shabadoobie touch to [TEST DRIVE]

[hopediesalone]

HERE WE GO AGAIIIIIN

Here's a few options, ganked from the last one and still as shamelessly stolen from even earlier versions.

> The Park. Man, what a nice day out. Why not enjoy it? I'm sure -- shit, yep, there's some echo monsters or whatever they're called.
> The Mall. Exactly what it says on the tin! Dodge the hordes of teenage mallrats or take part, whichever suits your tastes.
> Rainy Day. Agh, it's fucking awful out. And is it raining those vermilion things?? Now you've got an Echo to contend with on top of everything else. Find some shelter, quick!
> Arts and Crafts Fair. WILL THE KITSCH OVERWHELM YOU
> Or make up your own

Very nice! Test Strike! FABULOUS!

Comments

Serah Farron > Sierra Callahan; Final Fantasy XIII 1 & 2

[envisaging]

basic cliff notes: Sierra Callahan, 20 years old, student in the veterinary technician four-year program at Locke U, has a younger brother, and also has light brown hair instead of pink.

option a;
[ While she doesn't like to think that arts and crafts fairs are her thing (and she doesn't really do anything crafty herself), Sierra does sort of like attending them. At least, she doesn't completely mind attending them with her mother as a sort of mother-daughter outing.

...Though it becomes less of an outing if her mother gets caught up talking to old friends at certain booths, but Sierra isn't about to try to disengage the woman, so she wanders away after some time, peering at this or that table. She's drawn to more minimalistic and fantasy-like jewelry than anything else, although she also likes cute things with bright colors. Currently she's looking at a pair of earrings shaped like cupcakes, holding them up to her ears with a little laugh.

Do you approach? ]

option b;

[ Of course it would start raining on the one day she decided, when already in her car with her umbrella back in the flat, that it wasn't worth it to go back for the thing. It was sunny out, after all. It probably wouldn't rain, she'd told herself. The weather report hadn't mentioned anything of the sort...

...but hell if she's going to dash all the way back to her car in this weather. Sierra managed to dash into a corner grocery shop, and she is now determinedly browsing, in the hopes that if she looks busy enough she won't get her rather damp self kicked out for loitering.

Though she is pretty much loitering, yes. ]

option c;
[ Sierra Callahan works as a secretary at one of the local veterinary clinics most days (while attending college most nights). Find her at the front desk if you come by for some pet-related reason; she'll probably look up unless you're particularly stealthy about your entry. If you're quiet enough, you might catch her at doing business math, looking somewhat frustrated about whatever problem she's on at the moment. If you're not, she'll have left the problems and textbook off to the side as she pulls up the schedules on the computer. ]

C!

[youngestone]

[Killian comes in with a box. A mewling box. Someone found kittens at the stables and got sent to the vet to get them checked out]

Uh. Hi?

is for cats!

[envisaging]

[ Okay, a mewling box? Not that stealthy. But it's also enough to bring a slight grin to Sierra's face. She likes kittens, okay, and she can tell those are kittens. She looks up less frustrated than she might otherwise be, therefore, and pulls up the chart without thinking about it as she does so. ]

Hi! How can I help you today? Do you have an appointment?

[ She's pretty sure the answer is "no" since the next appointment ought to be for a turtle, and turtles don't typically, you know. Mew. ]

:3

[youngestone]

Um, if we have an appointment I'll be impressed. Found these little guys at work and...well, they seem to be abandoned and we don't know how old they are or if they're sick or what.

[envisaging]

Hm, okay. I can definitely fit you in here, we've got a tech who can check them out...

[ She's just blanking them out on her handy dandy schedule so no one does an online appointment. Type. Click. Save...there, updated. ]

You caught us at a not-busy time, lucky you. How many kittens are there?

[youngestone]

Seven. We're not sure they're all from the same litter since two are bigger than the others.

[envisaging]

Okay. [ She's grabbing a form from her desk now, and she jots a few things down for Killian, before sliding it over the counter. ] I just need you to fill this out for me real quick - I'll grab a tech in a second.

There'll be a cost for the routine exams, but it should be pretty negligible unless there's something wrong, just so you know; and the vet is pretty willing to work with people, so. [ To a reasonable degree, at least. But they do like animals at the clinic, and they're not unfamiliar with seeing strays to the correct organizations, when it comes down to it. ] No sign of the mother cat?

C again, I'm afraid

[von_uberwolf]

[Angela came in without an animal, looking rather like she didn't want to attract too much attention.]

