75 Godiva, Sunday evening

[vdistinctive]

There wasn't anything quantifiable that Eliot could nail down, but he could tell when Fandom managed to shake off its latest evil invasion. It was like an enormous, evil weight had been lifted from the world.

It was an enormous relief, but mostly Eliot kind of wanted to take a nap. Again. Apparently freaking out as hard as he had took a lot out of a person, more than sleeping a good 10 hours straight thanks to the medication Hardison had dug up.

"Right," he said. "So . . . what. We should be good through, like, March now, right?"

[ooc: for the family, especially, but can also be open!]

Comments

[tigerundercover]

"It's not . . . all all over," Raven pointed out, still looking ten years old and blonde. She pointed to Kathy. "Little bit of clean up left."

[godilovedthis]

"Hello!" Kathy said, waving.

[tigerundercover]

"Hi," Raven said, slightly less patiently than the last half-dozen times. She'd been tiny and blonde for a whole day now, and she wasn't used to disguising herself for this long anymore. She was tired. "Don't suppose you have instructions on you somewhere for what to do when you're done saving everyone?"

[godilovedthis]

Kathy looked down at her arms. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe?"

Though she didn't see anything that seemed appropriate. "Maybe Dante or Anders will know. They know everything. Or maybe Star...somebody. Or Carthage."

Beat.

"Hannibal. That's on my arm."

[tigerundercover]

"The old doctor guy?" Raven frowned. "Does it say why?"

[godilovedthis]

Kathy shook her head. "No, I just never remember his name. I always think it's Carthage." The link between 'Hannibal' and 'Carthage' was long gone. "He and Star...smore--" yes, she had to check the name on her arm for him, too, "--are around a lot and it's rude to call them the wrong name."

[tigerundercover]

"I guess maybe we should find them, then? I know where our version of them usually hangs out, but I don't know about your version."

[godilovedthis]

"Starsmore volunteered to go into the cave along with other-me," Kathy said. "I don't know where Carth--Hannibal is." She scratched another graying patch on her right shoulder.

[tigerundercover]

"What's, um." Raven pointed, then grimaced. "What's going on with your skin?"

[godilovedthis]

"What?" Kathy asked, then looked at her shoulder. "...Oh."

And at once, the vacant happiness was gone, replaced by a deep sadness.

"That."

[tigerundercover]

"Oh god, it's something horrible."

[godilovedthis]

"Always is in our Fandom," Kathy said quietly. "I'm...changing. It's what happens after we hollow out. We turn into monsters."

[tigerundercover]

"In Mr. Spencer's living room," Raven said, rather despairingly. "You're not even in your Fandom!"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison went over to her. "Yo, if I pick you up an' give you a big hug, what are the odds you'll turn into a bear an' maul me?"

[tigerundercover]

"I don't know. Turning into a bear sounds like a really good stretch, right now."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison nodded at Kathy. "I think Eliot's got her entertained right now," he said. "If you wanna go out back an' take a breather? I'll stand between you an' a window or whatever."

[tigerundercover]

Raven looked over at Kathy. "What if she leaves without saying goodbye?"

She might be tired, but Kathy was still her best friend, even if she was only half there and didn't remember that part.

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Eliot won't let her," Hardison said. "You think he's gonna let her walk outta the house without, like, eight hugs an' a promise to write?" He shook his head. "He's still messed up over their goodbye from last year."

[tigerundercover]

"She'll say goodbye to Mr. Spencer, he's like her dad. She doesn't even really know who I am."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"An' when he's huggin' her goodbye, we'll run in an' you can tackle her," Hardison suggested. "I think she knows you're someone special. In all the times she asked Parker for her name, she ain't never asked if she were Sarah."

[tigerundercover]

"Sarah was her little sister," Raven said softly. "And . . . I'm little."

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"This botherin' you?" Hardison asked, equally softly. "Her not rememberin' you?"

Well, no. Kathy had. There was a plate in the garbage because of that memory.

"Or, rather, how she remembers you?"

[tigerundercover]

"Juuuust a little," Raven said. "Wouldn't it bother you?"

[geniuswithasmartphone]

Hardison sighed and looked away. "I met the other me from the world she's from," he said quietly. "It's why Eliot was the way he was yesterday. Clingin' to the fact that that wasn't me, wasn't us is the best I got sometimes."

[tigerundercover]

"What happened?" Raven asked. "I mean, if you can talk about it? I'm mostly just really confused here."

There was another Kathy who was an idiot and another Raven who was evil, and people freaking the fuck out.