<> <> * Threnody (explodes. However, Roch's theory was correct, and he WAS filled with candy.) (Hooray! Candy!) (Awesome.) (But he's a pinata!) <> * Katherine gestures with her empty glass. "Ah, well. I figure getting her out of the room is a good start." (Prag doesn't have joins. He's a cylinder.) (Joints, even.) (Ba-dum-ching!) * Threnody blinks, taking an ice cube out of his and chewing on it distractedly. "Why's that?" * Katherine frowns at her glass, then says, "Because it still feels like her mind's trapped in TC. Can't have fun, Fummers will eat me." She puts the glass down. "Maybe it's just the stress." * Threnody mms and looks away distractedly. "She's had a lot on her mind lately." * Katherine nods slightly, but says with a little annoyance, "Well, she could share. I didn't really offer her a place at my apartment because of an old boyfriend." She sighs and shakes her head, picking up her purse. "But you said you two had your reasons." * Threnody says, into his glass and quite bitterly, "There's a lot of things I can't say because of her, and..." He takes a breath, and seems to deflate a little. "...it's a little tiring." * Katherine chuckles a little and says dismissively, "Well, ain't that the way with us? ATC, Europa, whatever. Secrets galore. Maybe we should see Stan the second about setting up a store." She stands and adjusts her hat. "Well, you're not gonna be doing any drinking. Wanna walk a little, at least?" * Threnody considers this a moment, then nods. "Might as well. I'm feeling too restless to go back and sleep." * Katherine grins a little. "Good." She reaches out with her free hand in a 'get up' sorta manner. * Threnody blinks, and gets up without any assistance whatsoever! He doesn't even have to roll. (Obviously not drinking enough.) (He had some water.) (And some cranberry juice and ginger ale. Forgot that.) * Katherine walks out of Prag's! And she stands there out front looking around. <> (I wasn't. I was playing indecisivev.) * Threnody walks! He avoids obstacles in his path! He is a bad enough dude to save the president! He does not have a Vitamin C deficiency! (All those things and cute too.) * Katherine starts walking. Not towards the hotel, though. * Threnody laces his arms behind his back, plodding along. "Have somewhere in mind?" * Katherine swallows nervously, then says with a weak chuckle, "Wouldn't you know that already?" * Threnody sighs and rubs his temples. "No, and I'm a little offended you'd think so." * Katherine walks down into a subway, "I don't know what sorta things you just pick up, Thren. How should I know what you don't know?" (NOW who's Ethel and Vern? >_<) * Threnody says, quietly, "I pick up most things, but I spent years learning how to block most of it out. Not listening to a single person is child's play." * Katherine chuckles a little. "Ah. Well, I was... sorta... thinking of just looking around." Beat. "Back in the old neighborhood." * Threnody ahhs faintly, glancing around. "So, you grew up in Red Atlanta." * Katherine nods, "Well, I..." She goes into the subway thing, hitting the printer a little hard. Poor thing. "They moved from Twilight before the fall, so mom could be closer to work." * Threnody is not so hard on the 'printer, because he is a gentle soul. "...'Mom'?" * Katherine smirks and waits for the train. "Sorry, I usually use the bitch, but you don't like that." A pause, then she continues, "The post-Europa promotions, and Ronnie's new position, sorta meant that she needed to be a little closer than TC, and when things started going downhill... well." * Threnody mmms faintly, deciding not to rise to the bait. "Red Atlanta isn't such a bad place to live. To hear it told, even before the gangs took over, Twilight City wasn't very pleasant." * Katherine mms slightly.. "It wasn't so bad. It was cheap, and... well, I'm you know what she did for fun." The train arrives, and she steps on. * Katherine shakes her head. "Dammit, I'm getting mixed up. Yes, grew up here." * Threnody frowns. "I'm starting to wonder," he says carefully, stepping onto the train, "how much of that is just something in your head." * Katherine looks at Thren angrily for a sec, then sits down in a seat. "You wouldn't be the only one, but it's just not that fucking easy." Beat. "We're on the lookout for the Henderson Avenue stop." She rubs her face in her hands. * Threnody lets the anger roll off his back like water from a duck. "I'll keep an eye out, I suppose." * Katherine