“He said he–meaning you–had been addicted to this drug he fed Sunshine. Getting anything that personal out of you is like removing a tooth from a lion without a tranquilizer. (Talon)”

“You don’t like Talon, do you? (Sunshine)Wish him dead every time I see him. (Zarek)I can’t tell if you mean that or not. (Sunshine)I mean it. (Zarek)Why? (Sunshine)He’s an asshole and I’ve had enough assholes in my life. (Zarek)”

“Do you own anything not pink? (Talon)I have a purple razor if you’d rather. (Sunshine)Please. (Talon)(She pulled out a darker pink one.)That’s not purple. It’s pink too. (Talon)Well, that’s all I have unless you want my X-Acto blade. (Sunshine)”

“I don’t know. There are times when I get the feeling he can’t tell me from Nynia. I think he loves her more than me. (Sunshine)No offense, but that’s stupid. You and Talon are soulmates. He will always love you no matter who or what you are. You, my friend, could come back as a humpback whale and he would love you. He can’t help it. The two of you are destined for each other. (Psyche)”

“Really? So you brought home a vampire? Cool. (Starla)I’m not a vampire. (Talon)’Not exactly,’ he said earlier. What’s not exactly a vampire? (Sunshine)A werewolf. With his aura, it makes sense. Wow, Sunny, you found yourself a werewolf. (Starla)I’m not a werewolf. (Talon)What a pity. You know, when you live in New Orleans, you expect to meet the undead or damned at least once in a while. (She looked back to Sunshine.) You think we should move? Maybe if we lived over by Anne Rice we might catch sight of a vampire or werewolf. (Starla)I’d be happy to see a zombie. (Sunshine)Oh, yeah. You know, your dad said he saw one out on the bayou right before we got married. (Starla)That was probably the peyote, Mom. (Sunshine)Oh. Good point. (Starla)”

“Okay. That was nice. Clothes. You need clothes before I do something I might not regret. What was your size again, Steve? (Sunshine)Talon. (Talon)Talon. Size. Clothes. Cover him up. I’m going to go get Talon clothes. Keys. Need keys for car. Purse. Money for clothes. Shoes. Must have shoes to shop and keep feet warm. (Sunshine)What about a coat? It is wintertime. (Talon)Coats are good in the winter. (Sunshine)”

“Baby, I don’t feel pain. Ever. (Talon)Really? Not even a little? (Sunshine)It’s a waste of time and energy. It also drains the mind and makes it weary. (Talon)But without pain, you can’t have joy. It’s the balance that makes us appreciate the extreme. (Sunshine)”