I thought 'punk' was the way you did things?

[ He makes his jab, triumphantly coiling up to sit up a little higher. Haha, good one. ]

I didn't think you would either. They were meant to be an ultimately failed experiment. I thought you would find the idea of them to be too macabre for your tastes. My rationale was that scales on scales makes for something smoother. Plus, it insulates. Not that you need it.

[ A beat. ]

Thank you for... Liking them.