itinere | Open Network | Closed Action

Open Network | Closed Action - Arrival

network | ota

[ As the screen comes to life, Allison is seen looking behind her shoulder before she turns back to the camera. ]

Okay, did I step into Halloweentown without realizing it? I'm pretty sure I just saw a vampire.

[ Werewolves, she's used to. Vampires... Beacon Hills hasn't prepared her for that one just yet. ]

Uh, hi, by the way. I'm Allison.

action | closed to barry

Walking into town is confusing, and for a moment Allison doesn't know what to do next. This isn't what she remembers last; there had been a fight, she had driven an arrow into one of the Oni, and then--

And then, everything went dark, before she saw a door. The door that has lead her here, and from here...she doesn't know where to go next. Especially when one of the first things that Allison manages to witness is a man drinking blood from a woman's neck in a darkened corner of the street, and it hadn't taken her long before she had rushed towards them to break it all up. She doesn't have any weapons on her, but none of that seems to matter - she grabs a rock big enough to do some damage from a nearby planter and, with it, she whacks the man (vampire?) across the head with it. It's enough to take him by surprise, and that's all Allison needs; the moment she has a window, she takes the woman's hand and forces her to run to safety. They don't get very far before the woman breaks free from her, refusing to continue their journey together, but that's okay. Allison lets her go. Hey, if she knows where to go from there, then she's fine with it. Now she herself needs to get somewhere safe, and--

And the vampire comes back, faster than she could have prepared for, and he throws her back against the wall of a nearby building. The impact feels like it knocks the air out of her, but Allison tries to fight back against him nonetheless. He's trying to find a way to access her neck, find his new food source since Allison had disrupted the previous one, but she refuses to make it easy for him. She doesn't know what the hell is going on but, either way, she won't go down without a fight.

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( Lydia doesn't catch all of the message because she's set it down to run to the bathroom, but she hears that someone is talking, because a video message has come through and she's set them to play out real-time while also archiving but Prada's barking and when she comes back to the device to play it back, she nearly drops the thing when the video plays back to her. )

Allison...

( If it looks like she's seen a ghost, it's because she feels like she has. There's the distinct possibility that this girl is not her friend and just another person who looks exactly like her while, in a cruel twist of fate, sharing her name and voice. Allison is dead. Sometimes Lydia has to remind herself of that because she gets that weird feeling like she's just gone for a while and she'll come back. Maybe that's a coping mechanism, but it isn't healthy. This is one of those times when she has to remind herself. Allison is dead. )

You should get inside somewhere.

( The voice is detached when she speaks again, instead of choked with emotion. Dead as her best friend, that's how she feels right now and it sounds it in her voice. )

It's not safe out there.

[ The face on her screen makes her stop altogether, to the point that she even forgets about the fact that she should get somewhere safe. Because it's a familiar face, one that Allison had asked about before she had died, and now she's here, and Allison doesn't really know how to process that.

But... Is it her? Even if they have different reasons, Allison also tries to not get her hopes up that this is really her best friend because it terrifies her to think that she may not even be here. ]

I will.

Is this normal around here?

[ Lydia?, she also wants to ask, but she manages to hold back. For now, anyway. ]

( There's no clear sign of recognition there and Lydia's breath hitches sharply when she breathes in before letting it out slowly again.

Allison is dead. But this girl still needs to get somewhere safe. )

Sooner than later would be a good idea.

I haven't been here that long, so I don't know. I hope not. I didn't get the impression that it was?

[ She should move. She should keep walking, Allison thinks to herself, but she doesn't. She can't; she just holds onto her device a little tighter. ]

Yeah.

That's good, I guess.

[ It doesn't really change what she has seen, but she's not going to go into details. Hell, right now she's too distracted for details. There's a moment where Allison looks conflicted, as if she's trying to figure out whether or not to say something (maybe she shouldn't say anything?), but she knows she can't just stay quiet. How can she?

So, even if she bites her bottom lip for a moment, it doesn't last very long. ]

Are you...

Lydia?

( Words cannot even begin to describe how terrifyingly frustrating it is to see this girl who looks like her dead best friend standing around video chatting to her when she ought to be getting somewhere safe. It was bad enough feeling Allison die, she doesn't need to see a lookalike bite it, too.

