maskormenacelogs | shines like a young boy's heart

Entry tags:

shines like a young boy's heart

WHO: KILLUA & GON and KATE
WHERE: Kate's apartment.
WHEN: Afternoon or evening of 11/6.
WHAT: A couple of shounens worry and check in on Kate after Yomiel's hostage situation.
WARNINGS: Reference to the plot, possibly. Killua. Maybe Killua. Killua and Kate.

[ Kate should have flat out refused both Killua and Gon's request, even if their hearts are in the right place. She's been chiding herself for not approaching that mysterious invitation with exercised caution and falling into the trap set up so easily. As a result of her failure to do this, her arm is stuck in a cast for the next several weeks and her body flares up with various aches and pains, something she doesn't want the boys to see.

But here she is, clearing up her small apartment quickly before the two arrive. At the front door the dog sits on the carpet, her ears upraised and alert, but sometimes watching Kate move from one end to the apartment to the other.

Once she's cleared up the tables (of crime scene photographs she stores in her bedroom), she waits for the doorbell or a knock. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Gon has to stand on his tip-toes to reach the doorbell, nearly spilling out the contents of his shopping back. A box of granola shakes itself free, bouncing off his toe in its escape attempt. He sets the bag down after the doorbell's been rung, reassembling the puzzle of his bag's contents. Lightbulb at the top, quinoa at the bottom, cannoli... cannoli on top of the granola! There, perfect.

Kate had told him she was fine but more groceries couldn't hurt. And though he wasn't sure if she liked or needed everything in his bag, he and Killua did their best to pick out the most adult-sounding products possible. Lifting the bag back up into his hands, he glances to Killua standing beside him.]

You have Schnitzel's toy, right?

[Meanwhile, not bothering to help Gon carry any of that stuff, Killua is standing with his arms behind his back, grinning mischievously. At the question, he pulls one arm forward like he was waiting for it, flashing the rubber chew toy.]

Yeah, it's right here! [After a brief showing, he retracts his arm behind his back, rocking on his heels.] I bet I can surprise Schnitzel.

[Feeling they've been waiting too long at the door with Gon juggling bags, he does the huge favor of calling out to Kate. Instead of actually helping carrying anything, you know.]

Heeeeeeey, Kate! Open up, we're here!

[ She can hear through the door one of them is carrying something heavy. She arches a brow, wondering what on earth they've dragged this far as she heads toward the door. She peers through the eye hole first, then unlocks the door, the dog providing enough room for Kate to pass, but quickly situating herself between the doorway that way the visitors don't come barging in. ]

You're supposed to ask to come in, you know.

[Kate opens the door and Gon's gaze immediately flickers to the cast on her arm, a frown tugging at his lips before he brushes it away. Focusing on the injury would only cause aggravation, he knew that himself. Kate would be against special treatment of any kind, of that Gon was sure.]

We did ask! [A pause. Gon thinks.] Well, we rang the doorbell.

[Maybe they should have waited a bit longer, but the deed was done. No sense worrying about it now.

Shuffling inside, he shifts his heavy bag into one arm so that he can pet Schnitzel, scratching her right behind the ears.] Hi, Schnitzel! Killua brought you a toy. And Ms. Kate!

[Grabbing hold of the bag again, he thrusts it up and over the dog so Kate can rifle through it if she wants.] I got you some groceries!

[Even though she said she didn't need them.]

Edited 2014-11-08 03:29 (UTC)

[In the same instant as Gon, Killua's eyes flick to the cast on Kate's arm. So it was that sort of thing. That sort of injury could take months to recover from. He never quite frowns, only blinks and lets his mouth sit naturally before he stretches it into a cocky smirk at Kate.]

Yeah, we did ask. Besides, you said we could come over to start with.

[So it's fine, right? He'll be stepping forward to try and squeeze his way past her and inside too. Whenever he does get to Schnitzel, he'll grin and crouch, pulling the toy out from behind his back and waving it a bit before tossing it across the room.]

[ Once the dog registers it's the two boys who had taken her for a walk already, she's more than happy to rub her head up against their hands for more head pats and soft scratching behind her ears. Her tail wags excitedly the whole time.

