[Day 1, Late Evening] Calling it a Night (Expecting)

[Calico Carter]

"Regionally famous. For a bit. When I was younger."

She exhaled slowly and looked out the window.

"Sorry, it's... a bigger deal in Amoria, but it's not always great to be purple-haired witha memorable name, if you catch my drift."

[Felix Lang]

He smirked and his eyes went up to his own deep blue and green locks "I might have an idea what it's like to stand out."

He gave a shrug after though "Not like I've ever been famous though. At least not in a way that mattered. But yeah reckon anything you got up to down there wouldn't have made it all the way up to me. Six years ago I was training up in the Varsole mountains."

[Calico Carter]

"I was in Greenbottle Bay back then. About my last year there, actually..."

[Felix Lang]

"Greenbottle Bay..Greenbottle Bay..." He murmured the name a few times, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he flipped through a mental catelogue.

He snapped his fingers "Oh yeah! That place. Never been there before, heard there was some kind of fire at some point."

[Calico Carter]

"There was. And you're talking to the person that fire is still blamed on."

[Felix Lang]

The dots were there, hell Calico had basically connected them for Felix as they talked. None of that stopped an expression going across Felix's face of pure surprise as Calico exposed her shocking revelation.

Felix then winced a little "wow really? That has to suck, I mean wasn't a big deal where I grew up but probably a lot of Infamy where you're from."

"You said you were blamed for it, was it your fault."

[Calico Carter]

"I was in the bathtub. The fire started in my dressing room. So no, I don't think it was my fault. But you'd be amazed at how easy it is for people to say, 'that teenaged idiot must have left a hair curler plugged in or an iron going.'"

She grimaced.

"Suffice it to say, that was it for my fledgling career on the Amorian stage."

[Felix Lang]

Felix nodded along "Different paths but I definitely get having to make a career change before it even really starts."

His look was sympathetic "Sucks that you got blamed for it all though. People can be too quick to jump to conclusions."

[Calico Carter]

"And damned hard to talk out of it. Oh, nobody thinks I did it on purpose... but they like having someone to blame for why their house burned down, or why their business is a fire-gutted shell."

Her tone wasn't bitter. It was the tone of someone trying very hard not to sound bitter.

[Felix Lang]

His hands were stuck in his pockets "yeah. Thats...that's rough. But hey it's in the past now right? Like I get you probably run into people that remember or know about it but this is like a chance for a new beginning or whatever right?"

[Calico Carter]

"That's a hope, to be sure."

She sighed.

"But people do tend to bring that stuff up..."

[Felix Lang]

He nodded "yeah I get what it's like to be reminded about stuff you might rather forget. Hell happens to me every time I run." He nodded down to his right leg. "But I had to spend a lot of time realizing I can't control what I can't control. So I have to try and not let it control me."

He chuckled a hand coming up to move through his blue and green hair, a smile on his lips "I know it sounds cliche and shit but I don't know it helped me move on from stuff. Accepting that things are the way they are and try to make the best of it."

[Calico Carter]

"Like we have a choice, right?"

She half-smiled.

[Felix Lang]

His smile was full in return "damn right we don't and while we might be a couple of geezers compared to our competition we're both still young. A lot of life left to live." He gave her a wink.

Felix seemed like the type of person who was on the optimistic side of the spectrum.

[Calico Carter]

"You always this upbeat?"

[Felix Lang]

The smile on his lips turned maybe a shade embarrassed and the hand that had moved through his hair scratched the back of his head "hah yeah I guess I can be. Wasn't always like that though."

[Calico Carter]

"Well. Keeps the universe in balance, so keep it up."

[Felix Lang]

He nodded his smile softer a touch "I'll do my best."

"Probably should head up, want to get plenty of rest before our first match tomorrow. Best thing you can do before a fight is go into it as refreshed as possible."

[Calico Carter]

"You hear that Orlok? Does it register?"

He chittered in reply.

"Seems so. Nice meeting you, Felix. Suramu."

[Felix Lang]

"It was nice to meet you too Calico." He gave her a wide smile and then looked up to her monster "and you too Orlok." Returning his gaze to her "Good luck tomorrow, I'm sure you'll do great."

He started to head toward the elevator before his steps slowed and then he stopped and turned around "Want to get dinner sometime?"