2019-07-26 - Every Door Knob Needs A Door

After parting ways with Yves at the Flea Market, Isolde returned to 13 Elm to stash the items she'd purchased - including one spiffy door knob! Then she heads over to 15 Elm where hopefully Itzhak is home. She peeks towards the windows visible as she walks around to the entrance Itzhak had led her to last time she was here. He knew how to mow lawns, but could he fix doors? Isolde didn't know, but she also didn't know anyone else to ask. Knocking on his door with a few light raps of her knuckles. She's wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and of course that ragged flannel is tied off around her waist like a security blanket. Let all fear the day that flannel finally gives out.

An old sedan pulls up in the driveway. Isolde might recognize Stephanie, the owner of the house, as she gets out. Young, divorced, very tired, with a blonde ponytail. Two kids pile out, a coltish dark-haired girl and a boy with beautiful platinum-blonde hair. It's the boy who spots Isolde and points at her, yelling, "MOM!" He looks like he's about six.

"Not now," Stephanie says, looking exhausted, pulling bags of groceries out of the back.

"Mom, there's a lady!" the kid insists. His sister shyly waves at Isolde. She's probably a year older than him.

Isolde looks startled when the sedan pulls up. And the kids out her. She feels guilty, even though she wasn't doing anything wrong. Well. This was awkward. Isolde simple stares for a minute, not really sure what to do. Then the little girl waves and Isolde hesitated before wiggling her fingers in return. "Hi there." She took a few cautious steps closer to the trio. Isolde vaguely recognized her- but she's never really spoken to the woman. Maybe a wave here or there during her walks. "...Uhm, do you need help?" Motioning to the grocery bags. "Is Itzhak home?"

Stephanie actually jumps when Isolde speaks. "Oh my Lord," she says, gasping. "You scared me!"

"I TOLD you, Mom," the boy says, annoyed. Then he just announces to Isolde, "He isn't home yet, he said he had a big fershtunken problem to work on today!"

"Hunter!" Stephanie hisses, as the girl makes an 'oooooh you're in trouble' sound.

"Fershtunken isn't a bad word," Hunter protests, "I asked Miss Cacey and she said it wasn't!"

"You hush!" Stephanie, embarrassed, looks at Isolde. "I'm sure he'll be home any minute. Would you like to come in and wait? Uhm..." she hitches the sack of groceries on her hip, then, with a helpless smile, says, "If you wanted to grab a bag, I wouldn't say no."

"I'm sorry!" When Stephenie said Isolde scared her, seeming sincere. She clearly hasn't spent much time around children. She has no idea what to make of the little people and their antics. "...What's a fersh-" She starts to ask and then thinks better of it. She would ask Itzhak instead. If she remembered. "I can wait, yes." Quickly walking over and taking a few of the grocery bags, helping carry them into the house. "My name is Isolde." She offers up. "How are you doing today?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Stephanie says with a brittle laugh, the kind of laugh that says she's politely lying and expects everybody to know it. "How are you?"

Everyone bustles into the house. Hunter seethes around like a cat determined to get stepped on. The girl trails along, silent.

"Stephanie. I've seen you around, but I guess we haven't really met?" Stephanie hoists paper bags to the kitchen counter and starts unloading. "You already know Hunter," she says, wryly, "and this is Philomena, we call her Philly."

"Like a girl horse," Philly pipes up, her voice soft.

Isolde loooks at Stephanie skeptically, but she doesn't try and challenge the statement just now. She knows the look of 'everything is fine but not fine' well. Instead she helps put groceries down and even helps to unpack them too. Smiling a little to the kids. "It's nice to meet you all. Yes, I am Alexander's friend." She focuses on Philly for a moment with a brighter smile. "Horsies are pretty. You are pretty too." Then looking back to Stephanie. "Thank you for letting me come in." Taking a box of cereal out and setting it on the counter next to another one.

Philly brightens up, even as she sidles behind her mother. "I love horses," she whispers. "My favorite horse is the Tennessee Walking Horse. The foundation sire is Black Allen. He was born in 1886."

"Don't mind her, she'll tell you horse facts all day," Stephanie says, not without a workaday affection. She doles out a string cheese and an apple apiece to the kids (Hunter yells "FOOD" and makes monster noises), then holds out fruit and cheese to Isolde. "Would you like a snack?"

The distinctive rumble of a muscle car pulls up outside. Hunter screeches, "IT'S HIM!" and runs out the front door. Stephanie yells, "Hunter!" but sighs. Too little, too late.

