Boston Mariott, Thursday Night

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy...Kathy wasn't doing so well. She had a whole slew of reasons why she wasn't doing well, from her realization she remembered everything about being dead, to finding out Raven had killed her family, to her run-in with Ezra at the Coterie-run bar when she'd just wanted to drown her sorrows the old-fashioned way, it had been one thing after another after a-fucking-nother.

Which was why the phone call at ten pm found her putting the last touches on her makeup and hair for an evening out on the town. Her outfit left very little to the imagination and even less as protection to the elements, but she didn't care. Hell, that was the whole point. This was the third night she was in Boston and the third night of making questionable choices in the pursuit of getting her brain to shut down so she wouldn't have to think about any of the things she didn't want to think about. Sure, it was a weeknight in the dead of winter, but Boston was a college town. There were always people willing to party.

Though that didn't explain how Eliot knew what was going on. She listened to his message with a frown and immediately called him back. The only person who knew she was here was Ezra, so who'd gone to Eliot, carrying tales?

[Eliot's thread is chronologically first, but open to phone calls or that guy in Boston if he'd like! NFB for off-island shenanigans. Content warning for alcohol as a coping mechanism in the comments.]

Comments

[vdistinctive]

And Eliot immediately answered, relieved she wasn't going to try to hide from him. "Kathy, darlin'. You got my message?"

[spin_kick_snap]

Well, it was pretty hard to hide. He had to have noticed she wasn't on the island anymore.

"Yeah," she said quietly, sprawled in a chair with one strappy, ill-advised high heel dangling off her foot. "And I figured there wasn't much point in pretending I hadn't. You'd just come looking for me if you got worried enough."

She was using credit cards and a cell phone. Hardison probably had her room number by now.

[vdistinctive]

He might've, but he'd been a little distracted the last couple of days.

"I ain't gonna apologize for worryin' about you, kid," he said. So there was something to worry about, then. The cook was right, it did make a certain amount of sense. "I know this can't be easy on you."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Damn right it's not," Kathy said bitterly. "You understood why I had to go, right? I mean, I just needed to get away for a few days. Try to wrap my head around it."

Which she wasn't exactly doing, true. But even though Eliot had said he wouldn't judge, she didn't think he'd exactly approve of her trying to lose her memories by losing herself in nights of drinking, dancing, and moderate debauchery.

...Would be more-than-moderate if she managed to work up the courage.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot had done worse himself, but one always does hope for better for one's children.

"Yeah, I done my share of splittin' to get perspective. Or to take my mind of things." He wondered suddenly if she was looking into . . . options. He hoped she understood that that fell firmly into 'no judgment' territory, but he couldn't think of how to broach the subject. "It, uh. Sounds like Raven's havin' a bit harder time with that, though."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Raven?!" Kathy snapped. "Raven's the reason I'm in this position in the first place!"

That wasn't fair. She knew it wasn't fair. There was so much more to this than Raven's confession. But figuring out how she felt about Raven meant untangling how she felt about all of this and Kathy was so not prepared for that.

[vdistinctive]

"Now, darlin', I get that it feels like -- wait what?" . . . Did shapeshifting even work that way? "I woulda put my money on Dante."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Dante?" Kathy asked, confused. "Why...okay, yeah, I guess it would've been Dante if he'd had the chance. But he didn't come out to see me after the first time I refused to leave." She laughed, bitterly. "Or talk to me or take my calls or anything but hate me."

Oh good, she still had the remains of a bottle of vodka. She was going to help herself to a nice tall glass. It was like a martini, but hold the olives. And the vermouth.

[vdistinctive]

Eliot recognized that sound. He'd gotten very good at identifying pouring liquids while working with an alcoholic mastermind.

"You may wanna cut that with somethin', darlin'," he said dryly. "You can get drunk if you want, but it ain't actually gonna do this situation any good."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I dunno," Kathy said flippantly. "I drink enough of it and it might just solve the problem for me."

At least it the short term. She didn't dream--or, rather, remember--when she was passed out.

[vdistinctive]

"Kathy, no." He'd said no judgment, but this was a really bad idea. "Okay, that is not a solution. If that's what you wanna do that's not a problem, kiddo, we can make it happen, but straight liquor ain't gonna do it."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy gave her phone a confused look. How was she supposed to pass out if she wasn't drinking? "You think, what, pills? Would be a better idea?"

Sure, she'd been tempted, both by the sleeping and the recreational varieties, but both had seemed like a much worse idea.

[vdistinctive]

"No! I mean -- yes, there are pills for it. But you should be talkin' to someone about it first. A professional."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Right," Kathy scoffed. She drained half the glass in one long swallow, just because she could. So there, Eliot. You weren't the boss of her. "Because I'm going to get more than four words out before they're looking up places to send troubled teens. Unless you think I should talk to Dr. Lecter about this?"

Which again, probably not. Because she still felt guilty about stealing from Jono years ago. Not quite as guilty, no, but still not comfortable enough to open up to him about everything.

[vdistinctive]

"Pretty sure that's not his specialty." Sure, he'd been a surgeon, but, like, a trauma surgeon or something. "And it's the 21st century, darlin'. I know your family was real strict and traditional and all, but we don't lock girls up for this stuff anymore."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy sputtered on her drink and spent the next thirty seconds coughing and gasping for air. God, vodka burned. "M-my family?" she demanded when she could speak again, though her voice was raspy. "After what Raven did--you're gonna bring up my family? Like any other family would be so forgiving of my little issue!"

Seriously! What family heard 'I remember what it was like to be a zombie' and thought, 'Aww, this is totally fine and healthy!'

[vdistinctive]

"I'm sayin' I am," Eliot tried. "And -- it ain't even something to forgive, hon. These things happen."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Well you're a lot more forgiving than I am," Kathy said coldly. "I haven't even had time to--what do you mean these things happen?"

It had taken her brain some time to catch up.

"To whom?"

Was there a spate of parent-killings performed by best friends that Kathy didn't know about?

[vdistinctive]

"Well, I ain't got statistics on it." He sighed. "And, alright, I'm pretty sure it probably doesn't happen exactly like this all the time." The whole 'shapeshifting best friend is the father' bit? Definitely a rarity. "But that doesn't have to mean it's the end of the world."

[spin_kick_snap]

"It was the end of my world, Eliot," Kathy said quietly, unable to believe that he could be so insensitive. "I mean, what else would you call it?"

[vdistinctive]

"How 'bout . . . a turning point," Eliot offered. "You've been through a whole lot this year. This probably feels like . . . the cherry on top of all that. But you've --" Well. 'Survived' wasn't quite the word, was it. "-- you've persevered. I know you can get through this, too."

[spin_kick_snap]

"But--but--" Fuck, she was crying now. Hadn't she done enough of that already? "You make it sound so easy! But every time I look at Raven, I'm going to be reminded of everything!"

[vdistinctive]

"Alright," Eliot said slowly. "I guess that's fair. But -- she did a lot for you too, right? Is this really somethin' to kick her out over?"

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy couldn't believe Eliot was taking Raven's side over this.

"Oh really?!" she demanded. "And how would you feel if she'd done this to you?!"

[vdistinctive]

". . ."