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ax_main2018-03-29 06:31 pm
ax_shadowcat) wrote in ax_main2018-03-29 06:31 pm
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Kitty, Shen, and Jeanne-Marie | Backdated to March
After Kitty talks to Billy about Illyana leaving, she finds herself crashing in the room across the hall for the evening, unwilling to spend the night alone in her room. VERY backdated.
Kitty found that she was exhausted after visiting Billy, and crying all over him, and getting furious, then sad, then furious again. She knew that Yana was likely gone from their room already, what with the teleporting and all, but she still dragged her feet as she headed up the stairs to the girls' dorm, afraid of what she might find if her roommate was still there. Eventually, she stood outside the door, but just couldn't go in. Instead, she turned to the room across the hall, and knocked quietly.
"Come in!" Shen called out, looking up from the computer. She'd been in full damage control mode since the news had hit, commenting everywhere on Facebook, and more specifically on the rally's public event, to insist that they did not stand with the Brotherhood. She was frustrated, and already exhausted, and it was still so early in the day.
Kitty didn't bother with the door. She just phased through it, dejected and red-eyed. It wasn't surprising to see Shen pecking away at social media. She would be too...except. Yeah. "Hey."
Shen took in Kitty's expression, and her eyes widened. She pushed her stool away from the desk and stood, stepping over to Kitty. "Has something else happened?" she asked, as she opened her arms in an offer for a hug. Shit. What could've happened now?
Kitty sighed and leaned into her friend in a warm, and lingering hug. "Can I hide out in here for a little bit? Would Jeanne-Marie mind? Just until bedtime."
Shen hugged Kitty tight, wings bristling. "Of course. You can even stay the night if you want." She settled into the hug, loosening her hold and stroking a hand on Kitty's back. "Did you have a fight with Yana?"
"Oh," Kitty huffed softly, planting her cheek on Shen's shoulder, "we had more than a fight. It wasn't even a fight. It was just...." betrayal.
Shen leaned her head against Kitty's lightly, frowning. "Does she think they were right?"
"Yup," Kitty sighed softly.
Shen stroked Kitty's hair, wondering how many other students would, too. "I'm sorry."
Kitty finally lifted her head and stepped back enough to look up at Shen. "She's leaving. She's joining the Brotherhood."
Shock was plain on Shen's face. "What?"
Running a hand through her hair, Kitty sighed. "Yeah. That's what I said."
"But they - they just actually went full on terrorist," Shen remarked, although it was pointless. Kitty knew that. Even Yana knew that. But it just wasn't making any sense.
Kitty suddenly felt exhausted. She'd cried her eyes out with Billy, and she'd loosed her anger, and now all she felt was tired. And angry. Tangry? It was a low, simmering thing that she didn't know how to handle. "Trust me, I argued with her until I was blue in the face," she told Shen. "Her mind's made up. She said...she said she's been pretending to see it our way."
"...wow," Shen said after a moment. "That's - wow." She seemed to snap out of it, and focused on Kitty again. "I'm so sorry. I know how much she means to you."
Meant. That's what Tangry Kitty wanted to think. She wanted to throw Yana out of her life forever. She wanted to turn her back on her and scream, and refuse to let her back in her life. But...she knew she couldn't do that. Shen was right. Yana did mean a lot to her, and that hadn't changed. But after everything they'd gone through, she felt inexorably betrayed. Dry eyes grew hot, but she couldn't cry. "Yeah well. I guess I don't mean that much to her."
Shen grimaced in sympathy. "I'm pretty sure this would all be easier if you didn't."
"That's just it," Kitty told her. "It wasn't hard. She was already packing her bags before I even got to the room. It wasn't even a decision for her."
"You know that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you," Shen pointed out hesitantly. "It's just a really shitty thing to do to you, but..." Illyana had never struck Shen as particularly mindful of other people's feelings. "It's probably her own way of freaking out? I don't know."
Kitty frowned. "Maybe..."
"I mean, you know her better than I do, anyway," Shen stated sadly. She couldn't imagine what state she'd be in if Jeanne-Marie did something like that. "I'm sorry. Maybe she'll come back?"
"Yeah, Billy said the same thing." Kitty just frowned deeper. "But I don't think she will. She wants to be like the Brotherhood - not like us. And if what she and I have been through together isn't enough to keep her here...I don't think anything will be enough to bring her back."
"Okay." Shen nodded, and rubbed her hand on Kitty's arm. "So what do you want to do? Stupid movie? Trolling haters online? Go for a flight?"
Kitty pursed her lips. "How would you feel about a Danger Room session?"
Shen nodded decisively. "I'm sure we can talk whoever's in there right now into letting us have it."
"Or I'll just short it out until they leave," Kitty huffed softly.
"Yeaaah, maybe let me do the talking, huh?" Shen requested hopefully.
"Or that," Kitty gave a soft, sideways smile. "Do you have any workout clothes I can borrow?"
