Honolulu Heights, Thursday Morning

[chosehumanity]

It had taken Mitchell time to track down Daisy. He had only set off to do it after the first rushes of joy at Annie's return had faded - really, he'd rather not have done it, but he knew a deal when he heard one.

And Lia had been very... specific.

Now, though, he had a good lead on where she was. It'd be something of a drive - an hour or two out - but the vampire he'd shaken up for it had been very clear. So. Now the question remained:

How do you tell an old friend that the beyond had it in for you? And how do you get them to listen?

Especially when they were Daisy.

So, walking back into the house that morning, Mitchell chose a technique that would let him handle it.

Procrastination.

"Oh. Reruns."

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[chosehumanity]

"So this guy in Boston..." Mitchell said, trailing off. Fill in the blanks, please.

[vanillajello]

"It's not a guy, it's a facility." A pause. "Well okay, there is a guy. ome doctor that's supposed to be the best in the country at dealing with Mom's thing. He works at some psychological facility thingie that has a three-month in-patient program, and apparently some stellar aftercare system too. It's... a lot better than the stuff we've tried over the last few years."

[chosehumanity]

"So you're all positive about it?" Mitchell checked.

It would aid his support strategy considerably to know the answer to this question.

... inasmuch as he ever had a strategy.

[vanillajello]

"I'm doing my best to be that, yes."

They'd failed spectacularly a few times so she had her reservations, but she was hoping for the best.

"But it's a long term thing, and she just went there two days ago. It's gonna take a while for them to even seriously get started."

[chosehumanity]

"At least it'll give you some peace," Mitchell settled on. "It can't have been easy, knowing Tara was running around like that."

[vanillajello]

"Eh. Bryce didn't much run around." Much harder to creep everyone out like that. "But you're not wrong about the peace and quiet. Especially since Charmaine and Neil and Wheels are gonna move away, too."

[chosehumanity]

Mitchell made a vaguely approving noise. "Just you and Moosh," he concluded. "You two going to be all right with that?"

[vanillajello]

"I'm eighteen, he's seventeen," Kate shrugged. "Think we can handle it. He's... kinda been having a rougher time than I have, lately, but things are getting better. Plus, we're totally having a house party in a few weeks once Char and Neil go spend their honeymoon on househunting in Houston."

[chosehumanity]

"Well, let me know if I need to bring anything," said Mitchell. "Food, drinks, a how-to manual on house-cleaning..."

Like he did that anywhere near often. That's why they had Annie and George's OCD.

[vanillajello]

"You do realize that last one's basically George, right?" Kate checked. "You're not bringing George."

She liked him, but, really.

[chosehumanity]

"But he could clean the house and cook," Mitchell argued cheerfully. "He could probably cater..."

[vanillajello]

"But we have Moosh for that!" Kate pointed out. "I wouldn't want to be in a house where those two would be battling over control of the kitchen."

[chosehumanity]

"Oh, come on. Bring a camera, put it on YouTube..."

[vanillajello]

"No, my brother would end him," Kate said. "I'm serious. He's not been having a great time, it's brought out his claws. He sounds like me, sometimes."

[chosehumanity]

"You've seen George before a full moon, haven't you?"

There was a question in there. Not so much about seeing George but about Moosh's well-being.

[vanillajello]

"My brother's ex boyfriend died two weeks ago."

That was more of an answer to that unspoken question, yeah. She also sounded a tad more subdued than she had.

[chosehumanity]

"Damn," Mitchell said succinctly.

He sagged back on the sofa. "What happened?"

[vanillajello]

"Car crash," Kate said. "Excellent timing, right?"

Not that there was a good time for anyone to have a fatal accident, but still.

[chosehumanity]

"Yeah," Mitchell said, rubbing at his brow. "Great timing. How's he doing?"

Without veiling the question this time.

[vanillajello]

"I think he's getting better." It was slow going, but still. At least he wasn't just sulking anymore. "I mean, he's a little quieter than usual, but he doesn't seem so... angry, anymore. He went to the memorial with Mom and Bod and everything."

[chosehumanity]

Mitchell winced a little. "It's good that he's healing," he said. "This kind of thing... it'll take time."

[vanillajello]

"Gee, I did not know this as none of my friends have ever died," Kate replied, but it was... a gentle sort of sarcasm. Since her dead friends had a tendency to pop back up again and all.

Lionel wasn't going to do that. "I know. I'm sticking around so he doesn't have to do it alone, or uproot his whole life when he's still dealing."

[chosehumanity]

"That's good," Mitchell said. "He'll need his family-- or at least something to belong to. Something steady."

He rapped his fingers on his knee.

[vanillajello]

"I'm doing my best."

She just hoped that was good enough. She felt like she'd been ignoring him for the past few months, and maybe she felt a little guilty for that, too.

"He needs to get out of this house, though. I mean, once he finishes high school."

[chosehumanity]

"Ship him off to some far-away college," Mitchell proposed. "That's what you Americans do with your kids, isn't it?"

Joking. Mostly.

[vanillajello]

"Well, I think he does wanna go to film school." So, the thought had crossed her mind, yeah. "Not a lot of good ones in Kansas. And he shouldn't even get stuck in this state as far as I'm concerned. He's bigger than Kansas. He should be."

[chosehumanity]

"Then just keep encouraging him," Mitchell said. "And make sure he knows he's always got a home to come back to at the same time."