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Zoe glanced over to Karen as the woman yelled and complained. She leaned farther into the couch and winced when the elf hammered louder and louder as the woman's voice increased. She closed her eyes tightly was very tempted to explain the woman was giving her pain. Instead she swallowed the agitation when Icarus introduced her and she was complimented about her hair.

"Oh. Yeah. Thank you. I try my best to be original. But I saw some punk kid wearing the same style...a shame." She laughed a bit, though it seemed nervous. She was slowly recognizing this woman, she was sure they had been best friends in grade school. When middle school came and the cliques reigned supreme that ended up on separate sides of the spectrum. Natural selection, right? Ahhh school drama, how silly. Zoe laughed, at her thoughts but raised a hand.

"Yup, Zoe. Or you can call me...ummm..." She thought for a minute. "Steve. Nice ring to it." Another laugh. She then pulled her knees tighter to her chest and rubbed the rump over her head, the medicine was starting to take effect, the pain killers in it releasing her pain slowly. "Yeah...I kinda...dropped...in. I just can't resist hanging out with two guys who speak a language I don't understand. Radiators, chips, wires, all that. I was never one for technology. It confuses me. I'd rather ride a horse through town and pass out letters then use the internet mail."

Stan watched Karen curiously and stood up, walking lazily to the woman and sniffing her. Deciding he liked her, he wagged his tail and barked. Pet me. He demanded.

Karen squinted a little at Zoe. "Steve...?" She looked thoughtful. "I dunno... I had a boyfriend named Steve... I hated him. He cheated on me with two other girls... I beat him over the head with that stupid camera he always carried around. He thought he was an artist... turns out he was just an a*****e." She smiled pleasantly and then looked thoughtful. "Though, he did take beautiful pictures..." She shrugged. "Zoe is good, I thiii-UGH."

And it was then she was hefted into a bear hug. "God DAMN it, Terry, put me DOWN!" She said laughingly while batting him over the head. When she was finally set on the ground she got a good hit in on his shoulder and crossed her arms firmly beneath her chest. "You a**s. I oughta punch you in the boob." She paused enough to take his compliment in stride and titled her pretty head to bat her eyelashes at him. "I've always looked good, Terrence, but I'm always flattered when someone comments on it." She hit him lightly again. "Don't LIE. I look old. Like my MOTHER."

At Stan's hello she jumped a little and put her hand to her heart. "Holy... there's a dog in here!" She announced and she laughed a little at herself. "He yours...?" He asked of Zoe as she knelt down to rub Stan around his ears. She smiled at the dog. "He's beautiful." She remarked. "Such a strong man."

Karen then glanced at Terry. "I have the time. I made the time today." She laughed. "I haven't been doing much lately... just going to school and interning at the hospital. I got some labs going and all that, but I never take a break... I'll do it today." She grinned. "Not so often you see old friends. It's a LITTLE more interesting than studying antibodies... only a little though."

She looked at Zoe. "So she's coming?" She wanted to know. "It's weird, Icarus... I mean... she doesn't even know what email is."

Icarus perked up. "Email?"

"You know... internet... mother boards, hard drives, hard disks. Don't you like geeky girls?"

Icarus pretended to shiver. "I love it when you talk computer. It makes me want you so bad." He said teasingly. "Do it again."

Karen wrinkled her nose as if she were disgusted with him. "Shut up." She smiled.

Icarus flashed her a charming smile and disappeared into the front of the shop with the newly repaired computer in hand.

"Owww, ow oww, Karen..." Terry whined in a good-natured sort of way, rubbing at his abused shoulder. "It's been over a decade, and that spot is STILL sensitive. Watch it." He grumbled before shaking his head, "My boobs are off limits. No punching." He pointed a warning finger at her before rubbing his hands on the sides of his jeans to try and get some of the oil off.

It didn't help much, but eh, what can ya do?

Drink your beer! Why yes! Terry was quite sure he could do that. So, he took another sip of the stuff and seemed to look Karen over, "I don't know what your mother looks like... But if you're any indication... Well..." He dropped his voice a bit, "I don't hang out with ugly old people."

Ducking the swing he knew was coming, he nearly fell off the side of the couch and into Zoe's lap. 'Twas a good thing he managed to keep his balance, but just barely.

"Zoe, you're not interrupting..." Though, he could tell that Karen seemed a bit on edge... Hm. It honestly was a wonder that HE didn't feel a bit awkward. After all, he'd just dropped in on Icarus, had already stayed the night, and was now meeting another childhood friend... And there was something SO PAINFULLY familiar about Zoe... It kept nagging at the back of his mind.

He might have asked her why her face was so familiar, but she'd taken to reading, and he didn't want to sound weird. who knew, maybe it was just him.

"At a hospital? That's funny." Terry gave an obnoxious grin before ACTUALLY slipping off the back of the sofa and landing on his rump, managing to spill his beer in his lap. "Well damn it." Righting the can before finishing it off, he batted at his now soggy jeans and sighed. Not like it really mattered.

