Who: Cate Adler and Kent Brightstar, (later: Tony W) What: Calling out and comfort; group chat When: Sunday, March 17, 2019 | late afternoon Where: The Bunkhouse - Kent's room Warnings: Language, creature death, fairly clean discussion of polyamory with sexual references
Are you at home right now? At the bunkhouse, I mean.
Yes
Okay, good. Then open your door.
Cate knocked on the door and then slid her phone into her pocket so that she could assume her pose: one hip cocked, arms crossed over chest, expression set to something halfway between serious and seriously annoyed, with one eyebrow lifted in a silent question. Not that she was planning to be silent. She had the speech prepared, too. See, funny thing. This guy asked me out the other night. In a sense. I asked him to call me once we got some sleep. And guess what? Three days, and nothing. What do you think that says to me?
Of course, she also wasn't planning on staying mad. She wasn't even really mad now, but she figured it was a good message to get across here at the start. Because she was pretty sure this was the start of something. The gooey thoughts about Tony that had rolled around in her head all of the previous night was a pretty good sign of that. Her determination to see Kent and get this out was another.
All of that went out of the window when the door opened. Cate opened her mouth and drew a breath, ready to launch into her mini-tirade—and then her eyes locked on his and widened. "Oh my god, what happened?" she asked, pushing inside without invitation. The room was a wreck, but Kent himself looked far worse: disheveled, red-rimmed eyes, expression that went well beyond sour. "What's wrong?"
It went a long way into his current mindset that Kent had simply replied in the affirmative to Cate's text about his whereabouts. He was in no fit state to be around humans, but it was Cate and the answer had been automatic. Now she was there, because he'd been so wrapped up in his own impotent rage that he'd actually answered the fucking door instead of asking her to leave. Even when he opened his mouth to do just that, he couldn't make the right words come out. Through tightly clenched teeth, he managed to growl. "I lost it. I fucking lost it. The taniwha."
Cate was already surprised at his appearance, but she was entirely unprepared for the reason for it. Maybe she didn't have the connection to the animals of the Reserve that many around here did, but she knew how he felt about them. She reached up to touch his cheek with one hand, concern overriding everything else that had brought her there. "Oh, Kent," she said softly, and then slid her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his chest, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry."
Stiff didn't even begin to cover it; Kent might as well have been a damned statue. For a few seconds, he didn't even breathe, because he was afraid if he did he would just start screaming. Not at her, but more at the universe as a whole. She would have just been an innocent casualty to his fury. His lungs started to burn with the effort, until finally they released the pent up air, and his head fell onto her shoulder as his arms went around her waist. He pulled her tightly to him, shaking. "Wasn't," he croaked out the word, but his throat didn't like that. It forced him to clear it before he could continue. "It wasn't the baby. The baby's fine. One of the elders. I should've caught it. I should've mother fucking caught it."
She breathed a little easier when she felt him relax against her, even if it wasn't fully. He was all tension, but all she could do was run her hands down his back in what she hoped was a soothing way. It was a relief to hear that it hadn't been the creature they'd been discussing the other night, because hearing that a baby anything had died was awful on principle, and she would have felt a little guilty about insisting that it was terrifying. It made the rest more confusing, though. "The others were sick, too? I didn't realize." And then she did feel guilty, because of course he hadn't called her if he was dealing with that. "No wonder you've been so busy."
He shook his head against her shoulder, his own shifting into something approximating a shrug. Through a huge effort, Kent managed to peel himself away. He couldn't quite meet her gaze, so instead he gave a few desultory flicks of his wand toward the mess he'd made of his room. Things started repairing themselves, glass unshattering, papers knitting back together, but it was a slow, haphazard process. The effort just wasn't there. "Kept getting emerging cases. This one was asymptomatic. By the time they'd brought him in to rule out exposure, he was already hypoxic. Total organ failure. But I should've started checking sooner. I could've damn well saved him."
