2020-09-02: New Friendships Forged

New Friendships Forged
Katie and Vic meet over waffles, discuss pasts with each other and Adeline over coffee
IC Date	September 2st, 2020
IC Time	Morning
Players	Adeline, Katie and Vic Rasmussen
Location	WaffleMania and the basement of Prospect Roasters
Spheres	Traditions
Theme Song	Wire by U2

It's early morning but the rush hour has started, the traffic outside is already starting to gridlock while inside the breakfast club is in full swing, with people filling most of the booths for their morning meals before their busy day ahead.

Keeping out of the way of all that, Katie sits at one end of the counter, her smaller size not allowing her feet to reach the floor, so she lazily swings her legs back and fore while picking at the food in front of her; a large plate of waffles, covered with strawberries and cream, an orange juice sat alongside the plate. Another strawberry is picked out, cream scooped up, and the whole mess popped into her mouth. "Amazing as always, Jennifer!", she calls out to the old woman behind the counter, who gives her a smile.

---

Despite the early hour, Vic has been up for a while and is walking with an excited spring in her step. She's wearing her surplus army shirt over a T-shirt with a mathematical joke on it and, as is her habbit, has her messenger bag slung across her back with the strap over her left shoulder to pass across her body to her right hand side near her ribs. In her hand she is carrying a smart phone which is, softly but audibly, playing a random selection of music by U2 as she steps into WaffleMania. Seeing a convenient empty seat near the end of the counter she steps up to it and orders a Strawberry Apocalypse of her own with a cup of coffee and a large glass of strawberry lemonade.

"Good morning," she says to those sitting beside her - Katie and a grim faced professional whose only response is to grumble "Morning" back to her and try to ignore the interruption in his reading the newspaper.

---

"Morning!" Katie chirps happily back, always eager to talk to new people if they're being nice to her, a look over at Vic and her t-shirt, giving a warm, friendly smile. "That's a good choice..", she nods, ".. like, sometimes I'm really hungry and have the American.. Jennifer cooks the chicken so well!", her large blue eyes widening in awe, "But I come here for the Apocalypse really.", she chuckles.

"I've seen you before..", she notes, a cute tilt of her head that has strawberry blond strands brushing against her cheek. ".. at the Roasters.", a glance around, a lowering of her voice, to add, ".. downstairs.".

---

"Yeah," Vic replies excitedly, "I remember you being there!" She lets the conversation lul for a moment as Jennifer brings her breakfast to her. After thanking the chef she says, "Had an American for lunch the other day, it was awesome. Had promised myself to come back and try the Apocalypse also," to Katie about the food. Returning to the other subject but keeping it vague, she says, "You seemed to feel out of place, if you ever want to talk about that in detail we should meet there... at the basement... or somewhere else maybe." After the briefest of pause she clarifies, "Somewhere appropriate of course." She then takes her first bite of the strawberry/waffle dish and mmms appreciatively at its taste.

---

While you're talking, Katie scoops up another strawberry, smothers it in cream, then pops it in her mouth, sucking the cream off her fingers before wiping them dry in a nearby napkin. "I had a.. um..", glancing around briefly, while her mind tries to find the best way to mention it in a public setting, ".. something happen to me, like I was trying something and it went real bad.. now I feel really scared about trying anything like that again, trying.. anything, really.", she nibbles her lower lip. "I felt out of place because I don't want to be involved anymore. I get all butterflies and start to shake, just thinking about trying to do something.", she sighs.

"Maybe we should talk in the basement instead, this is too..", a glance around, it's obvious what she means, so scoops up another strawberry and munches on it. "If you missed it, I'm Katie.", she smiles, trying to find a different something. "I used to be homeless for a while, Jennifer used to look after me when I was real hungry..", glancing over at the old woman behind the counter, ".. she's lovely."

---

Vic swallows another bite while nodding to the personal introduction, washing it down first with a sip of the coffee and then that with the flavored lemonade. "I remember that and your..." she pauses and says, "self-classification?" in a questioning way to refer to something she obviously doesn't feel going into details in this venue. "If you missed my name the other day, I'm called Vic," she adds. "Want to go talk elsewhere after we finish breakfast perhaps?"

