[For Kate] Girl talk--advice time

[happy_dsign]

Daphne had decided to take Bella's recommendation and seek out Kate for some relationship advice--as it were. She didn't actually have a relationship, of course, which was part of the problem. And the two sides of this particular coin were starting to give her a headache.

She hung around the children's office near the end of Kate's shift, waiting for her to finish up so she could at least ask if she could have some time, if not right now than whenever Kate had a minute. Just hopefully soon. She couldn't keep running hot and cold on Wilke like this, it wasn't fair to him, but at the same time the thought of giving up on Kon without even knowing definitively if there was something to give up on made her heart ache a little.

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[girlsolo]

Daniel's already picked up William, so Kate has some time to herself before dinner. A run's probably a good idea. Something to settle her out before she goes to see Declan. She misses him, even if spending nights is hard right now with all the weird dreams.

She tips her chin to her co-worker and heads out into the hall. Daphne's there and Kate waves. She doesn't look like she's just passing through, so Kate asks, "Waiting for someone?" carefully, since she doesn't know the signs.

[happy_dsign]

Daphne straightened as Kate walked out, giving her a shy smile. "You, actually," she admitted. "I was wondering if I can talk to you. It doesn't have to be right now, if you're busy. I just...need some advice, and Bella recommended talking to you."

[girlsolo]

Kate's already saying, "Sure," and gesturing Daphne to follow along with her, when Daphne says who sent her. She turns her head, shakes it a little and laughs. "If you're looking for the birds and the bees Freelander style, I hope you're not shy."

[happy_dsign]

Daphne gave her a wry smile as she fell into step and said, "I'm not quite there yet, but I'll keep that in mind for after I figure out my current mess."

[girlsolo]

"Okay," Kate says, turning toward her and making the the proper sign too. "I'm curious. Hit me." She pauses, doesn't say the not literally that she would with Will and the shrugs slightly. "Unless you want to find some privacy first."

[happy_dsign]

Daphne glanced around, but the only people she didn't really want overhearing the conversation were Kon and Wilke, and neither of them were anywhere in sight. "There's this guy I like. Kon. Do you know him?" she started out.

[girlsolo]

"Not ringing any bells." Then again, if he was young enough for Daphne, he probably wouldn't. She only remembered Alcuin because of Nikola and Craig because of Bella, Sam because of Helen and Cassie, and she hadn't even met Cassie's Bart yet. "But if you like him--" She pushed open the door to the kitchen for them to go in and get some coffee. "I'll make a point to meet him."

[happy_dsign]

Daphne smiled briefly, leaning against the counter and watching Kate's face as she continued. "So my first problem is, I don't know if he feels the same way. I've tried to let him know I'm interested, but so far nothing. I can't tell if it's because he just doesn't get it, or he's not into me and is just pretending not to notice to...I don't know, spare my feelings, or something."

[girlsolo]

Kate pulls a cup down out of the cupboard, turns to look at Daphne, and signs to ask if she wants one. While she's waiting for a response, she asks, not in sign, "When you say 'I've tried to let him know' are we talking Valentine's Day candy hearts that say 'Be mine' or hanging around him or planting one on him? Because guys are kind of dense."

[happy_dsign]

Daphne nodded at Kate's question and signed 'yes', thinking coffee was probably a good accompaniment for this conversation. "I haven't been that obvious, because I don't want to screw up our friendship if he doesn't feel the same way. I guess I'm trying to leave him an out?" She shrugged, sighing.

[girlsolo]

"So don't make it about feelings," Kate says, like that's totally obvious (because it is) before turning away to get another cup. When she turns back and holds one out to Daphne, she shrugs. "Guys are dense, but they're pretty simple. If you want to know if he's interested, wait til the next time there's a moment and kiss him. If he gets weird about it, just say you're sorry and you thought it was what he wanted and you were misreading the signals. And then act like it's no big deal. Worst thing that happens is he's weird for a few days."

She makes a face while she pours her coffee. "You could just ask him, but he might lie no matter how he feels. Most guys your age don't turn down a chance to make out unless they're definitely no way into it. Half the time it hasn't even really crossed their minds until you kiss them."

[happy_dsign]

Daphne nodded as she watched Kate's lips, considering the advice. She could do that, although something in the back of her head still nagged that it might mess things up. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

"There's another complication, though," she said, setting her cup down on the counter, running a finger along the handle. "Someone showed up from home last week. From after I came here. And apparently...we're dating where he's from."

[girlsolo]

"Doesn't sound like a complication to me," Kate says, except she's lying her ass off. If Garris showed up tomorrow, it'd be a hell of a complication. Then again, she's older than Daphne and she's already with Declan. That's different.

Her pokerface never wavers. She sips her coffee and shrugs. "It sounds like an opportunity, unless you don't know him or don't like him or something. You're what, sixteen? It's not like you can't date more than one guy or girl or whatever. I don't why you guys are all in such a rush to choose."

[happy_dsign]

"I don't know how I feel about him, and he keeps looking at me like...like I'm someone I'm not, and touching my cheek, and I don't know what to do about it," Daphne said, chewing on her lip. "And I don't even know how to manage dating one of them, much less both."