mumbles a, "Thanks." Then she pauses for a bit before saying. "I guess I do know where I'm going now." * Threnody closes his eyes a moment, then opens them and looks around. "How long has it been since you've been 'home'?" * Katherine sighs, pauses a second, then says, "A little under 3 years 9 months. Around the time of the second buncha bugs." * Threnody nods a little, lacing his arms behind his head and looking up. "You ran to Twilight City, I believe... right?" * Katherine looks up from rubbing her face and chuckles slightly, not actually seeming amused by it anyway. "Good timeline skills." * Threnody closes his eyes. "It was just a guess from what I knew." * Katherine looks up at the current stop, shakes her head. "Which is why I said it was a good one." * Threnody continues to look at the ceiling absently. "But something made you come back." * Katherine mutters, "Yeah. This stupid Concordat and fate and Ronnie." <> (Like the rest of the city.) * Threnody mmms faintly. "And you never came back because all this time, you didn't want to face Chako." He pauses. "What about your father?" (Isis was not terribly clear on this point.) * Katherine laughs a little. * Katherine leans back in her chair and grins a little. "It's a little nonstandard. For all intents and purposes... Chako was my biological father." (Because everyone knew she was always a man.) * Threnody blinks, but doesn't swing his head down. Clean ceilings intrigue him. "...I see." <> (Awesome.) * Katherine glances at the stops. "Oh, hey, Henderson." She stands up. "You do? Most people need diagrams or at least an explaination." (Imagining ChibiKat in front of a chalkboard explaining genetics.) * Threnody also stands up, brushing off his pants out of habit. "I'm not a total fool, contrary to many people's expectations. It's a little unorthodox, but I understand the basics." * Katherine shakes her head and walks. "Well, I meant that most people didn't have friends in the biggest corporation in the world a little over 20 years ago to pull that sorta shit. But Krissy..." she trails off. <> (...er. Sorry, mental tangent.) <> (Heh.) * Threnody puts his finger to his chin in thought. It's adorable. "...oh! Chako's roommate. Mother mentioned the name a few times. They'd only met cursorily, when MOther helped in the first resurgence." (And I have no idea how old I was then.) (2073. Uh. At least 6?) (2073 was how many years ago?) (16. It was at an unspecified point in the year.) * Katherine nods. "Good memory. Yeah." She heads down the street, and chuckless faintly, saying in an almost reminiscing manner, "After the war, mom tried for things, but Chako was stubborn. It took them three years and change..." (So I was either 5 or 6.) * Threnody blinks a few times. "I'm beginning to lose track of who's who, now. 'Mom' is Krissy?" * Katherine chuckles a little. "This is where I make the diagrams and such. Yeah, mom is Krissy. I just stopped thinking calling Chako 'Dad' was funny in my early teens, so I switch it around." She rubs her hands together. "I really hope she's not there." (While Cham still thinks it's funny.) * Threnody mms faintly, and follows, not venturing an opinion there. * Katherine , if uninterrupted, makes a turn onto Marlin Street and goes down a house or two, before stopping dead in front of a nice two-story white one. She stands on the walk in front and stares at it. <> * Threnody comes to a stop also, looking at the house carefully. "It's a nice house." * Katherine smiles a little. "Yeah. You should see the basement." She walks over a little and tries to look in the windows. Good thing it's dark, someone might think she's a stalker. Er... <> (Well, she's more looking to see if Chako's around. ^_~) * Threnody clears his throat. "You look like a burglar. Just ring the bell already." <> * Threnody pauses, tilting his head. "Besides... I don't think she's inside." * Katherine looks over at Thren, clearly nervous. "Are you kidding? What will I say to Krissy? What if the bitch is home? What if she's heard all about Ronnie and me?" * Threnody nods his head once. "I know she's not. Somehow I feel like I'd sense it if she were." * Katherine sighs a little and rubs her hands together. Then she takes off the hat and glasses and runs her fingers through her hair. * Katherine stuffs the glasses and hat into her purse and walks up to the door. Assuming the laser traps don't kill her, she even manages, after a second of hesitation, to ring