Cate gave him one last little squeeze before she let him go, turning for a quick survey of the clear spots she could sit before choosing the bed. She curled her feet up under her as she watched him, brow still furrowed in concern. "Did you truly have any way of knowing it was needed? Wouldn't asymptomatic mean he went to the bottom of the priority list? That's not me trying to placate you, by the way. I honestly don't know the procedure for that sort of thing. I mean, there are roughly a gazillion creatures you're overseeing, so you can't possibly have eyes on them all at once."
His jaw twitched. It was the argument his department head had made as well. Hell, it was what he'd told himself just to get through the rest of his day. He'd calmly filled out the necessary paperwork, dotted all the i's, crossed all the t's, hadn't reacted when a copy had to be sent to Tony's sister, and listened like a good healer and parroted back all the right words that wouldn't get him sent home. But that voice had been there. You could have done more. You think you're so smart. Why didn't you catch this one? You failed. Kent winced at the mocking tone of his thoughts, and kept his gaze carefully away. "There could have been a way. I just didn't get to it in time."
He got the worst of the evidence of his temper tantrum cleared up, and then came to sit on the barest edge of the bed next to her. "But you… you're not here about that." Kent glanced at her, and then quickly away again. "Sorry. You, uh, looked like you were ready to read me the riot act. I deserve that. I should've called."
She leaned forward until her cheek rested against the back of his shoulder. If he didn't want to maintain eye contact, she wasn't going to make him. "I was," she admitted with a soft laugh. "But I'm not really mad. I just wanted to make a point. Which is that I'd rather hear from you and not like what you have to say than to not hear from you at all." She sighed softly and closed her eyes. "But we don't have to talk about that. I'm not here to add more complications to your already complicated day."
There was something tentative to the way he reached over and took her hand. It wasn't like this was the first time that they'd held hands, but Kent was relatively certain that he'd never been the one to initiate it. "You're never a complication," he told her quietly. "You may be complicated, but you're never a complication." A brief pause as his thumb set up a pattern against the heel of her palm, and then: "Does this mean you don't like what I said? The other day? I didn't-- I wanted-- I know it's--"
Words were wholly inadequate for this situation, or they just wouldn't come to him in a helpful or coherent order.
"You surprised me," Cate admitted, twisting her hand in his to trade caresses, fingertips tracing along his larger ones as she watched their path. "That's why I suggested we talk after we'd gotten some sleep. I really didn't want to say anything more nonsensical than I already had, and I know you'd never forgive yourself if you felt like you'd said something wrong."
She twisted her position to lift her head and look over at him. "Which you didn't. Completely crazy, yes, but not wrong." She dropped a kiss against his shoulder, because it felt right to do it, and then rested her cheek there again. "I guess you haven't talked to Tony since last night, then? Because I have a hard time believing you did and he didn't say anything."
"I--" he broke off, lips pushing tightly together as he shook his head. "Never had the chance, obviously, outside of a handful of texts. I haven't left the treatment center much since…" His gaze went distant, because the past few days had really started bleeding together. "Yeah, since I talked to you on Friday."
He looked over at her--well, what he could see of her. The warmth of that little sign of affection was still making its way to his head, so it took him a few seconds for him to even realize what she'd done. And what it might possibly mean. "But I'm guessing you did. Talk to Tony. About this."
"I did." Cate was tempted to draw it out, and probably would have teased him with the information a bit on any other occasion—but in her small amount of research on this sort of thing, all of her sources had agreed on one thing: communication was key. "He came by the bar during my shift last night. We agreed that we're all insane, that you are an adorable, attractive oddball, and that there's a chance that something like this might work. That we could at least talk through it together and see."
She straightened suddenly, brought to his eye level by the fact that her legs were under her. With her free hand, she touched his cheek and turned his face toward her, regarding him with a scrunched up brow. "Have you slept since Friday? Like, really slept?"