---

"I can't remember yours.." Katie admits, giving a sheepish smile, ".. but I do remember your friend, the one who isn't.. from Prospect.", she chuckles. All our of strawberries, Katie gathers up her cutlery and starts slicing up the waffles, taking a munch in between talking. "We could go talk if you want to..", she nods, ".. I don't have anything planned this morning. I've been going shooting most mornings this week.", smiles.

---

"My friend?" Vic honestly seems confused. She eats a bit more of her breakfast as she tries to find a way to discuss this. "I'm decidedly not from here," leaving it vague so the Sleepers around her can assume she means the city, "But my friend that I came with, she's local for sure... although maybe not from Prospect-proper." She then glances at Katie and asks, "Does that make sense?" While she waits for an answer she continues to consume the delicious, near-confectionery morning meal before her.

---

Looking at Vic for a few moments, Katie seems to go from confused to full on ashamed understanding, "Oh!", she chuckles, "I have you both the wrong way around. I'm sorry, like, I felt so distant I wasn't paying a lot of attention..", she grins. "You're the one not from here. How are you finding it?", she asks, trying to move the conversation swiftly away from her mistake, "Is it real different?".

---

Vic chuckles. "Vastly," she says first and then, immediately contradicting herself, "But not so much either. I can give you clarity in our later conversation if you'd like?" Her breakfast is almost over, the last bite of waffle being used to mop up and transport strawberry juice and bits from the plate to her mouth. Her coffee is nearly done and her juice glass is still half full however.

---

Finishing the last of her own meal, Katie washes it down with the orange juice then slips out of her seat, dropping her feet to the floor before swooping around the stool so she's closer to you. "Would you like to go to the Roasters? That's a nice place to talk.", she smiles. "I'm real curious about you too. Like, where you came from and.. that sort of thing."

---

Vic finishes her juice and puts some cash on the counter to pay for the meal, a bit extra as a tip. She nods and stands up from the stool and asks, "Do you want to just walk?" Further clarifying with, "Its a couple of miles but it'll let us work of some of these yummy carbs."

---

"The walk will do me some good.." Katie admits, patting her hand against a perfectly flat tummy that needs no work, ".. all these waffles and snacks are making me fat.", she chuckles. Moving over to the door, she pulls it open and allows you to leave first, "I wish Rick was here, he'd like to meet you too, I know he would..", she smiles. "Rick is my boyfriend.", she explains.

---

At this point the scene moved from WaffleMania to Prospect Roasters.

The pair walked at a fairly average pace, taking about thirty minutes to cover the couple of miles from WaffleMania to Prospect Roasters. No significant conversation occurred, what with the brisk activity, cool morning air, and the ever present sleepers they moved though and with along the sidewalks. Once they got to the coffee shop Vic made sure to ask for a carafe of vanilla coffee be sent down to them in the basement before she and Katie proceed downstairs. Finding it unoccupied at this time Vic goes to the couches and sets up her laptop on the table in front of it after sitting down. "So, I'll defer to you," she says to her young companion, "What would you like to discuss first?"

---

The walk is a nice one, Katie tries to be the perfect host, aware that Vic is new to the area so trying to lead her through a different path than normal just so Vic can see a few sights along the way. A beautiful park, a large playground for the kids, some of the tallest, most intimidating yet beautiful buildings along the way; the girl certainly knows the many paths around the city, mentioning that she was homeless in the past and did a lot of exploring.

Reaching the basement, Katie quickly follows over to the couch, twirls so her back is to it, then flops down with a thump to get comfortable. It seems she might be settling in, as she kicks off her shoes then curls her legs up beneath her, so she's almost sitting on her feet. "Me first? Um.. okay, sooo where are you really from?", she asks, giving Vic a cute little smile.

