not_every_mage | Voice Mail!

Kathy had gone down to the diner for breakfast and as soon as he'd seen her, he'd run into the kitchen, asking her to hold on a second. A moment later, he'd come back out, holding a bouquet of lollipops and a note. She'd left the island before Anders had stopped by and the staff had rescued it and kept it safe for her.

Needless to say, she was calling to thank him.

"Hi, Anders, it's me. Uhh, Kathy, but yeah, you know that. I know you're off on spring break. Hope you're having fun?" This message was off to a spectacular start. The fact that she was remembering last spring break wasn't helping any. That was when things between them had really begun, when they'd agreed that it didn't have to be a one-time, pollen-only thing.

"I won't take up much of your vacation time, I just wanted to call and thank you for the lollipops. I would have thanked you sooner, but I wasn't on the island. Just got them today. Had to call and thank you so you didn't think I was ungrateful or something. They're really appreciated. Thanks for thinking of me."

She debated saying more, but she'd already babbled through like thirty seconds of voicemail time.

"Have fun. Enjoy the sunshine for me. Bye."

By the time Anders got her message, he was three or four tropical drinks into the evening -- tipsy enough, anyhow, to be excited to hear from her and not particularly shy. (The significance of spring break wasn't lost on him, either.)

"Kathy, it's me. Anders." A pause. "I guess you knew that too, no? Anyhow, you're welcome. Somewhere on the internet it said the lollipops were a traditional Korean thing -- I hope I didn't bollix it up, or that you at least enjoyed the candy if I did."

He thought for a moment and added, "I miss you. Let's spend sometime together when I get home, all right? Bye."

Kathy hadn't realized that he'd specifically gotten her lollipops as a nod to White Day; she hadn't realized he'd look up anything special at all.

The bouquet of lollipops was getting hugged and no she didn't care she looked ridiculous doing it.

They're perfect. She decided to text, rather than call, so she wouldn't disturb him if he were busy. They used to sell bouquets like this in the bakery by my house for White Day. And I'd really love to get together whenever you're free. Miss you 2.

Then she hit send before the message got any longer.

Eventually -- Anders didn't want to seem too eager -- he answered with a snapshot.

i'm glad you like them. and i wish you were here. they serve sushi in the pool & that's a swim-up bar.

Edited 2017-02-21 19:50 (UTC)

Kathy...probably should have given some thought to not looking so eager. Any thought at all, really.

Unfair. He was getting a selfie of her, pouting. They never had swim-up bars and pool-sushi when I was on break. Shoulda thought harder about begging Sparkle to take me as his +1.

Anders wasn't too bothered about looking eager when he immediately answered her next text.

you should have! you'd love this place. maybe you could portal here & we'd smuggle you in?

Attached was a photo of him trying to look hopeful.

The speed of the reply text just made her smile, honestly. Somebody get this girl a glass of water.

We'll just keep the chaperones too drunk to notice, right? It's the beach! They've got to be drinking a lot anyway.

She'd met their teachers. Sobriety wasn't their main concern.

Honestly, if she hadn't just ditched the island for a week and left Raven by herself, she'd be damn tempted. Well, she was already tempted; she'd be half-convinced.

There have to be empty rooms I can sleep in, right?

A year ago, where Kathy would sleep wouldn't even have been a question -- she would have been in with him and Dante. Anders let himself feel a pang at that change before answering.

sure. or you could borrow a hammock. i bet the staff wouldn't care, and everybody from fandom is drunk anyhow.

Kathy knew that pang very well by now. And took a deep breath, pushing all memories of sex-hoboing from her mind. They were friends now and she was grateful for that much.

And if that had become something of a mantra these days, well...better than crying about things she couldn't have? Something like that anyway.

The real question is, how would you get me to come home, hmm? she asked, complete with smiley emojis. Today was the 1st day it's been warm here since I've been back.

that is the problem, isn't it? Anders typed, feeling a grin form on his face. honestly, i wouldn't blame you if you wanted to escape someplace tropical for a while. i couldvisit.

My escape put me in Boston, Kathy said, rolling her eyes as she texted. Totally doing it wrong. TOO MUCH SNOW! Shoulda held out for tropics!

