Still in SC, working in finance. The wife and I split up last year, and just finalized the divorce last week. It was an amicable split, as we realized we'd grown apart over the years and just worked better as friends. Been dating around again for the first time in ten years, and it's a whole new ballgame. I'm loving it, honestly. Career-wise, I'm stuck in a rut though. I long for a creative outlet. But that shit just doesn't pay a living wage (so far). Toying with the idea of moving to the west coast in the next five years. Going to wait and see where life leads me, first.

I thought about this place while I was gone, and even peaked in a couple of times. But not only was I too busy to join in posting again (still kind of am), but it was a time in my life where I'd allowed darker aspects of my personality to dominate, and steeped myself in political nonsense to the point of losing sight of the rational horizon.

Luckily time allows for change and growth. Some things never change, though: I love Doctor Who, I'm bald, I still love marijuana, and Snarf is gay.

Speaking of, serious fucking question: Who was Snarf?

Don't tell me that was a real person. Who is that alt? It's been 15 years since this place started. It's time to step out into the spotlight and take a bow.

Anyway, back to why I'm here again.

No matter her real name, Kahlia was always "Harley" to me. The term had lost all connection or connotation to the fictional villainess. Harley was a sweet, kind, witty, sexy woman that could talk comics as easily, if not better, than most fanboys. She was upfront with her opinions, strong in her assertions, and she knew how to make me genuinely laugh. That last part I don't take lightly, as that's a short list to be on. Not the social-laugh to be used in casual interactions. Not the strained laughter of the RKMBs Repeated Memes. Actually laugh, in front of my computer, out loud in the real world. We had fun flirting and pretending that one day, in the next life, we would hook up and have monkey-sex. "Next time" we would always say.

I remember I always felt secretly proud because she had sent me a picture of the real her, back when no one (pretty much) knew what she looked like. She trusted me and that made me feel special, whether I was or not. After a couple of years of struggling with work and life, I drifted away from here and her. Got a Christmas email from her every so often. But gone were our chats of old.

Then no more than a month ago, I got a Friend request from "Kahlia Fisher" on Facebook. I had no idea who that was, yet I didn't deny the request. After a couple of days, I simply accepted the request planning on asking who she was and why she was Friending me.

She replied to me: "I'm the woman waiting for you, next time. ;\) "

We took a couple of nights messaging each other, catching up. She seemed to be in a good place, but I never got a chance to dig deep.

Then I come home from work one night and she's gone. Forever.

Life is random. Death, doubly so.

Kahlia Fisher is going to be missed deeply and more painfully by those who knew her far better and deeper than myself. Grimm. Nowhereman. Many others, I'm sure. But, I will miss Harley. That vibrant, beautiful, fun persona that always kept me on my toes, and always had a "wink" to type.

Next time, Kahlia. Next time.