---

Adeline clatters down the stairs and bounces into the room, but manages to curb her sheer Bounce Quotient enough to not spill the carafe of vanilla coffee she’s carrying. “A smile to both those present. “I was asked to bring this – oh hi! Good to see you, Katie darling!” Adeline’s wearing a white lab coat under her leather jacket, and she carries the carafe to a table near the couches, to set it there. “ How are things?” And she gives a warm smile to Vic. “I don’t think we’ve met.” Approaches, and offers a lace-clad hand. “Dr Adeline Llyr, Society of Ether apprentice.”

---

Vic had been about to answer Katie's question when the doctor arrives with the coffee and accompanying mugs. "Hello, Dr. Llyr, we definitely haven't met before," she agrees as she shakes Adeline's offered hand. "I'm called Vic," she states, "Virtual Adept..." turning her head just slightly to include Katie better the transitions into the requested information, "... I'm literally from another world. One minute I was in the desert outside of San Diego working with some companions to develop a new intrusion rote and the next, due to a huge paradox backlash, I was in the desert outside of Prospect. I wasn't a native Sand Diegan there even, but that's just moving about the ISA, nothing like being an alien like I am here."

---

"Adeline! Hey!" Katie is naturally pleased to see the woman, clambering up until she's standing on the couch, then leaping off it so she's beside Adeline, reaching over to wrap her arms around and give a friendly, happy cuddle. "This is..", pausing as Vic introduces herself, ".. what she said.", she chuckles. Moving back from Adeline, she flops back into her place on the couch again, curling her legs beneath her, and reaches over to gather up her coffee.

Hearing Vic's description of where she came from, the mention of a paradox backlash has her squirm, appear uncomfortable, focusing her attention on the coffee that she takes a small drink from. "So, like.. you were in one place then were in another because of magic..?", she asks, a light nibble on her lower lip. "Are you like.. is this okay? Like.. do you have things you need to return to in the other world?", the question seeming to carry a lot of weight with her, as if she's experienced something similar.

---

Adeline beams as Katie leaps into the friendly hug, and she returns it with interest, bending to squeeze the slightly shorter fellow-redhead affectionately. “it’s so good to see you again, Katie honey. It’s such a relief that—” and she doesn’t finish the sentence, but her hug is very gentle and eloquent. She looks suitably enraptured by the narration of Vic’s arrival. “Oh my god. Vic. Well, er –” with wide gray eyes, “A pleasure to meet you. How do you – feel? About being in a different world? Are you going to try to get back to your home?” She keeps her attentive gaze on Vic and Katie as she drifts, backwards, to the sink and kitchen area, where she grabs some mugs, and hauls them back to the table to stand by the carafe. She is clearly very enthralled – but she notices Katie’s hints of stress, and she heads to the couch too, sits at a friendly proximity on Katie’s side, and gives her a caring and supportive smile..

---

Vic pours some of the vanilla coffee into each of the three mugs that were sent down with the carafe of the fragrant fluid. As both of her companions' questions were so similar she just addresses them at the same time. "I miss my family and friends of course," she states, "But what would it gain me to dwell on it?" No comment about the rough nights she's been having because of this but the expression on her face could be easily used to deduce them.

A sip of coffee first and she continues, "Arumi, who was one of the first people I met here...," she cuts herself off and says to Katie, "My friend Astra who you saw at the meeting with me was the other," and then resumes her original thought, "Arumi expressed the concern that it would be nigh impossible to find my world among all the multitudes that no longer theoretically exist and I have to agree. So its extremely unlikely that it will be possible." Another small sip before she adds, "I guess the first step would be to isolate my quantum signature and then try to find a way to attune a device to open a way back to the world that matches it. Assuming that hasn't been corrupted by my being here and thus making it impossible all over again."

---

Leaning to one side, Katie lays her head on Adeline's shoulder for a moment, appreciating the look of concern, then straightens again, giving her a warm smile as she settles into her spot. "That must be horrible, like, stuck here, and all your loved ones are back there wondering what happened to you, maybe moving on with their lives..", she sighs, it really does seem to carry a lot of weight for her. She looks down into her mug of coffee, becoming lost in it for a moment, but another sigh follows and she looks back up.