But it's when she hears her own name in that question that Lydia looks like she's been slapped, because at this point, she really and truly has convinced herself that this girl is just some girl. So when she opens her mouth, words don't come. She nods as Prada barks again and hops up on the couch beside Lydia, nudging the hand holding the PDA before resting his head in her lap like he just knows something's wrong. )

[ The reaction is all the confirmation she needs, and Allison finds herself hating the fact that the device isn't giving her a location of where Lydia is answering her from. Looking over her shoulder to make sure she's not being followed, she moves to a spot where she can at least pause for a few minutes, but it's also because it feels like she can't breathe right now. Is she really-- ]

Lydia. Are you okay?

( Honestly? Lydia's not actually sure how to answer that question. She can't find words, she can't nail down thoughts, but even if she could, they both know the answer she'd give by default would be a lie. Scott and Stiles never picked up on it, and Malia and Kira didn't stand a chance, but Allison? Allison would see right thought it.

It comes out anyway. )

I'm fine.

[ Bullshit, she wants to say, but that's probably not something she should say over the network. Sure, the frown on her face says it anyway, but she'll keep herself from calling it out until she's facing her in person. ]

Alright. Where are you?

( The look is enough for Lydia and it's that look, because Lydia's seen it before, that finally kind of snaps her out of it. )

My apartment. In the main apartments.

( She gives Allison the address, but not the number to her apartment. She'd rather meet her in the lobby and give it to her in person than blast it over the network to a bunch of strangers, because she's still getting the feel of this place and the poeple in it and Lydia's been through too much to make that kind of mistake. )

I'll come down to the lobby.

Okay. I'll start heading over there, I'll see you soon.

[ It's more than just a simple response; it's a promise. Allison hadn't seen for herself if her best friend really was okay after fighting the Oni, despite Scott's assurances that Lydia was safe, and she's planning on fixing that. Especially because she doesn't believe Lydia's canned response, but really. She has a new chance to at least get the answer herself, and she's not planning on wasting it. ]

( Lydia has to choke back the lump that rises in her throat at that promise because she can hear it for what it is: just that. Words catch at the back of her throat behind that lump and for a second, she struggles, just nodding again. A moment later, she manages it. )

I'll be here.

( I'm sorry, is what she wants to say. For not being a better friend. For not being a better banshee. For not being able to save her best friend when her best friend was saving her. Instead, the sentiment she hadn't been able to give before Allison had died tumbles out in its place, but all the same it's still an apology. )

I love you.

( She pauses. )

Be careful. It's loud...it's confusing here, I can't...you know, to clear out the noise. Just...so I don't know what it means, just please be careful. Be careful.

[ Allison tries to hide it as best as she can, how Lydia's words strike a chord in her that leave her almost breathless, but she can't hide the way that her shoulders slump despite how hard she's trying to keep her expression as composed as possible. Because she remembers laying in Scott's arms, she remembers what it feels like to die, and she had been sure she would never be able to talk to Lydia again. ]

I love you, too.

[ She had said it to her dad, she had said it to Scott, but she hadn't been able to say it to Lydia and she has to blink away the way her vision blurs for a moment. Instead, she just nods, pursing her lips briefly. ]

I'll be careful. I promise. I'll see you soon, Lydia. I promise.

( Lydia mirrors the expression, lips pursed and head nodding because she's afraid that if she tries to say too much more, her voice will finally betray her and it won't be just where Allison can see. She doesn't know if anyone else who happens to have seen Allison's original post has archives that would allow them to see this whole conversation, too, and she's not — not — going to cry for the whole city to see. )

Okay. I'll be in the lobby.

[Claire is usually good with technology, but she's not sure how the whole network thing goes...is this liike facetime? Skype?]

Hi Alison. I'm Claire. Yeah...I did see a few monsters around. This is just odd. Matt and Katniss have warned me and I've taken shelter back in my apartment.

[ Allison turns when she gets the notification of a reply, and opens the screen to find Claire. ]

It is. I just arrived, so it was a bit of a surprise. I'm heading somewhere safe, though.

