Barry's Old Warehouse, Warehouse District, Sunday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

So. The island could turn her back into an ex at literally any moment. That was not a thought that was good for Kathy's peace of mind. Being an ex again, for however short a time, had not been good for Kathy's peace of mind. She hadn't been a mindless husk that had seen everything that moved as 'prey,' no, but that was cold comfort when she had spent the day eating brains.

Sharing brains with other people.

Hunting small creatures to get--

Her stomach lurched again, just thinking about it. She hadn't eat much this past week just for that reason. It felt like February all over again, when eating had been a struggle, the very act bringing up memories she didn't want to relive.

Distantly, Kathy knew she should go home, deal with the mess left in her room, deal with the mess that was her life. And she would! She just--couldn't yet. Not while she still felt like this, ten pounds of crazy in a four pound bag. She just needed to get a handle on it--was trying to get a handle on it--and when she did, she'd go home. She'd apologize for worrying everyone, she'd clean up, she'd be okay.

Soon. Just not now.

[Open]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante took a bite, nice and easy. Mmm. Melted cheese. "And I appreciate the pizza," he said, throwing her a wink.

Wasn't that far back home.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Thought you might," Kathy said, taking a meditative bite of her own. "Hey. How did Anders--is he okay? He didn't--"

You know, he'd been a demon. And had eaten brains. Two not-great things there.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I think he's all right," Dante said, as they approached the house. "Not as much trauma about this one as you've got."

He set her down on the steps.

[spin_kick_snap]

For a moment, they were equal in height and Kathy smiled into his blue, blue eyes before ducking her head and getting a firmer grip on the pizza box.

"Guess we should head in." She felt oddly reticent about it, like she was a stranger entering a house without permission. Brain, why were you like this?

[rebelseekspizza]

"After you," Dante said, patting her hips.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy nodded, squared her shoulder, lifted her chin, and marched into the house. That impressive show of house-entering bravado lasted roughly until she passed the lintel and then it all slid away, leaving her sagging a little, even as she stood upright.

It looked--felt, smelled--exactly the same, so she couldn't figure out why she was feeling so anxious about being inside. You know, other than because she'd turned into a zombie right here and now it was as if there was a bit of that lingering still.

...oh.

"I should go get changed," she said. "Take a shower. Comb my hair. Shave. Figure out a better order to do all that in."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante nodded.

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Shower seems like a good place to start," he offered. "Not that I'm complaining."

[spin_kick_snap]

"That's cause you're too nice," Kathy told him, setting the pizza box down on a table before heading to her room. Her voice floated back down the hall. "I know, that's probably something you hear all the time, right?"

A tease, but she did mean it. Dante was a good guy. Sometimes too good, honestly.

She stood outside her room, visibly steeling herself before going it. But like he'd promised, he'd gotten rid of...that, the window open to let light and fresh air spill inside. Her room might not be as tidy as she'd kept it in high school, but it was clean. Uncontaminated.

Stripping off her pjs and honestly unsure if she'd ever be able to bring herself to wear them again, Kathy tossed them into the hamper, snagging her towel and heading for the shower.

Surprised by how grateful she was to be home.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante stayed in the living room, his feet propped up on the table as he leaned his chair back at a nigh-impossible diagonal angle.

He wasn't heading in after her, but he was alert, listening for anything unusual.

He'd dealt with traumatized people before. Not just himself, either. You never knew.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy honestly thought she was okay again. She'd eaten, she was back home, she should be okay. So she was probably more surprised than Dante when she burst into tears while washing her hair.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante could hear something.

Should he go in there...? Or should he stay here?

He tilted his head, trying to listen.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Stop crying, why are you crying?" Kathy demanded of herself between sobs. "You're fine, you don't have anything to cry over. Stop crying."

This was fine, this was all fine, she was just gonna have a small breakdown in the shower and then get out and be okay.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante sighed and slid out of his seat. He walked to the bathroom, tugging his shirt off on the way, but hesitated. What if she didn't want him there?

He opened the door and stepped inside.

[spin_kick_snap]

Right now, Kathy could say what she wanted or what was wrong if you paid her. She'd spent several days in a broken daze, brain playing horrorshows on repeat, but she hadn't really dealt with it.

"H-Hello?" she asked, trying to sound fine and normal and now like she was huddled in one end of the shower with suds in her hair. "Is someone--"

[rebelseekspizza]

"It's me," Dante said, stepping into the shower. "Hey."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy tried to scramble up to her feet, but even with perfect balance the combination of soap, water, and tile just had her flailing around awkwardly for a moment before she got herself under control. "H-Hey," she said, trying not to sniffle. Tears could be shower water, right. "I, uh, was just..."

Failing at finding excuses.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante let out a soft sigh and reached out for her.

He'd learned over the past year that hugs helped in the war against crying girls. She looked like she needed one.

[spin_kick_snap]

She wasn't crying! It was water! It made her...face red and blotchy! And...oh hell.

Kathy wrapped her arms around him and just let herself cry it all out. "I'm trying to stop, I just don't know how!"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Don't," Dante said.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I should be done crying over this now!" She sounded exasperated, under the thick and watery voice. "Nothing happened."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Yeah, it did," Dante said, wrapping his arms around her tighter. "Took a punch to an open wound."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I just--I want to be done crying about this. I want to be done talking about this. I just--I want to be done."

No more needing to run away. No more needing Dante to swoop in and make her feel better. She used to be so fucking independent! She took care of other people, not the other way around.

"I'm so tired of being the way I am."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Too bad," Dante said.

He'd never liked being the person anybody tried to take care of, least of all her. But he was used to it; his own dysfunction had turned into such a thick fucking layer of calluses he'd been downright surprised when part of it had been stripped away and exposed skin to air for the first time in years.

But she had no such calluses, and he didn't want her to grow any.

"You're not going to be done until it's done."

[spin_kick_snap]

And Kathy was discovering she didn't like being taken care of. No, that wasn't quite right--she didn't like needing to be taken care of. She wanted to be a partner, an equal, not someone's fucking responsibility.

"I feel pathetic," she said and this time when she looked up at him, anger flashed in her eyes. "And I hate it."

No, she didn't feel pathetic. She was pathetic. This whole 'crying in the shower' bullshit? Was pathetic.

[rebelseekspizza]

"You wanna punch me?" Dante asked.

Look, there were limited amount of ways he knew about to handle anger.