Room 508, Sunday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

Coming back from Cyseal, the last thing Kathy expected was to get ready to turn around and go again. But she was sorting her laundry to run a load or two when her phone rang again. That wasn't entirely unexpected, but the name that showed up on her caller ID certainly was.

Gorgon.

She'd barely talked to Nikolai since he'd moved back to LA, though they occasionally bumped into one another in LA when she patrolled. Certainly not enough for him to call her on a random Sunday evening.

"Hello?" she asked, putting her phone up to her ear. "Gorgon? Is everything okay?"

Gorgon	"Hey, baby." The endearment was automatic, Gorgon sounded more subdued than Kathy had likely ever heard. "You got a minute?"
Kathy	Yeah, that didn't sound like he was gearing up to give her good news. "I've got plenty of time," she assured him, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Not doing anything but laundry. What's up. You on patrol?" Was it the Seventeens? Koreatown? Something about her sister? No, no, don't think that way, Kathy. If something had happened to Sarah, her parents would have called. No reason to panic, Kathy. Keep your head.
Gorgon	"About to head out," he said. "Pulling my duster on now, actually. But I got some news to pass along. You heard from Regenerator lately?" He'd heard that Banzai and Regenerator had buddied up after the the whole bullet wound fiasco of a year or two ago. He didn't think they were close enough that Regenerator would have called, but maybe...? Look, he didn't do all that great with emotional things. And this was the kind of phone call no one wanted to make.
Kathy	"Not since the beginning of the month," Kathy said, shaking her head even though Gorgon wouldn't be able to see it. "He was looking for some information about the Seventeens and he hadn't been able to find you. Why? When was the last time you heard from him?" It didn't even occur to Kathy to be worried about him. He'd been The Immortal before he'd realized his powers could heal other people as well as himself. He'd shrugged off bullets, stab wounds, fire, falling--he'd even mentioned something about acid once. "He's not in trouble is he? Did the Sevens take him or something--?" Each scenario she could come up with sounded more implausible than the last, but what could have happened to Regenerator?
Gorgon	"Not the way you're thinking," Gorgon said quietly. "It's not Regenerator. It's his wife. She--there was an accident. We don't have a lot of details--if the Mighty Dragon hadn't been there when Regenerator got the call from the hospital we wouldn't even know that anything had happened at all. But she didn't make it. I guess that by the time he got there, she was already gone."
Kathy	"Oh, shit," Kathy breathed, bringing her hands up to her mouth. "And there was nothing he could do, then? Just...show up and find out he was too late?" That was the limit of Regenerator's powers, though. He could heal anyone and anything so long as there was life. But if there wasn't life, he was just as helpless as anyone else. "She's really gone, then?"
Gorgon	"Fraid so, baby." There was a long inhale, Gorgon had lit up a cigarette. He needed a smoke to deal with this. "That's why I'm calling. I know you've got classes and whatnot, but we were wondering if there was any way you could come out for a day or so? Pick up his patrol? We want to give him a few days to mourn and you know the beat." He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "The Mighty Dragon would have called you personally--" Hey, look, name-dropping was literally a way of life for him. "--But he didn't have your number and I didn't think you wanted me to just hand it out."
Kathy	Save me the spiel, Gorgon," Kathy said, sounding wry. "I'm already going to say yes. You don't have to bait me with the Mighty Dragon. Anything I can do to help Regenerator...You don't even have to ask. I'm there."
Gorgon	"Thanks, baby," Gorgon said with a relieved sigh. He wasn't even going to apologize for trying to spin it. It was what he did. "You know when you can get out here?"
Kathy	Kathy was already pulling up Portalocity's site on her laptop. "With the three hour difference between Baltimore and LA, I can make it out there for patrol tonight. I don't think I can stay long--might have to come back during the day for class--"
Gorgon	"Whatever you need," Gorgon said, exhaling a lungful of smoke and pitching his cigarette over the edge of his balcony. "We'll see if we can't maybe fund some of that back and forth as well. Whatever. I'll see what I can do. Just--thanks for coming out here, for picking up the slack."
Gorgon	"Whatever Regenerator needs," Kathy said firmly. "I'm not going to turn down some extra cash or whatever, but right now, whatever I can do to make things easier for him." Her voice wavered. "I can't believe he lost his wife." It was a dark irony for a man who who could heal any wound no matter how grievous, had lost his wife while he was out on patrol keeping the city safe. "See you later, Gorgon," she said, clicking the button to buy her portal tickets. "I'll be there with rainbows on."

