Editing Zoe Van Kuiper (section)

== Background ==
Zoe had dreams when she was young. For a long time now, though, she's been bitter and cynical. Then again, her job as a clerk in a Colonial Pantry isn't conducive to an optimistic worldview. Not only is the job itself a drag, but she keeps getting passed over for a management position, despite her experience. She's fairly sure that if she were male, or at the very least taller than 4'10", that wouldn't be the case.She took lessons in Aikido. When you're a 4'10" woman clerk at a 24-hour convenience store, you need to be able to protect yourself, so she's been taking classes.
She's been pretty grouchy lately, because she's had to quit smoking. It's hard to smoke when your cigarettes won't stay lit. Or your matches. Or your lighters. And she can't have a good, hot cup of coffee, either. Well, it doesn't stay hot, anyway. It does feel nice, though, drinking the briefly-hot liquid... then she noticed that if she handled the pot, it got cold. And then when the fire got started in the trash can of the store... it felt so refreshing when it went out.