One last summer heat wave beat down on Callie's head. Even with fall around the corner, it seemed like Hoenn had one last "fuck you" for it's inhabitants.

(Don't think about the fact they're sitting in a boiling dish with no way out. Don't think about that.)

Callie stares up at a wooden power line sunk into the sand at the edge if the beach. The top is fluffy with leaves and twigs. Some type of bird nest.

A frown. She scratches her cheek idly, other hand on her hip, and wonders what the best way to break a nest down was.

"Do we just smash it?" Is finally asked to her blond partner for this particular endeavor. One Jax Cox.

Poor guy.

Callie wipes her bleeding cheek with the back of her hand. Looks at it with something like disgust before pushing herself up.
Her other, non bloody, hand is offered to help Orion Lykos up. If he accepted, she would more of less haul him to his feet. Stout.

"Shit happens."

A few of the other people there, particularly a few kids, watch them with wide and stunned eyed. Violence and then... not violence?
What the hell was this.

Callie meets there eyes and gives each person a sharp look, making a few look away.

"Coffee?" She glances at the mess they made, shrugging. "Better than this shit."

A ghost was calling for her.

Callie had been trying very hard to enjoy her lunch (a veggie sandwich- extra avocado) when her name had started to be called.

She was going to ignore it till her Wooper ran off.

Sighing, she had wrapped her food back up and stood to see what the hell was going on.

Chasing. Turning corners. Empty.

Until.

"Callie, you best hope I don't find you!"

Right as she rounded another corner. So that @arashi could run right into her chest. Like in a funny anime booba way.

She narrowed her eyes look down at the man. Using that inch she had on him like it was a full foot. A frown puckered her face.

"You found me."

Callie does not flinch or fidget as she awaits Tam Fawley's reply. Once, she was used to close scrutiny. The public would notice any little tick or weakness. You had to be ice when you were on a pedestal. She just waits.

She blinks, once.

Callie had expected many questions to be asked but not that one in particular. Yet, she just gives a moment of consideration before answering.

"I'm tired of sitting around my house when I know people need help."

Callie backs into someone and sputters out her apology.

She gets decked in the fucking face.

That metal arm slams into her bad side. She has no chance to anticipate it even know it's coming. That eye had been melted out years ago, laving only a scarred over and puffy red scar with the rest of that side of her head. Pain blossoms and she can taste blood in her mouth, feel how her teeth clack together painfully. If Orion Lykos has any capacity to feel with that hand, the damaged skin will feel more like a thin skinned, ripe tomato than like flesh. It bleeds where his knuckles dug into her cheek, tearing easy like paper.

And here is where the problem comes in.

Because Callie, much like Orion, has a similar synapse fire of events that goes off in her brain. Trauma is a hell of a drug. Step two of this problem is that since she dropped off the radar to try and recover, she's been training with John Sullivan. Her body isn't weak anymore. While she's not star athlete, she's strong enough to defend herself. Callie has picked up basic self defense to feel more comfortable in public.

So she whirls around and has flung Orion over her shoulder, onto his back, before she even realizes it.

Knees down on his shoulders to try and pin him, one fist raised for a punch. She snarls down at Orion like something vicious and unhinged, eyes somewhere else. Fighting in a war that was lost years and years ago.

She blinks before she strikes and forces herself to take a few deep breaths.

"... trauma response?"

Callie was in much the same boat as Orion Lykos.

"No."

Spoken plainly when asked. Her mind wandered for most of these meetings. The coordinator would always give her this pitying look when she had to sign Callie's attendance record at the end.

At least they had free food.

The community center kitchen was where she always came after. It was never extravagant. Just a few snacks, maybe a pizza, but Callie still took her pick as if that would get her back her lost time.

Being a community center has it's disadvantages. A child runs by in the cramped space, having been let out from the Cubchoo Scouts down the hall, which makes Callie jump back to avoid him.

She backs right into Orion.

"Fuck. Sorry."

When Tam Fawley appears, finally, Callie rises to her feet. Shoulders straight, head held high, her single blue eyes cuts sharp into into the man's. Much like the other, she is unimpressed. Scowling. Most who see her thought she was angry or upset.

Callie takes Tam's hand and gives it a firm shake. Respectable.

"Hire me."

Simple and to the point.

Callie opens up her purse and pulls out a manilla folder with all the paperwork already filled out. She had even gotten stamps and approvals for later down the line from those who she could bully into it. The folder is offered to the other.

Expectant.

Calliope did not care for such events. To her, a gathering of this scale was stupid. Didn't they have things they needed to do?
Patrols to go on?

Yet, she was a weak woman. Weak to the promise of free food.

(Calliope was a shit cook.)

They would need something to drink. She she had brought a gallon of sweet tea and a gallon of unsweet tea. Plus some cups. These, of course, were all things she had bought from the corner store before coming inside.

Brushing past Tam Fawley, noah faber, and Orion Lykos, she made her way to the food. No introductions. No 'Hello!' given. Just a woman on a mission.
And that mission was filling up a plate.

Only after getting a little of literally everything offered (the fries were very good, Josh Devlin) did she make her way back over to her small cluster of co-workers.

Callie opened her mouth to speak, but her attention caught on something else.

Instead she would give Matt Vice exactly what he didn't want. Which was unfamiliar company.

"Who're you?" Which was Callie for 'Nice to meet you!'.

Oh, this would be a disaster.

---

- arrives and beelines for the food. doesn't even talk to anyone
- goes to talk with her #crew, but she notices Matt Vice awkwardly in the corner
- goes to speak with him

It was exactly 7:01 AM when Calliope walked through the doors of the Slateport Ranger Station. Head held high, she had marched to the front desk and ask very politely (read: intimidated) the worker into allowing her to speak with whoever was in charge. This would happen to be Tam Fawley. It was a real shame for him.

She was directed to a seat. Callie picked up one of the waiting magazines to flip through as she waited. And waited. And waited.
And waited some more.

What was this guy doing? Sleeping?