[ he grins easily, ducking his head some to ~look~ at the menu even if everyone knows he is totally ordering that philly cheese steak. something he and noah have in common is most definitely their appetite, particularly their appreciation for good meat. ]
I'm kinda the same way. I actually like them even better the faker they look.
[ and he sorta loves that she's the same. ] Give me a horrible B movie and I'm good to go. We sometimes marathon them toward the end of the month. [ 'cause halloween. ] You should join us this year.
[ sry to inform you kasey you most definitely have living friends now. ]
[kasey smiles at the sight of the grin on his face as he ducks his head like that. she glances down at the menu though she does not have as big of an appetite as either boys do. she's thinking the grilled cheese and tomato soup sounds delicious though. cheese is good]
See? They're just hilarious that way so you can enjoy how bad it is.
[and it just makes all the blood seem fake, and she loves it.] Seriously? Yeah, I'd totally be up for that. [it's said softly with an almost amazed tone in her voice because
yes, living friends. that is. a new thing. but she's trying to not act like it is as new as it... is.]
but then he's big on food in general. his mom's food is his favorite kind of food - he'll do anything for one of her tamales, basically - but he loves eating and he loves cooking. it's more than the food itself. it's just also a way for people to come together. he never has a conversation with someone quite like he does when they're sitting down at a table.
just like this.
maybe it's why he catches some of that amazement in her tone. it makes him tip his head curiously, expression softening along with his voice. ]
[kasey lifts her head up slowly when he asks, and her mouth parts slightly like she didn't expect him to ask or notice really. she hardly noticed it herself but... she releases a breath as her gaze meets his in all its softness]
When you're ghost girl, it's... hard to connect to the living.
[when she was younger, she was just known as being crazy girl, because people thought she was so that... separated them even more. now that she can recognize the difference, see the differences, it helps her to keep her head on straight. ish]
Sarah was my first friend. You... were my second. Y'know... living.
[ he doesn't know what it must've been like. to have this ability to see what no one else can from a young age, and not even realizing there was a difference between worlds. to have people question your own sanity because of it. how isolating and scary the experiences were probably like, at least as a child.
rafe smiles slightly at the announcement he's her second friend, even if there's a tiny ache at the qualifier. ]
Well. I'm honored to be your second living friend, and for what it's worth, there's no difficulty at all.
[kasey bites down on her lip at what he says, and the smile tugs slowly across her face as she meets his gaze, nodding, because it means a lot to her. she plays with the straw in between her fingertips but she very much means the words she's about to say.]
I'm honored too. You're a really good person to have in your life.
[so she is very grateful that he is in hers, that sarah is in hers too, and neither of them have seemed to find it difficult. granted, some of it, it's just her, putting up these walls inside of herself, keeping her distance, never being certain if she feels she fits more in the living or on the other side. most of the time, it's neither.]
Thank you again for... helping so much with all of this.
[ rafe ducks his head a bit once more, the warmth filling him no sooner she's said the words. he'd want to be that for her. he'd want his friendship - as he'd never demand more, certainly not when he already knows her life is so complicated - to be something positive, something stabilizing the way hers is for him.
it's when she thanks him that his chest aches. he'd like to think he would be helping her anyway, outside of what he feels for her and the friendship they have. more so now that he understands the urgency she needs this with. he could never turn away from it, from her. ]
You're welcome. Thank you for trusting me with it. I know ... how important it is to you.
[kasey smiles at rafe when he ducks his head like that. she can see all the warmth inside of him. he's one of the warmest people she has ever met. she has a lot of urgency when it comes to this, because sean deserves to have the option to move on. how ever much they may care about each other, it doesn't change how terrible it must be stuck in the in between with no one else who can see or hear or touch him.]
It is. I've known Sean a really long time, and he deserves to have justice, to have some kind of peace.