Isolde might just be content to listen to these horse facts too! Though she knew absolutely nothing about horses. "It's cute." She decided finally, looking up at Stephanie as she was offered a snack. "Thank you." Spoken cheerily enough as she accepts the apple and string cheese. Eyes widening at the rumbling of the car and Hunter's exclamation. Isolde couldn't help but giggle. "He's very energetic." She stays where she is for now, happy to talk to Stephanie while waiting for Itzahk to come inside, taking a bite of apple.

"Horses love apples," Philly informs Isolde, then crunches into hers.

"Energetic is a very kind way to put it," Stefanie says, with a harassed kind of humor. For herself, she gets a diet soda.

Hunter can be heard outside, rattling on a mile a minute. Itzhak's deeper, rougher voice answers him, then they both come in. Itzhak rolls on in, his gait its usual half-saunter, and Hunter follows him imitating him precisely.

"That's HER that's the LADY!" Hunter says, barely able to contain himself.

"Yeah, I see her. Eat your snack," Itzhak says, smiling a little, and hitches his eyebrows at Isolde. "Hey Izzy."

Isolde takes another bite of apple, peering at Stephanie for a moment. Swallowing, "Do you need a babysitter?" It's just a curious question. On the surface. She brightens up when Itzahk comes in. Hunter imitating him is a kind of adorable. "Heya Itzhak!" Turning to face him a little better. "How was your day?" They can talk business in a minute! Isolde had become very familiar with wanting to just chill out after working all day - so wanted to let him have a moment to breathe at least if he did indeed have a long day.

Stephanie blinks at Isolde asking about a babysitter. "Well...it's not that I couldn't use one, it's just I can't pay that much." Growing anxious, she presses cheese and an apple on Itzhak too.

He takes the snack, glancing at Stephanie's diet soda. But he doesn't say anything about her obvious lack of food, just strips the string cheese open and eats it in three bites. Hunter finds this feat overawing. "Kinda terrible," Itzhak says to Isolde, not one for polite fictions, "how about you?"

All this is too much for Philly. She retreats upstairs. Hunter has no concept of letting someone relax for a moment and he's busy peppering Itzhak with questions like paintballs. "Can I play with Iris can I go for a ride in your car can we go to the park can you play Smash Brothers again with me?"

"Hunter, go watch TV," Stephanie says, closing her eyes and massaging her temples. Itzhak, for his part, chips in with a "Listen to yer ma, tateleh," like a pro. Hunter sighs and slouches off towards the living room.

Once Itzahk has taken the snack, Isolde gives Stephanie a hug. It's brief, and the poor thing might be startled by it. "I could watch them one day maybe if you needed. I don't need any money." Her attire said differently, but she seemed pretty certain about it. Then she looks back to Itzahk. "It was a good day to not die." Which is surely exactly what Stephanie wants to hear from the woman who just offered to baby sit her children.

"I was at the flea market. I need your help with something." She doesn't elaborate too much further. Not quite comfortable with saying really crazy stuff in front of totally normal people.

Stephanie is a little startled, but gamely hugs Isolde back. "Thank you. I'll be sure to let you know, okay?" She does seem kind of weirded out by Izzy's statement about not dying.

Itzhak, though, casual as anything, just agrees, "Always a good day for not dying. Want me to come over?" He bites into the apple.

"Sounds good!" Isolde says cheerily. Totally not phased or realizing her statement was weird. "If you don't mind." Is said to Itzahk. "It shouldn't take long. I don't want to make your bad day longer." She shifted a bit, moving away from the counter. "I would say we could just talk up in your place, but I think you need to see the thing. Easier than explaining."

"Sure." Itzhak, still holding the apple, heads for the door. "C'mon."

"Uhm, will you be back for dinner?" Stephanie calls after him, voice going high and worried.

He glances over his shoulder and shrugs. "I dunno. What are you, my mother?" Maybe it's a joke, but it's a little tart if so. Stephanie kind of wilts, but Itzhak's already swaggering outside.

Isolde frowns a little, looking over to Stephanie. In a hushed voice - "I'll make sure he's home for dinner." Then she's walking out the door after Itzahk! Easily catching up to him - thank you long legs. "Why was your day bad?" She asks him, leading him across Stephanie's yard into Alexander's. There is a single light on in the living room that can be seen from the window. "Luigi might be a little grumpy, but it's okay. Don't mind it."

Itzhak mows through the rest of the apple, including the core. He just eats the entire thing. "Ehhh, shit's just weird, you know? Feel like nothing's going right. Dropping stuff, a million little things going wrong in every engine I get my hands on. Pretty frikkin' annoying. ...I get to meet Luigi? That's one good thing. And you coming over, that's a good thing too."

