Room 508, Sunday Evening

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy hadn't intended to spend the evening grumpy. She had intended to get a more studying in; her AP classes were a lot more grueling than anything Fandom could come up with and she didn't have any dedicated class time to work on them. But after two hours of staring at Calculus problems and Spanish vocab, Kathy had decided she needed a break. She took Minako out for a walk (and fortunately, she hadn't wanted to stay out in the chill any longer than Kathy had!), and stopped in a common room long enough to boil some water for tea, but when she got back to her room, she found herself pulling up Tumblr on her laptop rather than settling back with a text book.

It's okay, she rationalized to herself. I'll just spend a few minutes catching up on my dash and then I'll get back to work.

An hour later, Kathy was typing VERY ANGRILY at some ass over racist Halloween costumes and the sexual fetishization of young girls in general and young Asian girls in particular. "Don't you even tell me that it's 'just a preference', you neck-bearded, mouth-breathing, spunk-stain!" Kathy snapped aloud. "You've been culturally conditioned to believe that we're all docile, pretty, and doll-like, who want nothing more than to cater to your every puerile, colonial fantasy!"

Yeah, there wasn't going to be any more studying done tonight.

[For one, please!]

Comments

[not_every_mage]

"Ah, better that than we start seeing each other and three months in you dump me for not being the other guy," Anders said. He was taking it almost completely in stride -- partially because he already suspected there might have been something like that, partially because coming in second to someone else was slightly easier to manage emotionally than if she just hadn't liked him that way at all.

His pride stung a little, that was all. He'd been through worse. (Besides, it was hard for him to think about Nathan and not feel like things had worked out in his favor.)

"So, who'd I lose out to?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"I don't think you lost out to anybody," Kathy said with a sigh. "Considering my state of perpetual singleness. I never even had a chance, really." She flopped down on her bed because this was the kind of conversation you needed dramatics for. "You probably don't know him--he's way older than us. I fell for the worst kind of cliche: the tall, dark, sexy, and mysterious superhero. Who probably thinks of me as a sidekick, assuming he thinks of me at all."

She pulled a pillow over her face and groaned. "The worst part is? It's been months and I still totally have a thing for him. That's pretty much the most pathetic thing ever."

[not_every_mage]

Anders flopped next to her. So Kathy's crush wasn't someone attainable: He couldn't decide if that made him feel better or worse. "No, I'm sure we could come up with some more pathetic things if we thought about it hard."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Impossible," Kathy declared.

This, of course, meant 'That would actually be really awesome if we could? Because I'm feeling pretty bummed about the whole situation.'

"He did, like, this sexy dance for me to in a bet and now I dream about that. Dreams! It's ridiculous. I'm ridiculous. There is nothing more ridiculous in the entire world."

Your cue, Anders.

[not_every_mage]

"Really? I think dogs in stockings are a little more ridiculous, myself," Anders told her. "Anyhow, if he's doing sexy dances for you at least he knows you exist."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I just insulted his pride or something," Kathy said, glad she rated somewhere above 'dogs in stockings.' "Something about him not being a great dancer? I don't even remember."

She groaned again. "Mind you, it was at his birthday thing that I set up for him. Because I'm both pathetic and obvious."

[not_every_mage]

"Sometimes obvious is good," Anders said philosophically, reaching to pat her arm. "If you weren't, how would he know you were interested? And I'd be thrilled if someone threw me a birthday party. I bet he was, too."

[spin_kick_snap]

"It wasn't a party? I just made a kind of...mini-theater thing. So we could screen an old Western. He loves them. His whole cowboy thing is hilarious."

With his posing and the way he sometimes forgot himself and started humming Dead Or Alive...

"When's your birthday? Maybe I'll collaborate with Nathan or something to throw you a good one. Have you ever had a birthday party?"

Kathy hadn't. At least, not beyond something her mom had thrown for the family when she was growing up.

[not_every_mage]

"Oh, it's not for ages," Anders told her, waving a hand vaguely. "It's in -- what do you call Justinian again? -- June. That one. But no, I haven't ever had a party for it."