"Oh! That's right.." Katie smiles, ".. I mixed up the people, I remember Astra. She's the one with the tattoo's and dreads, like Bobbi, right? They'd make nice girlfriends.", she chuckles. Listening to how Vic might return, she nibbles gently on her lower lip as she thinks it over, seeming to understand what's being said despite her previous homeless life. "Your kind might need a device.. like, I don't fit into any of the traditions, I do things differently.. but like, if you could the location..", pausing as she thinks it over. "How do you even search for dimensions?", lifting a finger, touching the fingertip to her lips, pondering over the question, "There must be something we can do. Maybe that's the missing sphere, Bobbi used to say there's a tenth sphere.. maybe it's dimensional."

---

Adeline touches Katie’s hair in a brief gentle gesture when Katie rests against her shoulder, a touch of tender support for a friend who has been through a lot. And then she continues to listen attentively to Vic’s story, her gray eyes solemn at the way it discloses such staggering peril for paradox. She leans to grab a cup of the vanilla coffee, and as she listens, she kicks her own sandals off and curls her feet up under her, sipping as she settles back on the couch, gazing in sympathy at the woman from another world. So tumultuous! Such an intensely challenging experience, surely.

”Resilience,” she murmurs – a single noun, but clearly said in respect for Vic’s fortitude and determination to look to the future. And when she mentions quantum, she brightens. “So as an Adept –you know Rufus? I expect? He seems quantum hacker extraordinaire! He is helping you search, perhaps? For that signature?” And when Arumi is mentioned she admits “Arumi’s my mentor. Though she – er – has been – scarce – lately.” And Adeline looks uneasy about this, given the Extreme Perils of mage-ing which of course everyone in the room is painfully personally aware of, but the redhead has another swig of coffee to comfort herself.

These difficult topics seem to make her think with concern of Katie again, and she leans a bit closer to her friend to gently bump her shoulder against hers affectionately. “Thank God you came back, too, Katie hon.” Her voice is fervent. “There was a massive Katie-shaped gap in prospect while you were away. We all felt it.”

---

"I've met Rufus, yes," Vic answers with a nod. "I've not really broached the subject with him yet as your mentor," she indicates Adeline with a very slight incline of her head while she side glances at the screen of her computer briefly also, "Had indicated she might be working on a device that could help so I was going to see how that went." She pauses to sip at her coffee again before saying, "Dimensional magic sounds interesting. I'm more information focused rather than positionilly also so... I guess you'd say I'm not your garden variety V-Dept."

---

Hearing those final words, Katie shakes her head to Adeline, giving her a slim smile, uncertain, "I don't know, like.. you and Rick, maybe.. but I don't really have people who care about me. I have nobody I can call a friend..", she sighs, touching a hand against Adeline's forearm, ".. except you, maybe.", following it up with a gentle hug.

That might explain the feeling of sadness she hides so well, only the empathic can really pick it up beneath her bubbly happy optimistic personality. "Rufus was nice!", she squeaks happily, "I met him at the arcade, he's going to join my roleplay game..", she chuckles, ".. like, so excited. I've been wanting to play since I first heard about it!". And then she focuses more on the dimensional idea, "It might be dimensional.. like, everything mages can normally do are based in this universe.. even the spiritual realms are in this universe.. but dimensions, going to alternate universes.. that would be like becoming a God. We could do anything, anywhere!", blinking in disbelief at the sheer amount of power someone could have like that. "Like, maybe that's why there isn't a tenth sphere.. if there is a God, alternate dimensions might be like a failsafe, so if we destroy our universe there are plenty of others.", she chuckles.

Looking over to Vic, she adds, "I had something like you.. like, I was taken to a different dimension because of paradox. It wasn't like this though, it wasn't like a different world.. it was like.. have you seen the movie, Groundhog Day? It was like a really dark version of that.".

