Literally Pirateninja (shadowcat) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-12-04 15:11:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, kitty pryde (shadowcat), nymphadora tonks |
I’ve heard this about Dreams
Who: Tonks and Kitty
What: Pancakes and a concert
when: 10/23
where: A pancake place
status: complete---ish
rating: PG
Tonks was incredibly stoked, and incredibly surprised, that someone agreed to go to the show with her. She was doubly so when Kitty suggested pancakes as food prior to the show. Pancakes were seriously a way into Tonks’ heart. So, after deciding to meet up at said pancake place, she got off the bus and cruised down the street toward the restaurant.
I’ll be the one with the green streak of hair, she had told Kitty, having decided to go with forest green a few days prior. She had been coloring her hair for so long now, Tonks couldn’t really remember when she started. Her parents said something about it fitting her when she started, so that was taken as acceptance and she never looked back. Pushing back said hair, she decided to look into her back for the fifteenth time to check if she had the tickets. They were, in fact, there! Also there, as she rolled up to the corner, was a crack in the pavement that her foot caught on, causing her to stumble-trip about three steps, luckily able to catch herself before face-planting on the pavement. Ahem. Coughing, she stood up straight. Totally meant to do that. Yup.
You couldn't beat pancakes, especially at the place Kitty often went to. She'd once gotten into someone's heart precisely with those pancakes. So she was fond of the place, it was in a good location, and it was one of those hole in the walls with nice big windows.
She rocked up on a blue and gold motorcycle, the kind you had to import from Japan. The strangest thing about it was that it was virtually silent. Her helmet was, appropriately enough decorated with cat ears, and also in a blue and gold motif. She pulled it off and shook out her hair, and looked around for a woman with a streak of green. Kitty had to remind herself it was probably dye. In her dreams, plenty of people had naturally green hair. Or pink.
She caught a flash of movement when Tonks stumbled. But she saw the green hair. She hopped off the bike. "Hey! You must be Tonks! I'm Kitty. Are you okay?"
The motorcycle impressed her, she wouldn’t lie. It would be a cold day in globally warmed hell before her parents let her drive a motorcycle, and probably for good cause. Considering that she had a bit of trouble on foot, anyway. But casting off her earlier bout of clumsiness with a smile of chagrin, Tonks nodded her head cheerfully. “That’s me! And nice to meet you!”
As for her question, she laughed it off and shrugged. “I’m fine! Have a bad habit of that, honestly.” She motioned with her head toward the bike. “I like it!”
Tonks didn't seem like the kind of person with the balance to ride a motorcycle, no. Still, Kitty grinned, glancing at the bike then back at the other woman. "Glad you think so. She's my baby. First thing I got when I landed my first job." She offered her hand with an easy smile."
The things that people got with their first paychecks actually interested Tonks. You could usually tell a person’s loves by it. “I bought a kickass soundsystem with a record player.” She admitted with a grin. With that, she made a motion as if to say ‘after you’ to the pancakes place.
“How’d you find here? And thanks for taking a chance and coming!”
“Real records?” Kitty’s interested was piqued. As much as she loved All Things Digital, she also liked older technology. Either cross-over from her dreams, or just an interest thanks to her father, but she was the hands on sort of geek. “That’s really cool.”
She held the door for Tonks as she answered. “A co-worker at my old job introduced me to it. We’d do really late night and all nighters and you need fuel for that kind of thing.”
“Yeah! As much as I love having music at my fingertips -- thank every god for ipods and stuff -- I really like how records sound. And even cassettes!”
“What job was your old one? Or your new one for that matter? I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.” Entering in, she took a look around the place and held up two fingers when asked how many, then snuggled into the chair once shown their seats.
“I did white hat stuff. Like the Pentagon and businesses hired us to break into their computer systems and fix them so that the actual bad hackers couldn’t get in.” She grinned, plopping into the chair across from Tonks, and leaning on the table before continuing. “That naturally led to working for a local agency in a… logistics and research capacity.”
The whole walking through walls thing was definitely a part of that. “Not something I ever thought I’d do. When I was thirteen I wanted to be a ballerina pirate.”
“I wanted to be a ballerina astronaut when I was seven!” Maybe it was a Thing. “I took ballet for three weeks and the teacher suggested I try arts and crafts.” She laughed, a shoulder shrugging. It hadn’t hurt her at the time and was actually hilarious in hindsight.
“That’s quite cool. I never quite got super into computers like that. But if I knew then..” Yes, such a tragedy for the still young woman.
