Creekside is mellow and Jae likes it like that; he's a city boy at heart no matter where he is on the planet, under normal circumstances, but Baedal is anything but normal. The laid back atmosphere just up-river from the coastline suits him and his desire to have a place to retreat to if necessary. (Once, the thought of Maybe when I've been here long enough to get used to it I'll move- flitted through his head, and it made a cold knot settled into his stomach. He doesn't want to be here long enough to be used to it.)

He's coming out of a corner market, toting a brown paper bag stuffed full of groceries (onion and carrot tops poking up like fluffy green flags), when he spots Barbara. It's not the first time he's seen someone in Baedal in a wheelchair, so it's not the first time he thinks about what an absurdly unfair pain in the ass this must be for anyone who isn't able-bodied; he's tripped and nearly killed himself trying to deal with the cobblestone streets, even. What strikes him more than that, though, is recognizing her as the uncannily calm and collected woman he'd spoken to very briefly on the cohort network... during which he'd seen Ilde speaking about her world, and had freaked out bailed on the exchange. How smooth. (Cue internal chagrin.)

Nevertheless, he hoists his grocery bag against him with one arm, and raises his free hand in a greeting when he's near enough to not need to shout. "Hey."