Kate stares down at the bag Gon presents, reaching up to tuck some strands of hair behind her ear while she looks on sheepishly. ]

The groceries weren't necessary, but thank you. [ It's odd to have kids more than half her age coddle her like this. A little uncomfortable, too. ] And thanks for the toy. Schnitzel's torn through most of hers already.

[ This is what she gets for having her trained to be more than just a companion. ]

[Inviting himself in, Gon trots over to the dining table and places the bag atop it. Scooting into a chair, he sits on his knees in order to pull everything out, placing them in an organized array on the tabletop. It's a random assortment: quinoa, a lightbulb, some matches, a pair of socks, a box of granola, fresh mozzarella cheese, and a cannoli-packaged with a small string. He opens that up, just to check on it's status.]

Killua, the cannoli got squished. [Some of the shell is flaking off, revealing cracks and rivulets of cream underneath. To Kate:] You wouldn't tell us what you needed so we had to guess. The cannoli was supposed to be a present though.

[Which is why he's looking kind of dismayed that it's a bit broken.]

Oh, don't worry about this one! It's made of a special material so it's harder to chew through.

[Having a killer guard dog clues you in on things like this, maybe. But at the news of the cannoli, he's completely distracted, leaving Schnitzel to her toy and frowning as he steps over.]

What? Man... [That was the best looking one, too. But he slowly changes into a sly grin, nudging Gon with an elbow.] Hmm, why don't you just make her one? You've been cooking, right?

[He's teasing, actually. Glancing back to Kate.] But Kate might freak out if you mess up her kitchen.

[ She lets out a soft, amused sound at the gifts they bestow upon her. She doesn't know much about where they come from yet, but light bulbs and matches as one of the few gifts they've picked up? Something tells her they've never celebrated Christmas or thrown huge birthday parties before. ]

Thanks.

[ But really, what an assortment. ]

Do you want something to eat or drink? And you don't need to cook anything for me.

[For the record, Kate guesses correctly. Between the two of them, this might be their very first array of gifts. Kate should be honored, honestly.

Or at least distracted. It would make it easier for Gon to hide his embarrassment at Killua's cooking comment. Blushing, he shoves at his friend.] Shut up! [Puffing out his cheeks, he glowers down at the cannoli, mumbling.] I'm still not that good.

[Which is why he's so relieved at Kate's offer, cheeks cooling as he smiles.] Do you have juice?

[Killua snickers and laughs at the reaction, ducking and spinning out of the way of the shoves until he's stumbling a few steps away to safety. He looks smug as hell to top it all off.

As he remembers that they were offered food, though, he brightens and looks over.]

How about anything chocolate? Some milk, too.

[They probably won't get to touching the topic of her arm just yet. It's nicer like this anyway.]

Boys, it's fine.

[ She's not about to ask two kids to cook her anything when she can do it herself. A broken arm is nothing compared to what she's dished out and been dished. Being stabbed in the heart and murdered takes the cake on that.

Schnitzel lingers near the two boys, rubbing her head against their hands when she wants their attention. ]

I have apple and orange juice in the fridge. Milk, too.

For chocolate all I've got is dark with almonds.

[Kate is his savior. The last bit of timorousness leaves when she shuts down the possibility of cooking, the final touch of tension leaving his shoulders. He's grateful to her, if silently.

Flattening both palms on the table, he kneels in hi seat and leans forward eagerly. Clearly juice is something to be excited about.]

Apple juice for me, please!

[Killua blinks down at Schnitzel whenever she passes, granting her pets and scratches around the ears and under the chin. Crouching near the floor now, he looks a little put off at the lack of milk chocolate before raising his free hand with an index finger pointed skywards.]

Okay, that works. [The chocolate, and the milk, he means.] Are you sure you can get that by yourself?

I've still got my other arm.

[ She waves it for good measure, stepping away from the two boys and into the kitchen area to get out two clear glasses from the pantry. She opens the fridge, getting the milk and apple juice out one by one before pouring a near full glass for each.

On the counter lays an opened bar of dark chocolate peppered with almonds. She can still move her fingers on her broken hand, but it stings to do so, so she masks any discomfort carrying the two glasses over to the table before gesturing for them to take a seat. When she finally gets the chocolate onto the table, she pulls a chair for herself. ]

What have you two been up to?

[With a nod, Gon both thanks her for and accepts the drink, eyes lingering concernedly on the cast before the question earns some excitement.]