Shocker: The Circle wasn't big on celebrating mage's name days. Most of Anders' recent birthdays had passed with little notice,and he'd still been too confused by the new calendar to realize his most recent one had happened until it had passed.

"When's yours?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Little over a month from now. December 17th. Which means that it mostly gets folded into Christmas anyways." Not that Kathy was bitter about that or anything, no!

Granted, before Fandom, her birthday would have gotten overlooked by her peers regardless of when in the year it had been, but it still stung anyway.

"I'm sorry we missed yours. I'll have to get you an unbirthday present to make up for it."

[not_every_mage]

"There are unbirthday presents?" Occasionally Earth customs weren't that bad. "And I probably won't do Christmas, so I'll make an extra-big deal out of your birthday. Lucky you."

[spin_kick_snap]

"There are unbirthday presents if we missed your real birthday," Kathy promised. "And will you be upset if you get Christmas presents anyway? I know it's not your holiday, but I like gift-giving."

She liked having friends to give gifts to.

[not_every_mage]

"Let's see, people want to give me things just because they like me," Anders said, pretending at thoughtfulness. "No, somehow I think I could live through that. Anyhow, we do First Day around the same time. There aren't usually presents for it but I can make new traditions."

He didn't want to accept without giving.

[spin_kick_snap]

"First Day? Like the beginning of the new year?" Kathy asked. "For us, that's about a week later. How do you celebrate back home?"

[not_every_mage]

"Exactly, the beginning of the new year," Anders nodded. "The Circle's idea of a celebration was to let us off classes at noon and give us a slice of soggy cake at supper. But in the real world you visit your friends and family, and there's a party in town with drinking and music and such."

He looked wistful, remembering childhood celebrations. "It was nice. Usually Ferelden's even cold enough to snow properly for once then, so there's lovely white stuff on the ground instead of gray slush."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Drinking and music is how we celebrate the New Year, too," Kathy said. "So you'll get to have that again. And you're supposed to kiss someone at midnight to ring in the New Year. It's supposed to be a giant party. And some people head to Times Square in New York City to watch the ball drop. It's televised all over the country."

[not_every_mage]

Anders grinned at that. "I suppose it makes sense some things would be universal. New years, new beginnings ... why not have a party?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Parties are the best way to celebrate anything," Kathy said. "And you're definitely getting an unbirthday party. Because for as long as you're not stuck in the Circle, you should enjoy every minute."

[not_every_mage]

Anders frowned. "When you say it that way it sounds as though you think I'm going back," he pointed out. "Like this is a vacation."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm sorry, that's not how I meant it," Kathy said, abashed. "Not at all. I mean, we've talked about you not going back there. I just meant--ugh, you know what I meant and I'm sorry I failed at saying it right."

[not_every_mage]

"No, it's all right," Anders told her, ashamed he'd snapped at her. "I know you didn't mean anything by it, I'm just touchy about it. Let's say I missed out on four years of parties and I'll be making up for those for a while."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I like that," Kathy said. "Especially because that means we get to make up crazy reasons to throw parties for you. Parties to celebrate you getting a haircut, or buying your first pair of jeans, or, y'know, your unbirthday."

She laid an understanding hand on his arm. "You have every reason to be touchy about it and don't let anyone tell you different. Cause anyone who tries is a major asshole."

And Kathy didn't swear without really good reason! So if she was cussing on your behalf, it was serious.

[not_every_mage]

"Anders had to shave today! Beer and cookies in the common room!" Anders tried, grinning back at her. "Actually, I may need to do that sooner rather than later."

Have a ridiculous party, he meant. Not shave.

[spin_kick_snap]

"...Wait, shave?"

Sorry, Anders! Kathy couldn't read narrative.

"But you wear the scruffy look so well!"

[not_every_mage]

"Have a party," Anders clarified, laughing. "And thanks. I do have to trim it once in a while so it doesn't start trying to be a beard."