Baltimore, Friday Night

[spin_kick_snap]

Tonight was one of the rare, quiet nights in Baltimore. Banzai patrolled her beat, but other than a few loud fights and a mugging or two, nothing serious seemed to be going down. Hell, it was the kind of night where most people were even sticking to the speed limit and crossing the street at the designated crosswalks. What was a costumed crimefighter supposed to do when nobody was even jaywalking?

Well, currently, she was sprawled out on a rooftop, looking up at the stars. Sure, the neon glow from a hundred signs and streetlights washed out most of them, but the night was clear enough that she could pick out a few. The breeze off the ocean was cool and kept the bugs away, leaving her pretty comfortable. Sure, it was no thrilling chase that ended with a desperate fight in an alleyway or anything, but the night itself was young. Maybe this was just the calm before all hell broke loose and Banzai would end up bringing down a drug-smuggling ring.

She'd done that before. Kinda by accident, but she had done it.

All right, she'd give it another hour or so. If nothing livened up by then, she'd take it as a sign and head back to the island and go to bed relatively early. And until then, she'd relax here for a little bit, trying to pick out constellations by the few stars that made it through the light pollution before going back to patrolling her beat.

Even being a superhero couldn't be exciting all the time.

[And this is what happens when you wanna make a Baltimore post and have zero inspiration! Open for texts, calls, or folks with a reason to be out in Baltimore?]

Comments

[not_every_mage]

Her phone beeped with a text from Anders.



I NEED THEM BOTH. Do you think it'd make Lachlan jealous?

Then, a moment later:

P.S., where are you? I want pizza.

[spin_kick_snap]

Her phone was set to silent, but she felt the buzzing in her pocket (bless you, Barry, keep doing the lord's work). She pulled it out and grinned at the message. She bet he'd gotten the gif off Tumblr.

He would make such a good big brother! she declared via text. They could keep him company when you're not around! In Baltimore, keeping the streets safe from criminal evil. As soon as it shows up. Any minute now I bet.

And a minute after those texts arrived came another.

...Dammit, now I want pizza too.

[not_every_mage]

He would, absolutely. And I don't think pizza places deliver to roofs, Anders texted back, with a sad emoji. (Something else he'd picked up off Tumblr, source of much that was good or evil in his world just then.)

Then: Crazy thought, but should I come find you? Or is that just stupidly impractical? I'd even bring the pizza.

[spin_kick_snap]

You totally should! Kathy sent with three thumbs up emojis. Who doesn't wanna have a pizza picnic on a rooftop. I mean, check out this view!

She snapped a picture and sent it to him.



And then added the address of where she was, considering she doubted Anders could figure out her location via Snapchat.

[not_every_mage]

He wouldn't have known how to even start doing that, so he was grateful for the address. He sent back a cu soon with pizza emojis, found his shoes and (cleverly, he thought) called a pizza place close to Kathy's location in Baltimore, so the pie wouldn't get cold on the way.

An hour or so later:

Hello! I come bearing pizza. Where's the fire escape?

If Kathy looked down, she'd see Anders standing in front of the building, holding a pizza box and waving like a dork.

[spin_kick_snap]

Which of course meant that she had to wave like a dork back, because that was just what you did!

She waved him over to the side of the building, exaggerated pointing and then sent another text, Left side, come on up! just to be safe.

The rooftop was actually a pretty nice one, clean and debris-free. And since Kathy routinely carried around a bag in a pouch (in case she ran into someone in shock! She liked to be prepared!), she was able to open it up and spread it out, making it look a little more like a real picnic.

[not_every_mage]

Really, they were lucky they weren't attracting bad guys just by being their dorky selves.

Anders galumphed up the stairs and took in the rooftop, letting out a low whistle as he did. "This is probably the nicest roof I've ever eaten pizza on," he said, setting the box on the cloth. "And that might even be true if I;d eaten pizza on more than one roof."

[spin_kick_snap]

If they suddenly got jumped while nerding out, Banzai would never be able to live it down. Kathy would have to come up with a whole new code name and look just to escape the shame.

"Isn't it cool?" she asked, beaming at him. "Trust me, I've been on a ton a roofs and most of the are way less nice."

Opinions on things she'd never thought she have for $100, Alex.

"You've never eaten up on the roof of the dorms, though?" she asked, opening the pizza box. A fragrant cloud of steam wafted up and her stomach rumbled. Loudly. "Oh my god, that smells amazing. Best idea you've ever had, bar none."