"Totally," Shen agreed, motioning for Kitty to step up to her closet with her. "Shorts or sweats? And pick your tank top."
* * *
That evening, the girls had pushed the beds together and changed into their pyjamas to settle in for the night. Dressed in one of her usual racerback tank tops and a pair of shorts, Shen settled on the edge of the bed, wings draping off of it. "It kinda feels like we should have gotten some alcohol."
"You know I'm not normally the drinking type, but right now, I'm not inclined to argue," Kitty sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest in a pair of loaner PJs. She still hadn't been back to her room, like it had become some black hole of doom, and instead opted to spend the night with Shen and JM instead.
“I’m sure we could find some,” Jeanne-Marie offered with a slight smile. She tucked one leg up under her and settled her back to the wall. “Or just a lot of chocolate.”
"I could go ask Terry," Shen suggested with a small pout. "She always has booze."
"I vote alcohol and chocolate. And maybe pizza," Kitty told them, setting her chin on her knees.
“I’ll go find the chocolate!” Jeanne-Marie leapt to her feet. “And you two can be on pizza and alcohol! We’ll cheer our selves up in no time.”
"I'll go knock on Terry's door," Shen added, pushing up to her feet. "You order the pizza? There's this great site for vegan pizza..."
A little while later, Shen finished her piece of pizza and sighed happily. "Pizza does make everything better." A bottle of whiskey was propped up against her pillow (she owed Terry), and there was chocolate beside it, just waiting for its turn.
"Pizza makes everything a little more bearable," Kitty agreed with sigh, licking a string of cheese off of a particularly stringy slice. "Thank you, guys. I'm just not sure I can go back there right now. Everything is going to remind me of her."
"You can stay here as long as you need." Jeanne-Marie poured out a large measure of whiskey for Kitty. She wished they had ginger ale too, but well, it'd do. She poured a much smaller measure for herself, just to sip on. She got a little silly when she drank, and Kitty needed a good listening ear. Then she passed the bottle to Shen.
Shen poured herself a very healthy measure, too, then put the bottle back down. "Here's to pizza and chocolate." They hadn't gotten to the latter yet, but it was worth toasting, anyway.
Kitty reached out to toast her friends' glasses with the whiskey. Then she stared at the glass for a moment before taking a comically big sip. She made a face immediately afterward too, and coughed a couple of times, because, ugh, whiskey. "You know the worst part though? I mean, I guess it's not the worst, because everything is pretty terrible, but the really, really, really sucky part is that my birthday is in two weeks. I thought, you know, for the first time, I'm gonna have a best friend to celebrate my birthday with. And it was going to be great."
"We'll make sure it's still great," Jeanne-Marie promised, all seriousness.
Kitty found that she was exhausted after visiting Billy, and crying all over him, and getting furious, then sad, then furious again. She knew that Yana was likely gone from their room already, what with the teleporting and all, but she still dragged her feet as she headed up the stairs to the girls' dorm, afraid of what she might find if her roommate was still there. Eventually, she stood outside the door, but just couldn't go in. Instead, she turned to the room across the hall, and knocked quietly.
"Come in!" Shen called out, looking up from the computer. She'd been in full damage control mode since the news had hit, commenting everywhere on Facebook, and more specifically on the rally's public event, to insist that they did not stand with the Brotherhood. She was frustrated, and already exhausted, and it was still so early in the day.
Kitty didn't bother with the door. She just phased through it, dejected and red-eyed. It wasn't surprising to see Shen pecking away at social media. She would be too...except. Yeah. "Hey."
Shen took in Kitty's expression, and her eyes widened. She pushed her stool away from the desk and stood, stepping over to Kitty. "Has something else happened?" she asked, as she opened her arms in an offer for a hug. Shit. What could've happened now?
Kitty sighed and leaned into her friend in a warm, and lingering hug. "Can I hide out in here for a little bit? Would Jeanne-Marie mind? Just until bedtime."
Shen hugged Kitty tight, wings bristling. "Of course. You can even stay the night if you want." She settled into the hug, loosening her hold and stroking a hand on Kitty's back. "Did you have a fight with Yana?"
"Oh," Kitty huffed softly, planting her cheek on Shen's shoulder, "we had more than a fight. It wasn't even a fight. It was just...." betrayal.
Shen leaned her head against Kitty's lightly, frowning. "Does she think they were right?"
"Yup," Kitty sighed softly.
Shen stroked Kitty's hair, wondering how many other students would, too. "I'm sorry."
Kitty finally lifted her head and stepped back enough to look up at Shen. "She's leaving. She's joining the Brotherhood."
Shock was plain on Shen's face. "What?"
Running a hand through her hair, Kitty sighed. "Yeah. That's what I said."
"But they - they just actually went full on terrorist," Shen remarked, although it was pointless. Kitty knew that. Even Yana knew that. But it just wasn't making any sense.