---

Adeline grins rather wryly when Vic mentions she is not a garden variety Virtual Adept, “Then you fit right in with us,” and she gestures between herself and Katie, “because neither of us fit the usual boxes either. I started off Hermetic apprentice, got to Second Degree, bani Fortunae, but had to leave because of – well, the nexus noticeboards give a lot of it away” and she blushes bright scarlet, but if Vic looks at any Nexus noticeboards she will get a sense of Adeline’s checkered, er, journey.

Adeline looks embarrassed, and glances at Katie. “Well. I had a – romance that – broke some Hermetic rules. And well, then I was hanging with Cult of Ecstasy a lot, and really loved them, but eventually got chatting to Dr Hanada and it became blazingly obvious to all and sundry that all my weird unusual approaches fit Society of Ether Adventurer and –” slightly breathlessly -- “Here I am! But—” a giggle, “I haven’t left Cult of Ecstasy behind. I guess my approach is – mostly steampunk, some pleasure. Mingling the Traditions.” A giggle, and she takes another sip of coffee. A sincere glance again at Vic. “I hope Dr Hanada can help. She’s truly gifted, I bet she will be resourceful.”

When Katie uncertainly shares her unsureness about friends and the deeply harrowing experiences of her own time in paradox circumstances, the taller woman tucks a gentle arm around her again. “That sounds utterly terrifying. And it would feel like you would never, ever get out. Hiow DID you escape, darling? And ah Katie hon, I bet there are more people than you think who would be ecstatic you’re back. Gosh we must go and hang out at the Steamed again – have good times with Wick! And hey, we can all go for a ride on my boat – I have one now! Llew has helped me get really good at sailing, and guess what – we have little mice and a pet bird on the boat! You would love them. I still need a cat though.” She brightens. “Maybe you can help me find one!” Cats can cheer anybody up.

---

"I've heard about the movie but haven't seen it, know enough to understand what you mean though, Katie," Vic answers about the movie. "I haven't done much at the Nexus yet but if you wish I'll make a point next time I'm there to look into those boards," she says adressing Adeline directly.

She doesn't immediately say anything about friendships lost or missing, but does nods slightly as her normally warm and welcoming smile weakens a bit. "I've been finding it important to strive to make connections and friendships where you can find them, there are various degrees of relationship between total strangers and truefast friends," she finally says on that topic before quickly seguing to a supportive, "I'd love to hear how you recovered from such a transition as well," about Katie's aforementioned adventure.

---

"You broke some hermetic rules?" Katie asks of Adeline, a playful tone to her voice, "Like, no way!?", she chuckles, nudging herself against the taller redhead playfully. "I thought I was going to be hermetic at first..", she says, including Vic in the comment, ".. but when it happened, like, I don't have much in common at all. The way I do things is like.. using knowledge to manipulate things.", she nods, "So if I wanted to call lightning from the sky, I'd need to be able to understand how lightning comes from the sky. If that makes sense?", she smiles.

The question from Adeline, and a similar one from Vic, has her glance from one to the other, lifting her mug to finish the last of her coffee. Reaching over, she settles the empty onto the table, then snuggles back into the corner of the couch. "So.. when I was younger, I was a psychic.. I was real young, that age when you don't even remember being that young. My parents took me to a doctor and the doctor talked to the Government, and the Government took me away to a facility where they studied me and had me using my gifts every day."

"So, anyway!", Katie chirps, another little wriggle in her spot, "One night I was dreaming about my parents and who they might be, and I realised I had the power to find out.. so that's what I did. I looked back through time to when I was little, and watched them and didn't want to leave. The paradox kept building and I forced it back until it snapped and pulled me away to the time I was looking at, which was the day my parents were killed to hide the Government secret. And I got to live that day over and over, I tried to save them so many times and it got worse and worse, and like, I tried to intervene and I was killed too."

