Newsbians chapter :)

I feel like my wording in this chapter, at least at some times, especially the beginning, is a tad bit more eloquent/elaborate. Must be reading two books from the 1800's so close to each other.

Well. 1800's but a lot more wlw.

Enjoy! :)

--------------------------------

Sarah knows that something is bothering Kathryn as they walk together down the streets in the cold winter air, holding tight to their hot cocoa/coffee, on their way from the coffee shop to the bookstore. They smile for her, but there's something that still holds their eyes back from shining brightly. Sarah's determined to find out just what is bothering Kathryn. But she can wait. She can be very patient. If she just asks right away, she knows she won't get an answer. So she will wait. Kathryn will tell her on their own time.

Kathryn's eyes light up as they walk into the local bookstore together and the little bell rings, announcing their pressence to the people working there, who smile at them as they walk in.

Sarah grins watching Kathryn, fondness in her eyes. She knows that Kathryn is at home here. Just like she is.

She is well aware that she's only known Kathryn for six months. It was July 18th when they met for the first time. Now that it's Sunday the 23rd, they've known each other for 6 months and 5 days.

That's enough time to know that something is bothering Kathryn. Not enough time to know exactly what.

Still, Sarah says nothing about it.

They pick out books together, some queer, some not. Then there are the books that don't look especially queer, but with on point gaydar they still find those books with queer stories.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston starts playing softly from the speakers overhead.

"Ooh! I love this song!" Kathryn exclaims.

"Me too!" Sarah exclaims as well.

They both start lip-syncing the lyrics, being as dramatic as they can.

Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, Whitney Houston sings. I wanna feel the heat with somebody. Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody; with somebody who loves me.

Sarah and Kathryn reach out for each other dramatically on that last line, and then start giggling together.

And, just for a moment, whatever was burdening Kathryn evaporates as her eyes shine with all the brightness that Sarah fell for.

-----------------------------------------

They end up going back to Sarah's house later, and cuddle together while watching The Acorn Princess from Sarah's phone in her room.

"I know it's only seven minutes long, but I love it so much," Kathryn says, head resting on Sarah's shoulder.

"Me too," Sarah agrees.

"The people who created this need to work for Disney."

"They do. We would have a lot more gay in widespread film then."

"It just sends a beautiful message, you know?" Kathryn says. "The two characters who were going to get married wouldn't be happy together, and once they make the king realize that, he lets them choose who they want, and they end up with the one they love. It shows that we can get happy endings."

"And that we can be protagonists," Sarah adds. "Queer-coded villains are great and all, but it's nice seeing gays be heroes, and have happy relationships."

"Oh definitely," Kathryn agrees. Then after a moment, they ask, "So who do you think you're more like? Cornelia or Nutalia?" 

Sarah thinks for a second. "I think you're Cornelia."

"Yeah, you're definitely more of a Nutalia." She smiles. Then she immitates Cornelia: "How am I supposed to confess to Nutalia, when she's the coolest, strongest, prettiest Guard Captain in the ENTIRE kingdom, and I'm just...me..."

"Stop," Sarah grins.

Kathryn keeps going. "Eep! My life is over! She saw me!"

They both laugh at that.

"It's one of the most relatable lines, honestly," Kathryn says, still smiling.

"My favorite line was the subtitle powerful gay music," Sarah jokes.

"Yeah, that's pretty great too."

"Wait, so are Jack and David Flower and Beetle?" Sarah asks.

"I can totally see Jack as Beetle and David as Flower."

"Oh my gosh, what about Nick and Louis, or Tony and Sean?"

"Tony is 100% Beetle, and Sean is his Flower. The animation pretty much had their expressions for each other nailed perfectly."

"Yeah. Nick and Louis...they're kind of more inter-changable, I think."

"True. Nick's fondness for Louis does resemble Flower's for Beetle just a little bit more though."

"I think we spend too much time looking at our friends' expressions for their partners."

"Maybe, but they could be spending just as much time looking at us."

"Fair point."

"I wish my father could accept me as easily as Cornelia's father," Kathryn murmurs quietly.

So this is what's been bugging Sarah's girlfriend.

Now that Sarah has some idea of what's bothering them, and they're ready to tell, Sarah is ready to listen. 