[ At least until she figures out how to fight back against vampires and whatever else is around here, because she's not comfortable just sitting at home not doing anything. ]

Good. Keep in touch. I'm new here too and it would be great to make a few more friends. [Claire hopes to join Matt in the fight as well, once she gets over her initial fears]

Halloweentown's probably too tame a description.

[She tilts down her sunglasses to look at the screen a little better. This isn't exactly the best time for newbies but Itinere must have been that memo.]

I'm Kate. Normally, I'd say welcome but you're probably regretting stepping through that door right about now.

Barry was still trying to adjust to everything, everything being the whole 'a strange little girl decided that he needed to team and now he has one while also having a really strange friends with benefits relationship with a really smart beautiful woman that's just bound to lead to problems' situation. Other than that though, everything was great - Barry was right at home when the world started to fall apart. Monsters, robots, bad guys... it all started happening at once, and fast enough to keep Barry distracted from the thoughts that had been keeping him up at night. Sure, it meant that he hadn't been sleeping as much as he needed to but it made things easier. He didn't have to cope with everything that had happened back home if he had no time to think about it.

He was patrolling when he passed something that caught his eye, two figures standing in the street against a building, and Barry doubled back in a flash of golden light to get a better look. Bad guys annoyed him, but seeing a man holding a young woman against a wall very obviously against her will angered him and he skidded to a stop behind the attacker to get his attention. "Hey! What are yo-" he stopped suddenly when he saw what was actually happening, and Barry's eyes widened behind his mask in shock. "Holy sh-" he didn't think, just moved, and he grabbed the man by his shoulders before dragging him with enough force to throw him into the middle of the road. Barry didn't watch long enough to make sure that he stayed down, instead turning back to the woman that was being attacked to make sure that she was alright.

"Hey, are yo-" was as far as he got before he felt hands on him, and he really didn't know what he expected. 'Come on Barry, you know how vampires work, this isn't amateur hour.' He was dragged back with a shocking amount of strength and they fought for a moment, the creature catching Barry off guard enough to land a solid hit to the mouth, and that was when Barry moved in another flash of lightning to bash his opponent against the wall and knock him out. He looked back at the woman a second time, finally satisfied that they were in no immediate danger, and he wiped his cut lip with the back of his arm before giving her a nod.

"Are you alright?" He quickly glanced over his shoulder before looking back at her. "Look, where should you be, I need to get you somewhere safe."

Will do. And yeah, that sounds good. Stay safe, Claire.

From what I've seen, I'd say you're right about that.

[ A small smile crosses her lips. ]

Hi, Kate. And...yeah, sort of. [ Sort of. Because, if she wouldn't have walked through the door... She really doesn't want to let herself think of what would happen. ] What other surprises should I expect?

As much as Allison had been fighting back, she was still very much human, and her attacker was very much not. His grip on her wrist was enough to tell her as much, and for a moment she found herself wondering if she would be breaking her promise to Lydia about seeing her soon, but just as she felt the prickling sensation of fangs against her neck, the vampire was suddenly being thrown back. By...a man in a mask.

A man in a mask that moved in - quite literally - a blur. It was hard to figure out what was more surprising, the vampire or the guy that had managed to fight him off, and Allison was still in at least some level of disbelief when the vampire was knocked out and the masked man was talking to her.

Right, she told herself, save the shock for later. Pushing herself off the wall, she glanced quickly at the vampire again before turning back to the man that had just saved her life. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her wrist was sore as she reached up to rub the side of her neck, where the small punctures had been made, but whatever. In the grand scheme of things, this was nothing. The vampire had been stopped before he could actually hurt her or even take a sip of her blood. As far as she was concerned, she really was fine.

"Are you okay?" Her brow furrowed at the sight of his cut lip. "Oh, I'm uh. Heading to see a friend. At the main apartments?" She mentioned Lydia's address but, the more she spoke, the more she was really processing what had just happened. Like how damn fast he could move, and seriously, was he wearing a uniform?

"Do you always move that fast?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," he responded somewhat breathlessly, not out of exhaustion but because of the rush of adrenaline still moving through him. He looked back in the direction of where he had left the unconscious vampire, but his head snapped back when she rattled off the address she needed to get to. That was Lydia's address, and Barry knew that not because he had saved Lydia in the past but because he... went there. Sometimes. He almost said her name aloud but stopped himself. The last thing he needed to do was give something about himself away that would reveal his identity not only to this stranger, but to Lydia as well.

