Overland Park, KS, Tuesday Afternoon (Late August)

[vanillajello]

The living room smelled like glue. And if sequins and rhinestones had a distinctive smell, it would've probably smelled like those, too. It was the usual afternoon scene in the Craine-Gregson household. And Charmaine was in the middle of a big speech about her business philosophy. "Urban Duchess isn't just a company about making tiaras, Kate," she said, as she worked on her latest product. "It's about making every woman feel like a princess." (Kate resisted an eyeroll. She'd felt like a princess for a while. It hadn't exactly worked out well for her.) "The website is getting... moderate traffic, and I feel like I am teaching women like you how to be women."

Riiight. No eyeroll, but Kate did have a dry question, looking up from her fake tiara at hand. "By gluing sequins onto headbands and selling them on Etsy?" Her aunt looked at her like that was entirely the wrong question, so she just shook her head. "I've been sending out my resumé. I think I need to get a real job." For many many reasons. But Charmaine didn't look like she liked the idea at all; her chipper air of can-do attitude vanished in an instant. "Well, if you get a job, who's gonna take care of me?" she asked, frowning. "I'm fat and my feet hurt, and I can't fit into the nook next to the fridge to reach the Diet Cokes that my doctor thinks I should cut down on."

"If you need someone to take care of you," Kate sighed, "why don't you just ask N-E-A-L?"

Really, it was ridiculous. The guy was the baby's father. Who wanted to marry Charmaine. And who Charmaine had basically sacrificed her previous attempt at marriage for. It didn't make much sense to Kate. "That's not how he spells his name," her aunt muttered, before seeming to pick up some of her previous empowered energy. "Look, we are independent women, Kate," she started. "We don't need to be married, or engaged, or owned. I am gonna raise a baby by myself. It'll be just us three girls... Me, you, a baby. It's a revolution."

... What a horrifying idea. Kate had never been as glad to have someone drop in unannounced as she was right then, as her mother waltzed right in the front door, all cheer and bright yellow cardigan. "Hey, what say, ladies?"

"Whoa, sexy nerd alert!" Kate crowed in reply. Hey, her mom looked stunning! Cute in a totally professional way. And the reason became clear soon enough, as Tara spread her hands and smiled: "Tara Gregson, student... Ted got me in!" She was obviously excited over it. "I picked my classes, just got to fill out some paperwork, but..."

"Holy fuck," Charmaine drawled, clambering up from her seat, to walk past Tara towards the fancy ribbon stash across the room, "you were serious."

"Yeah," Tara nodded, smoothing her skirt. "I've got an interview in about an hour with a psych prof whose class is actually full, but if he lets me in, color me matriculated."

Kate grinned, getting up as well. "That is an act of unconditional motherly love," she declared, as she went to hug her mother. "Thank you for getting you off my back." She gave Tara a firm squeeze, but she could already see there was maybe going to be some tension between the two sisters, and she wanted no part of that. "Ladies," she said, as she let go of her mother and pushed away, "I am off to continue the basement project."

---

The basement project was... basically a lie. The claim Kate had made was that she was reorganizing the basement, since they still had a lot of Mr Hubbard's old crap down there, along with some of their own. And, well, she had reorganized some of it, but mostly to make more room in the middle for her makeshift practice dummy. It was a good place for it because Charmaine absolutely hated the basement, and wouldn't come down unless forced, and no one else really had any reason to visit. That didn't mean Kate didn't keep her stuff hidden way in the back. She didn't need to risk getting questions.

But she kind of found she needed this. While it was awesome that everything seemed o be on track with her mom, at least, things had been a little off for the past few weeks, pretty much since the weekend in Fandom (and definitely since Luke's visit and her own little trip to try and relax Bod), and it didn't help that she knew she'd technically be eighteen this Saturday, except that was in Fandom time, and she still had about a month to go here. It was weird, and she needed to start feeling at least somewhat balanced again.

So, knife practice. With music playing in the background. It wasn't even remotely like being in the salle in Fandom, but it would have to do.

[ooc: NFB! Parts taken from USoT S03E01. Open for phonecalls/texts/whathaveyou. It's canon that there's okay reception in the basement!]

Comments

[therewaslife]

Bod didn't have class today which meant...nothing different at all for him. He'd woken up early, read for awhile and then gone into town. That's where he was now, sitting on a bench in the park when he decided to say hello to her.

