(no subject)

[justdidntseeit]

[ oom: sparkle and fade ]


Kate gives the wall one last, hopeless look before approaching the bar.

She sets her tote, Bill's keys, the pair of running shoes and the piece of paper in her hands on a stool, then places her palms flat against the counter.

"Bar, I — I need your help. If you could — is there any way you can let the Landlord know I'm here but it's a mistake? I can't — "

She lets out a long, slow breath.

"I really can't be here right now."

A napkin appears.

I can't do that, I'm sorry. That's not how Milliways works.

Her stomach clenches.

"But I — Bar, Bill's hurt, he's in the hospital, and I — "

She bites the inside of her cheek; she's not going to cry. She's not. It won't help anything, not right now.

"Please?"

Another napkin appears; the apology blurs in her vision.

"Okay."

Mouth too dry and features pale, she nods, then swallows.

"I just — I needed to ask."

She sinks onto a stool; a cup of coffee and a note appear, along with two jars of Katherine Barlow's spiced peaches and a basket of warm buttermilk biscuits. (And, [somewhat] inexplicably, a whistle. Any other time, she'd laugh, but she can't manage even a small smile right now.)

She reads the note, blinking hard, then curls her hands around the mug, glancing toward the Front Door. Her door, the door that only leads to L.A. — a universe away from South Carolina and Bill's hospital room.

She's not very hungry at the moment.




[ tiny tags: billy kaplan, boo, the russian astronaut ]

[ ooc: sporadic slowtimes likely, as it's saturday and gorgeous out, but the post is open indefinitely for tags, y'all ]

Comments

[7twistedwishes]

Pain. She can feel that, soul-ache, and responds, being drawn from her domain. "Hello? I am sorry to interrupt, but..." There is something there. "I noticed your distress. And would like to help if I can?"

Help, sure.

[justdidntseeit]

Kate's staring sightlessly into her coffee; when the unfamiliar voice registers, she lifts her eyes and turns toward the woman.

"I, um — you're not interrupting."

A quiet breath.

"And I appreciate the offer, but ... "

She trails off with a small shake of her head.

No one can fix this but the Landlord.

[7twistedwishes]

"Sometimes, talking helps?" The woman offers a hand. "At least, takes your mind out of what is hurting you, for a moment."

[justdidntseeit]

Kate nods jerkily and shakes the woman's proffered hand.

"Kate Warner. Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, I just — "

She tries to smile and inclines her head toward the empty stool next to her.

"Please, have a seat."

[7twistedwishes]

The woman sits down. "Nice to meet you, Kate. And this will sound all kinds of wrong, no matter what, but I am trying to behave here...."

"I am the Devil."

[aimedforthemoon]

The trouble with having long, ridiculously thick hair is that when it tangles, it tangles good. Which is what Esfir gets for unbraiding it before her run this morning.

But.

It'd been that kind of day.

(possibly, you would have needed to be born and bred on the steppes to understand)

Which all explains why, when the tiny woman sits down at the bar, Bar makes a brush appear. But the trouble is with having a mass of long, thick, ridiculously windswept hair is that it can act like blinkers.

When Esfir catches sight of Kate, she actually flinches in surprise.

[justdidntseeit]

Kate looks over; her eyebrows lift and she blinks.

(She remembers the woman — so small, Russian, she thinks. She'd been mesmerized by the Window.)

"Sorry, I — "

Unbidden, Bar makes another (possibly helpful) offering appear on the counter between them.

" -- hi."

[aimedforthemoon]

She remembers.

But before she can say anything, the Bar attempts to help. Again.

"...pink."

[justdidntseeit]

Kate glances down.

"Looks like," she nods. "Not your favorite?"

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

Billy sees a person in distress. He's no good at comforting strangers, but he can't ignore her, either.

"Um-excuse me? Ma'am?"

[justdidntseeit]

Kate's shoulders jump a little before she can catch herself.

She looks up from her coffee and tries to offer a smile.

(She mostly fails, but it's the effort that counts, right?)

"Can I help you?" she asks, wondering if he's a new arrival.

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

"Er, no. I was just wondering the reverse, actually. You seem upset. Is there anything a stranger can do?"

[justdidntseeit]

She can't handle kindness like this when she's upset — it undoes her.