And of course this woman wanted to go to Lydia's apartment. Now that he was actually looking at her, she was remarkably pretty, and Barry found himself wondering what the hell they put in the water back in Beacon Hills. Between her and Lydia, he was pretty sure people weren't supposed to be that consistently attractive. "Only when I'm trying to impress someone." He managed to deliver the line like a champ, charming smile and all, but that faded quickly when he realized just how terrible it made him sound.

"Um... not - not really, yeah, I always move that fast when anyone is trouble. Even someone I'm not trying to impress just - yeah. I'm The Flash." He added the last part a little hopefully with his arms stretching out as if hoping that would save him from his self embarrassment, but it didn't help much; if she was from where Lydia was from, she probably had no idea what that meant. He let his hands fall to his sides lamely with an apologetic little shrug before he approached, eyes moving to Allison's neck when he noticed the light mark her attacker left behind. "It doesn't look like you're bleeding," he said with a touch of concern, head tilting a little to glance at her throat before he looked at her properly once more.

"Let's get you out of here, before he wakes up. I need you to grab onto me, tightly." Barry put his hands out to show her that he meant no harm while also welcoming her to get closer, and this time when he smiled it was more comforting than awkward. "I won't try anything, promise. I'm a superhero, obviously, I have a reputation to uphold. It'll be fun?"

Had he just--

Allison blinked at the line, mainly because she hadn't really been expecting it, but she huffed out a small laugh. Partly because of it, but also because of his 'introduction' as he stretched out his arms. She didn't know who The Flash was supposed to be - she assumed it was maybe a superhero in this place, and maybe he thought that she should know that - but it didn't change the way she gave a nod as she bit her bottom lip, a smile pulling at her lips. "No, I think I'm okay," she assured him when he checked on her throat. "You got here just in time."

That wasn't even an exaggeration. The fangs had punctured just enough to leave a mark, but not enough to take any of her blood. It was too close of a call for comfort, but right now she wasn't even thinking about it. Thinking about almost dying after actually dying back home was just really something she really did not want to think about yet.

Looking over her shoulder towards where the vampire was, Allison almost pointed out that maybe they should actually get rid of the vampire so that it wouldn't hurt anyone else. She didn't like the idea of the vampire waking up and feeding on someone else, but then again, it wasn't like she knew how to stop it, either. Not yet, anyway, which was the only reason why she walked over to The Flash.

Well, that, and...he wasn't so bad. He was actually pretty damn cute even if she could hardly see his face, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Alright, superhero. Let's see what you've got."

In most cases, Barry would just grab her and go, but they weren't in immediate danger and he wasn't eager to upset someone who was apparently friends with the only girl who he had anything that even remotely resembled a healthy relationship with. Sure, it was just a friends with benefits thing, and sure, neither of them knew that it was him, but Barry knew. it was comforting that she was willing to come closer to him on her own, and when she wrapped her arms around him he couldn't help but grin down at her and wrap one of his arms around her waist tightly.

"I'll try my best." His other arm hooked behind her knees to lift Allison off of her feet and he took off, breaking out into a run and holding her close to keep her secure in the rush of wind. It wasn't entirely necessary for him to run up the side of the apartment complex instead of just using the front door but maybe he was showing off a little, because the only person Barry knew who was weaker than him when it came to a pretty face was The Flash. He came to a stop in Lydia's hallway and he set Allison down slowly to make sure that she was steady on her feet, and he wore a sheepish smile as he carefully pushed her windswept hair out of her face.

"Not bad, right? Sometimes I'm pretty good at what I do." He gave a nod at Lydia's door down the hall and pointed to make sure that Allison saw. "I think that's the place that you were looking for." He let his attention turn back to her. "You're sure you're alright? Not a lot of people keep their cool after being attacked by a vampire. ...Or maybe they do, I wouldn't know, that was kind of a first for me."

