Caritas- Tuesday

[throughaphase]

The day after the kids left was always a tough one, but this year was especially hard, for Reasons. Kitty was no stranger to alternate timelines and possible futures and for the most part she'd always handled that stuff just fine, but now she had too many big questions she couldn’t get the answers to yet, and maybe there were certain answers she was hoping for, and maybe she was worried about her reaction if she got different ones, and anyway there was a lot going on in her head right now.

FIRST ROUND FREE
EVERYTHING IS DEPRESSING

Other people probably were having a lot of thoughts too.

[Open, no OCD!]

Comments

[uncertain_dume]

Kanan stepped into the bar, not completely convinced that stepping into the bar was the best life choice he could be making today. But here he was. Doing that. And looking at the specials board. And sighing.

"To the point," he noted. "I appreciate that. Better charge me for everything I drink tonight anyway."

Hey, Kitty.

[throughaphase]

At least there was someone to talk to who knew to cut him off.

“One full price Hairy Kanan, coming up,” Kitty agreed, getting a glass. “Should I ask how you’re doing?”“

[uncertain_dume]

"Still undecided," Kanan replied, frowning as he slid onto one of the barstools. "The weekend was what it was, I think I just left a ship to a kid in my will, and I'm going home broke tonight."

He seemed mostly resigned to that last bit.

"How are you holding up?"

[throughaphase]

“It’s complicated,” Kitty said with a frown, putting extra hair on the drink. She was a good friend that way. “It’s always tough, really. Sometimes more than others.”

[uncertain_dume]

And that's how you knew you had a good friend in your life; they were willing to make your drink chewy with coconut pieces. Kanan gave Kitty a forced grin.

"You know, last year, it was easy? Hera and I got this little girl, we took care of her for a few days, we sent her home to her parents, pretty sure that it was never going to happen to us anyway. Cute kid. Looked a lot like her mom. This year is different. I'm still working on figuring out exactly why."

[throughaphase]

And there was his Extra Hairy Kanan.

“This time sounded kind of heavy,” Kitty shrugged. “Even if your relationship with Hera’s changed since then, that could be a factor.”

[uncertain_dume]

"I didn't think it had changed that much." Kanan frowned. "Maybe it has. I'm starting to believe in the things she believes in. I've taken up a cause."

That could definitely lead to a kid who had never known his dad, for sure.

"Gotta keep reminding myself," he added, reaching for that hairy, hairy drink, "this place is like... dreams." Visions. Force visions. "Maybe none of it means what it seems like it's supposed to mean anyway."

[what_the_shock]

Miguel was less depressed than mildly wistful, thankful, and above all confused. But the bar seemed like a good place to deal with that, too.

"Hey." He waved at Kitty. "Can the first round be something really strong?"

[throughaphase]

“You good with straight tequila or want me to make an actual drink?” she checked.

Because ‘make it strong’ meant tequila.

[what_the_shock]

"Tequila works," Miguel said. "I'm still trying to process this weekend."

[throughaphase]

“Who’d you get this weekend?” she asked, getting a glass and a bottle.

[what_the_shock]

"A little girl, Gabi," Miguel said. "Adorable, and right now totally impossible. Also a handful."

[throughaphase]

And there was the tequila.

“Good handful of bad handful?” Kitty asked, since there was tequila.

[what_the_shock]

"Kid handful," Miguel said, downing that tequila. "Kid with superpowers handful."

[firstofitskind]

Oh look, Liam was joining the parade of dudes drinking their feelings.

"You've done this a few times, huh?" he asked, looking at the sign.

[throughaphase]

“It’s pretty old hat by this point,” Kitty confirmed. “What’ll it be?”

[firstofitskind]

"Beer," Liam decided. "Whatever's on tap." He didn't much feel like taking a risk with something stronger, lest he court the possibility of a hangover and just... nope.

[throughaphase]

“Coming right up,” she said, getting a glass. “What was your weekend like?”

[firstofitskind]

"Well, there's a future out there where Verity and I have two kids, apparently." Liam told her. "Kinda threw both of us for a loop, considering we've only been dating a few months." Still, he couldn't help the grin that formed when he thought about the possibility. "They were good kids, though."

[throughaphase]

“Been there,” she said sympathetically, giving him his drink. “You seem pretty okay about it, though.”

[what_the_shock]

Miguel raised his glass from down the bar. "Welcome. I'd like to apologize for any shrieking, giggling, or thumping you may have heard over the weekend."

[firstofitskind]

"I spent the weekend at Verity's," Liam admitted. "We had a couple of kids show up claiming to be ours. You too, then?"

[what_the_shock]

"Just one, but yeah." Miguel shook his head. "One with the energy of fifteen, I think."

[firstofitskind]

"One of mine tried to get herself arrested," Liam admitted with a grin. "Because she thought it'd be fun to try and escape a jail cell."

[what_the_shock]

"Shock," Miguel said, "don't give mine ideas! She'd drive the troopers crazy."