[girlsolo]

Feelings complicate everything, Kate wants to tell her, and it's true. It's completely true. But they're worth it. What she feels for Declan, it's worth it, even when it sucks.

She sighs. "Okay. First of all, it's totally not cool for him to be pushing you. So he needs to knock that shit right off. It may suck for him--" Like it did for Eddy with Bella, but, yeah, no. "But you get to decide whether you want him or not."

[happy_dsign]

Daphne nodded. "I think--he's trying not to. I've told him I can't handle it, but sometimes..." she shrugged, then made a reluctant face. "I should talk to him. Like, seriously talk to him. Set some boundaries. Because right now I feel like...I don't know. Like someone spun me around a few times too many and I'm not sure what direction I'm facing." She paused, then gave Kate a sheepish look. "Does that sound crazy?"

[girlsolo]

"No." Kate signs that before she takes another sip of coffee. This may be a three-cup conversation before they're done. "You're talking to a chick who learned she had a baby with her best friend and boss's husband in one world and marries a dude she's never even met in another."

It's all nonchalant, like Kate couldn't give a fuck, and mostly by now, she doesn't. She's been closing up the gap between her and Declan again, slowly, trying to get okay with it. At least that's what she tells herself.

"Crazy is thinking you've got it all figured out. Just because I'm over it doesn't mean my head didn't spin like Linda Blair in the Exorcist."

[happy_dsign]

"...Wow. I think maybe I shouldn't be complaining," Daphne commented with a little grin. Compared to that, coming to terms with the idea of being with Wilke should be easy, right?

She sighed and sipped her coffee, looking thoughtful. "It seems stupid to keep trying to chase some guy who doesn't seem interested in me when there's someone else right there who clearly cares about me. But it's hard to figure out how I really feel about Wilke when he keeps giving me those looks and the little touches that are innocent and yet..." And yet carried so much emotional weight.

[girlsolo]

Kate leans back on her hands and sizes Daphne up, trying to figure out what's making her tick right now. With Bella and Cissie, it's easier. Making decisions about sex is clear-cut. Feelings are something else, and Kate's not that good at them.

"Not stupid, but it's not something I would do. Pretty much, if I have to do the chasing..." Then she realizes, that's kind of bullshit. She hunted Declan down like prey on the savannah, but that was kind of different too. Sex, and she knew he was into it. They just had different ideas about how it should go down was all. She cocks her head and amends that to, "If a dude's not into you, you can't make him be into you, no matter how much you want him. But that goes both ways. If you're not into Wilke, then you're not. Kinda sounds like you might be, or at least you like the way he looks at you and touches you when you don't think too hard about it, yeah?"

[happy_dsign]

Daphne pursed her lips, considering the question for a minute before nodding. "I guess so, yeah. I mean...if there was really nothing there, it wouldn't make me feel so confused. I'd just be annoyed."

[girlsolo]

"So, okay." She taps the coffee cup on the counter then grins. "If you could have them both, right now, no complications, no drama, just exactly how you want it, which one would you want?"

[happy_dsign]

Daphne laughed a little and shook her head. "Honestly? I have no idea." She cradled her coffee in her hands, thinking about it. She pictured Kon, then Wilke, chewing on her lip. The truth was, they both had their appeal, if she really thought about it. "I guess...Kon."

[girlsolo]

"'I guess' isn't exactly a landslide," Kate points out. She takes another sip of coffee while she's watching Daphne's eyes and face. "It sounds more like Kon's winning because you've been interested in him for awhile and Wilke's new."

She tops off her coffee, pushes it back farther, and hops up on the counter. "Look. I think you're looking at this the wrong way. You don't need a boyfriend. You don't need to be dating someone. So if you're not sure, then just--" She shrugs. "Hang out with both of them and anyone else you want until there's someone you really want to be with."

[happy_dsign]

"...Yeah, I guess that's a good point," Daphne said, sighing. She'd still have to talk to Wilke about all of the touching, though.

She finished her coffee and moved to the sink to rinse the cup, keeping her head turned toward Kate so she could still see her mouth. "Thanks. I'm sure the last thing you wanted to do today was give relationship advice to a teenager, but I appreciate it."

[girlsolo]

"Nah. The last thing I wanted to do today was probably listen to Will talk about his sex life with Magnus." Kate makes a face, nose wrinkling. Actually, the last thing she wants to do is hear that any of the people she cares about are gone, or hurt, or have lost someone or have hurt themselves.

"I suck at relationships. But I'm good at taking care of myself. That's what you need to be doing right now. Take care of yourself, have fun, when there's someone worth making a commitment to, you'll feel it."

[happy_dsign]

Daphne nodded, smiling. "Okay. I can do that. Thank you." She signed the last as she said it, drying the now-clean cup so she could put it back.

[girlsolo]

Kate signs back a, "Fuck you," with a grin and wink and then adds, "For thanking me. That's bullshit. But you're welcome anyway. Seriously. I know I'm kind of a bitch about it but I don't mind." She sucks down more of her coffee and locks gazes with Daphne for a minute. "At least I know I'll tell it to you straight."

[happy_dsign]

"Fair enough," Daphne replied, still smiling. She put the cup away and headed toward the door. "I'll let you know if anything happens. With either of them."