She should have probably expected him to pick her up the way he did, but it still didn't stop her from letting out a small sound of surprise as he lifted her off her feet and unconsciously she held on tighter to him. That surprise was nothing compared to what she felt as he moved, though; even watching him zoom by earlier couldn't have prepared her for it. It felt like she just blinked and suddenly they were somewhere else altogether, and Allison's look of amazement at it all was impossible to miss. She had seen a lot of things in Beacon Hills, both great and awful things, but she had never witnessed anything like this. Moving at lightening speed? That was definitely a new one.

"Yeah, alright, that wasn't bad. I'd say you definitely pass the superhero test." Looking over her shoulder towards Lydia's apartment, she gave a nod before turning back to him. His question made her smile, raking her fingers through her hair to brush it back. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm... Let's just say this isn't the first time I've been attacked by someone with fangs." She paused, as if thinking for a moment. "...well. First time I've met Dracula, but. This isn't as new to me as you probably think it is."

Maybe the surprise would come later, she wasn't sure. Maybe this was just the adrenaline talking, but her mind was definitely not focusing on the attack in the way that he probably thought she might. Instead, in the back of her mind she was already planning on the research she would need to do to find weaknesses for the damn things.

Turning a little serious, she gave a small but sincere smile. "Thank you. You have impeccable timing, I'd hate to think what would have happened if you wouldn't have shown up."

It took him a few seconds before he gave a sheepish response with a crooked smile. "I didn't even know that there was a superhero test but uh... I'm glad that I passed. Would have been pretty embarrassing if I didn't, I talk a big talk. And yeah, apparently a lot of people around here have experience with things with fangs. You're just handling it really well is all, I don't think you even needed me." His tone turned teasing. "Modern day Van Helsing or something."

Barry nodded at her thanks and he gave a smile with a bit more confidence, his arms moving out again in the mock of a grand gesture. "Hey, I'm The Flash. My timing is always perfect. It's kind of my thing." Not that he's particularly good at it most of the time, but she doesn't have to know that. "If you're ever in trouble that's what I'm here for. But uh, I should go. More pretty girls out there to save from vampires."

Barry gave Allison a lazy salute with two fingers as he started to take a few lazy steps backward down the hall. "Take care of yourself. I'll see you around, Van Helsing." He gave her a wink and he was off, smiling to himself as he made his way out of the building and into the streets. If he was lucky, his comm was off during that entire interaction, because the last thing he needed was for Cisco to get on his case for flirting on the job with a pretty girl he found and saved. Still... this job had its perks.

Allison couldn't help but smile as The Flash gave that sheepish response, and when he gave his salute she nodded slightly. She may be taking this well because of her previous experience with the supernatural, but he had a big hand in it, too; he was making this so easy, that it was impossible to not at least smile after what had just happened. "Right. Be careful out there, Superhero."

With a wave of her own, she watched him leave before turning over to the direction where she was told she should go. Without wasting any time, she took a breath and walked over so that she could find Lydia. As stupid as it was, some part of her was a little nervous about it - maybe because of the marks on her neck, and the bruise that's already blossoming on her wrist from the way the vampire had been forcing her close - but at the same time she doesn't want to delay this. She wants to see Lydia, she needs to see her, and she all but rushes the last few steps so that she can get there faster.

Letting out a breath, she knocks on the door. "Lydia?"

The wait for Allison to get to the apartment is agonizing. Knowing that her best friend is alive, but that she's out there in that mess of danger that makes Beacon Hills look like a playground is kind of terrifying. Prada can even sense her anxiousness and it's making the little dog nervous, as shown by the way he's whimpering as he walks in little circles at her feet whenever she stops pacing for a moment to look out the peephole in her door in the hopes that Allison will be in the hall in front of it.

When the knock finally comes, Lydia startles a little, hurrying toward the door and peeking through the hole. Her stomach knots and her heart starts to race when she sees Allison on the other side. It really is a little like seeing a ghost, she thinks, as she pulls the door open.

"Allison," she breathes. Then she reaches for her best friend's hand and yanks her inside, shutting the door behind her. "Oh God, Allison, I thought I'd never see you again," she chokes, pulling her into a tight hug.

Allison remembers all too clear her last conversation with Scott. She remembers him trying to assure her that Lydia was okay, that she was safe, but she hadn't seen her. For all she had known, Scott could have been trying to appease her considering what was happening, but the moment that Lydia opens the door, it feels as if that weight in her chest is suddenly lifted. Because she's here, and she's really okay, and Allison is quick to return the hug once they're in her apartment.

