Chilly Boulder, Sunday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy was trying hard to ignore the ticking clock that heralded Sarah's return to the woods. She remembered this from her own stint two years ago; that inexorable magnetic pull that only got stronger as time went on. Thinking about that time hurt - especially with Dante's recent realizations - but not as much as realizing this might be the last time she ever got to see her sister's face again. So she kept stealing glances, trying to memorize every line and curve, to keep it fresh in her heart for as long as she could.

She was also taking lots of pictures. Lots and lots, because memory was only good for so much.

"Hurry up," she urged, like this was just a random Sunday, out trying to outbrat her little sister. "The ice cream's gonna melt at this rate."

"I was making sure you had enough Portraits Of A Young Girl Choosing Ice Cream on your phone," Sarah replied, rolling her eyes. "You suck at being sneaky."

"Only around sneaky people," Kathy said, handing over her credit card while her sister ordered a Ben Skywalker.

Only a few more hours left. But damn if the Li sisters weren't going to make the most of them.

Comments

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo had been pretty bad about seeing people the past couple of weeks. She'd been spending a lot of time in her own head, thinking about the trip she'd taken with Alluka over the Summer. What she'd seen and done, and what that might mean for her own future.

But being stuck in her own head didn't mean she didn't get out. There was AirTrek to be done, after all.

And, sure, the weather was turning a bit cooler, but that was no reason not to wrap up a run with ice cream, right? Right!

So the door swung open and the soft whining sound of Ringo rolling into the Chilly Boulder at a speed that rational people agreed was low enough not to be a threat to life or property signaled the imminent consumption of way too much sugar.

[spin_kick_snap]

That was fine. Kathy hadn't really been around the last two weeks to be visited. Getting magically kidnapped to Los Angeles had made socializing a bit rough.

"I know that noise," Kathy said to Sarah, before sticking up her arm and waving. "Hey, Ringo, c'mere! I've got someone I want you to meet!"

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo blinked, then grinned, changing direction once she spotted Kathy. "I hope you realize most people would have to wait for me to get my ice cream first," Ringo declared, planting her hands on her hips and trying to sound haughty about it.

All the years at Fandom had not appreciably improved her acting capabilities.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Yeah, but when you're summoned by your senpai, you jump," Kathy said with a laugh. "Anyway, Ringo, I want you to meet my little sister, Sarah. She's, uhhh, visiting for the weekend."

[nobodydoesntlike]

"Hi," Sarah said, waving to Ringo. "Nice to meet you."

Turning back to Kathy, she asked, "Hey, is this the friend you went to Japan with over New Years?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

It really should have been kind of obvious, what with the whole family resemblance thing, but Ringo's eyes still went wide. "You sister?"

For the weekend?

Oh. For the weekend.

Right.

Ringo put on a smile. "Sarah, huh? You know, I always wanted to meet you." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Ringo Noyamano. Kathy really helped me out when I first started school here."

[nobodydoesntlike]

Sarah took her hand and shook it. "That sounds like Kathy all right," she said, smiling some. "Does that mean you have lots of fun and embarrassing stories to tell me about her? Cause she keeps ignoring me when I ask for them."

"Sarah, you are the worst sister," Kathy complained.

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka had missed lunch! And since nothing in the dorms had really appealed (or been easy enough to figure out how to make), she'd decided that she'd been good lately.

And that meant ice cream for lunch was a totally viable plan.

She bounced through the door, bunny in her arms, and began studying the selection.

Which had the most chocolate?

[nobodydoesntlike]

Sarah was coming up to snag more napkins after an argument with Kathy had led to wild enough gesticulations with a spoon that there was ice cream everywhere. "'Scuse me," she said, giving the other girl a pleasant smile. "Gotta clean up after my big sister, story of my life."

Sarah, that wasn't true. Wouldn't even be if you were actually alive.

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka giggled.

"Ice cream's worth cleaning up after," she offered, smiling back. "At least, sometimes."

[nobodydoesntlike]

"She's the one that spilled it everywhere, but somehow it's my fault," Sarah sighed, rolling her eyes back over her shoulder so Kathy would know she was being talked about. "Big sisters are slave-drivers," she added, making sure to pitch her voice loud enough so Kathy could hear, too.