I just never really had the resources before. [and she was reluctant to do so what with his being her best friend. her only friend.
maybe gaining living friends serves as a reminder to her she can't... selfishly hold on. she's not actually dead.]
for one, because the narration is handwaving their ordering food, so the server has come with their orders and they can start digging in shortly. rafe'schoice looks every bit as horrifyingly good and greasy as one can imagine. it says something he's only half-paying attention to the food, though. his chin resting on the heel of his hand, he watches her for some time, almost like he's trying to gauge her reaction to sean getting that peace.
it means she'd have to say goodbye for good. ]
And he doesn't remember anything about what happened that night? [ or about what they're looking for in general.
rafe doesn't want to discredit him - but he also knows that it's been a long time now. maybe he doesn't want to go. ]
[kasey smirks at the sight of rafe's choice heading over. it's a fond smirk since she really doesn't know anyone that can eat like rafe and noah can. it's kind of impressive.
her own food is brought over too, and it looks appropriately cheesy. she reaches for her spoon but she doesn't quite dig in yet, feeling his gaze on her like he's trying to figure out how she might feel about it, like he might have some idea of just how tangled her heart is in this mess of in betweens]
No. He never really has and I met him shortly after it happened, but that's... pretty normal with most for really traumatic deaths. If we find clues, pieces, we might... be able to trigger some more of his memory about it.
[but she wouldn't be surprised if sean was scared too. the in between is what he has known for some time now]
ahem. rafe eventually picks up one of the cut squares of his sandwich, digging into it the way one would expect him to. sort of. it's kasey so he's trying to be a little more restrained. usually, he scarfs the food down like it's going to disappear. noah is the one most accustomed to this way of eating of his aslkfa. he brings his thumb to his mouth, drawing into his mouth some of the sauce that trickled out of the sandwich, but he listens, too. ]
Yeah, I can imagine. It must be rough. Doesn't help that he doesn't seem to have a whole lot of family.
[ finding this one contact proved difficult enough. it hasn't given him a picture of who this guy is and where he came from. he's wondering if there will be pictures at the house, to at least have a face to attach to the name. ]
[LMFAO this ends up being funny since they're texting rn but no she will be seriously impressed by teresa and her love of food
she picks up her spoon and digs into the tomato soup first but eventually she just picks up the sammich and dips it into the soup itself, taking bites out of it that way. she only ordered the tomato soup in an attempt to get vegetables inside of her. really she just wanted the cheese. ...she stares at him a bit when his thumb goes to his mouth cause yes that is a thing. happening. over there]
No, I don't think he was ever close to many people before...
[and maybe that is part of the reason, he fell so hard for her because she was the first person to treat him with any kind of kindness or warmth, which he should have experienced a long time ago]
So without those connections, it's hard to track anything down. Add to that how long it's been and... yeah.
[ rafe thinks it's cute the way she dips the sammich into the soup. he watches her with a tiny, fond smirk for a moment, before he focuses on his philly cheese steak. it's amazing, btw. he doesn't know what it is sometimes but the most weird looking places often give the best kind of food. ]
So... in a way it's like his memories experienced some sort of atrophy.
[ he nods, because he gets it now a bit more.
at the same time, he can't help but wonder how it works. does kasey ever really have a moment to herself? is sean around somewhere, looking in on their conversation? would kasey be able to know each and every time that he is? rafe's doing this because he cares about kasey, but also, because he knows that it's important. at the same time, he keeps double guessing himself. he'd like to think his readiness to help kasey comes from a good place. ]
I'm sorry, Kasey. I know this must be hard for you, and also him.
[it's mostly the sammich she wants so she's like this is delicious. but this diner is definitely proof that even if something appears to be weird or creepy. there's more to it than meets the eye like many weird and creepy things.]
Something like that, yeah.
[there's a soft smile at his understanding.
sometimes it doesn't really feel like she has a moment to herself, and it's not just sean but... any of the ghosts. she's learned how to block them out of certain rooms for certain amounts of time but at first, they could be anywhere at any time. and if a particularly powerful spirit happens along, well her attempts to block them failed. spectacularly. she takes another bite of her sammich, looking over at him with a soft smile at his understanding]
Thank you. ...for saying so, for trying to understand when it's weird and- Yeah. [she laughs a little bit though it's a soft thing] It's hard, but I also know it's... what needs to be done.
[ he's only just starting to understand how hard it must be for her.
how it's all the time and she has to concertedly block it out just to be able to get on with her day to day life. is it any wonder she's struggled to know where she belongs, with the living or the dead? it's hard to toe the line and find yourself thrust in both worlds. impulsively, rafe reaches out, his hand lifting to settle on top of hers. it's something about the softness in her smile, or just how she laughs even if he knows there's nothing amusing about it. ]
It's the least I can do. I'm just sorry that it's hard.
