We Float

Who: Tereska Wassenbach and Katherine Athena
What: There's been a death in the family. And someone needs to explain.
When: (forward-dated) July 9, late at night
Where: Katherine's home
Status: Open; in progress

"Do you want a drink?" Katherine said, dispensing with the niceties altogether as Tereska entered the hall. Her voice was an ugly, dead thing, not much more than a husk of the one that had left the message earlier. Tereska's letter was sitting on the table, pinned down by a bottle of Bart's scotch. It was the kind of alcohol Katherine never touched.

The bottle was half-empty. It hadn't all been him.

Her fingernails rattled as she tapped them against her glass, walking back to the table and pouring a very small amount in the bottom. Just enough to color it.

Who: the Athena family - Katherine, Caio, Isa, and Rafe - as well as Bart Allen
What: Katherine wants to tell her family that she's going to go public with her wild card. The entire experience is made of failure.
When: Thursday (ish), June 30 to Monday, July 5 (the time scale on this is relative)
Where: Katherine's home, her office, then her parents' home
Status: Closed; complete

“You don’t have to pack my clothes, Kat. That’s why you hired Consuelo.” Bart’s voice was as it always had been, like a warm blanket wrapped over her shoulders. “Don’t be stubborn.”

“I gave her the week off.”

“It can wait. I’m in Beijing Tuesday for a week.”

“I know.” Her fingers wrapped the cord around themselves. “It’s on your calendar.” A slight hitch in her breath, followed by silence on the other end for a moment.

“Kat-“ The pause grew.

“What?”

“Nothing. Don’t be so stubborn.”

“You already said that.”

“I know. Good night.” He hung up the phone first. He always had.

( It's about my career. )

Who: Alistair Icenhour and Bart Allen
When: Sunday afternoon June 13
Where: Bart and Katherine's home
What: Alistair and Bart discuss how events will proceed
Status: log/complete

( I don't want to be married to the joker senator. )

Who: Alistair Icenhour and Katherine Athena.
What: Conversations and further strategy.
When: Saturday, May 22, 2096
Where: Waiting for the Interurban, Fremont, Seattle
Status: Closed; in progress

"Well." Katherine said as she came to a full stop in front of the four statues. "That's something, isn't it?" Her arms, still clutching the notes from a brief meeting with the mayor, pressed her notebook up against her chest without even thinking about it. To protect her heart.

"Waiting for the Interurban" was what someone had titled the work of public art so many years ago that even Katherine, who studied her city's history carefully, knew little about it. It had become an institution--four stone figures standing, on which the public draped clothing and changed outfits at will. However the figures had changed. Someone had sewn on extra limbs into some of the outfits, added lumps of stone to the heads... in short, they were jokers.

"You don't have to stare," a teenage girl stopped and told them, plucking a headphone out of her ear for a moment. "It's been like that since Wednesday." She snapped a piece of gum and rolled her eyes. "I think they shoulda added something more dramatic. Like maybe the Troll." Before Katherine could get more words out of her mouth, the girl had stepped back on a board and let the air hover her down the street.

"Wednesday," Katherine repeated, stepping a little closer.