Shoulda. But what's in Boston? Anders typed back, brow furrowed in concern. (His knowledge of the city went as far as "it exists, and something something about tea.")

Honestly that wasn't much different than the knowledge Kathy'd had before walking though that portal.

Ezra, turns out, Kathy sent back. But I didn't know that before I ended up there. I was just looking for somewhere She paused over her word choice for a moment before finishing the sentence and sending the text. different to go. Somewhere I didn't have memories.

There was another pause before Anders answered.

Should I call? This feels like a call kind of conversation.

Kathy chewed on her lip for a moment before answering, torn between what she wanted (Yes, please call, now and as often as you'd like) and what she thought would be better for him (Nah, it's fine, enjoy your vacation.)

In the end, she went with the middle ground, letting Anders decide.

I certainly wouldn't mind a call. But I'd understand if you'd rather keep it light and casual while you're on break. We can always talk after you're home again.

i've had 3 days of light & casual, Anders returned. i'll call.

Which he did, after draining his margarita, going back to his suite, and changing into dry clothes.

Ring ring, Kathy.

Did Kathy practice saying hello while she was waiting for her phone to ring? ~~Absolutely~~ Of course not! At least, not after she realized she'd gotten to the point where the word 'hello' had lost all meaning and was now just a random collection of letters.

"Hey there," she said and mentally threw her arms up into the air. Way to waste all that practice, weirdo. "Glad to hear from you."

"Thanks," Anders said, unaware of the drama on the other end of the line. "It sounded like Boston was kind of a story, and typing it back and forth seemed silly. Are you doing all right?"

Hey now, it was less drama and more...awkward nerd flailing?

"Of course!" Kathy chirped, almost by reflex. And then immediately facepalmed. "By which I mean...no?" Her voice was a lot more normal with that answer. "I don't really know. Better than I was, but still a long way from good?"

Yeah, that was a lot more truthful. "I play at being in great shape so I don't worry people, but things have been...kinda rough. If you don't mind me complaining your ear off for awhile."

Well, that was a little worrisome.

"I want to know what's going on with you," Anders said honestly, as he leaned back on a pillow. "And I'd feel like an arse if I decided that didn't include the bad parts. Complain away."

Kathy took a deep breath, like she was steeling herself for the conversation. "You remember how I remembered Eva and everything?" she asked in a low voice. "Well, that's not all I remember. A lot of why I was so quiet after we got to the house was because I was kind of...sorting though the implications."

She ran a hand through her hair, worried she was being too vague. "Remember how Gorgon died?" she asked. "Because I do."

"But Gorgon didn't die," Anders said, confused. "I should know, I healed him. Or did he die after we left?"

He might have missed Kathy's larger point.

"Wait--you healed him?" Kathy asked, jaw dropping. "But I saw him! He saw me and let his guard down and then Rodney twisted him in half and tossed him over the wall to...to where the heroes lived."

She didn't know it was called the Mount. Rodney had kept her stashed in the basement of one of the buildings along with Midknight so as not to give the game away too early.

"Anders, he was basically turned around by the time Rodney was done with him. And you healed all that?" Color her astonished. And impressed.

"It wasn't as bad as it looked," Anders said -- though he couldn't keep how pleased he was with himself at Kathy's astonishment out of his tone completely. "He was breathing and his head didn't hit anything hard, so it was just making it so his legs didn't look like a jigsaw puzzle. He'll probably need to get them reset if he doesn't want a limp."

He hesitated, scratching at his chin. "Wait, you were watching? I -- didn't know you could."

"I wasn't," she said, "not exactly."

Her hands were twisting in her shirt now, the memory of Rodney's will forcing her body to move according to his whims.

"From what I'm remembering and what Josh said at the clinic, an ex is still alive on the cellular level. Nerves twitch, muscles work--that's how we can keep going. So, those ten months I was dead, my brain was still making memories. Like...like someone leaving a recording going, but no one being present to watch it." She huffed a humorless laugh. "But then when I woke up, all those recordings were there, waiting for me to sit down and watch them, as it were. I thought they were just horrible dreams, but..."

She shook her head. "I remember everything I did as an ex. Everyone I killed."

And ate.

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