pursuitofcappiness | inbox

Sure, name a time and place.

[ If it's vague, he assumes it's important! ]

Are you home? I’m already out. No reason for both of us to risk dealing with the Wickerman shit going on.

Half an hour?

Yeah, I can stay here. Is Julia okay?

[ 'Cause this is sounding REAL serious ]

Julia’s fine.

( Bonus points to him for the question. )

So far as I know her biggest headache right now is knowing the odds of me coming to talk to you.

( It’s a joke...... mostly

As promised, after about thirty minutes, Kady turns up at Steve’s place. She’s got a six pack of beer under her arm, and tosses a paper bag at him when the door opens. It’s got some nice looking hot dogs in there, some buns. Kady herself is maybe half a foot shorter than him, even with the steeply heeled boots she’s wearing, but she rolls in like a storm front. )

Any good at grilling?

[ He's about to text her back to ask for a clarification on what she means when he opens the door to catch the bag at him. He looks curiously in the bag and then at her to gauge if she's serious. ]

...Probably one of the only things I can reliably do as far as cooking goes.

Come in.

( She’s serious, and she’s hungry - two potentially alarming states for Kady to be in. When they align, who knows what could happen. )

Thanks.

( Somehow she sounds cagey as she says it, or maybe just guarded? It’s hard to tell. She’s dressed entirely in dark colours, black and a heavy wine red. Looking around, she assesses the place with a calm, watchful curiosity. )

Beer?

Sure.

[ He goes and cracks them open two beers, something really smooth. He can't get drunk, so he literally only drinks for the taste.

He hands her one and then motions for her to come back so they can fire up the grill, which is outside. ]

What'd you come to talk about?

( Following, Kady takes a sip of the beer, and though she doesn’t comment on it, her expression is kinda impressed. Points gained, Steve. )

Julia.

( Whatever there is outside for her to sit in - a seat, a table, even a wall - she’ll claim it. )

Her birthday’s coming up, I’m figuring out a party. ( A pause, before she adds, ) And I gotta give you the best friend talk. Which part do you want first?

Oh, when is it?

[ He's coming up with gift ideas in his head as he fusses with the grill before asking: ]

What best friend talk?

[ He looks up, genuinely confused. ]

Let's do that first, whatever it is. I'd rather devote more time talking about the party, and we can do it over food.

Twenty-fifth.

( Almost dismissively, as she eyes Steve, weighing him up. Is he really just an innocent hearted beefcake? Because she’d love that for Julia. In this place, though? Sounds too good to be true.

Her gaze is suspicious, closed off. )

She likes you. ( Slowly, likes explaining to an obstinately stupid person. Someone like Todd. ) I’m assuming, based on her good judgment, that you like her. Thing is, that as her best friend, if you hurt her? I will destroy you.

( A moment of pause, eyebrows raising. ) There’s more to this talk. Are you getting the drift?

Edited 2020-03-26 23:44 (UTC)

Oh.

[ Yeah, Steve wasn't anticipating that, but when Kady starts getting serious, he turns his attention away from the grill and listens to her, hands crossed over his chest as he really takes in what she's saying.

And after a moment, he says: ]

Yes, I am. And I understand.

[ A beat. ]

Do you... want to continue?

( Jaw clenches and unclenches, less to do with ill-contained anger, and more evident that she's thinking this over. )

I don't think I need to get more dramatic.

( She'd thought about swooping in with something about it doesn't matter how many times this place can bring you back, but honestly? It's over the top, and given the gravity of how he's looking at her, she doesn't think he really needs to be assured how serious she is, how protective Julia's friends are of her. )

It's just—

( There are things she wouldn't say, and frankly, can't say. They aren't hers to share. ) Julia dragged me back from the edge. More than once.

( Her gaze drops, then. Her desperate attempts to escape into oblivion, to drown out all the fear and the pain and the grief weren't easy to talk about, but it's important right now. Talking about how responsible she feels for a bunch of the shit Julia's gone through? Again, off-limit topics, and making awful shit that Julia survived about how Kady felt about it? Yeah. No. )

So her... not getting hurt by some asshole is pretty fucking important.

Edited 2020-03-30 23:04 (UTC)

Yes, ma'am.

[ A beat, he shifts his weight and gets out of this really formal position he's in taking directions. ]

You're right, I like Julia. She's...

[ ...Smart, confident, easy to talk to, ballsy, witty, great, kind, beautiful... ]

...special.

I don't intend ever to hurt her, but I can't promise that I won't when we're in a place we're not ourselves half the time.

If I ever do, for any reason, I do want you to stop me. I'll try to make sure it never comes to that.

[ Not because Kady threatened him. Though - actually, he's pretty uh, relieved? That Julia has friends who have her back. ]

“Special.”

( She gives him a look. So far as adjectives go she’s heard better, but effusiveness rarely correlates with sincerity. It makes her huff out a quiet breath of amusement.

And what he says next might just be the best thing he could have said. It’s realistic. Smart, really. )

I’ll do that for you, if you’ll do the same for me.

( Whether it’s possession or whatever else. Reynard has taken the face of someone they both had trusted. Richard has been a kind, thoughtful, dedicated man. He had wanted to make the world better and care for the people he loved, and it was just a fragment of what Reynard had done, but it still hurt.

She offers her hand to shake, maybe a little ridiculously formal for how Kady normally conducts herself, but hey. It seems appropriate with The Young and the Wholesome over here. )

I’ll kick your ass if you kick mine. Deal?

( No grudges held murder approval. Is this bonding? )

[ He isn't expecting her to extend a hand, but he takes it and gives it a good firm shake. ]

Deal.

[ He hopes that she hits hard, because he's not very good at staying down. ]

Thank you.

[ He feels like this needs to be said, because... she could have easily not come over here to give him this kind of talk. She does it because that's how much she cares about Julia. He'd never try to discourage that. ]

( This is a really weird conversation. She's pretty okay with it, though. )

You're welcome.

( She releases his hand, something in her expression shifted, not exactly softened, but certainly warmer. )

So, uh. I guess it's your turn, if you need to give me a shake down, too.

( Wryly, as she picks up her beer and has another sip. )

...What for?

[ He takes a look at the hot dogs. ]

Long as you haven't poisoned these, I don't think I've got any beef with you.

[ That was a joke, Kady, he doesn't think you actually poisoned them. ]

Anyway, I remember you said we have a birthday party to plan.

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