"Balloons are too colourful," Tim said. "They would cramp my style. Shame about the cookies, though." He doesn't mind joking a little bit with Zouichi. Tim's not big about it with people he doesn't know well-- but it's cathartic, too.

Growing more serious, he nodded. "A sign of adaptability and intelligence," he commented. "Not to mention more going on in the background." Then, he shook his head, "And the appearance of these 'Catastrophists' is troubling."