Echo blushed, abashed and chastised. "I'm sorry," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm barely old enough to be in here myself, so I shouldn't point fingers."

The server came back with their drinks, and the hybrid gratefully picked up the room-temperature bottle. The first sip reminded her that this was the beer you could eat with a fork, and she held it between her palms while she looked for something less contentious to say.

"I guess you're done with school?" she asked with a hopeful expression. "UNLV sent me a catalog in the mail. They have a fairly decent arts program. I'm weighing my options."