His brain was just starting to warm to the idea of talking about just the prospect of being a three--and didn't even balk at being called an "oddball" for whatever that was worth--when her abrupt question and even more abrupt physical demand for his attention brought him up short. Unconsciously, his own expression matched hers, drawn brow and everything. "I think… that may depend heavily on your concept of sleep and your thoughts on the judicious application of stimulant potions."
So, evidently he couldn't find the words to talk about his feelings, but he could come up with judicious application of stimulant potions. Nice.
"So that's a no." Cate narrowed her eyes at him, leaning in so that she could once again rest against his shoulder, this time chin first so that she could still look at him. "So number one lesson in Being in a Relationship with Cate was that I'd like to hear from you, even when there's nothing pretty to say. Think you're ready for a lesson number two?"
This earned another wince from him, but he still nodded at her. "As I'll ever be."
"Oh my god, you look like you just got detention. Give me a little credit here." Cate stood up to give him space to manoeuver and pointed to the bed. "Lay down." She waited for him to comply, then sat down on the bed next to him, pulling out her phone. "If you have some other obligation that absolutely can't wait, then speak now or forever hold your peace. Otherwise, you are mine for the next hour." She set the alarm on her phone and showed it to him before tossing it onto the bedside table.
She kicked off her shoes, then leaned over and pulled his off and tossed them to the side. That done, she stretched out on the bed next to him, lightly touching, and propped herself up on one elbow. With her non-supporting hand, she touched his cheek again. "I want the person...persons," she corrected, with a soft laugh. "I want the ones I'm with to take care of themselves, or at least let me take care of them when they need it. And right now, you need it. So close your eyes. Please? And at least attempt to take a nap."
With that, she snuggled into his side, tucking her face against his collarbone. It was strange that this was a thing that was allowed, much less that she was doing, but it felt good.
It was probably either scary or simply extremely telling about his current level of exhaustion that he'd acquiesced so easily to her demands and physical promptings. He lay there for a few moments, eyes closed, relishing the warmth of Cate next to him and the feel of her wrist in the loose hold of his hand, and tried to do what she'd directed. But his brain was unhelpfully noisy. It was parsing out their conversation, words and inflections playing out in fragmented scenes against his eyelids. She'd talked to Tony. About him. About them. About being an us. "One question: how do you temporally quantify an 'attempt'? Because… we just started talking about this kind of big thing, but then we stopped. It doesn't… I can't stop thinking about it. About you. And about Tony. And about you and Tony. You said you talked, and I get that details might make it weird, but-- you're clearly not turning this" (me) "down cold."
Cate smiled against his chest. "Truthfully? I gave it about five minutes less than what you actually managed, so gold star. But you aren't pacing the room or generally fuming at the moment, so I've at least partially accomplished my goal. I appreciate you humoring me."
She twisted again, propped up so that she could see him, but more laying against him than not. "I kissed him. Or he kissed me. I don't know, there was kissing. To see if there could be anything there or not." She glanced away at that, feeling the tiniest bit self-conscious for the first time since entering the room. She'd had some time to think about it, and she'd done a bit of internet reading, but it didn't remove that little jumble of nerves that reminded her she had no idea what the hell she was doing—or even if she should be doing it in the first place. "Like I said, we agreed it was worth discussing further. Which sounds sooo stuffy, my god." She laughed. "I'm not turning you down. Him down. Us down. Whatever. I'm...curious. I know and trust you both. And like I told Tony, I'd have gone out with either of you individually, so...why not? Let's be crazy."
Kent was quiet for a bit. It was like he was waiting for this spike of jealousy, or some kind of misplaced sense of hurt. Instead, something warm stole through his chest, bringing with it a smile that he didn't bother hiding. "He's good, isn't he? Just kind of puts you at ease. Effortless, even though you know it has to be there. The effort." His distant gaze tracked back to her face while a flush began to fill his. "It's not… So much about this is going to just sound weird, and maybe it is, but I really want to see you together. Two people I care about, caring for each other."
