Kess blinks a glance at Kitty, then laughs softly, a sound with no mirth
in it, more tense and edging on bitterness. She has plenty of malice and
shame, though she fights both those things. "I don't know if I qualify.
But I'll go. I'll do what I can," she tells the floor firmly. Because it's
the angels that renewed that shame and malice in her, and she won't let
them win. She won't. And as for honour and glory? They've never been a
part of her life.

The trick is having /more/ than malice and shame - because there's
probably no human being alive who has none of either. "You qualify more
than I do." There's a hint of amusement in that statement, but no
answering bitterness. "I mean, I got my first even halfway legal job in my
/life/, you know, two months ago. You people are way too much of a good
influence." And Kitty manages, somehow, to keep that trace of good humour
in her voice. Maybe the thing she's carrying is having an influence on
her, too. Or maybe nearly dying the other night gave her a different
perspective.

"You did?" It's a struggle, but Kess is trying to push those heavy
thoughts away. It's all so much, sometimes. She tries to summon up a smile
for Kitty, but it's weak when it comes. "Well, that's good. I never had a
job before I came here." She shrugs lightly; please don't use her as an
influence. She doesn't have the best track record. "Guess this world makes
a lot of changes, huh?" And yes, some of them /are/ good, ruined divinity
notwithstanding.

"Me neither. I stole a lot." In between working on undermining governments
and committing a lot of constructive sabotage and setting up occasional
murders. And hey, Pete's track record isn't exactly stellar either. Ahem.
"Yeah," Kitty adds, "it does. I mean - people freak out about how awful it
is and how they can't predict anything - but some people the Infinity
Effect does a lot of good. You, me, Pete - Tulio, because it got you over
here -"

Kess doesn't seem surprised or shocked to learn that Kitty used to steal -
it's not like she didn't, in the past, when things were desperate. The
mention of Tulio gets a tightening of her expression, and she turns her
head to look out of the window again. "Yeah." The agreement is soft,
rough-edged, strained. He's probably not thanking the Infinity Effect
right now.

"... something wrong?" Kitty's gotten a lot quieter, as she says that.
Worry? Well. Yes. And concern. She's protective of the two of them.

"This is hard on him," Kess says softly, gaze dipping to the ring on her
left hand. It's all going horribly wrong. "I'm never gonna have a normal
life, and... and neither will he, while I'm with him." She stops and
swallows, then blinks and looks over to Kitty, with a ghost of a smile,
hoping to reassure. "We'll be okay." Really.

Kitty props her chin on her hand, elbow on her knee. The mug, still half
full, is left untended in her lap. "There's ... a lot of stuff you can
still do. It doesn't have to be /all/ weird, by any means." Wry expression
for a moment. "I'd say it's like dating a cop, except around here, dating
a cop usually takes on a whole different set of connotations. Something
maybe we could do, is try and get Pete to talk to him? There's, it's ...
well, some of it's a guy thing, a little." And some of it's just the
desperate want to have a life that doesn't involve risk of death every
couple of months, or weeks, or days.

Like dating a cop. Maybe Sera should talk to Tulio. Kess sighs softly and
pulls away from the window at last, moving to retrieve her cooling hot
chocolate; it's lukewarm now, but she takes a long sip at it anyway. Sweet
and chocolately, and that helps. "I'll keep that in mind," she says,
gratefully. "He- he's not handling this very well. After... last week...
I'll just be glad when this is all over. Are there many pieces left to
get, do you think?" It's a struggle to keep her mind on the right track,
especially as tired and strung out as she is, but she manages a calm, even
tone. She can do this.

Kitty shakes her head. "This is going to be over soon." It's
matter-of-fact, calm. "We've got almost everything. Just a couple of
pieces left, if that. You and Tulio should be able to go out for
Valentine's Day with a clear conscience - /and/ a clear schedule." Flash
of a grin - and then she pauses for just a moment, with a brief and
faintly amusing doubletake. Oh, that's right. It's /February/. Pete's
/birthday/ is coming up. Uh oh. "And maybe even a clear head - we /might/
get it wound up in time for you to catch up on sleep first, huh?"

Kess gives a startled blink. Valentine's Day? "That's in a couple of
weeks, isn't it?" Of course it is. She sinks to sit next to Kitty on the
couch this time, looking a little startled and sipping slowly at her
drink. Sugary goodness. "Yeah, be nice to be awake for it." Her lips
twitch wryly; she's relaxing, slowly. And hey! Her birthday soon, too. "We
should all go out or something. Make it a... multiple celebration."

"... Twelve days? I think? Is it the fourteenth or the fifteenth?" Sugary,
yes. Oh, hey, Kitty still has hot chocolate, too. And a dragon making eyes
at her, with whom she trades mugs, setting Lockheed's mostly-empty one
down on the coffee table while he slurps contentedly from his perch. "And
how multiple a celebration are we talking?" That's got a grin associated
with it.

