[ phone audio ]

[struckout]

[ It's not often Kallie makes an initial, non-private post to the network, but - true to the same form as her previous attempts, she jumps right into things, her tone quiet but tense. ]

Yeah, I don't think for a second that this is over. In less than a couple weeks, it'll have been a year since the numbers first started working for us. This network.

... We still don't know where it came from, but. It's still here. People are still feeling pulses.

[ She takes another quick breath, but then... that's all. Suddenly, she's a lot angrier than she was a few moments earlier- half because just look at the state of the damn city now, and half because... none of this still makes any sense to her. Of course, she herself recognizes it's possible she's out of the loop even more than newer folk, given her almost stubborn at times detachment... though that's definitely not something that makes her feel any better.

To be honest, she's not entirely certain where she was even going with this. She just felt it needed to be vented anyway.

After all, today's the one year anniversary of her very first Echo. Somehow, she doesn't feel like celebrating. ]

Comments

[argents]

Maybe, but at the same time, I don't know that I still want to leave it all to chance. Or whatever our version of "chance" is right now.

[envisaging]

[ LIGHTNING RETURNS HAD THE WEIRDEST FASHIONS AND SIERRA WOULD WEEP FOR THEIR FASHION SENSES. ]

This afternoon? Yeah, I'm free. Did you want to meet up?

[struckout]

[ Wearing a garter with your bathing suit is totally awesome, Sierra, don't deny.

Anyway thank goodness Sierra's more proactive about jumping to Kallie's point than she is. Seizing right on that, thank you very much. ]

Yeah, if you want.

[occasus]

Hey.

I know we're strangers, but good luck with figuring all of this out.

I mean it.

[enguarding]

[ OPTIMISM, KALLIE, TRY IT SOME TIME ]

In my admittedly super limited experience, things always work out when it comes down to it. So don't sweat it.

[struckout]

[ Here she was lost in thought about what he brought up and hoping he didn't pursue anything more personal in asking her, so the comment catches her off-guard...

Fortunately, the medium being text means he doesn't have to hear the confusion/uncertainty/suspicion in her voice. All she has to do is- ]

Thanks.

[professorwolf]

[It does tend to encourage further talking on Lyall's end, anyway.]

And for those of us who they don't know about... well, I haven't decided what to do. Probably nothing beyond doing what I've always done. I doubt a werewolf would go over as well as the lord of the bugmen, or the boy with the dragon sword.

[occasus]

No problem. See you on the network again.

[envisaging]

[ Explain Chocolina's outfit to her... ]

Sure! Just name the time and place. I mean - well, the afternoon, you already said, but where do you want to go?

[struckout]

[ So she'll be as choco-fabulous as can be, of course!! ]

... Well. Have you been to the new outlet mall yet?

[ Honestly she'd prefer an option that's more private so they can talk a bit, but feels a strong sense of practicality at the same time, so. Also- ]

I'd invite you over, but... my apartment's a wreck.

[envisaging]

I actually haven't been! And I'm always up for a little window-shopping.

[ She actually is, too. Or just meeting at the food court, but...

And really, Sierra is very briefly unsure if Kallie means a wreck from the snake or a wreck from just...well, college life.

What is her life that she isn't sure which the other girl means? ]

And don't sweat it. I think we've all let things fall a bit to the wayside in the wake of, um. That.

[struckout]

[ Yeah, she just meant "messy," thank goodness. After the house fire last summer, the last thing Kallie needs is another place of residence being destroyed... ]

Hm...

[ Agreeable hum, enough said. Man she's just glad Sierra's going along with this pretty well. ]

Three o'clock good? [ And as she's pulled up a map on her computer as they're talking... ] Near the Starbucks?

[envisaging]

[ Sierra is very thankfully not opposed to social interactions or meet-ups. She's probably the easiest person (besides Jake...and Noah, now) to convince to go places.

Kallie and Miles are the problem children, clearly. ]

Yep, sounds great! I can get there no problem. [ She'll just grab a mapquest of her own, yo. ]

[struckout]

[ Hey, she ...

Actually, yeah, that's not all that arguable. ]

Great. See you there, then.

[ And true to usual form, considering she always makes it a point to get to places nice and early, this is no different. She's already staring into space outside the business designated for their meet-up by the time three comes along, a sipped-at orange-colored iced drink in her hand.

She must have found another way to get there that isn't her motorcycle this time, though, given her skirt and leggings instead of more road-worthy wear. She's still in boots, of course, and still in fairly dark colors, but that's mostly since she's long since given up on not dressing around her pink hair. It's been an interesting year for her personal style, that's for sure. ]

[envisaging]

[ Sierra isn't that long in coming. Rather, she's pretty punctual, presumably having either walked or driven - it's hard to say. She's not particularly dressed up, going for a casual set of jeans and a nice blouse (blue). She hasn't had to dress around pink hair, yet.

SOON, SIERRA... ]

Hey! Kallie!

[struckout]

[ Even without the destined hair change, Sierra's easy enough to spot. Kallie lifts a hand in greeting and... for once, appears bright-eyed enough to be smiling slightly?! Getting out on her own terms and freetime, doing something normal with it, feels good, though- even if her companion is her mystery past-life sister and their conversation before was a little awkward-tense.

She's purposefully ignoring the idea of something going wrong, of course. She'll be pissed if it does.

She holds up the drink a bit. ]

Couldn't wait, sorry.