We caught an alligator! [Gon's excitement bursts forth violently; his glass of orange juice almost gets toppled over.] A really big one. [He stretches his arms wide, somehow kneeling in his seat again.] Bigger than this! Mabel helped us catch it and now it's living in my bathroom. It breaks out a lot.

[He settles down at that, remembering the ordeal of trying to drag it up the stairs. He still had some bruises from where it lashed out at him.] We're gonna teach it tricks. It already knows roll over.

[Since gators just… naturally roll over.]

[He grabs the drink with a smile and quickly hops over to where the chocolate is, picking out a bit of it and shoving it into his mouth almost immediately. It's darker than what he's used to, but wanting to seem adult, he simply covers it up by drinking some milk. It's still good.

Gon gets out most of the story, anyway. He's got his own, but they're all mixed up and complicated. He doesn't want to distract from this light mood with what he's been juggling. Instead, he grins, wiping the milk from above his lip with the back of his hand.]

Next we're going to teach it how to jump!

[ Kate's expression rapidly falls at the mention of an alligator. The small smile at the corner of her lips is gone and concern (and mild shock) take its place. She leans in closer to the table, her good arm leaning against the surface as support. ]

What?

[ Then she frowns. ]

Those things are dangerous. They're not meant to be pets.

[Gon frowns at Kate's concern. He understands where it's coming from but come on. It's totally the wrong reaction, Kate! Go for something more excited! With a slight pout, he pulls back in his seat, enthusiasm dwindling slightly.]

I guess. I mean, it does escape a lot [and give him lots of bruises] but it's still early! We only just got it. I don't think it's gotten used to us yet.

[Leaning forward again, he leaves her with an easy smile.]

It's fine.

[Killua, meanwhile, waves off Kate's concerns as he nibbles at a piece of dark chocolate, sipping milk gratuitously in between.]

The island Gon grew up on had tons of animals, so he's used to this stuff! He can handle an alligator no problem.

That's not the point.

[ She lets out an exasperated sigh, her good hand extending toward her face. Her index and thumb pinch the bridge of her nose. ]

Alligators aren't just a danger to you, but to everyone around you. You're also breaking a few laws, I'm sure, by keeping one.

[Gon understands the danger to everyone else. It's something he's been nervous about as well. He's taken special precautions. Built traps in his room to help notify him of the gator's movements, locked doors and windows-once he even thought of leaving for school with the gator's mouth taped shut but such a thing would have been too cruel. Needless to say that when it had come to safety, Gon had attempted to think of everything.

But he never considered that he'd be breaking the law.

Slamming his hand down on the table, he kneels forward in his seat.] What?! I am?

[He had promised Kite he wouldn't but he had never considered... Oh man. With a groan, Gon falls back in his seat with a loud flop, shaking his head in his hands.] This place has too many laws!

[He stares slowly from Kate to Gon's reaction, slowly sipping at his milk again before he stops. Hopping up, he sits on the counter like a rebel (until or unless he's told to get off).]

What's the big deal? It's just an animal. It hasn't hurt anyone since we've caught it!

[He points across the way at Kate.] Gon has good control of it. It has its own room and everything!

You boys aren't hearing me.

[ She sounds like her father now, which doesn't help her current exasperation. She releases the bridge of her nose and looks at both boys, unblinking and firm. ]

It's a wild animal, so it's supposed to be in the wild. Keeping it around will only end up in someone getting hurt.

[ She follows Killua's movements, unimpressed. ]

Off.

[It's a thought Gon's considered, honestly. As much as he knows about animals, he only knows about them in the wild. Never tamed. He's never had to urge to domesticate until now and honestly? It feels kind of overwhelming. Which would be fine, if another creature's life wasn't resting on it.

Still, selfishly, he's reluctant to give up.]

I don't think he'll hurt anyone.

[He says it with a pout, frowning into his cup.]

[There's a click of his tongue, but he hops off the counter with a frown. Still, he honestly is feeling pretty cramped by all this scolding. Yeah, they're kids, technically, but they caught the alligator just fine, and no one's been hurt so far! Why does everyone react so extremely without hearing their side of things?

He places his hands on his hips.]

Don't let her bully you, Gon. It's a wild animal, but you've got it under wraps really well because you know the risks already!