"Fourteenth," Kess says, and there's the beginning of a smile there.
Forget about the bad stuff; there's the /future/ and good things to come.
And that helps. "A week this Friday, day after my birthday. And, you know,
it was about that time I arrived here, too." February is a special month
for Kess, one way and another.

Kitty's amusement is definite and bright. "Hey, your birthday's only a few
days away from Pete's! - well, and skewed by a few years, but who's
counting?" Pause. "Oh, man. This means I have to hunt presents, doesn't
it." Discussing shopping should not include a look of predatory glee.

Kess chuckles softly and shakes her head, the cup wrapped by both hands
cradled in front of her mouth between sips. "You don't have to get
anything. It's Pete's birthday soon, too?" Okay, so she /does/ intend to
get presents. Though what she'd get Pete is a mystery to her. Maybe she'll
just make him armour. But she was doing that anyway! Cop-out.

"Yeah. Though I think he'd probably throttle me if I told anybody the
actual date. Particularly since he's gonna be thirty-five this year. Round
numbers, lots of complaining." Kitty's grinning. Yes. "And nobody ever
/has/ to get anything. /Wanting/ to is a whole different story, right?"
What to get Kess! What does Kess /like/? What does she like to play with?
Must pin Tulio and interrogate him, in short order. "How old are /you/
gonna be, anyway?"

Kess can't help but smile at the whole issue of gift-giving. She does it
often enough to know that it's all about the wanting to. The question of
her age makes her pause and blink. Yeah, how old is she again? "Uh...
twenty-three." Wow, seems old, sometimes she feels older, other times...
so desperately not as adult as the number implies. Pete's 35? Wow. And as
for likes... flying and making things with her hands, mostly. It's been a
long time since she made anything as frivolous as a necklace or a
bracelet.

Pete's thirty-five. Kitty's close to Kess's age. Talk about out-of-synch
biological clocks. "Congratulations in advance," Kitty says solemnly. "I'd
say something wise and profound about being twenty-three, but actually,
most of that year's kind of a blur." And most of the rest she wishes were,
but she's not goin' there.

Kess curls her legs up on the couch, arms looping loosely around her
knees, wings draping over the arm behind her. "Thanks. I... guess it'll be
like being twenty-two. Just hopefully with less angels running around."
She even manages to give a wryly amused quirk of her lips at that.

"Less angels, more fiance. Definitely the right proportions." Kitty leans
to touch Kess's forearm lightly, giving a quick grin. "When this is over?
We really need to go around and just get everybody's birthdays. Or days
they'll agree to celebrate on. Or assign them random days for surprise
parties if they won't 'fess up."

Kess frees a hand from her mug to catch Kitty's hand for a grateful
squeeze. More fiance-- let's not talk about him. Or the fact that Kess has
no idea when his birthday is. There's faint amusement in her eyes at the
idea of surprise parties. "Sounds like a plan. Can't have them get away
with not celebrating." It's been years since she celebrated her own
birthday - that thought makes her blink. Ten years, it's been, since
anyone gave a damn when she was born. Wow.

Sneaking a peek in his wallet might or might not solve that problem. And
ten years means it's about time for a celebration of Kess. "Exactly. So,
if they force us to, we cheat shamelessly. Right?" Kitty winks across at
the birdgirl. "Happy birthday in advance, anyway."

Don't go using the logical approach; that's just unfair. "Thanks, Kitty."
Kess' look is fond and warm, still lacking her usual easy, relaxed nature,
but approaching it. There's a lot riding under her expression these days.
"So, what is this job you got? You didn't tell me." Let's keep talking
about normal stuff.

"I'm doing some short-term software development contracts," Kitty admits.
"I'd /like/ to be getting into security, but I need to build up some
references first; it'll probably take quite a while. So instead I'm making
software tools for a couple of little places. It's a nightmare trying to
handle the taxes - consultants get /weird/ forms - but it's something I'm
good at, and if I can manage to get paid by the job instead of by the
hour, I can make a decent amount of money. Which is good, because we were
just about out of savings." And there is no way Pete is going back to
working for S&S. Ever. Thank you.

Kess tilts her head as she listens, and glances into her mug. Okay, the
last third of the drink is now completely cold, so she offers it over to
the dragon. Ah, weird computer stuff, right. "I hope it works out," she
offers, and gives a wry shrug. "Not something I know anything about."
She'll stick to her low-tech clinic, thanks. Her nose wrinkles at the
mention of taxes. "Lots of forms, huh?" Ick.

