(Untitled)

[i_scare_monstrs]

It's been about a week since The Fight with Lellow Kake.

Eight days since she left a note with Bar for Lellow Kake, trying to mislead Kate into thinking that Grace had left

Comments

[justdidntseeit]

It's been a while since Kate's seen the bar at this hour, but she'd woken with a headache that won't quit.

She'd slipped out of bed quietly, not wanting to disturb Bill, and headed downstairs for aspirin, water, and peach yogurt.

All of which are forgotten when she spots Grace and Grace's impressive assortment of distractions.

You're back.

She'll approach Grace's booth in a second.

As soon as she figures out what she's going to say, after the initial 'I'm sorry.'

[i_scare_monstrs]

Grace notices Kate as soon as she heads down the stairs because she's watching the not!door. Her expression flickers from surprise to dread in milliseconds.

Juuuuuust what she'd been trying to avoid.

She pushes the ear buds even further into her ears, mumbling something to Moe as she does, and looks very fixedly at her doodle. (It might look like a ninja riding a camel)

She is obviously Very Focused.

[justdidntseeit]

Biting the inside of her cheek, Kate walks over, the guilt-shaped knot in her stomach tightening with every step.

Softly, "Grace, you're - you're back."

But Grace's head is still slanted over her sketch, and with the earbuds, Kate isn't sure she's even heard the words.

[i_scare_monstrs]

Not looking up from the drawing, "Never left." Her voice is sulky like a teenager, but she's trying to ignore this fact. She is NOT a sulky teenager. She is a righteously upset adult.

There are two camels now.

[justdidntseeit]

She swallows hard; that hurts.

" -- oh."

The pressure behind her eyes increases, and she resists the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.

[i_scare_monstrs]

A pirate is now on top of the second camel.

After a moment's contemplation the pirate is given a sword, and the ninja nun chucks. ACTION SCENE! WHO SHALL CONQUER?

A slight smile pulls at her lips as she immerses herself into the drawing.

[justdidntseeit]

"Grace."

Her voice is stronger now. Steady.

"I'm sorry."

[i_scare_monstrs]

She looks up at Kate for a long moment, head tilted.

"For what?"

Not that she doesn't believe she deserves an apology, but it doesn't mean that Kate is apologizing for what Grace believes she should be.

[justdidntseeit]

"For - "

She licks her lips.

"For what I said to you, before ... "

Before you left that note.

" -- I didn't mean to upset you like that, Gracie."

[i_scare_monstrs]

That, apparently, was not the right answer.

Grace shrugs indifferently and goes back to her doodle. Or, more accurately, she continues the story in a different picture. The ninja is up on the pirate's camel, the nun chucks around the pirate's neck.
The pirate does not appear to be in a good way. His eyes are bulging slightly and even though the picture is still he appears to be flailing - the sword still in his hand.

[justdidntseeit]

Kate frowns and slides into the booth, pushing the basket of candy over and brushing a coloring book and a jump rope to one side.

"Grace?"

[i_scare_monstrs]

Voice bland, "Yeah?"

A third drawing is started in which the Pirate's sword is stabbed into the Ninja's stomach.

[justdidntseeit]

She eyes the picture.

Oh, that's mature.

"I'm sorry."

[i_scare_monstrs]

In the last drawing both the ninja and the pirate have fallen off the camels dead. Moral of the story: when pirates and ninjas fight NO ONE WINS. The bewildered expression on the camels faces is very amusing though. She smiles at the drawing and offers it a satisfied nod.

She glances up at Kate, her expression sobering. She sighs, yanks out the ear buds and fiddles with her hair.
"I couldn't care less what you said.
You've said worse over the years.

What upsets me now and upset me then is the trust-" She lets out another breath and shakes her head slightly. "I guess I shouldn't expect so much of you seeing as from your perspective we've just met."

[justdidntseeit]

'You've said worse over the years.'

That hurts, too, but Kate thinks she might deserve it right now.

"Trust?"

A line appears between her brows.

"I - it's not about trust, it - "

She shakes her head.

Softly, "That wasn't your story to tell, Grace. And I trusted you when you said you wouldn't."

[i_scare_monstrs]

Her eyes flash just a little, and her voice take an edge of anger to it.
"And when exactly were you planning on telling him? Five years? Ten? When it's too late to matter? When the pain of you not telling him ruins things? When you've convinced yourself that you don't need anyone else and the scars run to deep to heal? Or, maybe, 'when it comes up' - because torture and death threats are totally a common subject around here."

Sarcasm? Nooooo.