[ he wishes it wasn't, but it's precisely because of how difficult it sounds he has to ask, even if a part of him doesn't want to. ]
Are you sure? [ he's never heard of anyone successfully bringing someone back from the dead, but. he also wants to be sure it's something she won't regret. ]
[it's hard to describe to another person, and it's been this way for her for such a long time.
she's used to it. she's used to waking up in the middle of the night with a ghost over her bed or stepping into school to find someone crying for help right then, right there. kasey looks over at his hand as it settles over her own, and she lifts her gaze to meet his before she swallows a bit thickly, turning her hand in his
locking their fingers together.]
Yeah, I'm sure. The in-between isn't any place to have to be. He's been the same age ever since I've met him, and I've... gotten older. My life keeps changing, and he has to be static. It's not fair.
[it's not fair to hold on just because it's hard, just because she cares about him, and she knows sean doesn't want to go, but- what comes after is so much peace.]
there's magic in his family, even if he's not in possession of it. the ability he is in possession of isn't one that he'd ever want, but he understands, to a degree, what it's like to have something you wish you could turn off and you can't. being able to manipulate and sense and create fear the way he can means he knows what everyone is scared of at all times if he doesn't tune out. and it took him a very long time to learn how to tune it out. sometimes he still can't.
he doesn't sense much fear in kasey, not even now. maybe just a lingering, bittersweet understanding. it's why his fingers squeeze hers once she locks them together. he'd want her to know she isn't alone. ]
And he feels the same way, too?
[ 'cause unless he's a hundred percent on board, nothing they discover is going to help him cross over. he has to want to. ]
[when you get used to weird shit, it's hard to be scared by it anymore. kasey is sure one day something will happen she hasn't seen before, and then the fear will come as swiftly as if it had been waiting in the shadows for something to be scared of. but she is not afraid very easily. and she wouldn't want to be especially if it's something he has to deal with. she'd rather he not have to worry about her feeling fear.
there's a steadiness to her, and she bites down on her bottom lip as his fingers squeeze hers. and she breathes in sharp thinking of how wonderful that feels, this touch right now. her gaze drifts up from their hands tangled together to meet his]
I... don't know. I don't think he knows what it's like to feel peace, which is why giving him an answer might help with that.
[and maybe it won't either. maybe she'll have to fight with him on it, and she hates the thought of that more than she can say.]
[ it's certainly a word he'd use to describe her. steady. she's a rock, but then, she's had to be. she's lived with it so long that the other alternatives are probably not ones she'd accept. maybe it's part of why he's decided so certainly to help her. if there's anything he can do to shoulder some of that weight, even just the tiniest bit of it, he'd want to. this case must already be hard enough on her just from being so personal. he can do most of the legwork if it gets sean some peace.
hopefully, it means it gets her some peace, too.
he lets out a shaky breath, not unaffected by her touch. his gaze is drawn to their hands, only tearing away from them at the sound of her voice. he gives her a tiny smile then, mirthless but genuine. warm. ] I hope so. And I really didn't mean to bring the conversation down.
[ there's a laugh that's almost self-deprecating, but he's determined not to end it on a painful note. ] How's your food?
[ they're almost done with it, which means more on the roadness. :') ]
[kasey doesn't always feel steady but it's how her life has built her into being steady, steady as a rock. but she appreciates having his support and his help in this. it's made a huge difference in her being able to move forward with what she knows needs doing.
she sends her a tiny, slow smile at what he says and then she shakes her head.] No, you didn't, and I don't ever really mind talking about serious things. I mean it's why we're out here so it's good to talk about it. I mean that.
[she's someone that really doesn't mind heavy conversations. they're important sometimes. if something's on his mind, she'd want to hear it so she's glad he brought it up.]
It's delicious and cheesy, and I shamelessly... mostly ate the grilled cheese. [she smirks] What about yours?
