2007-11-10: Someone to Talk To

Starring:

Kory_icon.gif Cam_icon.gif

Summary: Cam, needing someone to talk to about the stuff happening at Niki's, comes to Kory in the guise of catching her up on news.

Date It Happened: November 10th, 2007

Someone to Talk To


Kory's Apartment

It's been a busy day for Kory. Shift at the Lair, walking the dogs uptown, hitting the bookstore. She hasn't had time to properly hit the supermarket and shop, so she ordered a pizza from the local place. Half meat lovers, half the works (except anchovies). She lounges on a much-loved recliner, rereading a much-thumbed copy of War for the Oaks, waiting for the doorbell.

And the buzzer from downstairs sounds, though when Kory answers it's probably not the voice she expected. "Hi Kory, it's me." Cam's voice.

Kory is surprised, but not unpleasantly. "Hi, Cam! Come on up!" And she hits the buzzer to let him in. She smiles faintly, pleased by the serendipity. She opens the door and waits for him to come on up.

Cam is up and coming in the door just a couple minutes later, grinning, "Hi! I forgot *this* was your building. I was staying in this building a couple days last week. Coulda come visited!"

"Oh, were ya?" Kory is curious, but she steps aside and lets him in. She tucks her paperback into a drawer. "Well, you know you can come visit any old time. I've got pizza coming, too, so your timing is just right." She ruffles his hair playfully. "Develop a new ability? Pizza sniffing?"

Cam smiles at the mention of pizza, "Really? Awesome!" He then grins, shaking his head quickly. "I wish! Just wanted to come say sorry I ain't visited the Lair, 'least while ya've been there, in a while."

Kory returns the smile, and gestures Cam should make himself comfortable; not that there's much more than a secondhand sofa besides her comfy chair. "Oh, it's okay. You're practically a grownup. I don't want you to think I'm trying to smother you or anything. You can come and go as you like. Not that I haven't missed you," she's careful to add on the last part.

Cam nods quickly, brightening just a little at the last. Then he says, "Missed you too. And tons to tell ya about! Ya know how I said I stayed here in this building? I was staying with a friend of Niki's, me, Niki, and Micah all were after that social worker came and tried to take me and Micah both." Then he adds excitedly, "The guy we stayed with, he has a power sorta like Rogue's, but he doesn't hurt the people he gets powers from."

Kory drops her chin in her hands, listening attentively. That he missed her too gets a warm, crinkle-eyed smile. "The social worker tried to take you and Micah?" Her eyes widen in surprise; she really has been out of the loop. And when he gets to the person he stayed with, Kory laughs aloud. "You must mean Peter. He visited me last night. He's a nice guy, huh?"

Cam blinks as Kory ends up already knowing Peter, but nods quickly, "Yeah, he is. Really cool. Even played Battleship with me and Micah." Then he answers the first question, "Yeah, all 'cause Niki accidentally took too many pills and had to go to the hospital. Knew they might take me somewhere, wanna stay there but she said it was only for now. But not Micah! That wasn't fair at all. And now Micah's dad's in jail 'cause of her."

"Oh, dear. I'm sorry that's going on. I wish there was something I could do to help," Kory says, sincerely. "Will it all work out, do you know?" She gets up to hug Cam, a little distressed by all the bad news. "Is the social worker still trying to put you somewhere?"

Cam bites his lip as he hugs back, and then shakes his head a little, stepping back again, and finally sitting on the couch, "Not *that* one. She.. um.. she died." Then he adds, "They haven't sent anybody else yet."

"Oh, geez," Kory breathes, stepping back to look worriedly into Cam's face. "That's terrible. Well, if you need anybody to speak up for you, you know you can ask me." She looks momentarily guilty that she's been out of touch, but shakes it off. The buzzer sounds. "There, that must be the pizza."

Cam doesn't really seem *too* bothered by the woman's death. Not happy about it, but no more upset than he might be at the news of anybody being killed. He nods quickly and says, "Thanks! Think need more for someone to speak up for Niki. Maybe Peter will, his brother just won a big election."

"I bet Peter will. He's a very good person. I don't know her well enough to speak for her myself, more's the pity." She buzzes up the pizza guy. Tips him modestly but fairly, and carries the pizza to the coffee table. She takes another minute to hit the little kitchen for paper plates. "I don't have soda. I have orange juice, grape juice, water, or milk," she calls to Cam. "What would you like?"

Cam nods quickly and says, "Yeah, Peter's cool, bet he'll help." He waits while the pizza is delivered and Kory goes to get plates. Not reaching for it early, in fact, waiting for Kory to get back. At the called question, he answers, "Orange juice, please!"