[not_every_mage]

"That doesn't say much for my other ideas, does it?" Anders asked lighty, grinning at the praise. "And not that I can remember? Maybe an apple or something. Why, do you do it a lot?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"During the summer and fall, I try to get up there at least once a week," Kathy said, lifting up a slice. "It's just nice being up there, with the garden and the sun on your face, you know? It's also a good place to study cause people don't seem to go up there much."

She bit into the pizza and--yep, definitely his best idea. She wolfed down her first slice and reached for the second.

"So, how've you been? I don't think I've seen you since we bailed on your princely duties."

[not_every_mage]

"I was up there a couple weeks ago," Anders told her as he detangled his own bit of melty cheese. "Did a little weeding because it looked like the poor plants were choking. You're right, it's nice."

He shrugged at her. "I'm afraid that was sot of the high point of my last few weeks. I haven't been terribly motivated. How have you been?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Tsk tsk tsk, laaaazy," Kathy chided with a grin, wagging her finger at him. "Me? I've been kicking around the idea of a slumber party. I've never had one. Or, well, thrown a party at all. So I've been looking up ideas to maybe throw one. Or something. I dunno, it may end up with me chickening out and tossing the whole idea."

[not_every_mage]

"I don't even know what a slumber party is," Anders admitted. "So I wouldn't know if you were doing it right or wrong. But parties are good, aren't they?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"It's a regular party but everyone sleeps over," Kathy explained. "So you show up, party late into the night, crash, and then maybe do some kind of breakfast the next day?"

That sounded fun, right? Tell her it sounded fun, Anders.

"I was thinking of having it up on the sixth floor, maybe. Like Sunday into Monday, since it's break week."

[not_every_mage]

There was no way Anders was shooting her down when she had that kind of hope in her eyes.

"If you hold it there we could sleep in the ball pit," he suggested. "No, that's a brilliant idea. And probably a good way to fill part of the break."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Yeah, I think we've got a long break this year and it'd be fun to have some stuff to do over the next few weeks," Kathy said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She grinned at him, glad he liked her idea. "Like the party and maybe a beach day--just fun stuff to do between now and the start of classes. A trip to Caritas a karaoke? It's just been a really low-key summer and I'd like to have a bit of excitement before senior year."

[not_every_mage]

"Maker, I keep forgetting its going to be your last year," Anders said, not sounding particularly pleased by the thought. "We definitely need to have some fun before that starts. I'm up for anything. Well, unless it involves goats or selling things door-to-door. A man has to have some limits."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I guess I'll just cross 'selling goats door-to-door' off my list of possible activities," Kathy said, heaving a great sigh. "Since you're just going to be like that."

She grabbed a third slice, and fished an energy drink out of one of her pockets and offered it to Anders, before grabbing another for herself.

"How about we go drinking instead?" she offered. "Since the only time I ever did that was in the sim, so I don't think it counts. But if we do, we have to do karaoke. It's a rule."

[not_every_mage]

"It's a rule?" Anders repeated, lightly prodding her leg with his foot before he reached for the energy drink. He took a sip and made a face at the taste.(Too sweet for him.) "Who made that rule, the karaoke council?"

This was not a no.

[spin_kick_snap]

"That would be the Grand High Karaoke Council, excuse you," Kathy declared. "It's a Korean moral imperative. Noraebang is huge in Korea. Like, I've seen my dad do it," she added with a laugh.

[not_every_mage]

"From what you've said about your dad, the idea of him singing is terrifying," Anders informed her. "But I can honor your cultural heritage and sing. Once."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Right?" Kathy agreed, laughing. "It was so weird. Sarah and I pretty much just sat there all night with our jaws on our chests while our parents sang."

It had been a very surreal night. And all the adults had ended up very, very drunk.

"What would you sing, you think?" she asked. "What's your go-to karaoke song?"

[not_every_mage]

"I'm supposed to have one?"

Anders barely understood Fandom music, let alone have strong opinions about what he should sing.

"I have no idea. What's yours?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh, it's this Korean song I used to hear on the radio called The Two of Us," Kathy said. "It's kinda, like, all...bluesy and jazzy and really cool. Granted, I'd probably do better singing something like Gangnam Style that people recognize, but I really like that one."

