[ Phone call | Everyone | Day 48 ]

[isoalgorithm]

[There's undisguised excitement in Quorra's voice.] The water's going away! ...Although I guess everyone's noticed that by now, but still. This is good, right

Comments

[matchmaking]

I would hardly call this -- [splash, splash] -- good. Almost as bad as hearing of someone who has never seen a beach in their lives.

[isoalgorithm]

At least the water is receding! And with any luck I'll have that problem remedied soon.

[matchmaking]

It's not the water I'm worried about. It's the mess that it left behind, and I doubt the beach is any less disastrous right now. Your first impression wouldn't be a pleasant one.

[isoalgorithm]

I can wait. [Although Quorra definitely isn't the patient sort, she's learned over the cycles. A little.]

At least the cleanup will give everyone something to do in the meantime.

[matchmaking]

Hmph. I can't count all the things I'd rather do to kill the time.

[isoalgorithm]

At least this would be productive! Helping people can be a great reward in and of itself.

[matchmaking]

["Productive", "a great reward"...was this girl serious? Her optimism was cute at best - and right now, Sylvia's feeling far, far less than her best.]

Then if someone wants to come over and help me out, I'd be happy to reward them. I'll be damned if I'm doing it myself.

[isoalgorithm]

I'll help if you like. [Even if gratitude isn't a likely factor, Quorra doesn't mind. She's nice like that.] I don't mind not having a roof, so mine can wait.

[matchmaking]

[Ooh. That was easy.]

Then I'll be waiting at 365 Gladiolus. And who will I be expecting?

[isoalgorithm]

My name's Quorra! I'll be on foot since I haven't tried my lightcycle yet; it's still too wet.

And who will I be helping?

[matchmaking]

Sylvia Christel.

Perhaps if the repair job goes well, I'll show you what the beach is like. Every girl ought to go at least once.

[isoalgorithm]

Ah, a bribe. [There's amusement in her voice.] You're on.

[matchmaking]

Nothing so sneaky as that! Think of it as a payment. Doing things out of the kindness of your heart is all well and good -- [figuratively speaking; she wouldn't dream of doing it herself] -- but a little compensation never hurt anyone.

[isoalgorithm]

One of the most important stages of enlightenment is generosity; giving of oneself without need or want of reward. It's difficult to achieve that if you're always expecting compensation.

[matchmaking]

Then I suppose some of us will never walk that higher path. I've never been one to abstain.

Tell me, where are you from? Between your wanting to "see everything" and this talk of enlightenment, I have the feeling you do not get out much.

[isoalgorithm]

You'd be right about that. I'm from...somewhere you've probably never heard of, but I was there a long time. This place is unlike anything I've ever experienced before.