the bell! <> <> * Threnody stays behind, watching expectantly. (It's 11. Let's speed this up a little, Mike?) <> (Sorry. We got into Kat Backstory and it took time. ^_^;) <> "What happened, did your girlfriend dump you?" * Threnody blinks, eyeing the woman with careful curiosity. * Katherine chuckles and smiles weakly. "Couldn't I get a 'Hi' before I get into explaining Ronnie's bizarre behavior, mom?" "You could have sent a postcard, a voicemail. Something! I nearly choked on my bagel." <> "Give your mom a hug, and then come inside before the sentry robots come around again." * Katherine almost leaps forward and gives her a hug. "Sorry. I was thinking about it and then we had to go to Sweden and I didn't know if they were watching my mail and..." she trails off. Then says, "Oh, Thren!" * Threnody blinks when his name is called. "Yes?" * Threnody then pauses, tilting his head again. "...sentry robots?" "Don't ask. Come on in." * Katherine lets go of Krissy and looks back towards Thren. "You've heard stories, what did you think? " <> * Threnody walks forward and is hopefully not vaporized as he follows inside! * Katherine follows inside. She seems much better now that the nervous part is done. She glances over to a downward stairwell on the way over. "Is Chako home?" "No, she's out corrupting the youth of the ESC again, with guns." "Who's your dashing young friend?" * Katherine nods slightly, and takes her own seat on a couch near her mom. A slight grin. "Dashing? I'd use cute, but that aside. This is Threnody Tsukitomi." Looks at Thren. "Thren, Krissy Styrina." * Threnody sits in a chair and is all polite smiles. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Styrina," he says calmly. "I was only 6 the first time we met." <> "Good lord, did you grow up!" <> "I can definitely see your mother in you, though. A little." * Threnody keeps smiling, though it is a little forced. Just barely. "My brother is the one who takes after her the most, but I am told I look a bit like her. Thank you for the compliment." <> "So. Are you going to explain to your mother? I tried asking Chako, but you know how that is. Like asking a wall how many bricks it has." * Threnody giggles in spite of himself. Awwww. * Katherine chuckles too. "Yeah, I know. " She smiles weakly. "I bet she was pissed about it anyway. The... um, short version is that we've been helping Ronnie out, which means that after a lot of getting shot at, Ronnie decided it'd be good to dissappear. The tabloid stuff was just a cover story." She smirks. "Sorry, I'm not going to marry into the Levinworths for real." <> "I just knew you'd get dragged into this stuff somehow. What does she have you doing, saving the world? Or maybe just the whales." * Threnody can't help but look a little sad at that question, but he doesn't volunteer any information; his expression clearly indicates that he feels it's Kat's job. * Katherine mutters, "I tried, alright?" She speaks up more. "I guess it's saving the world. You never really know if it's saving the world until you've done it." No whales, though. * Threnody says, flatly, "Yet. One giant albatross, however." * Katherine looks towards Thren, "Don't you mean squid?" * Threnody shakes his head. "Albatross. In the Foxhole. We had to duck, remember?" ... Right. Ugh. * Katherine leans back in her couch position. "I tried to forget that." <> "Well, Chako's been on the warpath, lately, and it's not just your rumors. Something else is on her mind, and I can't pry it out of her." * Threnody blinks, then frowns. "Well, she is at the apex of ATC's military command... maybe she's hearing the same sort of information we are." * Katherine blinks, then chuckles, patting her shoulder and saying in a joking tone, "Just give it time, mom. But knowing Ronnie, she's working on lots of fronts. Vernon's on it, so you gotta figure..." <> "Information like what?" Um. * Threnody breathes out. "This and that. The things she has us running all over about." "Highest security, I'm sure." <> "Now I've got two of them to worry about." * Threnody pauses, then smiles at Krissy. "I'm with her all the time. We watch each other's backs." * Katherine winces at her statement, but then looks over at Thren and gives him a grateful smile, before looking back and squeezing Krissy's shoulder. "Yeah. You can't ask for a much better partner in crime than Thren." "I'd ask you how she roped you into it, too, Thren, but I fear that'd be prying." <> "But it's nice