[ rafe finally releases a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. it helps to know that it's okay to talk to her about this - that it doesn't make her uncomfortable or sad. ] As long as you know it goes both ways. [ rafe would always want to know if there's something on her mind, or something she needs addressed.
honesty is very important to him.
a small, light smirk spreads across his lips, glancing over at her plate. ] Isn't that the most important part of the meal? [ the answer is always cheese. he laughs, though, because it's cute and he can't help noticing every time she's cute. he asks for the check as the server walks past. ]
Amazing. It had like a pound of meat and then some. It would horrify my mom.
[kasey sends him a warm smile at that before she nods, taking the final bite of her grilled cheese. there's some soup left still but ahem she's full] I really do. Thank you. [she thinks it's part of what gave her the courage to move forward with all of this
to know she has people in her life she can talk to. and she does now because of sarah and rafe.
she laughs a little bit, wiping her mouth with the napkin, shaking her head with a tiny smirk] I think in my own mind it definitely is the most important part of the meal, yeah.
Well, I'll be sure to keep it a secret for you so as not to horrify who is most certainly a very lovely woman.
[ those warm smiles of hers are really beautiful. he's distracted momentarily by it that he almost forgets what she's thanking him for, but he's glad he doesn't, because it's important to him that she knows. she isn't alone anymore, and he'll help as much as he possibly can. ]
When it comes to the soup, definitely. In general, for me it's always the meat.
[ he loves meat so much. )8
rafe ducks his head with a small laugh, but he doesn't disagree. his mother is a very, very lovely woman and he's lucky to have her. ] I appreciate your discretion. [ when his head lifts, there's a tiny smirk on his face ] You ready to go?
I could tell. You were really, really into that meat.
[kasey looks amused about it though. it's an impressive appetite he has going on for him.
her smile widens when he ducks his head with that small laugh, ducks his head like that, and she glances down at the table before she lifts her gaze back up to him again. kasey nods in confirmation getting to her feet.]
Ready as I'll ever be. [but it helps
it helps to know she won't have to face what lies ahead alone]
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I'm kinda the same way. I actually like them even better the faker they look.
[ and he sorta loves that she's the same. ] Give me a horrible B movie and I'm good to go. We sometimes marathon them toward the end of the month. [ 'cause halloween. ] You should join us this year.
[ sry to inform you kasey you most definitely have living friends now. ]
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See? They're just hilarious that way so you can enjoy how bad it is.
[and it just makes all the blood seem fake, and she loves it.] Seriously? Yeah, I'd totally be up for that. [it's said softly with an almost amazed tone in her voice because
yes, living friends. that is. a new thing. but she's trying to not act like it is as new as it... is.]
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but then he's big on food in general. his mom's food is his favorite kind of food - he'll do anything for one of her tamales, basically - but he loves eating and he loves cooking. it's more than the food itself. it's just also a way for people to come together. he never has a conversation with someone quite like he does when they're sitting down at a table.
just like this.
maybe it's why he catches some of that amazement in her tone. it makes him tip his head curiously, expression softening along with his voice. ]
Why the tone of surprise?
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When you're ghost girl, it's... hard to connect to the living.
[when she was younger, she was just known as being crazy girl, because people thought she was so that... separated them even more. now that she can recognize the difference, see the differences, it helps her to keep her head on straight. ish]
Sarah was my first friend. You... were my second. Y'know... living.
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rafe smiles slightly at the announcement he's her second friend, even if there's a tiny ache at the qualifier. ]
Well. I'm honored to be your second living friend, and for what it's worth, there's no difficulty at all.
[ connecting to her or otherwise.
she is officially stuck with them. ]
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I'm honored too. You're a really good person to have in your life.
[so she is very grateful that he is in hers, that sarah is in hers too, and neither of them have seemed to find it difficult. granted, some of it, it's just her, putting up these walls inside of herself, keeping her distance, never being certain if she feels she fits more in the living or on the other side. most of the time, it's neither.]
Thank you again for... helping so much with all of this.
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it's when she thanks him that his chest aches. he'd like to think he would be helping her anyway, outside of what he feels for her and the friendship they have. more so now that he understands the urgency she needs this with. he could never turn away from it, from her. ]
You're welcome. Thank you for trusting me with it. I know ... how important it is to you.