His head tipped to one side as something occurred to him. "I know I said it the other night at the bar, but I really did mean it. I do mean it. I really do love you. I don't know what that means, exactly, in the context of what we're proposing, because emotions aren't something I'm typically very good at, but I know that much at least." And because it was a fact to him, he shrugged, unconcerned. "I love you."
Cate pressed her face against his chest and giggled, unable to keep a straight face with that particular confession between them. "Oh my god, these are things we're supposed to discuss now. It's so weird." She tipped her head up to look at him. "I've seen you and Tony together. It's definitely not unappealing." She laughed again, touching her warm cheek to his hand where it was clasped over her wrist. "Maybe let's get used to this part for a little while before I tell you what I was thinking about when I fell asleep this morning."
It didn't matter that he'd said it before, or that Tony had confirmed it; Kent's declaration still sent butterflies through her stomach. She didn't have a good answer for it, though. She couldn't say it back. At worst, it would be a lie, and at best it would cheapen this moment. Instead, she kept her eyes on him, slid further up on the bed, and kissed him.
As curious as he was about the nature of Cate's thoughts--and for a few seconds it burned through him, so much so that he couldn't help but look at her with a raised brow of supreme interest--it all vanished as soon as she began to move. She's going to kiss me. It wasn't just a statement of fact, it was certainty wrapped up in disbelief and wonder. He didn't move at first, letting her come to him, but at the last moment, Kent raised his head slightly to meet her.
He freed his hand from her wrist and slipped it along the side of her throat, thumb caressing the side of her jaw before his fingers curled into the back of her soft hair. Kissing Cate was…kissing Cate. It wasn't like anything, so his brain stopped trying to draw parallels where there were none. It was sweet and unhurried, and he found himself wondering why he'd held himself back for all this time. When they broke after a long while, he leaned his forehead against hers, eyes still closed against a peace that had opened up in his mind, and murmured, "Been wanting to do that for years."
"You could have, you know. I might have let you." Cate smiled as she rested there, head pressed against his and fingers still curled into the hair just behind his ear. After a moment of contented silence, she said, "Tony offered to give you up for me. I told him no, but I can't help wondering if he's afraid it might happen anyway, or if he really could be okay with it. I've never quite been able to read him that well. Did he talk to you about it?"
She pulled back a bit to peer down at him, but she couldn't quite make herself put more reasonable distance between them. It felt too nice, and like kissing Tony, she was enjoying the exploration bits of this whole discussion. "I don't want to do anything that might screw things up for you two, or for me and either of you, friendship wise. You've both been parts of my life far too long for that. The whole small town thing could come back to bite us."
He chuckled at her teasing and let his hand drift to her shoulder while the other moved down her other arm. "He made me the same offer. Which is when I told him that I didn't necessarily want to choose. Not if there was a possibility--a crazy possibility, to use your word--that I could have this. Have you both. Well, not have-have. It's not like I own either of you, or want to. That's just not… I just mean--" Those were his words again, utterly failing him. Punks. "But he was really insistent that he would bow out gracefully if there were ever the kind of feelings there that would necessitate a conscious uncoupling. Not his words, but the same sentiments. And, well, I didn't tell him this, but if anything were to develop between the two of you, I'd do the same. Back out graciously."
Kent put his arms around her even as she leaned away a bit, but it was a loose hold. A huff of breath pushed out past his lips; it wasn't quite a sigh, but it wanted to be one. "The whole small town can bite me," was the much nicer thing that left his mouth, rather than fuck the town, which even he had to admit would have been a terrible tonal shift from their present conversation. The sentiment still stood, however. It did cause him to shift a bit, brow creasing down the middle ever so slightly. "People are always gonna talk, Cate. That's just… life, as stupid as it is. We just have to practice safe not giving a shit."
"I'm not worried about that. Well, okay, I am a little. I have no idea what people will say." Cate made a face. "But mostly I meant that if anything goes wrong, and this whole thing falls apart badly on us, we all still have to share this town. You never realize quite how small it is until you're trying to avoid someone."