Oh, this is just Lockheed's day. He baps Kitty's head lightly with a wing,
and she obligingly takes /her/ mug back so he can pounce happily on
Kess's. Yes, this is /much/ better than last night's visit. "Lots and lots
of forms," Kitty agrees. "And most of them are insane. Next year I swear
I'm paying somebody else to make sense of the whole mess."

Kess gives a sympathetic wince and nods. "I do some of the clinic's, but I
don't understand a lot of them. I /think/ I can figure some of them out,
but... I'd prefer someone who knew what they were doing to do it, you
know?" Lockheed's antics over the sugary chocolate make her smile, and she
gives his leg an experimental pat. Such a curious creature. "Makes me wish
I'd been able to stay in school."

The pat from the winged woman wins a coo from Lockheed, and he widens his
golden eyes and sprawls forward along the couch back toward her - mug
still cradled in both forepaws. Yes, pet him? Pretty please? Ahem.

Kitty restrains the urge to giggle. "Yeah. You know," Kitty hesitates
before continuing, "if there's anything you still want to learn really bad
- there's probably /somebody/ around here who'd be willing to tutor you.
And maybe even actually good at teaching." Kitty's fully aware that, for
most people, she falls into the 'willing but not able' category.

The dragon is more obvious than Tanabuk, the Spaniard's cat, and Kess
gives a little grin that vanishes quickly, hopefully before Lockheed
notices. She loops her arm over the back of the couch, so that she can
stroke him comfortably while she talks with the dragon's mistress. "Oh, I
don't know if I really want to learn /accounting/," she says with a
wrinkle of her nose. Forms, not her favourite thing. "I like what we do at
the clinic, though. The first aid stuff I mostly know, but the herbs and
things are new. And, I'm /trying/ to learn Mandarin and Chinese, but
that's hard work." Because it's hard to tell which one's which sometimes,
when you're doing both at once and struggling the whole time.

Kitty's grimace is noticeable. "Oooh, yeah. I've never been able to really
learn a languge that way. It just doesn't make /sense/, you know?" Getting
other people's languages telepathically implanted in your head is so much
easier! At least in her opinion. Lockheed seems just fine with not even
having English - there's a warm little snort of breath against Kess's
hand, almost definitively appreciative.

"Yeah, it doesn't often make much sense at /all/," Kess agrees with
another wince. She's smiling gently, though, at the snort, and gives
cautious little scritches to the dragon, not knowing the sensitive areas
but sure he'll let her know when she finds them. "I've got some of the
basic phrases down, but... I dunno if I'm getting any further. Luckily,
Fung's usually around, so I don't have to deal with it too often. Or make
flash cards to show people." Ugh, how embarrasing would /that/ be.

As far as it's possible to tell from his reaction, /anywhere/. Kitty
rescues the mug before it can tip over and spill the last of the chocolate
onto the couch. That's one sprawled reptile. "Well, the more you're around
people that use it, and the more you try to use it yourself, the easier
it's supposed to get?" she offers, somewhat weakly. This from the woman
who needed prompting to manage her own wedding vows because they weren't
entirely in English. Sigh.

"That's what people keep telling me," Kess agrees ruefully. She's trying!
It'll sink in eventually. She gives the little dragon a good scritch-over,
then settles her hand on his back for more relaxed stroking. So nice to
have something so easy to please, and she does think that Lockheed is
remarkably like a cat. Maybe she shouldn't make /him/ a toy out of one of
her feathers, though. "It's just mostly so I can get on with the work.
That part's good."

Eventually! It takes /years/ for kids to learn languages, right? Right.
Lockheed does everything but purr, in fact - there's occasional cooing and
blissful sighs, instead. And, also unlike a cat, he /keeps/ making eyes at
Kess. Cats just sort of sit there and deign to accept, they don't actually
solicit. "Taking care of people," Kitty muses reasonably. "In ways that
/aren't/ weird. Sounds good to /me/..."

Awww, those eyes are so sweet! And Kess is a sucker for them at the
moment, so stroking continues, almost absently. "Yeah, it's pretty good,"
she agrees. "Occasionally a little gross, but I'm learning a lot. Even if
I am supposed to just be doing the admin out back." That amuses her,
vaguely; somehow, she ends up treating patients along with everyone else
that works there. One of these days, she'll make a good paramedic.

One of these days, she will. "Sounds like you have time left over to lend
a hand a lot? Or like they've just got their priorities in order.
Paperwork /not/ first." Kitty's not quite teasing, not quite not. Now and
then Lockheed's wingtips flutter: see? He has wings, too! Like the Kess!
Clearly they are of one kind and she should thus keep up the absent
stroking.

"Yeah," Kess agrees, then gives a little amused twitch of her lips up.
"And also, Fung is often confused by the cash register, so I have to be
on-hand to deal with that." Which leads to other things, which she doesn't
entirely mind. At a random wingtip fluttering, she sends a hand down over
the limb. Yes, wings! Good good. She should take him flying sometime -
wouldn't /that/ be amusing?

