shoulders when they first met was now neatly tied up in a bun. Bud wondered if that was even her actual hair color.

Of course not. People rarely have purple hair. She obviously dyed it for some reason.

It suited her. Bud was never fond of purple, but he liked it on her.

She's awfully pretty.

An electronic voice spoke from the elevator speaker. It broke the silence and Bud's thoughts.

"Floor thirteen."

The elevator halted to a stop, and the metal doors opened. Kimbra stepped out first, and Bud followed closely behind.

"This is the research department," she paced down the corridor, motioning with a hand at the line of doors on each side.

"So it's all just research?"

Kimbra nodded. She then pressed her finger to her lips, signaling for Bud to keep quiet. "If you listen closely, you can hear the pitiful weeps of our researchers." She leaned forwards to a door, pretending she was trying to listen in.

"That's just sad."

It was. Kimbra thought she was hilarious, and if Bud didn't appreciate her humor, then that's his loss.

"They're researching this invasive virus that's wiping out cabbages." She explained as they moved on. "They aren't enjoying it very much."

Bud followed her, taking a second to peer into the room. "I wouldn't either if I had to play with vegetables all day."

Kimbra smiled at him. She actually smiled at his lame joke. The scientist had a sense of humor, after all. Go figure.

Bud smiled hesitantly in return, afraid of saying something to ruin the moment between them. It didn't last long as Kimbra dragged him along to the next part of the tour. They went back to the elevator which took them to the top floor.

"Floor twenty."

"Here's the project department's lab." Kimbra spoke as soon as the elevator opened its doors. "These rooms are where our projects are brought to life."

She explained what each door held behind them. Mostly equipment for other companies or confidential projects.

"Here's my baby," she happily presented a larger heavy metal door to him.

"I just see a gigantic door."

Okay smart ass.

"Give me just a second," She took off the lanyard around her neck that carried her ID bag. With a swift move, she swiped it in a crease by the door. She punched a few numbers into the numerical pad above that.

A loud buzz went off, irritating Bud's ears. The metal doors opened, and Kimbra gestured for Bud to follow her inside.

He did. "This place is under heavy security, huh?"

"Yeah… I'm thinking about installing hand scanners to bump up surveillance."

"Isn't that too much?"

"You can never be too careful." Kimbra chuckled and walked into the room with Bud. "This… this is C.O.R.E."

A large cylinder shaped glass chamber rested in the middle of the floor. Tubes and wires connected to it from the ceiling. It looked intimidating. A few technicians and lab boys worked around the area. Tinkering with parts or tapping away on a computer.

Bud went silent. His head tilted as he glimpsed over the glass chamber. He had no clue what that thing was.

"What's C.O.R.E?"

Kimbra's arms slumped back down as she stared at him in disbelief. "Did you even listen to my presentation?"

Yes… and no.

Bud held his hands up and shrugged. "Partially."

Partially? You can't sponsor something you partially know about! What on earth is wrong with you?

"You were in the conference room when I went over it! How do you not remember anything I said?"

"I was… distracted," he sheepishly admits.

Kimbra loudly sighed as she handed him something from her lab coat. "Here's a packet about it because I am not going through the presentation again."

Bud accepted it. "Oh, someone came prepared."

Always do.

She waited as Bud flipped through the booklet. Half the words in it, he wasn't sure of, but he got the gist of the project.

Bud closed the packet once he finished and stuffed it in his back pocket. "Can't reactors meltdown?"

Oh ho ho, the man can read after all!

"We established a safety program for that. A safeguard if you prefer to call it that."

"And that helps… how?"

Kimbra held up her index finger, telling Bud to give her a moment. She turned to her left, where across the room a lion was set up at a small workstation. Bud didn't know what he was doing. It sounded like he was just playing with a screwdriver and spare parts.

"Neil," Kimbra called out to him. Her tone towards him was much gentler than the one she used against Bud.

The lion looked up from his station, wearing a pair of goggles over his eyes. "Hm?"

"Can you shut off the cooling system?"

He threw her a thumbs up as he finished what he was doing.

Kimbra returned to her position beside Bud. "Right now we're just pumping in water through the channels to keep C.O.R.E at an appropriate temperature."

"What happens if the safeguard fails?"

"It won't," She rolled up her coat sleeves to her elbows. "But if it does, then C.O.R.E will explode, taking out a vast portion of EcoTech and everyone in a hundred yard radius will perish."

Bud was clearly at a loss for words.

"Kimbra I'm starting to realize that this project is a tad… dangerous."

"Of course it's dangerous!" Kimbra snapped at him. "This is nothing new for EcoTech, if you're too scared to continue, then I'll happily find another sponsor."

"I'll be fine." Bud held back a snide remark. He wasn't a child. Hell, he was two years older than Kimbra, yet she was treating him like a helpless infant.

"Cooling Systems Deactivated." A mechanical voice spoke over a speaker that hung on the wall behind them. It startled Bud, who tried to play it off as nothing.