[ how important sean is to her. ]
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It is. I've known Sean a really long time, and he deserves to have justice, to have some kind of peace.
I just never really had the resources before. [and she was reluctant to do so what with his being her best friend. her only friend.
maybe gaining living friends serves as a reminder to her she can't... selfishly hold on. she's not actually dead.]
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for one, because the narration is handwaving their ordering food, so the server has come with their orders and they can start digging in shortly. rafe's choice looks every bit as horrifyingly good and greasy as one can imagine. it says something he's only half-paying attention to the food, though. his chin resting on the heel of his hand, he watches her for some time, almost like he's trying to gauge her reaction to sean getting that peace.
it means she'd have to say goodbye for good. ]
And he doesn't remember anything about what happened that night? [ or about what they're looking for in general.
rafe doesn't want to discredit him - but he also knows that it's been a long time now. maybe he doesn't want to go. ]
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her own food is brought over too, and it looks appropriately cheesy. she reaches for her spoon but she doesn't quite dig in yet, feeling his gaze on her like he's trying to figure out how she might feel about it, like he might have some idea of just how tangled her heart is in this mess of in betweens]
No. He never really has and I met him shortly after it happened, but that's... pretty normal with most for really traumatic deaths. If we find clues, pieces, we might... be able to trigger some more of his memory about it.
[but she wouldn't be surprised if sean was scared too. the in between is what he has known for some time now]
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ahem. rafe eventually picks up one of the cut squares of his sandwich, digging into it the way one would expect him to. sort of. it's kasey so he's trying to be a little more restrained. usually, he scarfs the food down like it's going to disappear. noah is the one most accustomed to this way of eating of his aslkfa. he brings his thumb to his mouth, drawing into his mouth some of the sauce that trickled out of the sandwich, but he listens, too. ]
Yeah, I can imagine. It must be rough. Doesn't help that he doesn't seem to have a whole lot of family.
[ finding this one contact proved difficult enough. it hasn't given him a picture of who this guy is and where he came from. he's wondering if there will be pictures at the house, to at least have a face to attach to the name. ]
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she picks up her spoon and digs into the tomato soup first but eventually she just picks up the sammich and dips it into the soup itself, taking bites out of it that way. she only ordered the tomato soup in an attempt to get vegetables inside of her. really she just wanted the cheese. ...she stares at him a bit when his thumb goes to his mouth cause yes that is a thing. happening. over there]
No, I don't think he was ever close to many people before...
[and maybe that is part of the reason, he fell so hard for her because she was the first person to treat him with any kind of kindness or warmth, which he should have experienced a long time ago]
So without those connections, it's hard to track anything down. Add to that how long it's been and... yeah.
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So... in a way it's like his memories experienced some sort of atrophy.
[ he nods, because he gets it now a bit more.
at the same time, he can't help but wonder how it works. does kasey ever really have a moment to herself? is sean around somewhere, looking in on their conversation? would kasey be able to know each and every time that he is? rafe's doing this because he cares about kasey, but also, because he knows that it's important. at the same time, he keeps double guessing himself. he'd like to think his readiness to help kasey comes from a good place. ]
I'm sorry, Kasey. I know this must be hard for you, and also him.
no subject
Something like that, yeah.
[there's a soft smile at his understanding.
sometimes it doesn't really feel like she has a moment to herself, and it's not just sean but... any of the ghosts. she's learned how to block them out of certain rooms for certain amounts of time but at first, they could be anywhere at any time. and if a particularly powerful spirit happens along, well her attempts to block them failed. spectacularly. she takes another bite of her sammich, looking over at him with a soft smile at his understanding]
Thank you. ...for saying so, for trying to understand when it's weird and- Yeah. [she laughs a little bit though it's a soft thing] It's hard, but I also know it's... what needs to be done.
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how it's all the time and she has to concertedly block it out just to be able to get on with her day to day life. is it any wonder she's struggled to know where she belongs, with the living or the dead? it's hard to toe the line and find yourself thrust in both worlds. impulsively, rafe reaches out, his hand lifting to settle on top of hers. it's something about the softness in her smile, or just how she laughs even if he knows there's nothing amusing about it. ]
It's the least I can do. I'm just sorry that it's hard.