Looking to Adeline she explains, "Rick said I was gone over a month, but for me it was like six, maybe more.. living the same day over and over again.", wrinkling her nose. "Then one day I decided to let it happen, the agents drove by and I went up to talk to my parents, and my father was playing a song.. but it wasn't his song, it was Rick's song. I could hear it from wherever I was. He said he played it at the Murder, Wish You Were Here, and he dedicated it to me. And I heard that, like dimensions and groundhog days and paradox realms couldn't keep us apart..", she chuckles, a faint red upon her normally pale, freckled cheeks, ".. like.. a love that spans across the multiverse.", the faint becoming a solid.

---

Adeline picks up on some possible sadness or stress for Vic, too, around friendships, and the redhead leans impulsively forward, to touch Vic’s arm for a moment, with an enormously warm smile. “hey – you’ve got two new friends right here also,” she murmurs, absolutely sincerity and support in her expression. “I am so sorry you’ve had such a harrowing time and I really hope we can help you return. And meanwhile we will all be here with –” she lifts the coffee, “vanilla coffee, and listening ears!”%r%rAs Katie teases her about the shock of Adeline breaking rules, Adeline can’t help giggle. “I so broke them,.” She admits candidly. “Chucked the Oath out of the window, but I didn’t mean to.” And she looks serious and so sympathetic when Katie talks about the horrors of her upbringing. “We still have to go and fucking – shut them DOWN,” and she scowls a moment, clenches her hands around the coffee cup. “We need to do that. Make sure they can never hurt you again.” And when she hears the dimension spanning love? She gasps. “Oh Katie. Katie that is beautiful. I am so happy for you both. Rick was bereft when you were gone.”

---

At Adeline's touch of her arm Vic's smile returns in full. "Honestly," she says on the topic of returning, "My world is a horrible place, but if there were a way back I'd probably do it. But best would be able to transition back and forth at will," she explains. On the experience Katie stated she says, "Wow," as nothing else really strikes her as a better response. Instead she finishes her coffee and pours some more, placing the carafe so that her new friends can easily reach it also if they want.

---

"I really want to do that." Katie admits, nodding at Adeline's idea of shutting down the facility, "But I'm not real useful..", a gentle sigh. "That place, being stuck there and watching my parents die over and over.. like.. I'm so scared of using magic now.", looking from Adeline to Vic, as the comment seems pertinent to her too, "I've been trying, but it makes me feel sick, like I'm going to faint..".

"I've been learning to shoot..", she reveals, ".. I went to see an old street contact and bought a pistol, and I've been going to a shooting range in the mornings.", turning her gaze to Adeline, "Please don't tell Rick.", she sighs. "I just.. like.. I've always had telekinesis or telepathy or something to keep me safe, but now I feel naked. I wanted something until I feel.. normal again.".

---

Adeline looks like she wants to catch both her new friends up in a giant hug, she is so deeply sympathetic to their ordeals. “I am glad you are learning that, and I won’t tell Rick,” she admits to Katie. “We do need to defend ourselves. The world is –” she looks suddenly uneasy, “More dangerous than I thought. I mean – I’ve been - learning sword fighting? I know, it sounds mad!” But Conn’s been teaching me and Hayden. Actual legit swords. Isn’t that .something.”

She looks pensive, and then her phone gives an imperious BLEEP, and she winces. “Fuck, it’s the lab. You remember them Katie, yeah?” And she explains to Vic, “The Abyssal Zone lab. I have to go and star blankly at some data and try not to punch a sexist lab technician. Wish me luck.”

And she SWOOPS on Katie and gives her a tight hug, and beams at Vic, clearly ready to offer her one too, in farewell, if Vic seems comfortable with this.

---

"I don't even know Rick, but I'm also not a snitch," Vic says quickly. "Thank you for including me in this part of the conversation," she says with a tone of sincere appreciation, "Almost feels like you might have wanted to wait until I stepped out to powder my nose or the like before sharing that, Katie."

"I've some experience with firearms and I'm going to be learning some basic hand-to-hand skills also. Do you know Raise? He's got a gym and gives lessons." she says to add to the fighting conversation.

