The Island to Various Rifts, Friday Through Sunday

[spin_kick_snap]

This is what happens when you stopped listening to the radio for the island; you were taken by surprise when you stepped on the island and saw that half of it looked like it belonged somewhere and somewhen else. Like, even moreso than usual.

Even with all the differences in the island, the first rift took Kathy by surprise as it opened up under her feet, too wide for her to bounce out. It reminded her a little too much of that column of light that had grabbed her to bring her to LA. Only this time it was down instead of up and when she looked around...

"Okay, I am not in Kansas anymore."

[For thems what are there with her.]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"No tattoos, if you don't believe the guy on his word," Dante said quickly, since the last name didn't exactly help.

[spin_kick_snap]

The ferocity in Kathy's eyes blazed for another long second as she pinned Max with a glare that could have melted flesh, but eventually they flicked back to Dante.

"No tattoos?" she repeated.

[magicinmyskin]

"Errr, I have one?" he said. "But it's just the bridge to the first song I wrote, nothing as offensive as whatever your guy has."

Thanks for that clarification, Max.

[rebelseekspizza]

"See, he's a musician," Dante said, putting a subtle emphasis on the 'musi'. "Not the same guy. So no reason to scare the shit out of him, okay?"

[magicinmyskin]

"Can confirm, you're legitimately scary," Max said. "Would not have guessed that, but am very aware of it now."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy flicked a glance over at him, but relented and sat back down. "Musician, huh?" she asked, voice still a bit frosty.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Apparently," Dante said, gaze flicking back to Max. "Look, man, just send your bill over here when you're done, all right? Sorry. It's been a long fuckin' year, that's all."

[magicinmyskin]

Max shook his head and, feeling rather daring, brought over Dante's discarded fountain soda. "No, no, it's fine," he said. "I don't know the half of it, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone go from laughing to that pissed without a damn good reason."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy gave him a brittle smile. It showed far more teeth than necessary "He kidnapped me," she said with a poisonous kind of sweetness.

[magicinmyskin]

"OhshitIamsosorry."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante took the soda - and winced when Kathy spoke. "Yeah," he said, "So... yeah."

[magicinmyskin]

Just because she wasn't openly bristling any more didn't mean she'd agreed to play nice.

"Did they at least, you know. Get him? Arrest him? Whatever?"

Max knew he shouldn't pry but...look, he was a sucker for learning about stuff, okay?

[rebelseekspizza]

"There was a stand-off," Dante said, trying to put this delicately. "He's dead. At least, as far as we know."

He shrugged, trying to take the edge off. "Hence the surprise."

[magicinmyskin]

"Now I feel like I should be buying you lot dinner," Max said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's some shit just to have spring up on you out of nowhere." He gave Kathy an apologetic glance. "I know I can't apologize for my face but I sorta want to. I didn't mean to bring you back to...I'm really sorry."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy opened her mouth. Closed it. Looked at Dante.

She had literally no idea how to deal with a sincere Maxwell Hale.

"I...it's not your fault," she said. "Like you said, you can't apologize for your face."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante didn't know how to deal with it either, exactly.

Dante liked it better when Max was a dead asshole and he didn't have to spend any time thinking about complicated feelings that face may or may not bring up. Even when that face was being incredibly nice.

"Seriously, man, it's fine," he said, offering Max a wry smile with a sincere look stacked on top of it. "Sorry you went for a soda and got a whole bundle of complicated crap, instead."

[magicinmyskin]

"Not even the most complicated thing I've heard today," Max assured them. "My music gets me involved with lots of after school projects here in LA. Complicated doesn't cover the half."

[spin_kick_snap]

Yeah, Kathy's face was going on a whole journey through that comment.

[rebelseekspizza]

So was Dante's, though likely for different reasons.

"Yeah, you are definitely not your doppelganger," he said finally. "Good of you though, man."

[magicinmyskin]

"My mom's fault," Max said lightly. "She used to teach high school physics before she retired. So she had me coming in to talk about sound waves and stuff and it just kinda stuck."

He grinned. "Also, I'm an aspiring musician in LA. I need all the extra income I can get."

[spin_kick_snap]

Fuck.

Kathy had laughed at that.

Just a small chuckle but...

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante snickered softly. "What do you play, anyway?" he said. "I used to be lead guitar in a high school band."

[magicinmyskin]

"Piano," Max said with a soft smile. "Took lessons all my life. I was allowed to quit Cub Scouts, football, and the drama club, but piano was mandatory."

To Kathy he asked, "You play anything?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Also guitar," Kathy answered after a half-beat of silence. "Acoustic, though." She gave Dante a crooked smile. "And vocals. Uh, not that I was really in the high school band."

[rebelseekspizza]

It was really weird seeing a smile like that on Max's face, Dante noted. "She wasn't really the big, get on stage and shout it out type in high school," he said easily. "I still am, though. Not really the same vibe as piano."

It was harder making small talk when you were squishing down your instincts to flirt at the same time.