"Icky.. You about done in there?" He asked, eyeing the front area, where someone had just walked in.

He was ready to see his old town.

((Bless thy mortal soul, my child.))

"No...it wasn't you. I just felt that way." She gave a small grin at Karen. "You aren't rude. I've seen rude, you aren't that." She waved a tan hand and tilted her head forward to see the words. She had forgotten her glasses on the floor after throwing them so nice and daintily at the calender on her wall. As they talked about shooting Terry, Zoe really did feel bad about it. But hey, it wasn't HER fault he looked like a suspicious drunk guy...cause he did...and still does. Except now that he wasn't under dark street lights and throwing up, he was at least good looking.

When Icarus came back Zoe looked a bit relieved, for some reason she had nothing to say to these two. If she said something to Terry he'd blush and run under a car, and if she said something to Karen she was sure she'd laugh and slap her jovially, which in the end would hurt or make her head wobbly. "I'm fine. I'm just always a bit...tipsy...without the alcohol." She gave a little laugh of assurance and started to move her legs.

Stan grunted in annoyance and lifted his head, staring directly at Zoe as if telepathically communicating with her. He jumped off the couch and wandered over to Karen, waiting for Zoe to get up and join them. She lifted herself from the couch, blinking the dizziness away and then grabbing the rump roast and inspecting the room. Upon seeing the freezer she stuck it inside and followed Stan to the others. With a tan hand she fixed her ripped pink band shirt, scratched her exposed stomach, and tugged on her pin-stripe caprees. Afterwards she licked her lips and nodded.

"See? Fine. Can we get some coffee on our way? I can't go a day without coffee, otherwise I WON'T be fine and I might eat one of your arms for energy. I don't want to be charged with murder or be known as a cannibal really. It'd make for a wonderful sequel to the Silence of the Lambs movies though. I love horror movies." Pursing her lips she kicked a leg out and started to walk towards the door, obviously thinking the others would follow in pursuit.

((WAAAA... sa.))

Icarus shrugged. "Coffee? Sure. Why not. Don't take too long in there though. I can't stand the stuff." He made a face. "Not unless they put like 12 pumps of chocolate in there. Seriously."

Karen frowned a little at his hospital story and shook her head. "Could you... NOT bring that particular story up?" She whispered to him. "Icarus is touchy about it."

"Because I should have been watching you." He said from over his shoulder and grinned at Terry, though it didn't seem sincere. Despite Karen trying to keep it low, he had heard anyway. "I was such an idiot. We were both idiots, but I knew better."

Karen smiled at him and then made a face at Terry. She poked him a little with her elbow. "See?" She mouthed when Icarus turned around again and headed out the door.

"And DON'T be such a drama queen, California. Yeah, we almost shot him." Icarus said peering through the door once more. "He was stumbling out of a seedy bar, piss drunk and looking like a bounty." He laughed and left again. "Lock the door on the way out, please."

The young Indian woman put a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. "THAT doesn't surprise me. I know you're not a light weight, Terry... THAT'S why it was funny." She said as she too stole out of the door way. She grabbed Terry by his wrist and drug him out after her. "We'll show you around." She said brightly as they walked out into the sunshine. "Not too much has really changed."

((And just to keep things interesting...))

And they walked for a little bit and Karen fell behind a little and Terry drifted up a little to talk to Icarus. Karen watched them for awhile as they seemed to be arguing about the best place to get coffee even though both of them knew very little about the caffeine fixes of the everyday working man/woman and they had already all decided on Luna's Cafe ((I think that was it)). Smiling at them and knowing then they were completely distracted, Karen fell into step with Zoe.
They were out of sight and out of mind.

She fixed her with a look and it was then someone would have noticed that despite Karen's size she was not a woman to be messed with. She may have been small structured, but she was tall and lean. There was a sort of angle to her face that made her look meaner than the woman who spoke before and there was a well practiced gleam in her eyes that some women had. It was a cruel look, something girls would use to make another female feel small or worthless. She looked cold.

"Don't think I don't remember who you are." Karen said in a low voice, but somehow kept her face pleasant. Her eyes however were a different story. They sparked dangerously in her dark face. "I know you, Zoelie... and don't think I could forget how you were." She pointed a dark finger at her threateningly. "People can change... but not someone like you. People like YOU never change. They grow up, but what was once cruel will always BE cruel. You had not heart, Zoelie, and I doubt you have one now... so if this some SICK act... I want you to cut it OUT. You will not mess with my friends... not like how you used to."

She drew back a little. "Are we clear? I'm not a little girl anymore, Zoelie... And like then I can still beat the s**t out of you."

"Hey!" Icarus called over his shoulder. "You guys had better keep up. I'm NOT waiting."

Karen smiled. "Alright already! God... what a douche." And she trotted to catch up.

((... XDDDd JUST TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING! YAY... Girls are scaaaary.))

((HOKAY. Let's see what we can do here...))