She ran her fingers lightly over his cheek and through his beard, which she suspected was largely there because of his hectic few days. "So we're doing this, huh?"
"Look, I'm not exactly the poster child for optimism, but this?" He smiled slowly at her and turned his face to kiss her fingers before looking back. "Cate, we're doing this. Maybe for just a second we can escape realism and exist in the fuzzy what-if where this actually all works out and is absolutely amazing." Kent leaned in to kiss her again, because for now he could. "You should really enjoy whoever this pod person is who's currently wearing Kent Brightstar. I have no idea how long this is going to last."
"You're such a fraud, Brightstar," she said with a laugh as she pressed him back against the pillows, starting a kiss that she didn't plan to end for a good long while.
GROUP CHAT: SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2019
rayofsunshine has created the group chat: We Three thebrighteststar has joined theonlytonyw has joined [08:23 PM] rayofsunshine: figured we might need something like this 😉 [08:25 PM] thebrighteststar: Well, if you insist on inserting logic into the proceedings... [08:26 PM] thebrighteststar: hi [08:26 PM] rayofsunshine: that's me, the logical one [08:26 PM] rayofsunshine: said no one ever [08:26 PM] theonlytonyw: Hey [08:27 PM] theonlytonyw: Did you two talk? Is Kent still alive? [08:29 PM] rayofsunshine: no, I stole his phone so I could fake his chat messages too [08:29 PM] rayofsunshine: I'm dastardly that way [08:30 PM] thebrighteststar: Don't you do code? Isn't the entire thing *based * on logic? [08:30 PM] thebrighteststar: ...I digress. [08:31 PM] thebrighteststar: Also, please define "alive". [08:31 PM] rayofsunshine: yeah, and how many people in this town actually remember that I do something other than bartend? um, about three. [08:31 PM] rayofsunshine: you should tell him @thebrighteststar [08:32 PM] theonlytonyw: I remember! [08:32 PM] theonlytonyw: You should tell me @thebrighteststar [08:32 PM] thebrighteststar: That we talked? Or that I haven't slept since....Friday? Thursday? What year is this. [08:33 PM] rayofsunshine: obviously the latter...because obviously we talked. [08:34 PM] thebrighteststar: I haven't slept since... a day several days previous. [08:34 PM] theonlytonyw: Babe 🙄 [08:34 PM] rayofsunshine: bad work things *prods * [08:35 PM] rayofsunshine: (Cate Adler, facilitating good communication since 2019) [08:35 PM] thebrighteststar: The taniwha [08:35 PM] thebrighteststar: I lost it [08:38 PM] theonlytonyw: Lost it like how? [08:39 PM] rayofsunshine: in the way that it died and he had no way of knowing it was sick [08:39 PM] thebrighteststar: I should have known. [08:39 PM] rayofsunshine: Kent. [08:39 PM] theonlytonyw: Oh, babe [08:39 PM] thebrighteststar: It's my job. [08:39 PM] rayofsunshine: how many creatures are on that reserve? [08:40 PM] theonlytonyw: Like a million [08:40 PM] thebrighteststar: A million responsibilities [08:41 PM] theonlytonyw: It's not on you, Kent [08:41 PM] theonlytonyw: You can't know everything [08:41 PM] thebrighteststar: I should know enough [08:42 PM] rayofsunshine: you do know enough [08:42 PM] rayofsunshine: in an entirely reasonable, human sort of way [08:42 PM] thebrighteststar: What a terrible thing to say. We all know I'm not human. 