Er...

I'm looking for advice about caring for wolves.

i will take anything angua

[envisaging]

[ That...wasn't a usual question. Or, well, they got odd questions all the time, but it did throw Sierra for a moment - though the fact she was at work at least gave her a script for this, sort of. ]

Are you considering getting a wolf? If you're wondering about permits, I think the rule in this state is you only need one if the canine in question is over seventy-five percent wolf? I'd have to check, I don't know off the top of my head exactly...

[ Hrm. Maybe she should call in one of the vets, but they're slightly booked on Sierra's ever-present schedule. ]

[von_uberwolf]

...Definitely over seventy-five percent, yes. I'm more worried about diet and such, though.

[envisaging]

Oh, in that case. [ A question she can actually answer without grabbing someone else! ]

I would advise you to do a lot of research about it - wolves aren't usually pets, and there's a reason for it. But diet-wise - if we're talking an adult wolf, it'll need, oh, I think it's two to five pounds of meat a day? And that's usually with the skin and fur and bones all intact, so.

[ Sierra's eyeing Angela mildly, just...checking. That she's sure. Although she's not about to lecture. ]

I can actually give you numbers for more wildlife-oriented clinics, if you like, too. We're more a housepets place, y'know?

[von_uberwolf]

[Urgh, she likes a steak as much as the next person but...]

That's a lot of meat.

[She catches the look, though.]

It's...complicated. I don't exactly WANT to have to take care of a wolf.

[envisaging]

Uncooked, too.

[ Sierra does look more openly puzzled at that statement. ]

Well, if you don't want to - is it someone in your family considering it, or...? If you've been saddled with one somehow, there are places you could take it...

B!

[vanilling]

[ Valerie di Angelo, 19 year old college student herself has a good reason to be hanging around the corner grocery shop-- it's her job. Well, er, her job is actually to be going around and making sure that no inconsiderate shoppers had put items back in the wrong spot or spilled their drink from the soda machine all over the floor without telling anyone, etc.

Of course, mostly what she did was hang out, anyway, strolling around the shop and only half-doing her job.

She could spot a loiterer when she saw one.

It was raining, so more than a few damp people had wandered in, attempting to look like they were busy shopping to avoid being kicked out. Valerie's coworkers weren't as nice about it as she was-- "if you aren't going to buy, go away" tended to be the policy. Not unreasonable, since plenty of loiterers were also thieves. Valerie preferred to at least chat up and evaluate the hanger-arounds. It was kind of rude to shove people out into the rain without good reason, after all.

She cautiously sauntered (yes, that is a thing) up to the girl with the light brown hair, smiling cheerfully. ]

Need any help finding anything today, miss?

B! it is

[envisaging]

[ B-b-b-busted! Caught sort of staring at the candy aisle with absolutely no desire to get any candy - really, she didn't need anything much here, seeing as how she had gone grocery shopping just the other day - Sierra jumped, looking slightly guilty.

Not for reasons of being a thief, mind, but rather because, well. Loitering. Though if it came down to it she would try to argue her way into staying in the store - probably. If only there'd been a bookstore to run into...those were easier to browse without committing to anything at all. ]

Um... [ No, wait, she could think of one thing she wouldn't mind buying. ] I don't suppose you sell umbrellas?

[ That's asked with a sort of half-laugh, helplessly. It would solve the getting wet portion of things, but Sierra hadn't seen any... ]

[vanilling]

[ Well, that was at least fairly honest. The last loiterer she'd dealt with had thrown a can of corn at her and run. (Though that was fairly unusual.) Valerie smiled wider, hands clasped behind her back. ]

Well, I know we had some earlier... [ Walking backwards to the end of the aisle, she peered toward the front of the store where the umbrella stand was-- it was quite empty. ] But they sold off pretty quick, I'm afraid. Forecast today didn't say it'd be raining, much less raining cats and dogs.

[ That's said with a 'what can you do' shrug and frown. ]

But we might have some rain ponchos still in stock, if that'd help?

[envisaging]

[ No signs of food-throwing from Sierra's end. She'd just been sort of poking at a bag of gummi bears, wondering how long she could stretch out her browsing - and how long she would need to.

