The Luckiest Girl In The World

And there was Dante, strolling out of Anders' room with an audible yawn. "Mornin' Kat," he muttered, not quite alert enough to notice any of the differences yet, and reached past her to grab some pizza.

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Raven was swinging through for breakfast on her way to work, and stopped and blinked when she saw Kathy.

"Um," she said. "Hi there."

Clone, or de-aging? It wasn't the morning after prom, so this probably wasn't a random future kid, at least. . . .

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There was a boy. There was a boy and he was talking to her. There was a cute boy and he was talking to her.

...There was a cute boy and he was talking to her and he was--

"Naked!" she squealed, screwing her eyes shut tight. Her whole face turned bright red, she could feel it. "Oh my gosh you're naked!"

Did he know that? Was this some kind of nightmare where you realize you're at school without clothes on, but it was everybody else in this version?

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"... Yeah?" Dante said, nonplussed.

And then he turned his head to look at her and, um. "... Kathy?"

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WAS EVERYONE IN THIS HOUSE A NUDIST?!?

Kathy shyly waved at the blue girl, trying not to stare. She was clearly some kind of hero, but Kathy couldn't put a name to her. "Uh, hi? Would... would you like a bowl of cereal?" she asked with big eyes.

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Hey now, it wasn't Raven's fault that Dante was trying to steal her shtick.

"Cereal sounds good, thanks," Raven said, giving the girl a smile. She really really looked like a tiny Kathy, so that's what Raven decided she was. It was adorable. "Any big plans for the day?"

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"Yes?" Kathy asked, her eyes still very much closed. "Umm...hello? Sorry. If that was rude. Pointing out...you know. That."

She was not going to point. Because if she pointed, she might point to...something...and then she would have to die.

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"No, ma'am, I don't think so," Kathy said, very politely keeping her eyes on Raven's own so they wouldn't get distracted and start...looking. At everything. Right. "I'm here for an enrichment program through my school."

Very vague, like she couldn't quite remember all the details. All that mattered was that she was supposed to be here, right?

"But I'll definitely find something to do!" she added quickly, lest this person think she was slacking off. "I just, umm, haven't yet. Sorry."

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"You can relax," Raven assured her. "I'm not keeping track or anything." Tiny!Kathy clearly didn't recognize her, so she offered her hand. "I'm Raven, by the way. I live here. Sort of."

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"Fuck, you're a kid."

... Sorta.

"... Right, hold on," Dante muttered, backing out of the kitchen. Where had he thrown his jeans last night...?

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"I'm thirteen!" came the automatic protest of children everywhere.

Though at least with him gone, Kathy could open her eyes and put her hands on her cheeks to help them cool, maybe.

She didn't know why there were naked boys staying at her enrichment program, but trying to figure that out meant thinking about him more (and the few glimpses she'd gotten) and that way led to blue-screening.

So maybe she should just get her cereal.

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Dante didn't come back for another few minutes, in which time he'd pulled on a pair of jeans and a tank top.

He ducked his head back into the kitchen. "So... save some pizza for me?"

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"Hi," Kathy said, gravely extending her hand. "I'm Kathy Li. Thank you for your hospitality during my stay."

Even if this was a house of nudists.

"If there's, umm, any way I can be of assistance while I'm here, I would be happy to help."

Honey, you had bangs. Clearly you couldn't even help yourself.

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Kathy tried not to look too relieved to see that the boy was fully dressed. And told herself she wasn't even the least bit disappointed, either.

She also startled again at the surprise of being directly addressed. "Oh! Oh, sorry, I, umm, will?" She wasn't even eating pizza now. "It, uhh, wasn't mine, so I wouldn't...that is..."

She was talking too much. To a boy. She ducked her head and her soft voice got even quieter.

"Sorry. Right. Pizza for you, got it."

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"Nice to meet you, Kathy," Raven said. "That's nice of you to offer, but I'm pretty sure the rule is that if you're the guest, you don't have to do anything you don't want. Now, is there anything you need from us to make you more comfortable?"

She would even be willing to put on clothes for awhile, if it helped. Or at least pretend to.

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Oh, but Kathy could never ask. That would be rude.

"Oh no," she said hastily, shaking her head. "No, thank you, everything is lovely. My bed is huge!"

That last was true. Kathy had never even seen a kingsize bed before.

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"It's okay," Dante said, sliding past her. He threw her an easy grin as he went for the fridge. "I'll get it."

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"Sure is," Raven agreed with a little laugh. "Big enough for three whole people, practically."

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Oh. He was smiling at her. Boys never smiled at her. She blushed again and slid down into her seat a little way. "Sorry," she said again, because Kathy and apologies were OTP. "If--tomorrow I could--?"

Okay, Kathy was in a polyamorous relationship with not finishing sentences, too.

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"Oh, like siblings?" Kathy asked, not having braved certain parts of the internet. "I had to share a bed with my little sister when we were younger, too. But then we got bunkbeds."

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". . . Sure." Raven might change her mind later, but for right now, she was not going to break tiny!Kathy's brain. "Or, like, if someone wanted to bring a big dog or something."

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That make Kathy break out into a big grin, and even under the bangs and the features that didn't quite fit right, there was no mistaking Kathy in that grin.

"Is there a big dog?" she asked, looking around like she might just have missed it walking in.

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"Nah, I can take care of myself," Dante said easily, and took the box out of the fridge before shutting it. "Sorry about before. Didn't expect you to be here."

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"Not right now," Raven said apologetically. "Well. Unless I get into a Mood, you know?"

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