tushanshu | ✦ 012 ✦ [VIDEO] ✦ Network Cafe ✦ (Encrypted from Jack)

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✦ 012 ✦ [VIDEO] ✦ Network Cafe ✦ (Encrypted from Jack)

[For once, Zatanna isn't broadcasting from her room. She doesn't even bother trying to hide the Guilt on her face as she appears on screen, the clear signs of a random cafe in the background. It would have been a stretch to say she hadn't really slept much since returning from the bottle, but she's certainly not taking any joy from the memories playing over and over in her mind.]

[Memories she needed to get away from, if only for a little while. And there was really only one way to do that:]

Does anybody have a place I can stay for a few days?

[By not being in her suite.]

PRIVATE - Korra

Hey.

Thanks for the chocolates. I really appreciate it.

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[An hour is roughly the time it takes for Kyle himself to get ready; clearing the kitchen, cleaning the living room, and making sure he looks a lot more like himself than like something out of science fiction. When she knocks, he's there at the door, smiling at her, an odd twinkle in his eye.]

Hey. Come on in.

[She opened her mouth to greet him back...and paused. Staring at him curiously for a moment. That voice... It was Kyle, but kind of not really? She couldn't describe it, and after a moment of trying to figure out how, she shrugged in defeat.]

Thanks.

Ready to get started?

Born ready. This way.

[He waves her over to it. The platform is sparkling, thanks, he cleaned with his hands instead of using the ring. It had felt rewarding.]

Who cleaned?

[The room was perfectly spotless. Not that she thought of Kyle as a slob, per say...but she definitely didn't remember his place being this spotless when she was staying with him.]

[Once in the kitchen area, she set down the bags on the table. She had been feeling extra ambitious that day. Rather than get the pre-made stuff, every ingredient indicated she was going for homemade pasta, not just sauce.]

I couldn't find one of those machines that makes spaghetti, but I think between the two of us, we could manage ravioli. What do you think?

[Kyle wouldn't describe himself as a slob per se but Jim liked to keep everything Spartan. It was a side effect of living in space: not many belongings, and even those were discardable.]

I did. You can't believe it, huh?

[He slides over to the bags and starts unloading, curious as to why she's not using a few shortcuts today. It's almost like she deliberately wants to spend as much time with him as possible.]

[Hey, he's not complaining. Just worried.]

Ravioli and then some. What do I do, boss?

Not for a second.

[She did believe him, actually, because he wouldn't lie to her. But sisterly teasing being an obligation of hers, she couldn't actually give him credit where credit was due. That would just be silly.]

I'll make the dough, if you can work on the filling. We're going with mostly eggs and cheese, and those herbs that I bought over in that bag there. [She indicated towards one of the plastic bags with green leaves sticking out the top. Fresh.] If you could ground those up into pieces, and then mix everything together, that'll save me a ton of time.

[Kyle gives her a Look which is more faraway than he intends, because so much of him is seeing the stars at the moment instead of what's really around at the time.]

[He waves a hand, vaguely.]

Y'know I can make more of me to help.

[It's not the point. If there's more of him he can't spend time with her, but he has to offer.]

Edited 2014-03-10 02:02 (UTC)

[She had ever confidence he could. Technically, she could too, but that wasn't the point.]

You know, on the subject of multiple 'you's...you never did explain what you meant about being two people. I'm still just seeing the one Kyle.

[He gesticulates, knowing the metaphor but also that Zatanna isn't going to like the parallel one bit.]

I kind of - put on the Helmet of Fate. There's someone else here sharing my body. It's voluntary and temporary don't worry.

["Isn't going to like it" would have been a gross understatement.]

[He made it as far as put on the Helmet of Fate when her instincts kicked in, reflexively pulling back so sharply, she dropped the bowl in her hands. Fortunately, it didn't break, but it did leave a giant mess everywhere. Not that she noticed, between gasping audibly and eyes widening in a mixture of genuine shock and fear. The Helmet . She'd almost forgotten that accursed thing was here too. The very place she would be returning back to if she ever left Keelai.]

[The very thing that would take her dad away from her forever.]

[She didn't even hear the rest of it, so focused on that single statement and completely oblivious to the obvious; that he clearly wasn't wearing it at that particular moment, or she would be looking at Doctor Fate, not him.]

[It didn't matter.]

You--WHAT?!

[Well done, genius, he thinks, holding up his hands defensively, palms facing her.]

Hey! Hey. Chill out, okay? I'm still here.

[She swallowed loudly, her heart still pounding in her chest as she took a few deep breaths.]

I'm going to assume that wasn't a joke. [He should know what that Helmet meant to her. The thought of it still being here...] Explain. Please?

[He sighs.]

Yeah, no. Bad example. Someone's just borrowing me for a while until she gets her own body back, okay? It's a space thing.

[There was a moment of silence. Then...she laughed.]

So...there's a girl inside of you right now?

[Kyle groans. Face, meet palm.]

That's one way of putting it.

[Kyle, you deserve every second of teasing for what you just put her through.]

Has anyone ever told you you have the weirdest friends?

[No offense, girl-inside-Kyle. For what it's worth, she definitely counts herself in with that lot.]

[Shaking his head as he walks over to the bowl on the floor.]

You haven't even met the weirdest ones. C'mon. Let's get this cleaned up.

I'll keep that in mind.

[There were some towels on the counter. She grabbed those, passing half of them over to Kyle so they could get to work cleaning up. Fortunately, the bowl hadn't been full, so the mess shouldn't take too long.]

How does it...work, exactly? I mean, can she hear and see me right now? Is she asleep? Is she controlling half your limbs or something?

[He gets to work, putting the bowl in the sink; they can get a clean one from the cupboard later.]

She can see and hear you because I can see and hear you right now. We don't have to struggle for control or anything - we take turns. It's my turn at the moment, but even if it wasn't, she knows how I feel towards you, and that matters to her. She's letting me handle it.

[Zatanna wasn't going to pretend she understood. But she knew that Kyle was not just okay with it, but seemingly happy with the arrangement, and that's what mattered.]

Who is she, exactly? Somebody you knew from your world?

More like... an old friend who I haven't seen in a while. It's... nice.

[He smiles wistfully at her.]

Edited (icon!!) 2014-03-14 03:51 (UTC)

I'm glad.

[Kyle deserved to be happy. And when he was happy, she was happy. Enough to almost make her forget about why she had come over here in the first place...or, rather, why she'd needed to get away to his place.]

Lucky for us, I bought extra. So this shouldn't even set us back.

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✦ 012 ✦ [VIDEO] ✦ Network Cafe ✦ (Encrypted from Jack)

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