<@Rowyn> [The kitchen area smells *wonderful*. There's not a whole lot of 
room, it being a condo and all, but it's at least sizeable enough for a 
couple of different dishes. And the family pulled for a nice 6-burner 
American-style stove! Which is good for projects like these.]
<@Rowyn> [There's mashed potatoes and green beans and, of course, turkey 
smells. And it looks like there's some rolls prepared for later as well. 
Not a *huge* spread, but Mom's definitely going out of her way to appease 
Dad this year.]
 06* Katie looks around. "This is great," she says. "No wonder Dad's 
enthused."
<@Rowyn> [Mariko nods to Katie and then goes over to the oven, grabbing 
the baster along the way. "Well, it's your first Christmas home since..." 
She cuts herself off and waves Katie over. "If you could hold the door 
open..."]
 06* Katie blinks, then rushes forward to grab the handle and hold the 
door open.
<@Rowyn> [Mariko leans over and sticks the baster inside, squirting the 
turkey. Is there stuffing too? You bet there's stuffing. "So how are 
things with Sorata-san?"]
 01<Katie> Good.
 06* Katie takes a breath. "He got us fried chicken for Christmas." Yup, 
not even a giggle.
<@Rowyn> [Mariko pauses for a moment, reaching to take over holding open 
the oven door, just kind of staring ahead. After a moment, she adds, 
"Well, then. He's very Japanese, it would seem."
 06* Katie laughs. "That's what I keep telling him."
<@Rowyn> [Mariko turns to smile at her daughter. "Your father wouldn't 
have even considered it. I'm not sure he understands, although he 
certainly tries..." The oven closes now as she turns to the cabinets. "He 
about had a heart attack when you wanted to move off on your own..."]
 06* Katie frowns a little now. "I know," she says softly, though her mom 
can certainly hear it. "I didn't mean to make you worry."]
<@Rowyn> [Mariko waves her hand in the air over her shoulder, still 
turned away from Katie. "Oh, that's quite alright. *Me*, I'm just waiting 
to hear when I'm going to be a grandmother..." She digs through the 
cabinets for spices.]
 06* Katie groans. "Mooooom, Kyon and I haven't been together for *that* 
long, and I don't even know if I *want* kids." The first is true and the 
second is a lie.
<@Rowyn> [Mariko Andrews grins over her shoulder at the unsettling of 
Katie. "Oh I know. Though you must admit, you moved in rather quickly. 
Sometimes I wonder what kind of hold that boy has on you. Your father 
too..."]
 06* Katie 's groan settles back into that tiny frown. She leans against 
the counter, careful not to bump into anything that's on it, and doesn't 
say anything - at least yet.
<@Rowyn> [Her mom turns around at that and her smile all but goes away as 
her voice gets softer. "What's wrong, dear?"
 06* Katie shivers a bit. "Nothing," she says softly, her gaze locked on 
the floor. "It just reminded me... sorry." She tries again: "<I know 
he's... Japanese. And prickly. And, you know, all of that properness, it 
makes you think he's not genuine.>" She looks up at her mother 
hesitantly. "<Right?>"
<@Rowyn> [Mariko sighs and looks at her daughter thoughtfully. "No dear, 
I..." She looks away. "I don't really know what to think. But...I trust 
your judgment..."]
 06* Katie says, still quietly, "<You don't. Or you wouldn't have brought 
it up.>" And then she hears her father coming closer, and she turns to 
check out the vegetables.
<@Rowyn> [Mariko quietly goes to look after the rolls. Only to shoo her 
husband away after he enters and immediately tries to go to open the 
oven. "<Quit it, you!>" John chuckles and then goes to get a couple of 
glasses and a bottle of brandy, then scoots.]
 06* Katie snerks. "<You're never going to get turkey like *that*,>" she 
says to her father as he darts out of the kitchen.
<@Rowyn> [John calls out, "<YOU CANNOT KEEP TURKEY FROM MEEEEE~>" as he 
leaves. Her mother giggles at that and then smiles again at Katie. "<I'm 
sorry, Katie. A lot has happened and...well...you're a bright girl.>"]
 06* Katie rolls her eyes. "<Yeah, and Dad's a turkey-snatcher. Do you 
want me to help with anything else?>"
<@Rowyn> [Her mother frowns a little as she looks at Katie, then sighs. 
"Only to set the table in the dining room, thank you." She goes back to 
look over the food quietly.]
 06* Katie looks back at her mother, then walks over and puts her hand on 
her shoulder. "Listen, Mom," she tells her, voice once again soft. "I 
love you. And I love Dad. And... I'm sorry that you don't know. About..." 
She swallows, then goes with a selective truth: "*I* don't know 
everything about what happened to me. But I do know that Kyon helped me. 
He helped me a lot."
 01<Katie> And I'm not with him because I feel obligated. I'm with him 
because I love him, and because he still helps me. And I think I help 
him, too.
<@Rowyn> [Her mother eases a little with that and sighs, reaching to her 
daughter's hand and patting it. "I know, dear. It's just...sometimes I 
worry. You've been distant. Even your father's noticed..."]
<@Rowyn> [She turns towards Katie and smiles, changing the subject 
slightly. "But let's not worry about that, shall we? Your father enjoys 
Christmas so. I'd hate for us to ruin that for him by worrying about 
little things."]
 06* Katie smiles at her mother. "Yeah. He almost got the turkey that 
time."
<@Rowyn> [Her mother grabs a two-pronged fork and waves it, chidingly. 
"The day your father gets a turkey from *my* watchful gaze is the day I 
retire. I'm not that old *yet*, dear."]
 06* Katie laughs and holds her hands up in a you-got-me sort of way. "I 
know. *I* wouldn't try it."
<@Rowyn> [Ms. Andrews smiles a little and then gestures to the silverware 
drawer, as if Katie forgot where it was. She probably hasn't. You can't 
eat turkey very well with chopsticks after all.]
 06* Katie goes about grabbing silverware, then, and plates! She heads 
out to set the table.