"I know, I didn't--" Her own voice is choked as she holds tighter still, as if to remind herself that this is really happening. That she's really here - that Lydia isn't going anywhere, that she herself is actually living through this - and she stays quiet for a moment as she tries to fully wrap her head around this.

Except, she can't. Not completely. She had died not even an hour ago, and now she's here. And, even if she can say that she knows what Lydia is talking about, about not seeing each other again, it's probably not the same. Allison knows what dying does to those around you; after all, she had buried two family members all too recently. She had left her behind, and the thought of causing Lydia that pain makes her heart twist within her chest.

"I'm sorry, Lydia. I'm okay, I promise." She pulls back only enough so that Lydia can see for herself that she's telling the truth. "I'm okay."

Lydia doesn't actually want for Allison to pull back to look at her because Lydia's not actually sure she's ready to look her dead-but-not-anymore best friend in the eye yet. Right now, she just wants to cling to her and know that she's safe and she's living, and she's right here. But she makes herself look up at Allison's face when she feels the other girl pull back. Her breath hitches in her throat and she nods.

"I'm so sorry...I'm sorry, I wish I could've helped you," she whispers against the lump formed in the back of her throat. Everyone was always having to save Lydia and the one time she thought she could save Allison, she'd failed and she'd failed so spectacularly that Allison hadn't survived it. What good was being a banshee if she couldn't help anyone? Allison's death had left a void in her heart, sure it had. But moreover, it had been a rough push down the existential crisis rabbit hole and Lydia was still trying to claw her way back to the light of day.

Maybe having Allison back would make that uphill battle an easier one to fight.

All of the emotion rolling around inside her finally breaks the dam and Lydia pulls Allison close again to hide the fact that she's crying because Allison doesn't really need that right now. If the last thing she remembers is being killed by the Oni, then she really doesn't need Lydia falling apart all over her but Lydia can't help it. "I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so glad you're okay," she breathes into her best friend's hair, the breath she takes after the words both sharp and shaking. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry..."

"No," Allison tries to interrupt, to stop her from apologizing, but the way that Lydia starts crying makes a lump of her own grow in her throat. It makes it hard to breathe, hard to speak, and it breaks her heart to hear her cry. She can't see her, but she's holding her close enough to know that her friend is crying, and Allison holds her close. She doesn't say anything at first, partly because she's trying to figure out what to say but mainly because her own eyes are filling with tears of her own, but she doesn't loosen her hold on Lydia even for a second.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Lydia," she finally says after a moment, swallowing around the lump that feels like a boulder in her throat. "You hear me? Nothing. I'm just so glad that I get to see you again. That you're here, that you're okay." She manages to smile, but it's shaky as her own tears betray her and slide down her face as her hold tightens a little more again. She doesn't say it to not add to Lydia's guilt but, honestly, she would die all over again if it meant managing to keep Lydia safe. Dying while trying to rescue her friend isn't a sacrifice to her, because it hadn't been. Not really. She already knows she would do it again in a heartbeat, and she turns her head so that she can press her lips against Lydia's head.

"I love you," she whispers tearfully. "Please, don't apologize. I swear, you have nothing to apologize for. We're okay. We're both okay, and that's what matters. We're okay. Everything will be okay now."

For what feels like forever, Lydia feels like the rest of the world completely stopped turning and now it's just her and Allison stuck in a moment that feels like never and forever all at once. Everything hurts and everything's better at the same time. She should've been able to save her best friend, but her best friend is alive.

Feeling Allison's lips against the side of her head is what finally breaks Lydia out of it. She squeezes her best friend closer, but she sniffs and composes herself to pull back a few seconds later. "We're okay," she repeats back as if she just needs to hear it in her own voice to really believe it; for it to really set itself in stone. They're okay. Both of them.

Lydia steps back and reaches her hands up to wipe at her eyes. Normally, she'd try to do it subtly but it's Allison. Lydia doesn't care what it looks like to Allison and she knows Allison won't judge her, so she doesn't try to be cute and dainty about it, she just rubs her palms against her wet eyes until they aren't wet anymore and then she takes a deep breath. "Hey," she says as if greeting Allison for the first time, color tinting her cheeks with embarrassment for carrying on like that, even if she's fully aware of the fact that it's probably a legitimate response to her dead best friend being alive again.