"There is a lot of bad things happening." Isolde agreed. "Alexander is in the hospital. He hurt his leg. A little boy got trapped in a mirror at the flea market, but then he came out of another one. It was strange. But I think they were just bad mirrors..." Her head tilted a little. "It is?" Her coming over. Then she grinned. "I think you will like Luigi." She opened up the front door and let Itzahk inside. The house is neat and tidy. A blanket is folded up on the couch with a pillow on top. Isolde whistles a greeting to Luigi, who twitters back. But seems to be cautious as there is yet ANOTHER stranger person in his house. "This is Itzahk, Luigi! Be nice. He's a good thing." She closes the door. Luigi is a little green conure, sitting his cage - which is rather large, sitting in its own corner. "Do you want anything to drink? We have....water. Maybe a soda." Probably just water.

Itzhak raises an eyebrow at the news of the mirrors. "Well, that'll happen, they get too much mileage on 'em," he says, teasing, and quirks a wry half grin at Isolde. "At least the kid's okay. Yeah, you coming over is good. And something really good happened to me a couple days ago, too..." he pauses. "Well, I dunno if I should talk about it. Anyway." Itzhak outright grins at the bird, but doesn't stare. He whistles at him. "Aww, ain't he a cutie."

"Really good? Not enough good things in this town. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. But, I would listen." Isolde said matter of factly. Luigi stares at Itzahk with black, beady eyes. Then hopped up to another branch as if to observe the proceedings. He doesn't response to the whistle from Itzahk for now. "It takes time to warm up. For him." She motioned Itzahk to follow her down the little hallway. "I am glad the kid is okay too." She agreed. "I don't know what happened." She's pointing to a door. It's not closed all the way but it seems like someone (read: Isolde) covered up the walls as best she could by hanging sheets. Weird. Anyway. The door itself is forced open. "Can you fix it? I can pay you."

"That's okay, I take a while to warm up to people too." Itzhak lets Luigi ignore him. He follows Isolde, not responding to her offer to listen, except to make a face when she can't see. Seems like telling people this thing hasn't gone so well and he's reluctant to chance it again.

The walls are covered in sheets. Itzhak, curious, jerks his head towards a wall. "What's up with that?" He investigates the door. "Yeah, I can fix it. I can show you how to fix it too, it's real easy."

He seems reluctant to tell his story, Isolde seems reluctant to tell him what's under the sheets. So she leaves it at - "It is Alexander's hobby room. I did not want to ruin his privacy." Then she looks towards the door again. "I can fix it?" Pondering on that and nodded. "Yes. Show me how! Being handy is good. I would like to know. I...don't kow why it is open like this. I have not been here in a while because of the bad things. So." She shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck a moment. "Can we replace the doorknob too?" Seeming to remember something as she quickly goes back over to a bag on the couch and brings back a doorknob that looks rather similar to the one already on the door. Maybe a little older model.

Itzhak accepts that. We're all reluctant to tell each other things today. "Sure you can fix it. Need a screwdriver and a rubber mallet. You don't need the mallet but it's a lot more convenient than futzing around with a hammer and a washcloth or something." He swings the door open and shut a few times. "Ehh, gonna have to shim that hinge, but it'll be fine." Taking the doorknob from Izzy, Itzhak fits it to the hole in the door, wriggles it around. "Need my drill too. Here, get this cleaned up while I go get my tools, okay?" He hands the doorknob back to Izzy, flashing a smile at her. His whole face changes when he smiles. "Get some baking soda, add a few drops of water so it makes a paste, scrub with that."

Did they even have baking soda in this house? They barely had stuff in the fridge, though that was just because cooking was difficult for now. Her head tilted a bit and the smile is returned. "I will try to make it shiny and clean." She promised. Even if they didn't have baking soda. She'd find something! She glanced towards the door one more time and then headed past him into the little kitchen. He'd hear rummaging around and quiet muttering like she was looking for something. On his way out he might also catch a glimpse of the kitchen table that was full of a variety of flowers and aromatics that were growing and tended to.

It doesn't occur to Itzhak that someone might not have baking soda in a house. Houses sprout fully formed with baking soda. He's gone for a few minutes, returning with tools. When he gets back he beckons Isolde over. "Okay, see how this hinge is hanging? I got some wood putty--" And he explains to her what he's doing, while he does it. It really is very simple.