[that_oldsaying]

Following the girl's movement, Alluka glanced over and saw... Kathy?

"Kathy's not a slave-driver," Alluka said, as she mulled over the rest of what the other girl had said. "She's always nice."

Though she was obsessed with vegetables and fruit.

Alluka considered the girl in front of her.

"You're dead, right?"

She was rather lively, for being dead, but Alluka supposed she'd never been dead and so wouldn't know if that was normal. Or maybe it was like how Kathy had been, before Nanika had brought her back...?

[nobodydoesntlike]

"Wow," Sarah said blinking. "You're blunt. But yeah, I'm dead. Just visiting for the weekend till I've gotta go be dead again. Figured I'd check up on my unni and see how she was doing and make sure everybody's treating her right."

Because sometimes...well, sometimes Kathy was bad at that. "I'm Sarah."

[whoisalicewhite]

Parker was avoiding Eliot's Pop. Because of Emotions and Reasons, that's why. Chilly Boulder also had ice cream, always a good reason to visit.

And hey, there was Kathy, with a girl? Who looked like her? And maybe interrupting would be okay. Or maybe it would be Not Okay? What to do, what to do.

Mostly, what to do was stand there and stare at them questioningly.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Parker!" Kathy cried, waving her in. She'd only seen Parker briefly when she had made it home, she'd been pretty much immediately swept off and brought home while Parker had still been worrying over and Eliot and Raven. "I have someone I'd like you to meet if you want!"

[nobodydoesntlike]

"Re-meet," Sarah corrected. "We met once before, remember? The night at the diner where that guy punched Dad."

That was...a lot of glee in her voice right there, yes.

[whoisalicewhite]

"Oooooooo," Parker said, looking more cheerful. "Sarah. Right?" That was a fun memory. "Eliot. Whose Dad is visiting." So, head's up on that, Kathy. "He's a jerk. I'm glad you're here." Especially instead of your dad. She looked over at Kathy to see how she was handling this visit, and settled in at the table after a minute's uncertainty.

[nobodydoesntlike]

"Ugh, Dad," Sarah said, rolling her eyes. "He's totally not invited. Even if he wasn't an ex."

[whoisalicewhite]

Sarah seemed about as okay with being dead as Nick had been. Parker felt a brief pang, remembering his visit, and wishing he'd come back again.

"So he's still... out there, somewhere?" Parker waved her had toward the West Coast, and then paused, thinking, ick. "But yeah. I'm glad you're visiting." To Kathy, she said, "No one for me this time. Just as well."

The only other option would be one of her parents had died, and really, she never needed to see them again anyway. "What are you guys getting up to?"

[smilestopscars]

Ezra had promised lurid details.

... Okay, he'd said there might be some. He knew better than to make promises about things that depended on him not being lazy or forgetful. But, he'd recuperated from Friday night's excesses by Sunday, so Kathy's phone was ringing.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy very nearly didn't pick up; she was spending time with Sarah after all. Only seeing Ez's name on the caller ID had her answering at all. "Hey, Ez," she said, smiling into the phone.

Sarah's head shot up at her sister's greeting. "Ez? As in Ezra?" she asked in a squeal that could probably be heard halfway down the street. "As in hot guy you used to make out with?"

"Oh my god, yes, hush!"

[smilestopscars]

"Hey, dumpling," Ezra said -- or at least it's what he was halfway through saying when he heard the squealing. So, sounding amused, he followed it up with, "Wait, who's that?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"No, you can't have the phone," Kathy said, trying hold back Sarah's grabby hands and still talk at the same time. "At least let me explain, jeez!"

Back into the phone, she said, "I'm here with Sarah, Ez," she said softly. "It's one of those weekends."

He knew the one.

[smilestopscars]

"Oh."

Yeah, he knew the one. That single syllable was a soft one. Empathy, and other emotions like it.

"How is she?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"A brat, as per usual," Kathy said, sounding resigned - and like that resignation hid a thousand emotions below it. Emotions she wasn't quite ready to deal with yet. "Creepily eager to talk to you, in fact."

"Tell him I still remember that he tattled on me!" Sarah called.

"I'm sure he heard you just fine. As did people in Timbuktu. Aren't you supposed to be more mature than this?"