The bartender nodded and turned to his work, and maybe twenty seconds passed before a bright and cheerful voice at Kristen's elbow said,<br/><br/>"You fought pretty damn well.  Professional?"<br/><br/>The girl claiming the stool next to Kristen's might have been the girl she saw earlier, only without the bunny ears.  Her voice was a bit husky, touched with an accent that Kristen couldn't place.<br/><br/>"I like that.  Strength. Discipline.  Skill."  Yes, it was almost certainly the same girl, and she tilted her smile up to meet Kristen's eyes, a sparkle of mischief in her gaze.  "You take a hit pretty well, too.  So you're tough.  That makes you very interesting.  Hope you don't mind."<br/><br/>The bartender delivered Kristen's drink, glanced at her new friend, and paled, hastily going about his own business.