Neil must have shut off the systems.

A loud whirling noise filled the room. The lights flickered and completely shut off. Three seconds later they flashed back on.

"Cooling systems reactivated. Generated activated. Temperature level: normal."

The safeguards worked.

Bud opened his mouth to compliment the team's work, but it was no use. Kimbra was already leaving the room. She said goodbye to the C.O.R.E team and left. He kept close behind, managing to catch up to her halfway down the hall.

"I need to pick up some papers from the break room before we head back to the office," She motioned with her hand to the elevator.

Neither of them said much on the way. Kimbra only wanted to argue, and Bud didn't want to talk. They entered the elevator in silence. She pressed the button for floor ten and the doors sealed shut.

The CEO caught himself studying her again. She fiddled with her ID tag, not paying any mind to him. Only now had he noticed the small beauty mark on the right side of her face, above her lip. She was short, her head only coming up to his chin.

Flud, she'd break your leg if she knew you were staring.

Bud just wanted the scientist to get along with him. All she did was judge him by the surface. She knew next to nothing about him. Then again, isn't he doing the same? He continued to criticize her and call her cold, but they were strangers to one another.

He knew next to nothing about her too.

"Floor ten."

The doors opened, and the two walked out into a busy corridor. EcoTech employees bustled through, carrying folders and papers or just taking a break.

Bud followed Kimbra down the end of the hall. She turned into the doorway on the right. Laughter filled the air along with the smell of freshly made coffee. A few people stood around the room, drinking caffeine or fiddling with the printer that sat against the rear wall. They paid no mind to the canines. Bud felt out of place with all the white coat wearing nerds. They probably snickered about him behind his back.

Kimbra scooped up a few papers from the center table. "So what did you think?"

"About?"

"The tour? C.O.R.E? Everything?" She stacked them and straightened her posture—her eyes on him—waiting for a response.

"Eh," Bud shrugged. "It's fine, I guess."

Fine? That's all you have to say about this place? Fine?

She dropped the stack of papers on the table and glared at him. "Do you even care about this project?"

Bud said nothing.

Technically, yes, he cared about the project. It was for all the wrong reasons. None of them which he could admit to Kimbra. She'd either yell at him or throw something in his direction. Maybe fewer words would work with her. Or just silence. She couldn't be mad if he just did nothing.

Kimbra spoke again. "Your silence is deafening."

Nevermind... that made her mad too.

Once again, Bud just shrugged a reply, looking completely clueless to everything around him.

She rolled her eyes. "If it's not too much to ask, can you do something for me?"

"What?"

"I need you to make a few copies for me," Kimbra handed the hound a slip of paper. "Can you handle that?"

He ran his own company, surely he could make paper copies.

"Yes I can handle that." Bud looked almost offended. He could deal with making a few paper copies. It's one of the easiest tasks you can give someone.

The poster was for a festival celebrating the earth. A fundraiser for organizations that fought against pollution and global warming.

It sounded pointless to Bud.

"What's the point in trying to save a world that's so cruel and cold?"

"Because not the entire world is like that." she snapped in response. "It's worth saving."

"I just think it's a waste of time."

Is he trying to ruin this? Is he really degrading the project? What a blowhard.

Kimbra grabbed him by the tie, pulling the man down to her height. This caused their noses to touch. "You better not ruin this for me, Flud. I have worked my tail off the last several months for just a chance to have my project approved."

She suddenly released his tie, but kept her face to his. "Do not screw this up."

"I won't."

Liar.

Kimbra took the bundle of papers in her hands. She gave Bud one last glare before leaving the room. His eyes lingered on the scientist as she walked through the doorway and into the hallway. Bud was pretty confident he made Kimbra despise him even more. Each time he opened that big mouth of his, something insensitive just fell out.

Either that or Kimbra was touchy.

Bud looked over to a nearby witness as he tucked the tie back into his suit. "What's her problem?"

The intern, a young male koala, leaned forward as he watched Kimbra stroll down the hall and into her office. "She's like that with everyone, sir." He straightened up and went back to making paper copies. "She's just a bit… cold."

Bud scoffed. "More like the bitter ice queen of St. Canard."

The remark caused the teenager to laugh. "That's a good one, Mr. Flud!"

"Yeah it is, isn't it." Bud smirked, feeling pretty proud of himself.

The koala who was named Daniel, helped him make copies of the posters. They had a short chat, mostly about Kimbra's chilly behavior. No matter how many flirtatious tricks he tried, Bud couldn't get past that wall she had up. Daniel laughed at him for even thinking about trying to swoon the scientist into liking him. In his words, 'she only cares about the job, so you might as well just accept her resentment of you.' She never seemed happy with anyone.

Bud picked up the stack of papers that had printed and leafed through them. He thanked Daniel for the help and departed from the break room. He headed back to Kimbra's office. On the way there he began mentally preparing himself for yet another argument with her.