Er, right. Bad idea about the hospital story... Terry had been amused by the whole thing, perhaps because he thought it was funny, or because that had been an initial self-protective way of dealing with it. When you're twelve years old and your friend ended up like that... It was a scary thing. Perhaps even now it was too recent to pull one of those 'look back and laugh at it' deals. Whoops.

"Sorry," Terry mouthed back, suddenly wanting to be alone. Perhaps that was part of his problem. No social skills. He'd never really been too great at that. But eh, it happens, right? Right.

The man had to give a groan though, as Icarus flat out read his mind. "You got it, Icky," He muttered, shoving his arm into his jacket as they walked out the door. "And I'll pass on the coffee too. Dun' need any." He'd already had his morning 'pick me up,' if that's what it could be called.

Wrist in the grip of Karen's hand, they all left the shop to explore the town - after they got some coffee. Terry pulled his hand away and edged up to talk to Icarus, whom he hadn't seen much of that morning, all things considered.

After their coffee debate and subsequent choosing of one Luna Cafe (which must have been fairly new, because Terrence had never heard of it), Terry stole a glance back at the girls, who had fallen behind. Said glance was quickly revoked, being that it seemed they were in a private conversation, and neither looked too keen on having eavesdroppers. So instead, he tried striking up a conversation with Icarus.

"So, bounty hunting... What's it like? I mean, I could tell ya what it's like to be on the wrong end of it..." he gave his friend a meaningful, though joking look, "But it just sounds so surreal. And how the hell'd you get a license to carry?" He had to laugh at that one. Zoe had been carrying... Well, all he remembered was staring at a lot of guns the previous night. WHY'D he have to get SO WASTED? Ooooh yeah. Nevermind. Zoe had been carrying at least two guns, and that combination was such an odd thing in his mind. Almost as if she were pretending to be something she wasn't. Wasn't there a girl in school who was sort of like that?

Ehh... Terrence couldn't remember. But then again, memory wasn't really his strong point. Sure, he retained what he needed... But there were quite a few blackouts. Ehh, live in the moment, right? RIGHT.

They soon arrived at the coffee shop, just about the same time that Karen joined their group, and Zoe overtook them. She got to the shop first, but the other three weren't far behind. Stepping inside (and coughing at the rather intense coffee bean smell that smacked Terry in the face), they nabbed a small table and waited for Zoe to get her coffee.

Terry was tapping his fingers idly on the table, wondering how long they'd be there, and if this was one of those places that had banned smoking in public buildings. He didn't see any signs, but that didn't mean anything either.

((Yeaaaah. I dunno. randomness. Sorry if it's scatterbrained... I'm like... Tired. XD))

((YOU. You make me DISGUSTED. It is so sith lord. You nincompoopie.))

Zoe leaned over the counter and wiggled her fingers at the man behind the counter. He turned around and upon seeing Zoe he flashed her a grin and he pet her stiff haired head. "Morning little kitten." He said in a coy voice. He was light skinned with black curly hair and stunning blue eyes. Another friend of Zoe's since high school. Except he wasn't one of her followers. He had been a friend of George and was associated with Zoe through them. "You look a bit tired today. Need a bit of morning juice?" He gave a charming grin and began to take out a large cup.

"Of course, you know me so well, Lee." She laughed at him and laid her head against the counter, hands splayed out. "I didn't sleep a wink last night. I met some people and it's got me thinking." She pursed her lips as he glanced over the coffee machine, watching her wiggle her lips. "Ah never mind. I just feel I should be remembering something about them. Well one I do...but the other two...they...look so FAMILIAR." She said it all in a quiet tone so only Lee could hear and the others would only hear murmurs. Lee's blue eyes moved over to the three sitting at a table and he raised his dark brows. After putting all the fixings in Zoe's cup he moved to her and leaned in close to her face.

"They were those...punks. Remember? We always saw them hanging out smoking dope and what-not? Always looked stoned? Never went to class?" He whispered, eyes staying on hers. "I remember they hated us with a passion, especially George and You. Amazing they're hanging with you. But I guess history is just history. Never late for second chances. He needs to cut his hair though...don't dreads get bugs and dirt in them?" He leaned back and made a disgusted face. Zoe couldn't help but snort and shrug, trying to hide her sudden shock. She remembered...

"Yeah...but they look sexy on some. Wouldn't on you. Ugh." She waved a hand and he looked taken back, gawking at her in mock shock. "Love ya baby." She kissed the air and waved her hips before handing him some money, a bit extra with the tips and wandered over to the table, grinning at the group. "You sure you don't want anything? Lee can make the best damn mochas in the entire universe." She sat down next to Terry and smiled at him before taking a long sip of coffee, never mind the scalding hot temperature of it.

For now she'd just remain normal. She figured the past deserved to stay in the past. "I always feel...selfish when I'm the only one eating or drinking...or sitting...so if you want anything...just say the word. Which is ...I want something. Two words. But whatever, you know." She giggled a bit and took another sip. Stan sat at her side, eyes half closed. He was allowed in all stores with her. He was considered a service dog, for a few important reasons.

"...Wait...make that three words." She added as an afterthought. Common sense was never her strength.