"Yeah, we're okay."

When Lydia begins to move, Allison manages to compose herself enough to give her a small smile when she turns to her. There's no judgment in her eyes at all; really, she understands Lydia's reaction all too well. If anything, her own eyes are a little brighter than usual thanks to the tears that she had been fighting, but she's not ashamed of them. "Hi," she answers, breathing out a soft laugh and reaching over to wipe her tears away. As if to assure her that it's okay, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not until she reaches over that she remembers the bruises on her wrist, but she hopes Lydia won't exactly notice that considering everything that's going on.

"So this is where you live, huh? How long have you been here?" No, she's not trying to distract her. Well, maybe somewhat, but really, it's something that Allison is curious about. Something that she hadn't gotten to ask over the network at first, and as she stays close to Lydia, she glances around the apartment.

When Allison reaches over to wipe the rest of Lydia's tears away, Lydia sniffs again and offers an embarrassed little smile. "Thanks," she says softly. She's noticed the bruises, but considering she assumes that Allison originally came from straight after the fight with the Oni, she thinks little of them. It doesn't occur to her that those bruises could've been caused from something or someone else.

So when Allison changes the subject, Lydia goes with it easily. "Yeah, this is my place," she sighs happily. "It's nice, right? And everything here is free. Literally, everything. I've been shopping a hundred times already, I swear, and I just buy everything because we don't have to pay for it. How cool is that?" she asks excitably, happy to move on to less emotional subjects and just be themselves again.

Lydia's expression drops suddenly. "...did you get an apartment key? You could stay here. I mean, if you want to, you totally could. We were going to live together after high school anyway, right, so why not now?"

Lydia's embarrassed smile is met with one of reassurance, as if to tell her it really is okay. The talk of the apartment is a good distraction for both of them, though, and she's quick to agree that yes, it really is nice. "Wow, and just like that? That's...pretty cool."

A little too good to be true, but if Lydia has been here long enough to settle in and go shopping a bunch of times, then who is she to point it out. It's probably just her paranoia talking, so she just pushes the thought to the back of her mind.

The offer to stay with her makes her expression brighten, though, because...well, she had already been hoping she could at least stay with her for a few days. Being offered to stay there with her? That's even better. "If you don't mind a roommate, yeah, I'd love it if I could stay here."

[She's pretty certain that most of the people that come here don't get stuck with a key that ensures all doors lead to Clint Barton's apartment. Nah. Kate's just lucky like that.]

So far? I think just about anything goes.

"I know, right?" she asks, grinning. Even after being here for a little while, Lydia's still impressed by that particular feature of the place. How can she really complain about not being home when she gets all the free shopping anyone could ever want and, now, her best friend back? Lydia really can't find anything to be upset about when it comes to Itinere. Even the crazy going on outside can't get her down since Allison is safe and inside with her.

The way Lydia sees it, she deserves a break from insanity and deserves to be pampered by some unseen force because, dammit, she's been through enough. The same can absolutely be said for Allison, if you ask Lydia her opinion on the matter and as soon as they — whoever is fighting; not she and Allison — figure out how to rid the town of the monsters, she's so taking Allison out to see the sights and shop until they drop. Whether Allison likes it or not, so there.

"I would love a roommate if the roommate is you," Lydia gushes. "Come on, let's get you settled in and we can catch up. I missed you."

Huh. Alright, I'll keep that in mind.

[That seems like as good a place as any to end the conversation. But a stray thought crosses her mind and Kate doesn't hang up quite yet.

What kind of hero would she be if she didn't actually live up to her civic responsibilities?]

Hey, wait - before you go? In case you haven't figured it out, this isn't the PG Disney Channel kind of Halloweentown going on. Be careful out there.

[ A small smile crosses her lips, both knowing because of her brush with the vampire, and because she appreciates the warning nonetheless. ]

Thanks, Kate. I think after today it might be a minute before I wander out again without something to defend myself, but I'll definitely keep that in mind.

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