Harmon Rottlage and Fiona Ashley Barrett
Harmon turned his head away from his schoolwork, looking up at this newcomer, this... bug-woman. She greeted him by name as if the two of them were already firm friends. But he had
no earthly idea who she was. He scanned over her with his camera, still clipped to his coat, and slowly began to reply.
"I... I, uh... I-I'm sorry, I... don't... h-have we met? Before?"Almost immediately, Fiona's antennae drooped, and she looked off to the side - putting a hand on her upper arm.
"Oh! Uh. You don't remember me...?" Already off to a great start. He doesn't even remember her! She remembered him! And it's been years. Maybe she should try to refresh his memory - yeah, that's it. Just
help him remember.
"You don't remember? I'm Fiona. You know? From the Ivory Deer Community?""Ah... ah..." Harmon replied, cradling his head a bit.
"Ivory... Ivory Deer, you were... one of the, uh... Barretts', children?"Fiona smiled - clicking her mandibles together. Harmon got it! She resisted the urge to jump and clap.
"Yes!" She nodded her head.
Harmon nodded. Well, this was a pleasant surprise after all.
"I'm sorry, my... memory, is foggy... I, I haven't seen anyone else, from... the Community, here. A-are you new?"Foggy memory? Oh,
that explains it! Good thing that she reminded him.
"Mhmm... I got invited here." It likely sounded strange that someone from the IDC got invited here - as one person there put it "They only invite pretty kids".
Oh, that must mean I really am pretty, then! She thought to herself. Though, she had to force herself to avoid thinking about the incident leading up to it.
"I got here last week.... but man..." She trailed off, standing straight up.
"... This place is kinda weird. On my first day the power goes out and I hear this fight. Does stuff like that happen often around here?""Y-... yes... but, everyone... seems rather passive about it..." Harmon replied, folding up his schoolwork and placing the papers into his coat pocket. He slowly stood up to face Fiona directly.
"I don't understand it much... I don't think most others do either...""Well..." Fiona didn't know what to make of it. Maybe the people aren't as passive Harmon thought they were? Who knows. Fiona wondered if
she was passive herself. She didn't think too much about it.
"... Maybe they're just used to it?" She shrugged. She hadn't seen the monster herself, so who knew.
"Maybe..." Harmon replied, lowering his head a bit.
"I... I know I'm not, though..."A short moment of silence passed between the two before Harmon continued,
"So... how is the Community?"