Kory's kitchen is modestly appointed, as is made obvious by the fact that the paper plates are in those woven straw holders, and the cups are not glass, but the plastic collectible ones you get when a movie comes out in the theaters and you've bought a large Coke. "Here you go," she tells him, handing over his own cup. "Help yourself." She does let him pick first. He's the growing boy, after all. "I'm sure Peter will help. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know how to not help."

Cam grins as he accepts his drink, "Thanks." He takes a sip of it, and then puts it down, now reaching for the pizza. Taking a slice off of the side with 'the works', though he waits once putting it on a plate, letting it cool a little. Kory might note he's using both arms equally again, as he holds his drink in one hand and reached for the pizza with the other.

"Good to see your shoulder and arm are doing better," Kory tells Cam, with that same sincerity. "It has been long enough for you to heal up. I'm sorry I haven't been around. Been trying a new trick with my ability." She looks a touch embarrassed.

Cam nods quickly, grinning, "I go to the doctor in a few more days… I think. Hope it wasn't today. But it hardly hurts at all now! Unless I bump it. Still need the pills to sleep, but they're normal pills now, not the special ones they gave me at first." He puts down his glass and touches the pizza experimentally, then, and picks it up to take a careful bite, then grins.

"That's good," Kory has also chosen a slice with 'the works', and takes a big bite. She chews in silent thought for a moment. "Soon you won't even need the pills at all. So what else have I missed, besides the scary stuff with Niki and the social worker?"

Cam takes another bite, but finishes at least before he tries to answer, "Um… not too much. Oh! Did I tell ya 'bout the fight in the park? Ian and this other guy started fighting. He musta had a power or something, 'cause it was weird. Lachlan tried to help Ian, got a bunch of dogs chasing after the other guy, but then the guy grabbed me. Ian *zapped* him. You know he could do that?"

"No, you didn't mention a fight in the park. The same park as the stuff with Magma?" Kory sets her pizza down and clasps her hands around one knee, worried. "And Ian — Ian has a power? No. I had no idea he could do that." But she seems very pleased to hear it. "You've been into everything lately, haven't you?"

Cam shakes his head, "No, I… hardly ever go there anymore." He looks down as he says it, but then he goes on, back to himself, "It was the big park at the South end of the city, where you can see the Statue. I'd never been there before that, was an awesome park. And *that* fight wasn't near as scary as what happened in the other park," he adds, grinning again. "Was really kinda cool, 'cept I probably shoulda run the first time Lachlan told me to."

"Oh," Kory says, reaching over to clasp his good shoulder gently, a gesture of support. "I'm sure by now it's perfectly safe." She listens, though, reclaiming her hand to finish her slice. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't scary. And I'm glad Mr. Lachlan's looking out for you. Have you had any chances to practice and get better with your Iceman powers?"

Cam nods a little and says, "I know. It's just…" He shrugs a bit, but brightens again at the last question, nodding quickly, "Just a little, so far.. dunno if I'm any better yet, though. When that guy grabbed me, I froze his hand."

"Well, it's good that you can do it when you're scared. It gives you an advantage, I think," Kory says, nodding her head. "Practicing is hard, when you don't really have anything but comic books to use as a set of instructions."

Cam nods quickly to that, and then adds a bit sheepishly, "I think Peter wants me to help him learn the power too. Dunno how I'll explain it, haven't really figured out much myself. Well, I don't accidentally freeze people when I'm not scared or mad, 'least… Peter accidentally used it on Niki's arm. Guess I can help that much."

"Hee." Kory can't help but laugh a little at the idea of Peter not quite grasping another new power. "He has so many powers. It must be hard for him to keep track of all of them. No wonder he needs us to teach him."

Cam grins again at that, "Yeah, hadn't thought of that." He finishes up his pizza, and then looks to the time, "Oh, the train to Queens is gonna be leaving soon." He bites his lip, and then says, "Thanks for the pizza."

"Wow, the time flies, huh?" Kory asks, glancing at the clock. "You're welcome. You want me to walk you to the train?" She flips the pizza box closed and casts about for where she left her shoes this time.

Cam finishes the last of his juice, nodding quickly as he stands back up, "Sure! If you want, I mean. Nobody really bothers me, I'm too small to notice in the crowds."

"Sure I want to," Kory tells him. "Not that I don't think you can take care of yourself, but hey, that's what friends are for."

Cam grins and moves ahead to the door, but waits for Kory to get her shoes and follow.

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