Office Hours, August 21 (Morning to Early Afternoon)

[brat_inslayage]

Okay, there wasn't any real reason for Kennedy to have office hours today, with the summer term being over and her not teaching in the fall. So technically that wasn't what she was doing here.

She just had a few last things to pack up and take home, that was all: a couple of posters, her goofy teacher mug, some random papers and a book she'd forgotten to return to Giles weeks ago. Oops. (Well, there was the dartboard, but she decided to leave that for whoever got the office next. They might need it.) Ask her now and she'd still tell you that she couldn't wait to head for Brazil, because that was true. But now that there were less than 24 hours until they got on a plane, the whole leaving part seemed tougher. This was going to be worth it, she knew that, but it was going to be really hectic at first, so why not enjoy a few last hours of downtime while she could?

There wasn't even enough stuff left in Kennedy's office to justify a box, since it'd all fit in her backpack. She was just... taking her time about it.

[[door/post open, huzzah.]]

Comments

[trigons_child]

"You must promise not to lose touch again," Raven said from the doorway.

Not that Kennedy had any control about that. But still.

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy had pulled her chair over by the window and was standing on it so she could take down a poster of the US women's hockey team, but then ended up staring out the window for a few minutes until Raven's arrival snapped her out of it.

"I'm not planning on it," she said, holding a hand up as she hopped down off the chair and turned toward the door. "Granted, that was the plan last time, too, but that was a Nothing-thing, and so not my fault."

She climbed up to sit cross-legged on the top of her desk and gestured for Raven to come in and take a seat.

"Same goes for you too, you know. The keeping in touch thing, not so much the losing it."

[trigons_child]

Raven pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the desk beside Kennedy.

"I will," she said. "I promise."

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy grinned and reached for the mug Tara had given her at the beginning of the summer, turning it over in her hands. "Good, 'cause I can't plan a really crazy visit for you if you don't."

"Uh uh," she went on, quickly, "don't think you're getting out of that."

[trigons_child]

Raven glanced at her sideways. "I am afraid to ask what you consider 'crazy,'" she said.

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy feigned an exaggerated hurt-puppy look. "Okay, okay, if you really don't want to, I guess I can leave the nude beaches off the agenda."

Not nice, Kennedy.

[trigons_child]

Raven turned pink and fluttered her hands. "I could not go to one of those!" she said. "You are teasing me, are you not?"

Right? RIGHT?

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy was terrible sometimes. She was never going to grow out of that.

"I guess I am now," she said, still pretending to look very put-upon and disappointed. "That just means I have to come up with something else."

Worry, Raven. Worry.

[trigons_child]

Raven pulled her best pout. "You are so mean to me," she said. "Will your friends protect me, or will they join in with you?"

[brat_inslayage]

"Depends who's around," Kennedy decided. "Willow'd probably take your side, though."

See the goofy smile that accompanied her melodramatic sigh? Yeah. She totally thought this was a horrible possibility.

[trigons_child]

Raven could not help but note that goofy smile, and it made her smile in return.

"It is a lovely look you get on your face whenever you mention Willow's name," she said.

[brat_inslayage]

"Shut up," Kennedy replied cheerfully and without any heat whatsoever. "Not my fault she's awesome."

[trigons_child]

"Then you must invite me to visit soon," Raven said, just as cheerful. "Without nude beaches, or I may be forced to tell Willow stories about you here in high school."

What, she wasn't sure. But she'd totally think of something!

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy looked mildly alarmed for a moment. "Damn. There was a flaw in my brilliant plan after all. Okay, okay, no nude beaches."

[trigons_child]

"I am glad you are willing to see reason then," Raven said. But she couldn't help but be a wee bit paranoid about what Kennedy might come up with instead. Because hi, she'd met her.

[brat_inslayage]

Also because Kennedy would.

"No, no. See, you have that backwards," she said, leaning over to sling an arm around Raven's shoulders, "I was being perfectly reasonable."

No, you weren't, Kennedy.

[trigons_child]

"Me on a nude beach would not be a good idea," Raven protested easily, leaning against Kennedy. "I am so pale. The sun would burn badly!"

As if that red could be seen under the red of her blushing.

[brat_inslayage]

"And that would be no fun," Kennedy agreed. With a huge sigh. Look at the major concessions she was making here because she cared, Raven. "Will's got that issue, too. Then again, there's always nighttime..."