Isolde doesn't find any baking soda, but she does find some furniture polish. So she washes the door knob with soap and water first and the rubs the furniture polish into it. She's just finishing up when Itzahk comes back. Wandering over to him and watching closely as he explains his process. Nodding along. Now and again she asks a question to clarify a thing or two but over all seems to be understanding. "It is easy!" She decides, seeming a little surprised by this. "I do not want any more doors to break, but if they do - I will have to practice."

Itzhak finishes screwing the doorknob into place, turns it and rattles it a few times to make sure it can hold up to use. "There ya go. See? Easy as." He bumps the door with a fist, and glances at Izzy, pleased with his work. "Nice that something went right today."

Isolde gives the door knob a little shake too. Her brow furrows like she seems to remember something that's probably going to be a little important later on, but then it passes and she gives Itzahk another grin. "It is! Thank you for helping." He gets a surprise, brief hug too before she closes the door completely. She'll take the sheets down later tonight. "Have you heard anything more about the House?" Moving back into the living room, setting the blanket and pillow on the floor for now so there was plenty of room for both of them to sit.

Itzhak makes a startled little 'oof' sound, not expecting a hug. He hugs Izzy back, though, gentle as if he might break her. His hands are calloused and roughened from work. "Ya welcome. Nah, I haven't. I'm not gonna lie, Izzy, I don't want to, neither."

Isolde drew her knees to her chest as she sat on the couch, chin resting on her kneecap. "Me either. I want it to be gone but...so many bad things. I don't more bad things to happen trying to get rid of it." She frowns and then sighs. The way her head tilts, her hair is hiding her features. There's a moment of silence before she peeks over at him again, pushing a hand through her hair. "...What was your really good thing?" Can't blame a girl for trying!

Itzhak slouches on the couch (that rhymes), long legs stretched out in front of him. He gets a faraway look in his hazel eyes. "Yeah. I don't want more bad things to happen neither. It's gonna keep doing bad things until we stop it." 'We', not somebody, or someone else. We.

He tilts his head, and his eyebrows, when he looks over and sees Isolde peeking at him. "Well...it's not a secret, but don't tell anyone else, okay? It's private."

Isolde nodded emphatically at his statement of stopping it. "Yes. We need to get rid of bad things so good things can grow." She agrees. She turns so she is facing him completely before curling up again. Head resting on the back of the couch. Eyes a little wide at the anticipation of whatever he was gong to tell her. "I won't tell anyone. Promise." She assures him.

Itzhak rubs over his bristly unshaven jaw, still kind of weighing telling. Then he leans forward, elbows on his knees, eyes on Izzy. "I crossed into another world. The Veil, people call it. I crossed over accidentally, but someone taught me what I can really do, over there. She taught me how to come back, too."

Isolde is quiet for a moment. Though she actually doesn't look surprised at this talk of the Veil. Instead, she looks more surprised that he got help there. That he wasn't hurt. Or, well, that he was even back here at all. "What can you do over there? I always get lost. End up where I shouldn't be, but away from where I didn't want to be." Studying him for a moment. "Haven't had to go there though. What can you do? What was it like?"

"You can cross, too?" Itzhak leans forward, his expression intensifying. "Wow, do we have a lot to talk about. What was it like?" He gets that drifty look again. "It was beautiful. Dangerous, scary as hell, but...beautiful."

"Not...easily." Isolde said after a moment of thought. "Only usually when I am very upset...or anxious. Wanting to get away." She confided. "Not here though. Haven't tried here. Haven't had a reason to want to get away like that." She watches the look in his eye and tries to picture it. "...Maybe I will try one day. To try and cross... to see. Not just to run away. I said that earlier today." There's a little smile again. "That scary things can be beautiful.I am curious now."

"Sure scary things can be beautiful. Like lightning, or sharks. They're dangerous to people, they can really hurt you if you mess with them or handle them wrong. But they're beautiful." Itzhak hitches a wistful little smile. Then, concerned, he says, "You gotta be careful when you cross. They can smell you when you're over there. They'll hurt you."

Isolde nods a little at the warning. "They have before. It is their home. They make the rules." She tugged at her hair a little. "I will not go alone. If a choice is to be had." She shifts a bit and then gets to her feet. "But I can take care of myself." It's added almost like an after thought. Everyone always thinking she was too weak. It was irritating! Though, her expression didn't show any said irritation. "You should be careful too. And not go alone. Pairs at least is always better." Nodding towards the door. "Let's go see what Stephanie made for dinner!" Because Isolde kept her promises and Itzahk was going to be back at that house for dinner!