Literally Pirateninja (shadowcat) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-12-20 00:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, hermione granger, kitty pryde (shadowcat) |
Sometimes I think I’m having my own identity crisis, and I’m only dreaming about myself in one other
Who: Kitty Pryde and Hermione Granger-Kirk
When: Early December
Where: Hermione and Jim’s flat
What: Catching up
Rating/Warning: Low/None
Status: Complete
Hermione was glad that she’d invited Kitty over for tea and catching up. She felt like she hadn’t seen the other girl in ages, and they had a lot of things to talk about. At least, Hermione had a lot of questions. She felt like she’d missed a lot. Finals hit her hard this year, and they weren’t even over! That’s what she got for switching majors to something she never thought she’d study. She didn’t have the years of preparations that she’d had in her other major.
Anyway, she had some cookies/biscuits out on a tray, and a pot of strong tea. (It was Trader Joe’s “Irish Breakfast” blend, some really, really amazing tea… and cheap, too!) Now she was sitting on the sofa, staring at the black television, with Crookshanks purring in her lap.
Kitty’s life had been haywire for awhile now. She didn’t know where it began, but she just wanted to stop the world and get off. And the holidays were hard for her. She looked forward to the new flat and some time away from Emma and Scott. As nice as they were she wanted to be on her own with the twins.
Hermione climbed up out of her seat at the sound of her friend, and opened the door to let her in. “Hey.” She said, reaching both arms up to wrap them around Kitty. Crookshanks was almost instantly at their feet, purring and rubbing his face against Kitty’s shins. “Come on in.”
“Hey.” Kitty smiled at the other woman and came inside. She felt better almost immediately. It might be cat therapy. Or because Hermione was generally awesome, and sometimes you needed generally awesome in your life. “How’s it been going?”
“Good, good. I’ve been swamped with school. Switching majors really hit me hard. Harder than I thought it would.” It wasn’t ego talking. Hermione was mostly logical. She knew that she was an excellent student, and a quick study. Having to work harder than normal was a little surprising to her. “I made tea. You can have a cup and tell me all about your life. How are the twins?”
“Balancing marriage, majors and all the crazy shit this area throws at you has to be hard enough.” Kitty winked at her. “But you of all people can handle it.” Hermione after all was the most gifted witch of her age.
Hermione blushed deeply. She never thought of herself as the most gifted witch of her age, but it was flattering to hear. And she couldn’t really deny it.
“The twins are doing well, though the season is pretty sad for us.” Kitty took her cup and then found a seat on Hermione’s couch, folding her legs underneath her as she sat. She wondered if she should admit she was in therapy.
“Understandably so.” Hermione said, settling down on the sofa beside her friend. “Let me know if they ever… I don’t know. Need some support, or homework help… I’ll do whatever I can.” She reached forward and dolled up a cup of tea for herself. “How are you holding up?”
“I’ll do so. I’ll probably need help with subjects I’m less familiar with.” Kitty had always done well in school but she appreciated the offer and wouldn’t mind Hermione being around anyway. It was purely selfish. She liked the other woman and wanted friends around more.
“I’m holding up. Been doing some therapy. Slowed things down with Rikku.” She rubbed the back of her neck.
Hermione nodded once. “No problem. I’m more than willing. Especially with homework help.” That was something Hermione felt like she could do. But then Kitty said she was in therapy, and had slowed things down? “...oh?” She asked, probing for Kitty to go on.
“I kind of realized I’m still really mentally screwed up over…. last February, and everything before and everything after. The dreams have come back with a vengeance too. Like I’m dreaming of alternate versions of myself. I wouldn’t go so far to say I’m having an identity crisis but…” She smiled tiredly. “I realized I needed help coping. But mostly it was Xi’an.”
“Sometimes I think I’m having my own identity crisis, and I’m only dreaming about myself in one other incarnation. Well, except for the time travel. That all gets a bit confusing. But I have some small idea of that part of it, anyway.” Hermione said, then sighed. She reached forward and rested her hand on top of Kitty’s in a supportive way.
“Time travel is a bitch,” Kitty agreed. She patted her friend’s hand. “I’m sorry, I’m talking about myself. What’s going on with you?”
“No, no that’s okay.” Hermione said, smiling softly. She squeezed Kitty’s hand once before she let go. “I’m here to listen if you want to talk. I’m just… dealing with finals. After switching majors, they’re hitting me kinda hard. And Jim and I are talking about taking the Enterprise on a joy ride for a while. Maybe a couple weeks over Christmas.”
“Switching majors will do that to you, though I’ve never had the pleasure of that pain.” Kitty sat up straighter. “A joy ride? Really? That’s awesome!” She was so very jealous, but she couldn’t exactly go galavanting around the universe herself anymore.
“Yes, I think so. Unless he’s changed his mind… Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to leave and never come back.” Hermione said. There was a touch of fear in that thought, though the prospect of leaving this world behind for the adventure of the universe was intriguing, for sure.
“I wouldn’t blame him, but then most people have responsibilities that would keep them here. I know I can’t leave forever, even if I wanted to.” Kitty smiled at her friend.
“You’d just have to bring your whole world with you.” Hermione suggested, shrugging her shoulders. “Jim could do that if he wanted to. He’s got an entire ship up there. He could people it with whoever he wanted.”
“While I’m sure it would be an educational experience for the kids, it’s probably not the kind they actually need.” Kitty laughed. The thought was tempting.
Hermione simply grinned. “I know what you mean. But hey, maybe one of them will go to school to be an astro physicist, or something. And then we might see them on the Enterprise again!”
“Yeah…” Kitty trailed off wistfully. “That might be really kind of awesome….”
“Right?” Hermione beamed. “Anyway, let’s have some wine. Forget this tea business. Then we can get down to gossiping. What have I missed?” She climbed from the sofa to pop into the kitchen and grab a bottle of wine and two glasses.
Kitty’s lips curled up and she got comfortable. There was a lot to say, and they had all evening to say it.