"We accept you," she tells Kathryn. "Me, and the rest of our friends."

A grin tugs at Kathryn's lips. "Yeah. I know. And I appreciate that. It's just...it would be nice to have someone at home who accepted me, you know?"

Sarah knows. And she knows she's all too lucky to have David, and their parents. Kathryn doesn't have anyone.

"Does he still refuse to acknowledge your proper pronouns?" Sarah asks quietly.

Kathryn nods. "I mean, technically, using she isn't necessarily misgendering me, but ... it feels nice to hear they everyone now and then, you know? I don't know exactly. Gender is ... confusing."

"I'm not going to say I know exactly what you're going through," Sarah chooses her words wisely, "but just know that I'm always here, and will always listen."

"Thanks," Kathryn murmurs. "That means a lot to me."

They sit there for a few moments in silence. Kathryn seems better getting that off her chest, but ... Sarah is pretty sure that there's something more.

"Is there...something else that might be bothering you?" Sarah asks cautiously, not wanting to try to pry.

"There is," Kathryn tells her. They bite their lip. Then they tell Sarah about how they researched Pulitzer's children, found Katherine, but how Katherine never truly had a life, having died so young. Sarah listens to all of it.

"I just..." Kathryn trails off. "I just felt like there's something  that I was missing. This is probably it. But it still doesn't make sense. I thought--no, I knew--that I was someone back then. Someone who lived longer. I just...I don't know."

Sarah takes it all in thoughtfully. She doesn't know exactly what she should say. So, she just goes with what she feels is right. "Well, we never know how reliable the papers are. There might be some information that they didn't get right."

"True," Kathryn agrees with a small smile, "but there were several sources. I don't think people would have been ignorant about a child of a famous man that supposedly died still living."

There is that.

"And I'm sure I was Katherine, and not anyone else," Kathryn adds. "That's what I don't get: I was Katherine, but it's like I had a life that never was."

Then Sarah thinks of something. "You know how some people say that ghosts are spirits who stick around because they have unfinished business?"

"Yeah?"

"What if..." Sarah thinks it through before saying anything, "that's what this is? Unfinished business? What if ... Katherine was supposed to do something, but she never could?"

Kathryn's eyes widen. "You might be on to something." Then they realize something. "Jospeh Pulitzer owned the New York World--a newspaper company. And I ... I always wanted to be a reporter, or a writer. What if Katherine could have become one of the earliest female newsreporters, but never did?"

"Exactly!" Sarah encourages. "Maybe this is Katherine getting a second chance. This is you being able to do the things that she never could. You get to live your life ... a life that she never had. Maybe this was all meant to be."

Now, Kathryn smiles. Sarah's so glad. Sarah loves those smiles.

Inside Kathryn's mind, a lot is going on. She plays more with the idea. Could Sarah be right?

Somehow, she knows it's true.

So, for the both of them, for Katherine and for Kathryn, Kathryn is going to continue to pursue her dreams, and live their life to the fullest.

------------------------

I liked that ending.

I've been waiting for this peak Kathryn Character Development/Arc Development for a while now.

Okay, I just love Whitney Houston, and her relationship with her *friend* Robin.

And I love The Acorn Princess. Go watch it on youtube, it's only seven minutes, and it's the most wholesome thing ever.

I put a lot of my frustration of people ignoring (s)he/they pronouns into here. Before I fully went by they/them, I would ease into it by trying to get people to use a singular pronoun and the plural pronoun, and technically "(s)he" isn't misgendering, but most people tend to ignore the "they" which kinda frustrated me. For me, switching to they/them pronouns fully (just with people I'm out to though) has helped me a lot. Since I see Kathryn as more of a demigirl than non-binary person, I'll continue writing them with she/they pronouns.

I like to believe that it is possible that a past life could have unfinished business that carries into the next life. It makes things interesting. And more wholesome when the new life can finish those goals.

So where is this story going? I had up to here planned out, and then it's just darkness.

Kidding, I just wanted to say that haha. I have, as usual, a bunch of random ideas of what could happen, but I have no clue when or where.

Please, no homophobia or tranpshobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section.

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (whose cat snuggled with them while they were writing this chapter)