to know family friendships transcend years." * Katherine chuckles a little. * Threnody laughs. "It might be the kind of inevitable string of coincidences people call 'fate'," he says simply. "But I don't regret getting involved. I've learned a lot in the past month or two." "Good." <> "It's not a hard guess to assume that you're not moving back, right?" * Threnody almost, *almost* looks a little sad when Krissy asks that question. * Katherine blinks. "You didn't touch my..." she shakes her head, saying with a little annoyance, "No. It'd just get nasty again..." her voioce gets back to normal. "And Vernon's got some crazy plan that we get to go on soonish." * Threnody leans back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. "We don't even know what he wants yet, so it's a bit premature to call it a 'crazy plan'." * Katherine looks over at Thren suspiciously. "It's Vernon." "From what I've seen of Vernon, even his grocery shopping trips are crazy plans." * Katherine laughs. * Threnody ehes. "He's been fairly sane so far, in my estimation, even if he slipped up a bit referring to my mother in front of everybody." "I've considered writing a series of books about someone quite like him. Kind of "Pink Panther" meets "Absent-Minded Professor". I wonder if he'd read them." * Threnody blinks. "You're a writer?" "Once in a while. It used to pay the bills." * Katherine snickers a little, but then is quiet. She's still got heer hand on her mom's shoulder, though. * Threnody smiles distractedly. "We should introduce you to Ian, then, someday," he says resolutely. "I'm sure you'd get along." <> "Ian who?" * Threnody is oblivious! "Savolino. Ian Savolino." "Good lord, you know that costume-wearing lunatic?" (...hahahahahahahahaaha.) * Katherine laughs. "He sorta got roped into this too." * Threnody tilts his head. "...maybe you've met him, then." "Jesus. I'd ask you to get his autograph, but he'd probably mail me a lobster or something. Yeah, I met him at some literary party a while back. I only got invited as a friend of a friend. Big bunch of retro-fi authors." Well, he's been pretty quiet. Except for the costumes. * Threnody laughs in spite of himself. "He's not as bad as it sounds, though he can appear a little... unstable. Then again, so can Vera in her own way, so." "Sounds like a fun group of people." * Katherine rubs her head, which exposes one of her ears from behind the mass of hair. "Sometimes." (Kat is the least talkative child ever. "Haven't seen you in three years." *beat* "gotta go.") (She's still sorta getting over not being yelled at more. ^_~) * Threnody hmms distractedly. "I admit to being a little disappointed. I wanted to see Chako." He smiles a little. "She and Mother were so busy discussing, 15 years ago, that I don't remember much." "You keep hanging out with Ronnie, you'll see her eventually." * Threnody says, solemnly, "I have been getting that impression, yes." * Katherine opens her mouth, but then nods. "Yeah." She pauses. "So, uh, I guess things are going well, then. I've been trying to keep track, but there's only so much you can do." "Oh, they've been fine. Except for you never writing, or calling, or emailing... How hard is it to email? I mean, you've got that head computer." * Katherine smiles nervously, then says, a little lamely, "I never knew what to say. I ran off, and..." * Threnody decides, in the spirit of charity, to save Kat's bacon. "You'd be surprised. I haven't spoken with Mother in a few years, myself. Things just... pile up." * Katherine nods along with Thren. He's smart! He knows what to say. <> "I understand. Just .. a mother worries, you know?" * Katherine smiles a little. "Yeah, I know." She then frowns at something. * Threnody mmms faintly. "Suddenly, I wonder how Demetreia is getting on. But..." He pauses, settling some internal conflict. "I'll be sure to ask Ronnie the next time I see her." * Katherine looks over at Thren. "I'm sure she's fine. Your mom always did good with robots. Cyborgs. Whichever." <> "Well, you probably don't want to hang around all night while I do the crossword, do you?" * Threnody bails Kat out again, standing up. "Crazy errand or no, we did promise Vernon we would help, so we should probably be off anyway." * Katherine blinks and only shakes her head a little. "Yeah, but... can I look around a little first?" A small smile. "It's been a long time." "Sure. Just make sure to lock the door on your way out. You've still got the