Hugs? Sure, Vic's a hugger. She leans into the offered hug and says, "It was good to meet you, Adeline. Good luck and feed me the data if you want." She then says a string of ten numbers between zero and nine, some of them repeating even. "That'll reach my cell," she explains.

---

"It's okay, you seem to understand..", Katie admits to Vic, ".. like, we're both here because of a magical hiccup. And you feel real trustworthy. I'm good at judging people.", she smiles.

With a cute little squeak, as if she were a squeezy toy squeezed too tight, Katie gives a happy cuddle in return to Adeline. "Thanks!", she smiles, reaching out with her tiny fingertip to playfully 'boop' the end of the taller redhead's nose. "You've been learning to fight with swords? Like, it's not something you can hide in your purse, but that's neat.", she smiles.

"It's part of my black belt.", turning her gaze to Vic, "I've been learning Aikido for a while, I'm almost ready for black belt, but I have to learn some other things first.", she nods. "I learnt Japanese already!".

"It was so nice seeing you again..", she says to Adeline, a sincere look of appreciation upon her pretty features, "You punch that technician! Tell him it's from me.", she chuckles.

---

Adeline looks really intrigued and keen when Vic mentions someone has a gym to help with fighting prowess. “I am definitely up for this, I’d love to meet – did you say Raise? Definitely.”

She beams and whips her phone out to enter the numbers from Vic, repeating them back carefully to make sure she got them all right, and then sends off a text. “There – now you have mine too, honey! And Katie darling, take care of yourself, okay? And give Rick my warm wishes. And let’s do the roleplaying whatsit!”

A warm wave to both. “We’ll all get together soon again, yeah? Have some good times. Maybe you’d like to come to my boat? It’s a little yacht – good for picnics and sailing and even scuba, if that sounds tempting. I live on it now!” And with that she grins and puts her cup in the sink, and heads off to menace the patronizing lab tech. he better quake in his boots!

---

"How about you, Katie, do you have a number I could call you at or are you between phones?" Vic asks quickly as the redhead departs. This asked she drinks some more of her coffee.

---

"My phone still works.. last I checked." Katie chuckles, pushing her fingers into the tight pocket of her jeans, having to wriggle a bit until she can get a grip and pull her phone out. Opening the screen to her contact details, she twirls it around for you to see. "Sooo.. now you're here. What do you like to do?", she asks with a smile. "It's not the same as being home, but like, I'd be happy to take you out somewhere you might enjoy."

---

Vic grins and pulls out her phone. She first adds Katie's offered contact information then saves Adeline's from the text message she received a few moments ago. As she does this, easily navigating the screens while speakiing, she says, "I'll assume you me besides computer programming and such as those tend to be very solo acts...." a brief pause is followed by a vocalized list, "Cooking, dancing... clubbing in general when its a good club... movies and even the theater are cool... I'm also an amature athlete." The last is very vague, as if she is unsure how to really explain it fully herself at first.

---

Slipping to the edge of the couch, Katie pushes her feet back into her shoes then bends down to fasten the laces. "I've been learning to cook, my boyfriend is such a bad cook..", she chuckles, ".. he can burn toast he's that bad.", she grins. "Have you been to the Murder of Crows? I sing there sometimes.. not all the time, but sometimes when I feel like it. Movies.. um.. you could come to my home and we could watch something, I could make pizza or something..", she chuckles. "I don't know. What I mean is like.. it would be nice to see you again.", she smiles.

Her shoes fastened, she pushes to her feet, adjusts the fit of her t-shirt, wriggles her jeans so they're comfortable. "It's time for me to get back. It was real nice meeting you. It's not your real world, but people like you here too.", she smiles.

---

Vic grins and says, "Thanks," she taps a couple of 'buttons' on her phone and texts Katie a smiley face. "Now you have my number also," she explains, "I'd like to hang out again. It was great meeting you."

---

Hopping to her feet, Katie moves closer so she can lean over and give you a quick and friendly hug, "You take care..", she smiles, then steps back and, with a twirl, starts heading for the stairs back out.