Tara meant to just stop by her room to change into shoes not full of sand and a shirt that didn't have ketchup on the sleeve between Karla's party and Warren's. When she first spotted the dark-haired girl in the room she'd started thinking of as hers alone, she almost didn't recognize her.
A twitch of a grin. It... could have been worse. She and Eliot had had to play a fast and loose game to cover up some of their 'indiscretions', but it seemed that either their family didn't know or wasn't willing to upset the frail balance of things at the moment to say anything about their contact with their father.
"We had our birthday party. Big family affair, lots of food and drink."
Which had meant so very much to Fiona, of course.
"For the family, anyway. Kind of sucked. I wish I'd been here."
There was more, but nonsense was far behind her and as far as she was concerned, the only good thing was that she'd gotten to see Eliot some more.
"I'm alive, though. And so is Eliot. How about you?"
She pulled her cat into her lap, even if she was gnawing on one of her fingers. It wasn't MALICIOUS gnawing.
"Happy late birthday," Tara said, with a sympathetic wrinkle to her nose. "Sorry it sort of sucked. I've been ... I dunno, pretty much normal? Kennedy's been staying over sometimes. We're all done with classes and graduation is Saturday, which is weird"
She nodded to Nyx and added, "He missed you lots."
Fiona looked down at her cat, who was peering back up as if to ask why there wasn't petting yet. She shifted her finger and started petting her poor beknighted kitty.
"Glad I got back then. Considering. Graduation, I mean. And thanks for taking care of her. I would have brought her but--"
She didn't trust her family with anything she loved that wasn't Eliot. Eliot could at least defend himself. Sort of.
"It was fine," Tara said. "I think having her made Moxy happy, you know?"
She shrugged. "You missed .... god, nothing I would have minded missing. There was this creepy fog with monsters in it. People had random children. People were random children."
"Like everyone," Tara said, sounding appropriately gobsmacked. "I had a little girl with Merlin -- seriously -- and Kennedy had two, one with Bobby Drake and one with Mat. I mean, they were sweet, it was just ... really, really, really not likely. Francine said it happens every year after prom, so maybe you'll see yours next year."
"It wasn't so bad once you, y'know, got past the 'this is never happening' thing," Tara said, and considered it. "I think it helped that Rosemary -- my daughter -- was old enough to kind of get what was going on. Plus, she wasn't all totally hyper like some of the other kids."
Tara shook her head. "Monday night they had us walk then down to the park, and they went through this ... big blue portal thing. It was kind of cool. Except for the whole part where, um, some people were crying."
Tara nodded. "Yeah. I mean -- Rosemary was wonderful? But, uh ... I don't want kids yet. And Merlin's not really my type, so it just felt more weird than anything."
She'd cried a little. Not enough to mention two weeks later.
"What are you -- oh my god, Fiona?"
She was happy. Just a bit stunned.
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"Hey. Yeah. I'm, uh, back."
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"We had our birthday party. Big family affair, lots of food and drink."
Which had meant so very much to Fiona, of course.
"For the family, anyway. Kind of sucked. I wish I'd been here."
There was more, but nonsense was far behind her and as far as she was concerned, the only good thing was that she'd gotten to see Eliot some more.
"I'm alive, though. And so is Eliot. How about you?"
She pulled her cat into her lap, even if she was gnawing on one of her fingers. It wasn't MALICIOUS gnawing.
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She nodded to Nyx and added, "He missed you lots."
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"Glad I got back then. Considering. Graduation, I mean. And thanks for taking care of her. I would have brought her but--"
She didn't trust her family with anything she loved that wasn't Eliot. Eliot could at least defend himself. Sort of.
"Thanks, anyway. I miss anything big?"
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She shrugged. "You missed .... god, nothing I would have minded missing. There was this creepy fog with monsters in it. People had random children. People were random children."
"Prom was pretty nice?"
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Maybe that was for the best. It wasn't like she'd had anyone to go with and more than likely, it would have just been awkward.
"That's good. I'm glad you had a good time. At prom. Not with... monsters."
Blink.
"Who had children?"
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"That would... wow. That's, um, that's messed up."
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Like, say, Kennedy's.
"But yeah, just a little messed up."
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"Did they just disappear?"
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"Huh," was all she had to add to that.
"Are you okay?"
She didn't want to ask if Tara had cried.
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She'd cried a little. Not enough to mention two weeks later.
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"Yeah. Weird."
Eloquent, she was not. There was a reason her brother was the 'poet'.
"Well, um, is there anything I should know like... roomwise? Something I shouldn't touch or stuff you put somewhere or anything?"
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