Hullo there.

He wasn't sure if she was busy or not so he didn't want to leave anything that made her think she had to answer immediately.

[vanillajello]

Kate took a while to notice she'd received a message, since her phone was on a table a little further away. But after a moment more of slashing and stabbing at the poor defenseless dummy, she decided to take a break, which led to seeing his message.

Which, in turn, led to smiling a bit to herself, and sending something back.

hulloooo boyfriend <3

[therewaslife]

Hullo. <4.

There was a pause and then another attempt at that message. <3 He'd get better at that with time and practice.

Did I interrupt anything? I just thought I'd check in so you wouldn't worry.

He'd done his fill of worrying her lately.

[vanillajello]

i'm training.

She even took and sent a picture of herself to go with that. She was sweaty and the basement looked about as unappealing as it had when he'd been there, but hey, at least she was smiling a little bit.

[therewaslife]

What are you training for? Just to keep in shape

Bod asked that and then attached a picture of himself sitting on a park bench doing the exact opposite of training. He wasn't smiling but he didn't look upset. He wasn't sweaty either.

[vanillajello]

i miss my routine.

She missed a lot of things, really. She wiped sweat off her brow and took a seat at the bottom of the stairs.

how are you?

[therewaslife]

I'm quite all right. I'm doing better.

That was the truth, not a lie, and he took a closer picture of his face to send it to her for inspection.

Parent's Weekend is this weekend.

Oh, the fun he'd had on those weekends.

[vanillajello]

Kate pulled a face as she saw that message.

... fuck.

Well, she supposed she should've remembered that was probably coming up, since it tended to coincide with her birthday. She just didn't want it to.

[therewaslife]

Why are you upset?

Bod thought since she was off island, she was free of the threat of family and friends surprising her with a visit.

Your parents have no need to come here.

[vanillajello]

but i didn't realize this saturday was gonna be during parents weekend!

And she had no idea whether Silas was intending to show up for him or not, because that was for sure going to put a damper on any plans she might have wanted to have.

[therewaslife]

Don't get upset, don't get upset, Bod sent, trying to calm her down before she got too down about this.

No one's contacted me about coming. And no one had previous years either but he didn't say that. It might be just another weekend for me.

[vanillajello]

yeah but it's my biiiirthday.

She could whine in text form. Maybe that was a good sign, at least when it came to his hopes that she wasn't going to get too depressed over it?

[therewaslife]

I know it is and we're going to celebrate your birthday one way or another.

Bod took a few pictures of himself crossing his heart just to drive that point home.

Does that mean you're going to visit this weekend?

[vanillajello]

guess so.

Even if she was pretty much terrified at the idea that she might have to come into any contact with Silas. She couldn't see herselfdoing any better than she had the two previous times, and it would be just like him to just turn up unannounced.

for saturday at leas.

[therewaslife]

It's going to be all right, Kate. I haven't spoken with Silas in months. He's busy. I doubt he comes and he's the only one that could.

Oh, if only he knew.

[vanillajello]

silas doesn't exactly like announcing he's coming, Kate sent back, because it had to be said. i'm just gonna... hide behind you if he shows up.

[therewaslife]

I know what he did to you last time. I won't let it happen again. I promise.

And he intended to keep that promise.

Don't be upset.

[vanillajello]

i'm not upset.

Well, not much.

i have two birthdays this year anyway.

[therewaslife]

I know you do.

He still thought she was upset though.

Is there anything you'd like for your birthday?

[vanillajello]

No drama. That was what her birthday wishes had shrunk to. Not that she'd had many to begin with, since she hadn't exactly made any big plans yet.

nothing particular comes to mind.

[therewaslife]

Nothing I can get you?

It took him a minute but he even added a :( to express his sadness for that.

[vanillajello]

It was all backwards but that addition made her smile a little.

you're the bf, isn't it your job to figure out on your own what i might like?

[therewaslife]

It is and I have some ideas but if there was something you had your eye on, I'd want to get it for you.

Basically, he wanted hints.

[vanillajello]

i like nice things?

She was so not helpful.

[therewaslife]

You are not helpful.

Yes, Bod agreed with her narrative.

Clothes? Movies? Something else?