Kitty nodded. It was definitely a thing. She kept the fact that she’d actually been to space to herself - and had the means to go again. Sure, it wasn’t Shepard’s Normandy but the Blackbird was impressive on it’s own. She and Logan had a sort of timeshare arrangement on it, even if they hadn’t needed it in awhile. “You do seem a little uncoordinated. But that’s not a bad thing! Unless you walk into like, a china shop or a museum or something. That would be bad.”
She laughed at her own joke, and fidgeted with the edge of the table. She had a tendency to trip all over herself when meeting new people, especially when they were cute new people but she hadn’t managed to do that yet so she was taking her victories where she could.
“I’ve forbidden myself from going anywhere with stuff more expensive than my apartment.” Tonks joked in return. “I would still kill to go in space though. Or fly! Maybe I’m like an albatross and I’m totally cool in air!”
She took up the menu and looked it over. “What do you recommend? I’m thinking chocolate chip.”
“You can’t beat that!” Kitty pointed at another item on the menu. “The banana is really good too. Made with real sliced up bananas in the batter. Something to go bananas for.” She sat back, managing to look completely serious about going bananas. “Space is..would be really cool.” Unless you had space related trauma, anyway. She was working on that!
“So do you come with a warning label?”
Something you can go bananas for. She stared at the other girl, as if trying to figure out whether she really made that pun or not, and then burst into laughter. “That was terrible. I love it.”
Remaining amused, Tonks did manage to calm herself into a small chuckle in order to continue the conversation. She did catch the slip, eyebrows lifting slightly, but rolled with it with an amiable nod.
And an amused snort at the question. “Do not take to small, breakable places. Helmet occasionally recommended..and will force you to love her music. I think that’s it. What’s your warning label?”
Kitty grinned, sitting up a little straighter. That had been lame, but she hadn't been able to resist. She gave Tonks a small, lopsided smile. "Warning, may become involved with Ninjas. Keep meals kosher, cheeseburgers excepted. Will take you on adventures whether you want to go or not." Also anger issues that lead to getting involved in fight clubs.
“Adventures. Hence you taking up a stranger on stranger music.” She looked impressed, hands (or hand, rather, as the other still held the menu) moving as she spoke. “And I think good cheeseburgers should be the exception to everything. Vegetarian? Exception made for burgers.”
Tonks was never going to be a vegetarian. Ever. “Though do explain Ninjas!”
Kitty nodded. She knew a couple of vegetarians who’d object to that line of reasoning, but Cheeseburgers? Good exception. “No matter how hard my mom tried, she couldn’t get me to reject cheese on burgers. Or bacon.” Her Star of David was a comfort around her neck, but she’d never been strictly orthodox.
She paused when the waitress came, ordering chocolate chip pancakes (Tonks’s fault, to be sure), before responding. “Dreams, with a capital D, can be quite interesting. Let me demonstrate.”
She held out her hand, palm up. “Take my hand.”
She kind of cackled when Kitty ordered the chocolate chip pancakes as well, and added hash browns to her order because potatoes. Afterward though, her attention was back on her companion and hand was given freely.
“I’ve heard this about Dreams.” That they were interesting and all.
Smirking, Kitty phased just before their hands made contact, so that Tonks’s hand passed through hers, as if there were nothing there at all. “They kind of ... are more real, than real, and what happens there can change who we are here.”
There were good sides and bad sides. A lot of trauma and anger and bitterness that Kitty had been forced to deal with. But she was still here and standing and she still had her friends. At least the ones that hadn’t died, anyway.
She still liked being a mutant, and she still liked her powers. It was as much who she was her heritage and faith, or being a woman.
“Holy shit!” Tonks exclaimed, looking far more intrigued and excited than startled or afraid. She laughed and moved her hand within Kitty’s ghosted hand, like a kid trying to figure out why the light in the fridge kept coming on by opening and closing the door repeatedly.
Once she remembered herself and sheepishly put her hand down, Tonks grinned. “Ninja Ghost Girl. That's awesome.” She got to thinking about it and chuckled, “Though I think it’s best someone fairly graceful has that ability. I’d like as much fall through the chair.”
“Well,” Kitty said, laughing a little nervously. “I always did like to dance on air. I can basically make myself lighter than air and float around. Take people with me too. The process can fry electronics if I’m not careful.”
She needed some water and as if telepathic the waitress brought them drinks. She took a sip. “It’s really handy in a fight, which is pretty common in my dreams. Unless I get snuck up on I don’t usually get hit. I have to be solid to hit someone though. Or dance on their faces which is always fun. I can also short out someone’s brain temporarily. Or if I hit the right spot make them really enjoy it.”