😉 [08:43 PM] rayofsunshine: well, I wasn't going to say.... [08:43 PM] rayofsunshine: anyway, I don't want to gang up on you (I totally do in this case, but i won't) [08:43 PM] thebrighteststar: Oh, no, feel free [08:44 PM] thebrighteststar: Always feel free [08:44 PM] thebrighteststar: I probably need it? [08:44 PM] rayofsunshine: maybe one day it'll work? [08:44 PM] theonlytonyw: Weirder things have happened 🤷 [08:45 PM] thebrighteststar: [08:45 PM] rayofsunshine: but this is why he's alive - he ruined my planned speech and everything! [08:46 PM] rayofsunshine: I was ready to unleash some fury. It would have been magnificent. [08:46 PM] theonlytonyw: Of course it would 🤗 [08:47 PM] thebrighteststar: Sorry to have sidetracked fiery!Cate [08:47 PM] rayofsunshine: I'm sure she'll get her day. [08:47 PM] thebrighteststar: #nobutreallysorry [08:47 PM] rayofsunshine: I'm pretty sure we established that you're forgiven [08:48 PM] theonlytonyw: Soooo are you gonna tell me what happened or do I have to play twenty questions for it? [08:49 PM] thebrighteststar: With which? There are two very different sets of events that took place. [08:49 PM] thebrighteststar: Sorry, not trying to obtuse- it's a legitimate question. [08:49 PM] rayofsunshine: I'm pretty sure he just wants to know that I kissed you [08:50 PM] theonlytonyw: Yeah, that [08:50 PM] thebrighteststar: Oh. [08:50 PM] thebrighteststar: Yes. [08:50 PM] thebrighteststar: She did. [08:50 PM] thebrighteststar: We did. [08:50 PM] thebrighteststar: Kiss. [08:50 PM] theonlytonyw: Awwwww 😘 [08:51 PM] thebrighteststar: And so did you. [08:51 PM] thebrighteststar: Which... hot. [08:51 PM] rayofsunshine: I have a feeling it's going to take me a few days before I can be in this chat without wanting to talk about how strange it is to talk about these things like this. [08:52 PM] thebrighteststar: It's a Learning Experience. [08:52 PM] thebrighteststar: And I'm very loopy. [08:52 PM] thebrighteststar: And probably at my least filtered. [08:52 PM] rayofsunshine: I like you lightly filtered [08:55 PM] theonlytonyw: @rayofsunshine important question [08:55 PM] theonlytonyw: Who's a better kisser? [08:56 PM] thebrighteststar: That's not even a contest. [08:56 PM] rayofsunshine: Not enough data. [08:56 PM] rayofsunshine: I'll tell you when there is. [08:56 PM] thebrighteststar: And a judicious answer. [08:56 PM] thebrighteststar: Well done. [08:56 PM] rayofsunshine: pfffttt I'm not being diplomatic [08:56 PM] rayofsunshine: I just want an excuse for more kissing 😉 [08:57 PM] thebrighteststar: Cate ftw [08:58 PM] theonlytonyw: I mean, I don't think you need an excuse, Catey [08:58 PM] theonlytonyw: At least not with me [08:58 PM] thebrighteststar: Hard same [08:59 PM] rayofsunshine: speaking of excuses and such [09:00 PM] rayofsunshine: how does this even work? how do we figure out when we'll see each other, what we're going to do? [09:00 PM] rayofsunshine: when we're all three together, when it's just two of us.... [09:00 PM] rayofsunshine: my research has not been terribly specific about these things [09:01 PM] theonlytonyw: Research, huh? [09:01 PM] rayofsunshine: shut it [09:01 PM] rayofsunshine: how else is a girl supposed to know what she's up against? [09:01 PM] rayofsunshine: this is why the internet exists, Tony [09:01 PM] thebrighteststar: I thought it was for porn? [09:01 PM] theonlytonyw: I thought the internet was for porn [09:01 PM] theonlytonyw: Haha, babe [09:02 PM] rayofsunshine: ......I mean, there's that, too? [09:02 PM] rayofsunshine: not that any was linked from the sites I visited [09:02 PM] rayofsunshine: or that I followed any of them [09:03 