33 Apocalypse Ave, Tuesday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

It was October, even if the weather didn't match Tumblr's expectations of the month, and Kathy was getting into the spooky spirit. She'd decorated the living room with some window decals and a small stuffed bat for the cats to play with, there were a chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven and a bowl of ganache cooling on the counter for chocolate monster cookies, and two gallons of apple cider sat in the fridge, waiting to be mulled or spiked with cinnamon-flavored booze.

Now she was sprawled on the couch, playing through her repertoire of songs she'd learned on the guitar, and trying to figure out if she could learn to play Bad Moon Rising before it ceased being relevant. Hmm, maybe she should try to play something off of the Bad Seeds' Murder Ballads instead.

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"It's not about theory. You just gotta listen. Break it up into parts," Dante said. "That's the only way you learn how to make it."

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"Do you want to make music?" Kathy asked. "Not just play others' but make it yourself?"

She didn't. She was happy following the directions of others, obeying the notes across the stage or the fingerwork of someone better. But even if Dante just broke music down now to recreate what he heard, she was pretty sure that was just one small step from mixing it up to make something new.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I've been thinking about it," Dante admitted. "Until a few weeks ago, Starsmore'd have like, jam nights? It was fun."

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"Who used to come for that?" she asked. "Just a few people, or...?"

Cause, like...they had a house. People could fit in it.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Just a couple, yeah," Dante said. "Sometimes just me and Starsmore."

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"Any reason you can't invite him and other folks here?" she asked. "Not the Boards, but there's room for people and instruments."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Run jam sessions myself? I dunno. Might wreck my image," Dante said. But thoughtfully.

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"Yeah," Kathy agreed impishly. "I mean, you've got nothing else going on that could challenge your disaffected loner image."

Like, oh, ridiculously domestic bliss living with his partners or anything.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante rolled his eyes at her. "I'm not a guy who runs things," he complained.

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"Who said anything about running?" Kathy asked, skipping over all the evidence she could point to the contrary. "You tell people to show up to play music and drink beer. You bat your unfairly blue eyes at me until I begrudgingly agree to provide refreshments. And then you spend the evening bitching about how much easier this is at the Boards until Mr. Starsmore agrees to host again. That's not running, that's playing music with the door open."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Ugh," Dante said, which essentially meant: fine.

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Kathy's lips curved and she didn't say anything more, looking down at the guitar to make sure her fingers were spaced correctly and replayed the original line of notes Dante'd had her practice.

"Not sad you're missing out on--what, skiing?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"I could be rolling around in cold snow on a mountain somewhere, or I could be here and get laid every day," Dante said. "Hard choice."

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"Hey now, ski resorts have lodges with booze and fireplaces," Kathy pointed out. "You could be inside with a guitar and a cup of boozy hot cocoa instead."

But still not getting laid so the choice remained pretty one-sided.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Still not as fun as getting laid," Dante said. Predictably.

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"Yeah, but how many times have you been skiing?" Kathy teased.

She was happy having Dante right here, thanks. If they all could have gone on the trip, sure maybe, but otherwise...? Yeah, she liked having him around.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Basically never?" Dante said. He was plucking the strings at random now, caught in the main chord from the opening notes but skipping the melody. "Whatever. Can't be better than being here."

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"Yeah, I mean, Austrian pizza can't be any good," Kathy teased gently. "And I think their main alcohol is schnapps. You made the right call."

And, you know. She'd miss him, even with Anders and Raven about.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Ewww, schnapps," Dante said, giving a theatrical shiver. "That's shit you drink when you're already drunk and there's no antifreeze left."

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Kathy laughed. "Only you would go for the antifreeze first," she said. "Cinnamon schnapps is supposed to be good in...other things?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"In other people?"

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"Hey, if it's between just those two, I'll drink the schnapps, you can have the antifreeze," Kathy decided. "I'll even take the really weird flavors, like pineapple and juniper berry."

[rebelseekspizza]

"You gotta have some standards, Kat," Dante said, shaking his head. "Otherwise it's just sad."

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"And my standards start right after 'drinking antifreeze,'" Kathy decided. "That, and wood alcohol. I'm pleased with my choices."

Beat.

"And major American beers."

[rebelseekspizza]

"American beer is fine," Dante said.

If you drank copious quantities of it in rapid succession, sure.