“Which makes slightly non-legal computer things relatively--” Tonks had been half-joking and half-serious. Frying electronics would make hacking easier. But she stopped mid-sentence because she realized that ghosting through walls made it even easier; and she was laughing with the realization. “I bet you were number one white hat for these type of things.”
She took a drink of water and sat back, leaning in her chair until she nearly fell backwards. She did, however, manage to catch herself and leaned forward quick enough to save herself. Ahem. Anyhow! “So what other kind of music do you like?”
“I didn’t always have the powers, those came with the dreams. I had to white hat the old fashioned way.” Kitty winked at her, then almost reached out to try to catch her before Tonks righted herself. Tonks might need safety equipment if she ever took her anywhere more exciting than a ball pit.
“All kinds. The Ramones and other music from that era. kPop. jPop, and I’m fluent in Japanese so it’s even more of a treat there. Most of the stuff on the radio here.” Whether it was Beyonce or Taylor Swift, Kitty liked it. “A friend got me hooked on a few other bands too.”
Luckily, she didn’t break easily! Otherwise that one time at the mosh pit would have been tragic. Tragical, even! “So what got you into computers, then?”
She looked impressed as Kitty named off a bunch of genres, and was willing to say as much. “That’s incredibly eclectic. I’m impressed!” Tonks did have to grin, though. “Ramones are one of my faves. And the Clash and Joan Jett. My dad jokes that it’s his fault, because that’s the stuff he listened to a lot. My mom’s tastes run more classical, which I dig as well, just not quite as much.”
“Joan Jett. My dad met her once!” That was a little before Kitty’s time though, but she’d gotten to listen to a lot of her songs anyway. “I don’t mind classical either, but I have to be in the right mood for that. Techno is a lot of fun too.”
“That’s so cool! I want to meet her. Or Debbie Harry.” She was wistful about it. All this time near Hollywood and no super cool meetings. Bummer. “Never could get into techno, though.” She said thoughtfully. “But maybe I haven’t heard the right song?” With that, Tonks gave a good-natured shrug and scooted along easily to another subject.
The waitress came with their pancakes, placing a plate before each of them. “This looks amazing.”
Kitty had met a star here and there, but nothing to really brag about. “I can play a couple sometime, but I think the concert tonight might be more important.” She gave Tonks a wink, then leaned back as the plates were laid out. “Even better than I remember.”
“You were here last week,” The waitress teased. Kitty stuck her tongue out.
“At least tonight, anyway.” She agreed with a laugh. Then she was into the food, picking up the syrup to drown her pancakes with. Chuckling at Kitty and the waitress’ interaction, Tonks shook her head in amusement.
“So when did you start all the Dreaming?” Fascinated by other people’s stories, that particular question was always the most interesting. It seemed to strike randomly for everyone.
Kitty poured some syrup over her pancakes. “A couple of years ago. My first dreams started with me dreaming I was thirteen again, with some extra fun mutant puberty in the form of my powers manifesting. And two groups of people trying to convince me to join their school. I chose the Xavier school after the other academy tried to kidnap me.”
She had been ready to take her first bite, but the fork stopped just short of her mouth. “The other school’s recruiters need to rethink their methods.” After that, she finished the motion of fork to mouth..and proceeded then to speak with said mouth full. “Mm! These are good!” It might have come out mumbled, but it was a compliment.
“Is there an Xavier school for reals, you think? What with everyone dreaming and getting abilities from them.”
“Oh yeah. You have no idea. That headmistress eventually switched sides but it took me awhile to trust her.” Kitty never fully had. She grinned at Tonks, glad she was enjoying the food and really not at all minding the mouthful of food. It was actually kind of cute. “There’s no Xavier school. There’s an outreach center for disadvantaged youth though, that doubles as a training center for people with powers to not accidentally blow up a city block or something.”
After chortling, Tonks nodded in both understanding and something like approval. “Well, it’s an important thing to learn. Should be on the SATs, really.”
Tonks was then happy to sit in comfortable silence and dig into her food. But after a few minutes, she sat back and took a drink. “The other people who dream about the school -- are you all friends?”
“Most of us, yes.” Kitty decided to not bring up the whole dominatrix part of Emma Frost and her Academy. She’d almost gone with her, and she wondered what she’d have been like if she had. Evil, maybe.
“Logan is my mentor and taught me how to be a ninja, and Jean was one of my teachers. There’s the evil turned good person I mentioned, Emma. Who’s dating Jean. Which is weird because she stole Jean’s husband in our dreams.” It all gave her a headache. “And there’s Rogue, who’s another friend of ours who was at the school for a long time. My...late wife was at the school too. A student and then later the librarian.”
Maybe that was too much information at once, but then Kitty had always been good about TMI. She hoped the concert went well.