PM] theonlytonyw: Good girl 👼 [09:04 PM] rayofsunshine: ANYWAY [09:04 PM] rayofsunshine: my questions still stand [09:04 PM] rayofsunshine: I shall not be distracted by mental images. [09:04 PM] thebrighteststar: Okay, but... [09:04 PM] thebrighteststar: kidding [09:05 PM] rayofsunshine: you better be laughing on the other end of that phone, Dr. Brightstar [09:05 PM] thebrighteststar: Maybe a little [09:05 PM] rayofsunshine: good [09:06 PM] thebrighteststar: So, your questions. [09:06 PM] rayofsunshine: the price of making me blush is a smile - even if I can't see it [09:06 PM] rayofsunshine: yes please....my questions. [09:09 PM] theonlytonyw: It was Kent's idea, make him figure it out 🤷 [09:10 PM] rayofsunshine: maybe I should back up and speak in simpler terms for this audience 😉 [09:10 PM] thebrighteststar: Thanks, doll [09:10 PM] theonlytonyw: Anytime, babe [09:10 PM] thebrighteststar: I'll tell you right from the start that the idea of putting up boundaries from the word go [09:10 PM] thebrighteststar: Not a fan. [09:10 PM] thebrighteststar: But I get that guidelines maybe should be a thing. [09:11 PM] rayofsunshine: I'm less concerned about boundaries and more about what they aren't...idk if that even makes any sense [09:11 PM] rayofsunshine: like...gah...no words in my vocabulary for this stuff [09:11 PM] thebrighteststar: Now you know how I felt. [09:12 PM] thebrighteststar: Feel. [09:12 PM] rayofsunshine: so like, for instance, I now know that both of you are okay with me kissing the other. And, for the record, I'm okay with the two of you. [09:12 PM] thebrighteststar: Will feel. [09:12 PM] rayofsunshine: are we literally saying that we're okay with whatever? [09:13 PM] rayofsunshine: and we'll find the boundaries if they come up? [09:13 PM] thebrighteststar: That would be my preferred play. [09:13 PM] thebrighteststar: (to borrow sports jargon) [09:14 PM] theonlytonyw: Okay, first, I'm bothered you think that's sports jargon 🤔 [09:14 PM] thebrighteststar: You're the closest thing I get to sports! [09:15 PM] theonlytonyw: Second, are we talking about sex here, Catey? [09:15 PM] rayofsunshine: I'm talking about anything, up to and including. [09:16 PM] rayofsunshine: Maybe we just haven't explored enough for me to even ask the right questions. [09:16 PM] rayofsunshine: How about this [09:16 PM] rayofsunshine: First date? That's got to be a thing, right? [09:17 PM] theonlytonyw: Merlin, I hope so, I love first dates [09:17 PM] thebrighteststar: I was going to suggest dinner, once we got around to it. [09:18 PM] thebrighteststar: And apparently we just got around to it. [09:19 PM] theonlytonyw: Yeah, let's take Catey out on the town, dude [09:19 PM] theonlytonyw: But not Snowcap town [09:19 PM] theonlytonyw: Right? [09:20 PM] thebrighteststar: I was just about to say [09:20 PM] rayofsunshine: Please no [09:20 PM] thebrighteststar: Yeah, not town-town [09:20 PM] rayofsunshine: Not here, I mean [09:21 PM] thebrighteststar: Right. No. Small steps. [09:21 PM] rayofsunshine: We don't exactly have a lot of town to be out on anyway [09:21 PM] theonlytonyw: Hey, I for one love Delilah's [09:22 PM] rayofsunshine: Or, you know, the Kestrel [09:22 PM] rayofsunshine: 😐 [09:22 PM] thebrighteststar: That could only go SO WELL. [09:23 PM] thebrighteststar: (Remind me again if your brothers like me today?) [09:23 PM] rayofsunshine: I'm a lot scarier than my brothers [09:24 PM] rayofsunshine: But yes, let's go out, somewhere not here. Have a good time without