Dr. Ainsley found him halfway, displaying a big smile as always. "Ah Mr. Flud, how's it going with Dr. Wulfe?"

Terrible.

"She just goes on and on." Bud twirls his free hand in the air a few times. "She's impossible to get through!"

He almost had her with that ridiculous joke. Almost.

"You'll find a way. Just use that charm of yours I've heard so much about."

Bud shifted his position nervously. "I don't think it'll work on her. She's awfully cold and stubborn."

"As I mentioned before, she just requires time to warm up to you."

"I suppose…"

"Anyway, I'll let you get back to—" the reptile's eyes darted to the papers in Bud's hands, and back up to Bud's face. "Whatever you were doing."

He bid goodbye to Bud and wandered off to do some sciencey stuff. He told Bud what he was leaving to do, but the CEO couldn't recall what it was. Something about uranium and the federal government.

Bud gave the door two sharp knocks with his free hand. That pessimist has to say something nice about him making copies for her. He did what she asked. If this didn't get them on better terms with one another, then nothing would. Maybe that was... overdramatic. But Bud needed this project to go smoothly. He merely regarded it as a quick and easy way to boost his sales. It shouldn't be this complicated. She's the one making things difficult.

Kimbra called out from within the room. "Come in."

Good, she doesn't sound mad, Bud thought, opening the office door.

Behind the desk was Kimbra, invested in work as expected. She didn't glance up.

Bud closed the door behind him and stepped across the office to her. He paused in front of the desk, patiently waiting. The salesman hoped she'd look up to acknowledge him, but she didn't.

He loudly cleared his throat. "How's these?" Bud asked as he raised the papers and waved them in Kimbra's direction. That should catch her attention.

Kimbra didn't bother to look up from her work. "It's acceptable."

Seriously?

"Acceptable? That's all you have to say? Just acceptable?"

Kimbra nodded her head, barely paying any mind to the hound.

"Lady, you are so hard to please." Bud shook his head as he gave a deep frustrated exhale. He dropped the papers with a thump on her desk.

A slight grin tugged at Kimbra's mouth. "Bet you're used to telling your dates that, aren't you, Flud?"

"No I—hey!" Bud says, his voice obnoxiously whiny. "Listen, I am tired of you throwing insults at me!" His hands rested palms down on the desk. He wasn't about to let a know-it-all scientist make assumptions about his love life.

Her eyes met his. "And I'm tired of seeing your face."

"Kimbra, we are adults and I think you should start acting like one."

Says you.

"If I do—will you drop your sponsorship?"

"No." Bud refused.

"No deal." Kimbra eyes dropped back down to her papers. She went back to writing.

"Ugh," he groaned in frustration. "Whether you like me or not, we are partners.

"Stop saying we're partners."

"What's your problem with me?"

She decided to be straightforward with Bud. "I find you absolutely revolting."

"You aren't a walk in the park either, princess."

"Don't call me princess." Kimbra dropped the pen and stood up. "I don't like you because all you are is another slimy capitalist. You care only for profits and yourself."

"I still don't understand why you resent me so much." Bud grumbled in a tone he assumed was too low to hear.

Is he being serious?

"Are you serious?" Kimbra heard him anyway. "Capitalism is harmful to the habitat. It's contributed to significant environmental degradation—because of people like you, I have to fight every day to try to repair the damage."

"It also has a positive side."

Doubt it.

"Yeah, but only for people like you who profit off of others."

Bud's temper showed. "I'm not having this discussion with you. Your project is only being brought to life because of me. You're benefiting off capitalism just like anyone else."

The air surrounding the two grew heavy with tension.

Kimbra frowned. "I had no say in the matter."

"You could defend your opinion and abandon the project altogether."

Uncomfortable silence fell upon them. Kimbra had nothing more to add. She crossed her arms and glared at him. She preferred if he left this instant. Before she said something that'd get her fired.

"I'll be in Ainsley's office." Bud spoke through clenched teeth. "See you tomorrow." He tried his best to keep calm. For his company.

The door closed soundlessly behind him, and Kimbra felt her shoulders relax.

What a conceited jerk.

Kimbra's footfalls echoed on the floor and flowed through the vacant building. Everyone else had gone home hours ago. Per usual, Kimbra stayed late to finish up her paperwork. People teased her for such, stating she's married to the job. At least she took her work seriously.

She stepped outside and into the dry, unwelcoming streets of St. Canard. Warm summer air wafted through her purple hair, lifting it off her shoulders. The agonizing summers in St. Canard made being outside practically impossible. Nights were a bit more bearable as the sun is down, and the city is quieter.

Sadly, the cooler night was hard to appreciate.

Kimbra's first time working alongside Bud went horribly. The two quarreled back and forth all day long. She'd make a snide remark about his line of work and he'd stand by it, right after taunting her back. They wouldn't have C.O.R.E completed by December if things kept going this way.

Kimbra had to get rid of the water salesman. Someway… somehow… he had to leave the project.

The sooner the better.