Valerie was right, though - it was raining cats and dogs. And not the cute and cuddly sort, either. ]

Oh...I mean, that makes sense. You must've done a pretty fast trade of them as soon as it started coming down... [ Sierra can't help but look disappointed, even as she sort of ambles after the shop girl, crossing her arms against the chill that came with getting even a little soaked. ]

Rain ponchos might be good, yeah - though if you sell a weather machine or magical pills to throw in puddles to dry them up, I will also accept those options. [ The alternate suggestions obviously weren't serious, and Sierra sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair back behind her ear with a little grin. ]

[vanilling]

[ Valerie's eyes widened, one hand on her mouth. In a whisper, ] How do you know about the weather machine?

[ That lasts about a second before she laughs. ] Kidding! If we did have a weather machine, I promise it wouldn't be raining like this.

Now, this way to our poncho and cheap shirts you can use to throw over puddles section! [ Valerie gestures for Sierra to follow, before heading off in the direction of the small clothing section the shop had (mostly Locke-city themed t-shirts and some random active wear). ]

[envisaging]

[ If she hadn't recently found out about a weird numbers network, that joke would have hit instantly, rather than having a half-second's thought of "seriously"? To the outside viewer, at least, it was barely noticeable, and Sierra's laughter was light.

There wasn't any such thing as weather machines after all - not to anyone who hadn't learned to suspect such things of being true. ] You'd be a benign weatherly overlord? I'd vote for you, then. ...I'm Sierra, by the way.

[ And she followed the shop girl without complaint, happy to have some sort of plan rather than, well. Trying to loiter until the rain let up.

Which might not be so bad, if the rain had given any sign it would eventually do so... ]

How about an A?

[guitar_case_vagabond]

[Sierra's jewelry browsing is rather rudely interrupted by a squealing little ball of energy veering around the table and running full force into her leg. The dark-haired little girl of about five stumbles back a step, blinks once and then goes right back to her running with a laugh.

... At least until she's headed off by a hand shooting out and snatching the back of her overall dress and hauling her up face-to-face with a frowny older sister.]

What'd I tell you about running around in public, huh?

[Apparently nothing worth remembering as the smaller girl just giggles and shrieks something about being caught by a monster. Ryuko's expression goes flat for a second before she sighs and turns to her little sister's latest victim, letting the little beast dangle from her hand.]

Sorry about that. She's a little brat sometimes.

trifecta!! sorry for the wait, i think you saw on plurk i had a math exam yesterday.

[envisaging]

[ Sierra stumbles for a second, caught off guard by the sudden impact, but manages to keep her balance - although she doesn't quite manage not to drop the earrings, losing the left one to the grass below.

As Ryuko hauls her sister back, Sierra crouches down to hunt for the matching cupcake earring. At least bright pink isn't hard to see against bright green..after a moment she has it, and she stands back up, laying the pair down on the table. Then she turns to offer a smile. ]

It's okay - it's hard to stay still at this sort of thing, I bet. Though she might be interested in some of the booths down that way - I think they're less, you know, fiddly jewelry, and more hands-on arts stuff.

I saw. No worries!

[guitar_case_vagabond]

Yeah, but she wanted to see the jewelry stuff.

[This kind of thing wasn't her style at all, and she really was only here to the little gremlin's sake. Ryuko wouldn't be caught dead at a friggin' crafts show otherwise.

Speaking of which, she lifts her sister up to issue a few commands.]

No more runnin' and don't touch anything unless they say it's okay or we're goin' home. Got it?

[At the eager nod of agreement, she lets her sister back down and steps back, hands in her jacket pockets as she turns slightly to talk to Sierra without actually letting the girl out of her sight.]

Just easier to chase her around a little than to try to talk her out of something she wants, y'know?

[envisaging]

I can hazard a guess. My brother isn't that much younger than me, but...

[ Sierra laughs, thinking back on her own time trying to keep the boy in line.

Those days were hectic.

...Not that she didn't still attempt to scold sometimes. ]

...Kids can be a bit stubborn, can't they?

[guitar_case_vagabond]

Yeah.

[Ryuko's plate was pretty full these days, looking after Rika but somebody had to pick up the slack but she didn't care. Her mom had managed for years looking after her and her dad so she could handle one kid if she had to.

She laughs a little and gives a crooked grin, shrugging one shoulder.]

Guess it's karma for givin' my mom such a hard time, huh?

[envisaging]

Back when you were a kid...?

[ Sierra smiles, just a little. ]

Probably...well, I think that's why parents say things like "wait until you're a parent", you know? Although even just babysitting...I guess when you're a kid, you never think how much work it takes.