thinking about the gossip mill just yet. [09:26 PM] thebrighteststar: I'm gonna have my hands full the next couple of days with reports and a full workup of what happened and procedural updates to ensure that it doesn't happen again, so maybe something closer to the weekend? Is that too cliche? [09:27 PM] thebrighteststar: Also, I'm gonna. But I don't wanna. /whining about work [09:27 PM] rayofsunshine: I'll have to make sure Freddy or Benny can watch the bar whatever night we choose, so I'll need a few days too. [09:29 PM] theonlytonyw: Yeah, next weekend's good, but it's gotta be someplace magical so we can hear the Quidditch games [09:30 PM] thebrighteststar: I love your priorities. [09:30 PM] theonlytonyw: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ [09:30 PM] thebrighteststar: Which probably reads like sarcasm. [09:30 PM] rayofsunshine: You wizards tell me. If it's not in driving distance, then I'm just along for the ride. [09:30 PM] thebrighteststar: It's not. I really do love them. [09:31 PM] theonlytonyw: Awwww 😘 [09:31 PM] rayofsunshine: You two are stupidly adorable [09:31 PM] thebrighteststar: You're passionate about what you love. What's not to like about that? [09:32 PM] thebrighteststar: We'll find someplace that meets all our sports/privacy/getaway needs. [09:33 PM] thebrighteststar: That passion goes the same for you, Cate. [09:33 PM] rayofsunshine: Good drinks, quiet booth, dark corner? [09:33 PM] thebrighteststar: I love your mind. [09:34 PM] theonlytonyw: I know a great Italian place in Laramie [09:34 PM] theonlytonyw: One of us can side-along you, Catey 🤗 [09:36 PM] thebrighteststar: It would be our pleasure. [09:36 PM] theonlytonyw: 😉 [09:36 PM] rayofsunshine: Let the innuendo begin [09:37 PM] thebrighteststar: I've been reading innuendo since this chat window opened. [09:37 PM] thebrighteststar: But that could also be the lack of sleep [09:37 PM] thebrighteststar: oops [09:39 PM] rayofsunshine: Go take a nap! I need to get some work done anyway, and I'll never motivate myself to code if we're still talking. [09:41 PM] theonlytonyw: Come over and we can innuendo in person, babe 😉 [09:42 PM] theonlytonyw: Which, uh [09:42 PM] theonlytonyw: Is that allowed? Cate? [09:42 PM] rayofsunshine: Of course ❤️ [09:43 PM] rayofsunshine: Slow and steady for me over here. Feeling my way. [09:44 PM] rayofsunshine: (Innuendo for you @thebrighteststar - you're welcome) [09:45 PM] rayofsunshine: But seriously - don't change anything guys [09:45 PM] thebrighteststar: @theonlytonyw yes please, if only because @rayofsunshine might be a little evil. [09:46 PM] rayofsunshine: But maybe drop by the bar this week? [09:46 PM] thebrighteststar: Definitely [09:46 PM] theonlytonyw: Yeah, of course [09:49 PM] rayofsunshine: Okay, then, have fun boys. 😈 I'm going to go write code. [09:49 PM] thebrighteststar: Have fun concentrating! [09:50 PM] theonlytonyw: 🤣
[11:51 PM] rayofsunshine: I hate you both. Like I can concentrate knowing what you two are up to...and that I'm allowed...even encouraged...yeah. [11:54 PM] theonlytonyw: You don't even know the half of what we're up to, sweetheart 😘 [11:54 PM] theonlytonyw: But here's a little preview [11:54 PM] theonlytonyw:
[11:56 PM] rayofsunshine: ... [11:56 PM] rayofsunshine: You two are going to be the death of me. [11:56 PM] rayofsunshine: And I'm not sure I'm even going to mind.... [11:57 PM] thebrighteststar: We'll make it worth your while 😉 [11:58 PM] rayofsunshine: Oh god. I'm closing chat again.