a/n: hi all,
If you're new to the Curiouser and Curiouser story, I suggest giving that a read first to set the stage, but by no means is that required. These are primarily intended as little one-shots and don't necessitate knowing the character's full history to enjoy them.
This 'story' is meant to capture the fun little moments between Kate and Sophie that never make it into the final cut. This all started when I was doing laundry today and imagined how hilarious the first time at Point Rock would be between these two.
I have no plans for publishing to this with any regularity; mostly I'll use this as a whiteboard for all the little moments I'd like to see happen between Kate and Sophie but maybe doesn't work in the context/chronology of the other storylines.
Cheers,
EQT.95
Point Rock, First Term
"What are you doing?"
"Laundry."
Sophie's brow narrowed skeptically.
"What?"
"You've never done this before, have you?"
Kate gaped in offense. "What? Yes I have."
"Oh really," Sophie shot back, her brow now raised in entertainment at Kate's insistence.
They'd been roommates less than two weeks but already Sophie was finding herself enjoying Kate's habit of bluffing her way through things she had zero experience with. Generally she maintained a solid poker face while blindly navigating through the tasks, but on a few occasions, this one included, she failed royally, and Sophie took joy in being the one to call her on it.
"Yes."
"Funny. You don't strike as someone who wears white after Labor Day."
"I don't even own white," Kate said after a moment of confusion.
"You will if you pour that cup of bleach into the washer," Sophie said, nodding at the blue cup hovering over the hamper of unsorted clothes Kate had just tossed into the machine.
Kate's eyes widened slightly before she set it aside and grabbed the bottle.
"This is bleach," she announced, reading the label and stating what Sophie already knew.
"You're really showing off those observation skills."
Kate stuck out her tongue in disapproval before carefully pouring the bleach back into the bottle and capping it. Sophie watched as Kate's eyes darted around hesitantly.
"You can use mine," she said, interrupting Kate's aimlessness.
"What?"
Sophie slid the bottle of detergent over the two machines that separated them. Kate looked like she might reject the offering but instead cautiously picked up the bottle and uncapped it. A smirk of amusement played across Sophie's face as she watched Kate precariously tip the bottle toward the clothes.
"Use the tray."
Kate glanced up. "The what?"
"You've really never done this," Sophie said, her face sobering slightly at Kate's softly reddening cheeks. "Didn't you ever watch your mom do laundry?"
"I… no, that, that wasn't really a thing."
"What? What does that mean?"
"I mean… I didn't really… that wasn't really a thing."
Sophie's head cocked in confusion. "Who are you?"
"She's a Kane."
The voice caught both of them by surprise. They glanced over to the corner where Chelsea and Tony were packing up their own loads of laundry from the dryers.
"Sorry?"
"I said she's a Kane. Didn't you grow up in Gotham?"
"Uh, suburb," Sophie explained, glancing between the duo and Kate who looked about as uncomfortable as Sophie had ever seen her.
"But you know the Kane family."
"Oh, yea, sure, they own like half of Gotham."
"More than that," Chelsea explained. "Last I heard it was over sixty percent. Right, Kate?"
"Uh… I-I'm not sure."
"Yea, makes sense. What's a few million when you're already a billionaire."
It took an uncomfortable moment for Sophie to register what Chelsea was suggesting. Her gaze fell on Kate's slowly reddening face.
"Wait, you're that kind of Kane?"
Kate offered an uncomfortable smile as Chelsea rolled in laughter at the revelation Sophie was experiencing.
"Oh, Sophie, you should see your face. I thought you knew," Chelsea continued, trying to recover as Tony took charge of bagging the rest of the clothes.
"Chels, leave her alone," Tony muttered, tapping her on the shoulder to signal they should go.
"Oh, no, no, I wasn't trying to be mean. It's just… well, everyone knows."
"Chels."
"Fine, fine. Sorry, we're leaving."
A strange silence followed as the door closed behind Chelsea and Tony, leaving them alone in the room of softly whirring machines.
"You're a Kane," Sophie repeated, as though still registering the information.
"You're really showing off those observation skills."
Sophie gaped at Kate's response before breaking into laughter.
"Well played," she said, abandoning her own machine and walking over to Kate's. "Move over."
"What are you doing?" Kate asked nervously.
"You're a Kane."
"So?"
"So now I know you've definitely never done this before."