A little shakily, "I look that bad, huh?"

[scurlock]

Doc's approaching the bar after his morning chores outside, and she gives him a cup of coffee (his second for the day, and second with nothing but whiskey in) which he has a drink of before he sees the way Kate's looking at the door.

It's not a good look.

Which is why he slowly walks over, and sets his mug on the bar near her.

"Kate?"

[justdidntseeit]

Her eyes move from the wall to Doc, and she freezes.

His eyes are soft and serious, and there's so much concern in his voice, she's almost sucked back into her kitchen with Jack again.

Her hands leave her coffee mug and fist in her lap while she swallows hard.

"Doc, hey."

[scurlock]

"Hey."

He's trying to read it off her face. Not digging too deep, but he doesn't have to. When you spend your life learning the way a man's face reacts in the half second before he draws -- a subtle flick of the skin above his eye, a tick in his jaw -- you learn to read people pretty well.

Doc feels his stomach twinge, a little. He's not sure why.

"What's wrong?"

[justdidntseeit]

"Um."

just answer the question

"I just — "

God, this is hard.

She glances around the bar, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Do you think we could go outside for a minute?"

She's already standing, looking toward the back door, avoiding Doc's eyes so she won't tear up.

[averyhasagun.livejournal.com]

-- Shit.

(Paul feels something twist in his chest. Something over the numbness.)

(And he's glad he's dressed for work, not as poorly as he keeps himself at home. He can't hide the gray and white in his hair, nor the pallor of his face, but at least part of him's presentable.)

He doesn't much know how to act.

But it's only one second after he sees her that he's moving forward to give her a hug.

And although she deserves so much more than what he can offer her by way of comfort, it's the least he can do for the moment.

[justdidntseeit]

She should go upstairs, she knows she should. She needs to check and make sure Boo's still here, make sure that Bar and the wait-rats (and Boo's Milliways fan club) took good care of her as requested for the two days Kate was gone.

But she can't, not just yet. Not when —

And then there are arms are around her and she stiffens for half a heartbeat before she realizes who it is and she doesn't care if he smells like cigarettes because it's Paul.

She closes her eyes.

dontcrydontcrydontcry

And shakes her head against his collarbone.

"You can't be nice to me right now."

[averyhasagun.livejournal.com]

"I'm entitled t' be nice when I think people need it," he says quietly, rubbing her back.

"An' you do."

There is only ever a select group of people who will look out for him in the least way.

Back out the door, there used to be a family, there used to be a wife and two daughters, but there aren't anymore, and what he has is a string of people in a bar at the end of the universe.

And, dammit, he cares more than he tells himself he does.

[justdidntseeit]

She gives in, letting herself be held, and breathes out a shaky laugh, because it's easier than crying.

"So I look that great, huh?"

[i-scare-monstrs.livejournal.com]

Boo has BUBBLES! Which means that a good majority of the bar is covered in a sticky soap like subtance. As far as Boo herself, a large majority of her shorts, her face and her right arm are soaked. But she is oh so gleeful with her bubbles that she does not even care.

She's skipping through the bar, blowing bubbles sparatically. And then, GLEE OF GLEEFULNESS, there is a Lellow Kake! Boo RUNS (spilling some bubbles as she goes) toward the older woman. "LELLOW KAAAAKE!" Her face is full of a toddler glee and her eyes sparkle. Once she reaches Kate her arms go up (spilling even more bubbles) and she jumps. PICK ME UP PICK ME UP PICK ME UPPPPPP! "LELLOW KAKE LELLOW KAKE LELLOW KAAAAAKE!"

[justdidntseeit]

Kate looks down and can't help but smile, even if it is a little watery.

"Hey, half-pint."

She carefully slides her now-cold cup of coffee well out of Boo's reach and puts Bill's keys on the counter (she doesn't remember how they got in her hand) before she picks up Boo.

She doesn't care about the spilled bubbles or the stickiness.

"How're you?"

[i-scare-monstrs.livejournal.com]

Boo gives her a LARGE and gleeful hug.

"HIII!"

She'll notice Kate's sadness in a bit.

[justdidntseeit]

Kate hugs her close.

"Hey."

She pulls back just enough to check Boo's face for bumps, scrapes, bruises, and crumbs.

"Have you been a good girl, Gracie-Boo?"