Kennedy, no. Bad idea. BAD IDEA.

[trigons_child]

Raven bumped her shoulder against Kennedy's. "You are incorrigible!" she accused. "Perhaps you can locate a beach that is 'clothing optional,' and then Willow and I may remain clothed and you may strut about, if you so wish."

[brat_inslayage]

"Yeah, but what am I gonna look at?" Kennedy whined, smirking unrepentantly the whole time. "I mean, hey, you two will have a great view, but come on, that's not even fair."

[trigons_child]

"I did not realize you were so eager to see me naked," Raven said in mock surprise, clasping a hand to her throat. "Is that your ulterior motive?"

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy burst out laughing. "Oh my god, not what I meant, god, Raven! Although..."

She wasn't really giving Raven the once-over, but she made a good show of pretending to. "It wouldn't be bad, I gotta say."

Incorrigible, this one.

[trigons_child]

"Azar, Kennedy!" Raven said, then burst into giggles. Blushing of course, because she couldn't help it, teasing or not.

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy grinned at her, then asked a little more seriously, "You know I'm totally kidding about that, right? I just gotta get in my make-Raven-blush time while I can."

[trigons_child]

"I know," Raven said.

She glanced around the empty office. "When do you leave?"

[brat_inslayage]

"Six in the morning," Kennedy replied, tapping a fingertip against the side of the mug in her hand. "Which means getting up at ass o'clock to get to the airport, but our new place should be all set up when we get there."

Following Raven's lead, she took a look around at the bare walls.

"It's like this whole getting started in a brand new place thing is a group activity, huh?"

[trigons_child]

"So many people are leaving," Raven said quietly, nodding. "I have always hated this time of year, but now it is my turn. I am trying my best to be optimistic, however. It is...a new start."

[brat_inslayage]

"Nothing wrong with that," Kennedy said softly. "New starts, I mean. Just means we have to work hard to stay in touch and stuff."

[trigons_child]

"Of course," Raven said. "There are many people with whom I never wish to lose contact. Like you...you are like family to me."

[brat_inslayage]

To tell the truth, Kennedy didn't quite feel like the Scoobies would put her in that category just yet. Granted, with everyone scattered all over the place it was hard to tell.

Still, Raven probably would have been able to pick up on the surge of pleased gratitude that made Kennedy smile. "It's mutual. Putting the fun back in dysfunctional, that's us."

[trigons_child]

She did, which made her smile as well, and she laughed lightly. "It is certainly a strange and unique family," she agreed. "But a better one than I have ever known."

[brat_inslayage]

"Hey, we throw down for each other when we have to," Kennedy pointed out. "That's what makes us an awesome one. That's not gonna change, you know. You need me for anything, I'm there, possibly with super witchy backup."

[trigons_child]

"Thank you, that is very good to know," Raven said, swinging her legs a little. "I hope that will not be necessary, of course. My brothers seem to be quiet since I tricked them, and I do not think they can get to Dinah's Gotham anyway."

She hoped.

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy's expression hinted that she wouldn't bet on that.

"Well, just in case. And hey, who said it had to be a huge crisis? If you just really need an ice cream and movie night or something, and we don't have some huge crisis, I can come over for that." She frowned. "You'd get it if I couldn't, though, right? There's a whole duty thing that goes with the shiny Slayer powers." Yes, she actually took that seriously.

[trigons_child]

Needing that was probably going to be far more likely.

"Of course," Raven said. "I completely understand. You have important things to accomplish, and your duties are very important. I would never begrudge your need to attend to them."

[brat_inslayage]

"Just don't want you guys to ever think I'm blowing you off," Kennedy replied, and if there was a tiny undercurrent of sadness to that statement, she used to worry about that with her dad, when she was little. "I just gotta do what I gotta do. We all do, yeah?"

[trigons_child]

"I actually envy you that sense of purpose," Raven said. "It is something I lack, though that will change in a year." Until then, she was Healer without a Queen, or something like that.

[brat_inslayage]

"What, are you just gonna sort of float around until Karla's ready to go home to Kaeleer?" Kennedy asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I can't judge, really. I spent most of senior year not knowing what I was gonna do with myself after I graduated, since the odds of me becoming the Slayer were about a thousand-digit number to one. You know what? Screw it. You know what you're doing eventually. Just enjoy the hell out of this year. Enjoy not having a purpose while you can."