"Confused by the ..." Kitty blinks. And closes her mouth before she says
anything about replacing it with an abacus. Lockheed's reaction to that
particular bit of petting is almost ridiculous - he very nearly falls into
Kess's lap trying to lean into it. Yes, it /would/ be amusing. Somewhat
like being chased around by an oversized firefly.

Kess giggles softly at Lockheed's enthusiasm, and wouldn't mind in the
least if he fell into her lap. But she does take the hint and keeps
stroking the wing, fingertips lightly wandering over the membrane. So
curious, in comparison with hers. "Yeah, I know," she replies to Kitty's
half-sentence. Apparently, Liam has the same problem, but she doesn't
mention that. "I like it there. Never really gave much thought to a job
before I came here, y'know?" The clinic suits her just fine.

Leathery, in contrast with the tiny scales on much of the rest of him.
Tough, though, and the sighs of delight are almost as amusing as the
near-topple. Also, Kess gets a chin rested on top of her head, something
made possible mainly by that improbable neck. "Oh, I know," Kitty agrees.
"It wasn't ever really even an option before. I mean, I was about as
likely to get a trip to the moon as employment." She pauses. "Maybe more
likely," is added thoughtfully, largely in hope of amusing. She's picked
up the impression that their homeworlds were more alike than not.

And she would be right, after a fashion. Kess would nod, if she didn't
have to hold still under a dragon snout, and regards Kitty a little more
closely at that; similar worlds, indeed. "Yeah. But, y'know... I like it
here." Despite everything, despite the current traumas and trials... it's
better. It's the familiarity of some of it that's truly disturbing. She
lets out a soft sigh, still stroking at the wing idly. "I should probably
get going. You need anything else, while I'm here?" Not getting up /right/
away, nor entirely sure how to disentangle from dragon. Aww, so cute!

"Your promise to try and get some more sleep sometime soon?" Kitty
suggests. "You do look like you could use it." Even as she's speaking,
Lockheed's making a little mournful sound. The Kess going away? Noooo!
That's one spoiled dragon. "And are you still carrying your cellphone?
Just in case we have to get people together in a hurry - though I'm kinda
suspecting the rest of this is gonna come to us once it starts coming
down." She likes it here, too. Look! Friends! People that come over to
talk instead of to plan raids! Getting to use the same name for more than
six weeks running! It's bliss.

Kess gives a weary smile, but there's fondness there for Kitty. She lifts
a hand to cup the side of the dragon's head, lifting her chin to give him
a kiss before she slips off the couch. She'll come back and cuddle!
"Always carry my cellphone - just call, and I'll be where you are within
ten minutes," she promises easily. It's not hard when you can fly
anywhere. "And yeah, I'll try. Not easy with this thing." Fingers move
towards the ring, hanging on its chain around her neck. Stupid dreams. "I
promised I'd be in to work today, though, so I'd better go. I'll see you
soon." And she bends down to give Lockheed's mistress a kiss on the cheek
too.

A kiss for the Lockheed! Okay, one can practically /see/ the little pink
hearts drifting up as he slumps near-bonelessly over the couch back. Kitty
gets to her feet and sneaks a hug in during the bending-down. /She/ gets
to cuddle, too. Hmph. "Anything I can bring your people at the clinic?
Food or coffee or anything? I'll probably be passing by in a few hours."

Kess pauses as she's bending down to hug Kitty close, leaning her head
against the other woman's for a moment, mute expression of gratitude. The
flopped dragon gets an amused glance as she retrieves her fingerless
gloves and pulls them on. "We're mostly okay, but I don't think they'll
turn down a bite of something to eat. Especially if it's pastry and didn't
come off one of the carts down the street." Smiles are coming easier now,
more relaxed and decidedly fond. She wanders out to find boots and coat,
ready to brave the winter air outside.

The universal American work-present: doughnuts. "I think we can manage
something," Kitty agrees cheerfully, escorting doorward and helping Kess
with the coat. She's starting to get the knack of working with wings
again, a bit. "Good luck with it. And with the sleep."

Kess gives a grateful glance at the help with the coat, wings flipping to
her back when they're done. Right. A pause, and then she moves to give
Kitty yet another hug, her hold slightly more fierce this time. /Thank/
you. So glad you're well. "Thanks. Call me, if anything happens? Take
care." And she's reaching for the door. Work, yes.

And held back, close and fierce right back - thank you for being able to
find rooftops. "I'll call," she promises. "Or get Pete to - either way,
you'll hear."

A last, fond smile, and Kess nods and moves off into the snow. Just far
enough to find someplace secluded to spread wings and flutter away.