Night Crow: I'm concerned this entire intro is rather like an extended inside joke.

Jax: Yeeesss, and a bit uneven.

Velvet: I dunno, I think breathless is a bit ... sexy.

Regina: We're suturing together two profoundly different forms. It's going to be messy -- the question is whether the stitches hold long enough for life (ie. readers) to cross the chasm.