key, right?" * Katherine pats her purse and says weakly, "Had to fish it out of a sewer grate once, but yeah." "And you remember the alarm codes?" * Katherine looks almost indignant. "Yes, mom." * Threnody giggles in spite of himself. "Perhaps I'll wait here for you to come back." "And the tripwire by the mailbox?" ... she STILL has that? ...I will *definitely* wait for you to come back. Has that EVER caught anyone? "Only the mailman. We've got the first mailbot in the city on our route as a result." * Threnody laughs. "Excuse me for finding this funny." "Oh, no, it is. But ... well, you'll understand when you meet Chako." * Threnody smiles brightly. "I hope so." * Katherine mutters under her breath. <> "Come on, one hug for the road. I've got to finish the crossword or your mother will hurt herself on it." * Katherine laughs a little and gives Krissy another tight hug. * Threnody watches placidly. Good thing he's the telepath. "Don't be such a stranger, okay? Come back whenever you're done with whatever Vernon's got up his lab coat." <> "It was nice to see you again, Thren. Say hello to your mother if you see her." * Katherine nods. "I'll try to mail more too." * Threnody does not say: 'Don't count on it', and instead nods. "I'll be sure to give you my best. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you too, though. The house is empty now, after all, except for Demetreia, Edward, and Anton." You're always welcome there if you need a break. <> * Katherine watches her go, and shakes her head. "Wait or follow me, Thren, it's your call. The interior defenses can't exactly be on when mom's still in the house." (Do they have a porch?) (Not much of one. More a stoop.) (Or whatever it is when it's 'just a big solid stone block'.) * Threnody shakes his head. "I'll wait just outside. The Grille gave me a bit of a headache." He emphasizes the word 'headache'. ... Aha. Alright, then. * Katherine chuckles a little to herself. %% And you didn't even get to see my room. %% * Threnody closes the door behind him and leans against it. %% I need some time to myself to sort some things out. %% * Katherine 'says', with a tone of acceptance/calm. %% I know, I know. I'll be out in a few. %%. Then she goes upstairs. * Katherine reaches the end of a hallway and carefully opens a door to a room with queen-sized bed covered a nice colored comforter, a mirroed dresser, and a few other things. It's spotlessly clean. She walks in and looks around, then pauses next to the bedside stand where there's a picture of Krissy, herself, and Chako. She sits down on the bed ner it and puts her face in her hands. * Katherine looks up rubs her face a little bbefore pulling the picture out of its frame and stuffs it in her purse. Then she stands up and looks in the mirror for a second, before walking out of the room and slowly closing the door behind her. * Katherine comes down the stairs and then out the door after pressing a long string into the security pad near the door. * Katherine closes the door and locks it behind her, then turns to hopefully see a Thren who hasn't wandered into the yard and got himself killed. * Threnody is leaning against the house with his eyes closed. He doesn't open them to respond. "Ready?" * Katherine says softly, "Honestly... I don't know. But we'd better go anyway." * Threnody nods and opens his eyes, straightening. "Good enough for me." * Katherine nods too and walks away from the house, taking care not to end up in her mom's tripwire. "Thanks, Thren. I dunno if you stuck around because I didn't want to be alone or just because... but thanks.' * Threnody shakes his head. "I wanted to meet Krissy. I still want to meet Chako. And in a way it was gratifying to see you swallow your fear a little bit." * Katherine smiles. "To see mom again, it was worth it. Shoulda done it sooner." * Threnody mms, and seems about to say something, then stops and shakes his head. "Let's go back>" * Katherine digs her hat and glasses out and puts them on, tucking the ears that have poked out back. "Unless you really want to club..." she says in an inviting tone. * Threnody (shakes his head. "Todd's tired, and will kill you if you drag this out any farther.") (Err.) * Threnody shakes his head. "I need some rest. Today's been kind of an emotional whirlwind." (... Ha.) * Katherine nods, and walks hotelward, then. Which means back to the subway, but... well. (And it's over now, so. Sorry. ^_^;) (BLIPVERT, FUCKER! I NEED SLEEP!) <>