[Another click, and he looks Kate's way.] But she won't change her mind, so it's useless to say anything.

[ Her gaze is harsher now, patience wearing thin quickly. She doesn't tear her eyes off Killua until he's removed himself from her counter top and then she looks between the two boys. ]

You can't do whatever you like in this world, like it or not. There are consequences for your actions.

[ And now she feels a bit like her mother, but she can use her mother's wisdom and impatience for this sort of behavior right now.

She shouldn't have let these two into her life. It's going to go awry. ]

Edited 2014-11-23 07:40 (UTC)

I thought it would be okay...

[Gon wilts beneath her eye, going so far as to place his glass on the table and curl his hands on his thighs. It's like he's regressed in time, back to when Ms. Mito would scold him for improper manners. There's no defense for a power similar to that.]

[Aghhh, that look! He scowls before walking across the way from the counter to the table so he can sling an arm around Gon's shoulders and lean closer. His eyes are pointed right back at Kate.]

Yeah, yeah, I get it already! You already got Gon to realize it, so stop making him feel bad! [As if it's not largely his fault instigating this scolding, really. He grips his friend's shoulder with the arm linked around him. He'll bite back any nastier comments about her own injury, this time.]

[ She flares her nostrils in response to Killua's comment. ]

I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad.

[ Not really. She's only trying to make a point which she still isn't certain has sunk in. ]

I'm only tell you two to be careful.

[Killua's grip, while well-intentioned, sets off alarms. Kate's response only increases it. Time to play mediator.

He pretends as if Killua comforts him, easing into the grip and straightening with a smile and a nod.] We will be. I promise.

[Hoping that will settle it. It's not like he's lying, after all.] Do you like cannolis, Kate? They were selling them at the supermarket. I've never had one before but it looks good.

[It's a common routine for them, balancing each other out like this. When Gon loses his cool, Killua's there to fix it, and now that Killua's lost his, Gon offers a fix. If Killua notices that he's faking it, he doesn't show at all.

His arm relaxes from around his shoulder and he backs off to return to his milk, staying silent while those two talk for now.]

[ Most of her exasperation lifts and she decides to switch over to the topic as well. ]

I haven't had them in a long time, actually.

[Gon would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved. With a satisfied smile he grabs the carefully packaged pastry and pushes it towards Kate.]

Getting it was Killua's idea. I just agreed because it looked yummy.

[He casts a glance at Killua that tells him not to fucking argue, he's trying to help Kate forgive you.]

[That lie gets a glance from Killua, but his expression won't reveal anything, at least. Maybe that he's embarrassed, because when it sets in, he is. What is that idiot trying to do? Trying to make him look good like that...

He looks away again with a small huff, finishing his milk off and grabbing one more piece of dark chocolate.]

We can split it.

[ Even if it supposedly got squished. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.

Kate rises from the table, heading over to her pantry to get three plates and utensils from the counter's drawer. She might be using one hand, but she doesn't seem to be having any difficulty balancing the plates and utensils. ]

[Gon shuffles after her, bringing the box with him. Opening it reveals its only partially smushed, the shell cracked and fragmented into remains that litter the sugary cream with crunchy deliciousness. All in all not a bad result. Gon counts himself lucky, picking up a knife she leaves behind and cutting the pastry into uneven thirds. The piece he puts on Kate's place is suspiciously the largest, his own the most modest. Meat trumps dessert in his book. Pushing Kate's plate towards her, he trots his own and Killua's back to the table, setting it down in front of his friend.]

It was kind of hard to cut.

[The slicing had caused everyone's pieces to be a bit cracked. His words are an apology of sorts.]

[Split it... After all that? He feels a little bad and nearly rejects his piece at all before realizing that Gon's already cut it. Instead, when their two plates reach the table, he gives him a pointed look and leans over it, swapping their plates swiftly.]

It'll still taste the same. Tell us if you like this one, Kate.

I'm sure it's fine. A little broken, but it's alright.

[ She nudges the spoons she's brought toward each boy, if they're worried about wasting any of the cream.

She picks up a spoon for herself, cutting into her slice before she raises it to her mouth and swallows. Savouring the taste, she shuts her eyes and smiles. ]

More than fine. It's great. You two didn't have to bring this.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

shines like a young boy's heart

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject