33 Apocalypse Ave (and eventually to Limbo City), Friday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

Last week, Kathy had been an utter lump, eating ice cream and playing sad music and watching a lot of TV while she got used to life without the guys. This week wasn't actually much easier, but Kathy's tolerance for her own moping had run out and left her needing to do something that wasn't just dwell.

Fortunately, it wasn't like she was lacking in options. With the guys gone and Raven spending most of her time out in the woods, the house was just too big and full of memories. So she was moving back to the apartment above Luke's - along with Raven, at least nominally - and this week she'd really gotten her ass in gear when it came to packing. Most of the upstairs was packed, even if those boxes were still mostly stacked downstairs, and now she was just cleaning out their old rooms of the detritus the always seemed to accumulate under furniture and in corners.

Like this old credit card bill of Dante's from...April of 2017. Kathy snorted and rolled her eyes, preparing to toss it into the bin that was half-full of junk when she noticed that one of the items on there was in Hangul. Wait. Had Dante been learning stuff in Korean?

Wait. 김치 크림 파이. Was that a-- Kathy grabbed her phone and did a quick search and yep. It was pretty much exactly the kind of website she'd been expecting with a name like that. Definitely didn't have to do with desserts, that was for damn sure.

"Oh." She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, especially since that was back when everything had still been really...rough...between them. They'd been friends, in a tentative kind of manner, but no more. So then why...?

"Hi, Portalocity? I've got a portal scheduled to Limbo City for later on this evening, but I was wondering, could I bump it up to earlier than that? Something this afternoon would be good, yeah."

[Open for calls, texts, and visitors before she goes, and LC folks afterwards!]

Comments

[that_oldsaying]

"I'd love to come in!" she cheered, beaming up at Kathy, then picking up the bag she'd set down next to her on the steps. "And I brought jam tarts!"

Jam was healthy, right?

"And--you're moving? To, to where Dante is?"

[spin_kick_snap]

Jam had at least been a fruit once. The Korean judge would let it slide.

"No, back to my old place, the apartment above the diner," Kathy said with a small shake of her head. "I don't really like where Dante moved to."

Which was a much nicer way of saying 'Limbo City has traumatized me almost every time I've visited, so fuck that city.'

"So you're stuck with me staying on the island for a little longer," she teased.

[that_oldsaying]

"I like being stuck with you," Alluka said happily, not at all bothered by the teasing. "It means that I have more people to love close by."

She loved Dante too, but now he was so far away.

"Can I help you move? And, and I bet Ringo would help too!"

[spin_kick_snap]

Very far away. Kathy felt that distance keenly.

"Sure!" Kathy said, pleased by the offer. "I'm still mostly packing, but if you two wanted to come around some day next week to help me get some of these boxes over there, I'd love that."

She headed into the kitchen, waving Alluka to follow. "Tea? I'm packing up the kitchen last, so I still know where all my tea stuff is."

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka giggled, following Kathy, and peering at the boxes as she passed them.

"I would like tea, thank you," she said, bouncing a little with each step. "And I'll let Ringo know, then! I've been meaning to talk to her anyway, so this just gives me another excuse."

[spin_kick_snap]

Each box was neatly labeled, because Kathy was entirely the kind of person who did that.

"So how did you do in your competitions?" Kathy asked, putting water on to boil and pulling down her tea options for Alluka to choose from. "In your final few weeks?"

[that_oldsaying]

She loved that about Kathy too, even though Alluka would never be that organized.

"The bruises are all gone now," Alluka said, like that was a bonus. It... it really was. "I never got as high as Ringo did, but I learned a lot!"

She was still a terrible fighter.

[spin_kick_snap]

And Kathy was entirely the kind of person who would also say It just takes a few moments of thought up front and then you'll be fine!. She was just lucky her friends were the forgiving type, honestly.

"If you end up getting more bruises like that, come see me and I'll help you put some Tiger Balm on them," Kathy said. "It's what I used when I was running around as Banzai." Biting her lower lip she added, "'Luka? I owe you an apology."

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka had a bunch to say about how she was probably going to get more bruises, but the utter absurdity of Kathy's other statement distracted her.

She set her bag, with the tarts in it, on the counter, with a laugh.

"For what, Kathy? You haven't done anything wrong!"

[spin_kick_snap]

Oh, Alluka. How she would love to have as much faith in herself as you had in her.

"I did though," she said softly. "When you called - I was in a weird place and I wasn't as supportive as I could have been. And then I tried to hide it, instead of just explaining. You're not a baby, or even the same girl who came to Fandom. I should have been more honest with you about my feelings and I wasn't. I'm sorry."

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka considered that as she looked at Kathy thoughtfully.

"They're your feelings," she said, after a moment. "You don't have to share them if you don't want to. It's okay to keep things to yourself, if you want to. No one has to tell me anything, at any point."

She didn't even really mind. Alluka didn't tell most people most of what she thought about either.

"I knew you weren't as happy as you can be and that was okay. And you tried--that mattered to me." That she'd been worth the effort of trying, even when Kathy hadn't been feeling it. That did matter. A lot.

"So... so, I accept your apology, but I don't think you have to apologize or feel bad about any of it," she finished simply.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I just want you to know that I do support you doing things that make you happy," Kathy said, reaching out for another hug. "Even if if scares me at the same time. Because I'm so proud of all the things that you're learning and doing and discovering. But that didn't come out well during our talk and it should have."

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka willingly snuggled into that hug.

"I know you love me," Alluka said, "and that you want me to be the best me. It's okay that you weren't the best you, that time, because all the other times you've told me everything didn't go away."

[spin_kick_snap]

That was a thing Kathy had trouble accepting. She knew that all the good things she did never erased the bad, but it was a lot harder for her to understand the same was true in reverse.

"I'm glad," she said softly, squeezing Alluka tightly and dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Because I do want you to be the best you, 'Luka. You're amazing and the whole world should know it. It's hard, sometimes, doing what you love when you think no one supports you, and I don't ever want you to think I'm not in your corner, cheering you on."

[that_oldsaying]

Well, maybe if Kathy was really bad... but Alluka couldn't imagine that.

"I won't forget, I promise," Alluka said solemnly. Then giggled. "But you'll like, I think, what else I decided to learn!"

She was pretty sure Kathy would support this all the way without having to worry about it at all!

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy had gone off and died because of her own hubris. She was pretty sure that was the worst thing she could ever do!

"Is it that vegetables are tasty, too?" she asked, wide-eyed and teasing.

[that_oldsaying]

Yeah, but Alluka didn't need to forgive her for that!

"Nnnnnno," Alluka said, giggling. "Kathy, that's just a lie!"

[spin_kick_snap]

Well, somebody should and it sure wasn't going to be Kathy any time soon.

"Why do you have to hurt their feelings like that?" Kathy asked, giving Alluka puppy eyes. "Veggies are delicious! They're so good so many different ways! Kimchi! Tempura! Stir-fry! Curry!"

[that_oldsaying]

"Weeeeeell."

Those were good points. Alluka rocked back on her heels.

"But, Kathy, I can't make those!"

Alluka's idea of vegetables was usually cold. With dip. Or those fun little steamer packs. And she wasn't going to learn better from Karla.

[spin_kick_snap]

All she'd learn from Karla is a giant lesson on what not to do, no, never.

"Well, why not?" Kathy asked. "They're pretty easy. Wanna learn?"

[that_oldsaying]

To be fair... that was a valuable lesson in and of itself. And Karla liked desserts, which made her alright in Alluka's books.

"I'd love to," she said happily. "But, but maybe not until after your move? I wouldn't want to get in the way?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"You can't be in the way, that's a physical impossibility," Kathy said, laughing. "You're practically pocket-sized, 'Luka."

The kettle started whistling, so Kathy moved to get it off the stove, bringing it over to their cups.

"But yeah. Maybe once I get settled into my place again, I'll throw a dinner party and then have you help me cook."

[that_oldsaying]

"I've grown a little," Alluka protested, laughing as she checked one of the cabinets for plates. "I'm sure I have!"

She hadn't. Like, at all. Nnnnnothing. Eternally small.

"But a dinner party sounds nice!" Except, er... "We won't be doing anything too complicated though, right? Papa Hannibal's dinner parties are always..."

She waved her hands. A bit much? Super fancy?

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh gosh no," Kathy said, shaking her head. "Especially if I was trying to teach you at the same time. Probably just a curry or something, you know? A nice sauce you could ladle over rice."

She sighed, eyes going far away for a moment. "One day, though, I'd like to do a proper big Korean dinner. A couple of big, fancy dishes and lots of little banchan. Maybe even some barbeque."

[that_oldsaying]

"What's a banchan?" Alluka asked, checking another cabinet and beaming when she found the plates. "Is that like an appetizer?"

She looked over at Kathy.

"And you can teach me, and then we'll do that, just the way you want it."

It... it sounded important to Kathy, somehow.