The Roof, Tuesday Evening

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

It had been a week since Art Crawl, and a week since Katchoo had seen Francine. You'd think, living on the same floor of the dorms and all, they'd have run into each other by now but by pure dumb luck Katchoo hadn't so much as caught a glimpse of her best friend.

If that was still the case, considering the way Francine had run off after their last conversation. She hadn't exactly had more friends than she could count on one hand anyway, and at least two of them were graduating soon. Factoring that in wasn't helping with the melancholy. Yes, melancholy -- she didn't have the energy to work up a proper rage.

She probably should have been studying for finals, but please, when had Katchoo ever cared about things like that? So the roof it was, feet dangling off the edge as she lit up what was probably going to be the first of way too many cigarettes tonight.

[OOC: And the roof is smoky, but open, and Chewie's moody but mellowly so.]

Comments

[wantstodirect]

Tony was restless this evening, probably because he didn't have rehearsal as usual this afternoon. He wandered up to the roof and leaned against the wall to look over the edge.

"Hey," he said to Katina, remembering her from the art show. "How's it going?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo flicked ash over the edge of the roof, took another long drag, and exhaled slowly before replying. "Depends on which it you mean," she answered. She was so pleasant with small talk.

[wantstodirect]

Tony shrugged. "Whatever it you want. Got an extra smoke?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo tapped a cigarette out of the pack and held it out to him, not looking. "The slam dance known as life keeps slamming on, and some people bail when they can't handle the rhythm. What can I say?"

[wantstodirect]

"If they can't deal, then fuck 'em," Tony said, accepting the cigarette. "Got a light?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Wish it was that simple," Katchoo scoffed, and held the lighter out. She figured she was safe from him trying to hit on her, or she'd have given him more of a hassle about it. "Anybody but my best friend, I wouldn't give a crap."

[wantstodirect]

Tony lit up the cigarette and handed it back. "Thanks," he said. No, not likely to hit on her. "What's the issue?" he asked.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo shrugged and put the lighter back down on the ledge. "Told her I'm not into guys. She took off and I haven't seen her since."

[wantstodirect]

Tony took a drag. "When my parents found out I was gay, they kicked me out of the house."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"I took off before that happened," Katchoo offered tonelessly. "Figure she wouldn't have believed me anyway, said I was doing it for attention."

She didn't give a damn about what Ace would have thought one way or the other.

[wantstodirect]

"Pretty sure my dad already suspected," Tony said. "My mom was in denial. I dunno, I probably would've left anyway."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Denial is my mom's default state, I'm pretty sure," Katchoo took a ridiculously long drag and exhaled a thin, steady stream of smoke. "Her, I couldn't give less of a damn how she took it. Francine, on the other hand . . ."

[wantstodirect]

"Maybe she just needs time," Tony said. "She seems like a good person."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Coming up onto the roof for a bit of time out of his room, Merlin paused only for a moment at seeing Katchoo. He smiled in a way that was encouraging to himself more than her and headed on over. Girl!Arthur indeed.

"Hullo, Katchoo."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"She's amazing," Katchoo said bluntly, never one to withhold a compliment when it came to Francine. "Just a little sheltered."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Only my friends call me that," Katchoo said reflexively, and the Sahara in the middle of the worst drought on record only wished it could sound that dry. "Oh. It's you."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Merlin frowned and took a seat on the edge nearish to her. "That's what Francine calls you. Should I call you something else then?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Dammit, she couldn't even make herself snarl at him tonight. That was annoying. "She's known me forever," Katchoo said instead. "Name's Katina, but you know, whatever, I don't really care right now."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I thought Katchoo was your name, actually." Showed how much he paid attention. "Katina is rather nice. Better than being named after a bird, I suppose. Which would you like then?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"You did hear what I said, right?" Normally she'd be much more growly about this; right now she just sounded listless, and not challenging at all. "Katina's fine. I really don't care."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Katina then," He decided with a firm nod. Looking down at the ground from here was a bit like being on the battlements back home. "So... do you come here often?"

He wasn't trying to pick her up with bad lines. Really. Just very, very slow in that aspect.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo snorted. "If I didn't know that wasn't a pickup line coming from you I'd have hit you by now. Yeah, I've practically worn a groove the shape of my ass right here. What's it to you?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"You're Francine's friend, so I should get to know you as well." Or something like that. He had damn good timing. "She did the same with Arthur, after all."

[wantstodirect]

"Yeah?" Tony smiled and glanced over at Katina, wondering if there was more than friendship there. Not that it was his business, anyway. "So she'll come around."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hell, you're serious." Sometimes Katchoo wished she couldn't read people so well; it would've been much easier if he didn't seem so goddamned nice. "Jesus. This'd be a lot easier if you were a jackass."