[Many thanks to furnaceface for letting me borrow NPC!Gorgon. Open for visitors before she leaves. Link to Anders'.]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"I eat other stuff than pizza, too," Dante retorted. He reached out to brush her hair idly out of the way. "But hey, I'm glad pizza makes you think of me."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I don't think I'll be able to eat another slice in my life without thinking of you," Kathy said, giving Dante a small smile. "If for no other reason than to wonder if you're somewhere nearby, planning on stealing the rest."

Because he had ever had to resort to stealing pizza from her, ha!

[rebelseekspizza]

"Eh," Dante said.

He cupped her cheek, leaning forward to kiss her gently.

There wasn't actually a great deal of intent behind it. That smile had just kind of reminded him why he'd decided to go off on this tangent with the make-up and the fake tattoo to begin with.

[spin_kick_snap]

A little surprised by the gentleness of the kiss, Kathy's thoughts trended in a similar direction. She thought about how upset she'd been when he'd first shown up and how much better she felt now.

"Know what?" she asked when he pulled away. "I'm really glad you stopped by today."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante bapped her gently on the nose. "You're welcome," he said easily.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Do you wanna talk about our feelings and the power of friendship, or should we make out a little more?" Kathy teased.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante was this close to just giving in and going with the make-out option. Then he was tempted to say something along the lines of 'whatever you want', except that way probably laid like, speeches.

So he shrugged.

[spin_kick_snap]

"You idiot," Kathy laughed, and leaned over to kiss him instead.

[rebelseekspizza]

Better choice. Definitely.

Dante cupped the back of her head with his hand and kissed her back firmly.

[spin_kick_snap]

"You know I'm going to take a raincheck on the friends-and-feels talk, right?" she murmured, kissing her way down his throat. "It's gonna happen one day. And it'll all be nice things about why you're such a good friend."

To make up for the wordiness now, though, she nipped him several times in succession.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante let out the beginnings of an irritated sigh at what sounded like the start of a speech-- then saw it cut off into an entirely different kind of sigh. Mmm. Biting.

"Better kind of talking," he decided.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Sybarite," she accused with what would have been another chuckle if she hadn't started sucking on the side of his neck instead.

One day, though. Such a good friend talk.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I got no idea what that means, so it's probably a compliment," Dante sighed, his fingers sliding along the long line of her neck.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Seeker of sensual pleasure," Kathy explained, pulling away to lick the mark she'd left behind. "So, yeah."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I'm not the only one here who likes it," Dante said, drawing an idle circle on her shoulder with one finger.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I never said you were," Kathy told him with a lazy smile. "How many times have I called myself greedy, huh?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"A lot," Dante said. "'s always kinda hot when you do."

He was still audibly more in the lazy teasing mindset than anything super-intense or focused.

[spin_kick_snap]

Considering her hands weren't down his pants or her teeth attacking whatever parts were visible, Kathy didn't seem to be in much of a rush, either. "You've always been a fan of people going for what they want," she pointed out. "Especially when what they want is sex with you. Of course you think it's hot."

This was nice, this kind of lazy banter with sex on the side. Just...really nice.

[rebelseekspizza]

"It's also just a hot word," Dante argued, smoothing his thumb over her collar bone. "I mean, not when you're talking about bankers or some shit, but..."

[spin_kick_snap]

Now Dante was half-rambling and it was adorable. "I promise not to bring up bankers or investment fund managers whenever we're in the vicinity of fucking," she said, dimples deep. "If I mention greed, it'll be about one of us."

[rebelseekspizza]

It wasn't like Dante had any kind of reason to be worried about bankers, really.

"I can live with that," he said, and decided to kiss that grin off her face.

[spin_kick_snap]

And when he did realize it, Kathy would be the first to admit unsexy af

Excellent tactic on his part. It took a few seconds, but eventually, Kathy stopped grinning and started kissing him back in earnest, offering up her mouth for his taking.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante's hand made it back up to her cheek, cupping it as he poured a little more energy into what was, honestly, a lazy if explorative kind of kiss.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy's own hands drifted across his back, tracing out the lines of muscle beneath his shirt, her thigh sliding in between his. Even if they didn't get much past kissing this afternoon, there's be no complaints here.

If for no other reason than because Dante was an excellent kisser.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante sighed into it, his hand smoothing gently over the lines of her shoulderblades under her own shirt. He nipped at her bottom lip, but didn't linger on it too much.

Absolutely no rush, here.