[ he wishes it wasn't, but it's precisely because of how difficult it sounds he has to ask, even if a part of him doesn't want to. ]
Are you sure? [ he's never heard of anyone successfully bringing someone back from the dead, but. he also wants to be sure it's something she won't regret. ]
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she's used to it. she's used to waking up in the middle of the night with a ghost over her bed or stepping into school to find someone crying for help right then, right there. kasey looks over at his hand as it settles over her own, and she lifts her gaze to meet his before she swallows a bit thickly, turning her hand in his
locking their fingers together.]
Yeah, I'm sure. The in-between isn't any place to have to be. He's been the same age ever since I've met him, and I've... gotten older. My life keeps changing, and he has to be static. It's not fair.
[it's not fair to hold on just because it's hard, just because she cares about him, and she knows sean doesn't want to go, but- what comes after is so much peace.]
no subject
there's magic in his family, even if he's not in possession of it. the ability he is in possession of isn't one that he'd ever want, but he understands, to a degree, what it's like to have something you wish you could turn off and you can't. being able to manipulate and sense and create fear the way he can means he knows what everyone is scared of at all times if he doesn't tune out. and it took him a very long time to learn how to tune it out. sometimes he still can't.
he doesn't sense much fear in kasey, not even now. maybe just a lingering, bittersweet understanding. it's why his fingers squeeze hers once she locks them together. he'd want her to know she isn't alone. ]
And he feels the same way, too?
[ 'cause unless he's a hundred percent on board, nothing they discover is going to help him cross over. he has to want to. ]
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there's a steadiness to her, and she bites down on her bottom lip as his fingers squeeze hers. and she breathes in sharp thinking of how wonderful that feels, this touch right now. her gaze drifts up from their hands tangled together to meet his]
I... don't know. I don't think he knows what it's like to feel peace, which is why giving him an answer might help with that.
[and maybe it won't either. maybe she'll have to fight with him on it, and she hates the thought of that more than she can say.]
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hopefully, it means it gets her some peace, too.
he lets out a shaky breath, not unaffected by her touch. his gaze is drawn to their hands, only tearing away from them at the sound of her voice. he gives her a tiny smile then, mirthless but genuine. warm. ] I hope so. And I really didn't mean to bring the conversation down.
[ there's a laugh that's almost self-deprecating, but he's determined not to end it on a painful note. ] How's your food?
[ they're almost done with it, which means more on the roadness. :') ]
no subject
she sends her a tiny, slow smile at what he says and then she shakes her head.] No, you didn't, and I don't ever really mind talking about serious things. I mean it's why we're out here so it's good to talk about it. I mean that.
[she's someone that really doesn't mind heavy conversations. they're important sometimes. if something's on his mind, she'd want to hear it so she's glad he brought it up.]
It's delicious and cheesy, and I shamelessly... mostly ate the grilled cheese. [she smirks] What about yours?
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honesty is very important to him.
a small, light smirk spreads across his lips, glancing over at her plate. ] Isn't that the most important part of the meal? [ the answer is always cheese. he laughs, though, because it's cute and he can't help noticing every time she's cute. he asks for the check as the server walks past. ]
Amazing. It had like a pound of meat and then some. It would horrify my mom.
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to know she has people in her life she can talk to. and she does now because of sarah and rafe.
she laughs a little bit, wiping her mouth with the napkin, shaking her head with a tiny smirk] I think in my own mind it definitely is the most important part of the meal, yeah.
Well, I'll be sure to keep it a secret for you so as not to horrify who is most certainly a very lovely woman.
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When it comes to the soup, definitely. In general, for me it's always the meat.
[ he loves meat so much. )8
rafe ducks his head with a small laugh, but he doesn't disagree. his mother is a very, very lovely woman and he's lucky to have her. ] I appreciate your discretion. [ when his head lifts, there's a tiny smirk on his face ] You ready to go?
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[kasey looks amused about it though. it's an impressive appetite he has going on for him.
her smile widens when he ducks his head with that small laugh, ducks his head like that, and she glances down at the table before she lifts her gaze back up to him again. kasey nods in confirmation getting to her feet.]
Ready as I'll ever be. [but it helps
it helps to know she won't have to face what lies ahead alone]
no subject