Kitty suddenly felt exhausted. She'd cried her eyes out with Billy, and she'd loosed her anger, and now all she felt was tired. And angry. Tangry? It was a low, simmering thing that she didn't know how to handle. "Trust me, I argued with her until I was blue in the face," she told Shen. "Her mind's made up. She said...she said she's been pretending to see it our way."
"...wow," Shen said after a moment. "That's - wow." She seemed to snap out of it, and focused on Kitty again. "I'm so sorry. I know how much she means to you."
Meant. That's what Tangry Kitty wanted to think. She wanted to throw Yana out of her life forever. She wanted to turn her back on her and scream, and refuse to let her back in her life. But...she knew she couldn't do that. Shen was right. Yana did mean a lot to her, and that hadn't changed. But after everything they'd gone through, she felt inexorably betrayed. Dry eyes grew hot, but she couldn't cry. "Yeah well. I guess I don't mean that much to her."
Shen grimaced in sympathy. "I'm pretty sure this would all be easier if you didn't."
"That's just it," Kitty told her. "It wasn't hard. She was already packing her bags before I even got to the room. It wasn't even a decision for her."
"You know that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you," Shen pointed out hesitantly. "It's just a really shitty thing to do to you, but..." Illyana had never struck Shen as particularly mindful of other people's feelings. "It's probably her own way of freaking out? I don't know."
Kitty frowned. "Maybe..."
"I mean, you know her better than I do, anyway," Shen stated sadly. She couldn't imagine what state she'd be in if Jeanne-Marie did something like that. "I'm sorry. Maybe she'll come back?"
"Yeah, Billy said the same thing." Kitty just frowned deeper. "But I don't think she will. She wants to be like the Brotherhood - not like us. And if what she and I have been through together isn't enough to keep her here...I don't think anything will be enough to bring her back."
"Okay." Shen nodded, and rubbed her hand on Kitty's arm. "So what do you want to do? Stupid movie? Trolling haters online? Go for a flight?"
Kitty pursed her lips. "How would you feel about a Danger Room session?"
Shen nodded decisively. "I'm sure we can talk whoever's in there right now into letting us have it."
"Or I'll just short it out until they leave," Kitty huffed softly.
"Yeaaah, maybe let me do the talking, huh?" Shen requested hopefully.
"Or that," Kitty gave a soft, sideways smile. "Do you have any workout clothes I can borrow?"
"Totally," Shen agreed, motioning for Kitty to step up to her closet with her. "Shorts or sweats? And pick your tank top."
That evening, the girls had pushed the beds together and changed into their pyjamas to settle in for the night. Dressed in one of her usual racerback tank tops and a pair of shorts, Shen settled on the edge of the bed, wings draping off of it. "It kinda feels like we should have gotten some alcohol."
"You know I'm not normally the drinking type, but right now, I'm not inclined to argue," Kitty sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest in a pair of loaner PJs. She still hadn't been back to her room, like it had become some black hole of doom, and instead opted to spend the night with Shen and JM instead.
“I’m sure we could find some,” Jeanne-Marie offered with a slight smile. She tucked one leg up under her and settled her back to the wall. “Or just a lot of chocolate.”
"I could go ask Terry," Shen suggested with a small pout. "She always has booze."
"I vote alcohol and chocolate. And maybe pizza," Kitty told them, setting her chin on her knees.
“I’ll go find the chocolate!” Jeanne-Marie leapt to her feet. “And you two can be on pizza and alcohol! We’ll cheer our selves up in no time.”
"I'll go knock on Terry's door," Shen added, pushing up to her feet. "You order the pizza? There's this great site for vegan pizza..."
A little while later, Shen finished her piece of pizza and sighed happily. "Pizza does make everything better." A bottle of whiskey was propped up against her pillow (she owed Terry), and there was chocolate beside it, just waiting for its turn.
"Pizza makes everything a little more bearable," Kitty agreed with sigh, licking a string of cheese off of a particularly stringy slice. "Thank you, guys. I'm just not sure I can go back there right now. Everything is going to remind me of her."
"You can stay here as long as you need." Jeanne-Marie poured out a large measure of whiskey for Kitty. She wished they had ginger ale too, but well, it'd do. She poured a much smaller measure for herself, just to sip on. She got a little silly when she drank, and Kitty needed a good listening ear. Then she passed the bottle to Shen.
Shen poured herself a very healthy measure, too, then put the bottle back down. "Here's to pizza and chocolate." They hadn't gotten to the latter yet, but it was worth toasting, anyway.
Kitty reached out to toast her friends' glasses with the whiskey. Then she stared at the glass for a moment before taking a comically big sip. She made a face immediately afterward too, and coughed a couple of times, because, ugh, whiskey. "You know the worst part though? I mean, I guess it's not the worst, because everything is pretty terrible, but the really, really, really sucky part is that my birthday is in two weeks. I thought, you know, for the first time, I'm gonna have a best friend to celebrate my birthday with. And it was going to be great."
"We'll make sure it's still great," Jeanne-Marie promised, all seriousness.