[not_every_mage]

"I guess there's no point in singing if you aren't going to sing something that'll make you happy," Anders said, with a little shrug, and claimed another slice of pizza while he was at it.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Now I'm determined to help you find the best karaoke song," Kathy said, refraining from grabbing another slice until Anders had caught up. "There have to be a million songs about cats out there, right?"

[not_every_mage]

"I could even broaden my horizons and not sing about cats," Anders laughed. "Shocking idea, isn't i?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Wait, are we also getting rid of songs about having magic, too?" Kathy asked. "If so, I'm gonna be at a loss for ideas, not gonna lie."

[not_every_mage]

"I could just tell the band to play something random and improvise the words," Anders told her. "Or I could pick something from home. There are ... oh, maybe three or four entire Fereldan songs that aren't about dogs or Andraste."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Now so much of your love of cats is made clear," Kathy teased. "Just be glad Fereldan hasn't invented pickup trucks yet, or you'd have just described most of the country music genre."

Which, in fairness, Kathy didn't mind. She even had a few autographed photos of country music stars, courtesy of Eliot's trip to the CMAs.

"Hmm...I bet you'd like 4 Non Blonde's 'What's Up'," Kathy said, eyeing him for a moment before breaking into the bit of the song that she thought would really speak to him.

"And I try, oh my god do I try
I try all the time
In this institution
And I pray, oh my god do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution!"

[not_every_mage]

"I think I know that song," Anders said, sounding mildly astonished by the fact. "I like it. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, should I? I have been here a year."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Congratulations," Kathy teased. "You've managed to listen to the radio at least once in the whole year you've been here. I'm so proud of you. Soon you'll get to see a TV show or even a whole movie!"

[not_every_mage]

"I'm a very cultured gentleman," Anders informed her haughtily. "I know it's intimidating,but I promise i'm not judging you."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Aww, you figured out my secret shame," Kathy drawled. "I'm always so afraid that you'll end up realizing that I'm a lowly pleb who doesn't even know a single song about dogs."

[not_every_mage]

Anders thought for a moment, leaned back, and began to sing:

ou know Andraste's old mabari.
He don't show up in the chant.
And if you ask those holy sisters,
Well, they'll say Andraste can't
Have had some big old smelly wardog.
But all Ferelden knows it right:
Our sweet Lady needed someone
Who would warm her feet at night.

He made it through the first three verses before collapsing into giggles.

"You get the idea."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy's jaw had practically unhinged itself when he started. Having him go an entire three verses about it had her rolling on the blanket in disbelieving laughter. "Oh my god," she gasped. "You weren't kidding! You absolutely were not kidding! How are there three verses of this? How?"

[not_every_mage]

"And that was only the first half," Anders said, grinning at her. "It goes on. Fereldans take Mabari very seriously, and the only thing they like more is Andraste."

[spin_kick_snap]

"The first half?" Kathy gasped out. "Are there really three more versus of that? Really?" She almost wanted him to sing the rest of it so she could hear with her own two ears all six versus that someone put to paper--and then were memorized by an entire country. "Oh my god, your nation's most popular song is mabari fanfiction. This is amazing."

[not_every_mage]

"Three or four," Anders said, laughing. "To be honest I usually quit listening after a while. And -- dear Maker, I was going to argue, but it is fanfiction."

[spin_kick_snap]

"It really is," Kathy teased. "Someone decided that the blessed Andraste needed a puppy and then wrote an entire song about the adventures of Andraste's favorite dog. I bet it's been immortalized in story and art, too. It has, hasn't it?"

[not_every_mage]

"Not sure about art, but I know there's a children's book of it," Anders admitted slowly. "Half the boys my age swore it was their favorite. To be fair, Mabari aren't too bad. You know. As dogs go."

[spin_kick_snap]

"...In fairness, I wouldn't mind a dog," Kathy admitted, still grinning. "I don't know if I'm amazing enough to have one from a breed noble enough to be immortalized in song, though. I'm no Andraste, after all."

And then before he disowned her forever--

"Let's be fair, though, I'd love a cat, too."

[not_every_mage]

"You should get one," Anders said, as he would to anyone. "A cat, not a dog. Dogs slobber and beg for attention. Cats are refined."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I can't," Kathy said with real regret. "What would I do with it after I graduate. My mother hates animals and I don't think most colleges let freshman have pets in the dorms."