2020-04-24 - Hard Landings

While she may have thought that, the garage was going to be used as her own private art factory and closet, Everett has other plans. With the garage door open, and his Fat boy half in and half out, Everett works with what little available daylight is left and the garage lighting. On bended knee, his head ducked down, Everett silently works on the bared engine.

One second Everett is alone in the garage. The next a wind rushes past and flings his hair about. But that wind came from the back of the garage. There is a startled yelp and Kailey flails as she suddenly isn't clinging to a ladder, but with floor beneath her feet. Onto her feet she falls and stumbles, flailing at the worktable and sending a paintbrush and a few tubes of paint flying. She's dressed in a deep ocean blue maternity gown. With prominent V-neck, sleeveless, and rippling light fabric layers. "Ow," She says at the awkward landing.

With a ratchet, Everett turns a few times, pulling the spark plug from its housing when the breeze covers his eyes and face with his own long hair. Long used to it, he reaches a greasy hand up, and adds another line of grease to his cheek, pulling the hair from his face and back over his shoulder. He's calm. Until he hears the ruckus that follows. Casting his focus over his shoulder curiously, the ratchet is left, swaying from the bike when he stands up to follow the noise.

"Babe. You trip?" he asks with his usual low voice, an easy smile crawling to his mouth as the thought amuses him. Yeah, making run of the large, clumsy lady.

Kailey is slightly bent over in her evening dress. Skirt moving slightly in the breeze from outside. She looks up, wide-eyed, and then around in surprise. "What time is it?" She asks as she slowly straightens. Looking from fading sunlight to Everett with an expression of deep worry. "Oh fuck...I'm back. The crown was the key!" Like he will know what she is talking about. "Shit...I hope everyone else gets out," As Kailey goes to take a step towards Everett she pauses. Now because of the grease but because the skirt and what she is now wearing register. She has never owned a dress like this. The stunned look on her face as she looks down might be comical.

He hasn't found himself immune yet, to the way she looks. Leaning in maternity dresses, or otherwise, Everett heads over to her instead. The smile is replaced with an amused look of concern. Taking advantage of her pause, he steps in behind her, so she has something to lean against still. His greasy left hand rising to cup her throat. While he bends his head down, his raven black hair carpeting down over his shoulder to spool between them, he gently yet firmly tilts her head back so he can meet her lips and unknowingly greet her back home properly. And deeply.

Kailey is reeling still. That much is obvious because it takes her a moment to even respond to Everett's greasy hand. Or the kiss. Then she blinks and cuts it short, leaning back to blink up at him.

"Sorry...I...umm...give me a second Ev. I just climbed a ladder and zapped some angry audience members and...Oh shit! August! He fell and the other people were falling and it was a mess, Ev! I thought grabbing the crown would end it. But it just brought me back here. Where's my phone?" Kailey pulls away further and begins looking around worriedly for her phone. Which she had left on the worktable.

(TXT to August) Kailey : OMG I hope you guys are okay.
(1 min later)Please be okay.
(1 min later) I am back home. Safe. (>1 minute later) Are you okay? The others? 🙁

Letting her throat go, he does one better, and reaches into his pocket before offering her his phone. Since that's the one he knows where it is, the arm holding the phone hanging over her shoulder. While he's making the offer, his attention is on her. Or rather, what she's wearing. Checking either for visible damage. "Grabbing the crown, huh? (You look ok)," he adds under his breath. Returning his voice to his normal volume he murmurs, "I dunno what kinda thing you were in, but I wish I was--" He pauses. And doesn't add anything else.

Kailey shakes her head when the phone is offered and says, "No. You probably don't have his number." Then she finds it and picks her glittery phone up. Quickly sending off a series of rapid messages. "It...no...you really don't, babe. It was mostly awful. Kind of cool, but mostly not," Her voice shakes as she speaks and eventually it travels down into her shoulders and then hands holding the phone.

When his phone is refused, and rightfully so, Everett remains still while he puts his phone back into his pant's pocket before brushing his hair back and watching her moving around, finding her phone and sending her texts.
He's been there before.

"Everything ok?" he asks after a second, when the texting ends. Tucking his thumbs into his jean's pockets, he curls hands into fists, pulling his gaze from her head down the grown.

Kailey's breathing slows by the time she finishes the last text. Though no reply she sets it on the worktable nearby. Everett's question has her turning to look up at him with an almost bewildered expression. "I dunno...those things were doing serious damage to the others. There was a firefighter...I didn't recognize the rest of them though, besides August. They're not back yet. He's not answering," Kailey reaches up and rubs at her mouth and nose. "I need to sit down..." It is then she notices his looking at her dress. Once again it strikes her and she says, "I...how did this come back?" She looks up at the gorilla hopefully. He's done this more, right?

(TXT to August) Kailey : Sorry if this isn't the time. But should I be freaking out I'm still wearing the dress??? 🙁

(TXT to Kailey) August : sorry, just woke up. I think everyone made it out. I broke the crown.

(TXT to Kailey) August : you can bring things back from...those. not always a great idea. but it happens. I'm in the suit.

(TXT to August) Kailey : Thank the stars you're okay! I hope everyone else is. And...well, yay nice new duds I guess? I didn't know I could do that.

"Things?" he asks. His head cants softly, offering the right side of his cheek because he doesn't know what these things are that she speaks. "Wait," lifting his dirty hands, Everett rolls his eyes up and then back down, "One of the things attacking you was a fireman and August was there or was he also attacking you too?" He looks back down at the dress and murmurs, "I dunno, but it's not exactly horrible." He steps into her personal space again, poking a rib and leaving a smear, "Is it?"

(TXT to Kailey) August : it's risky. weird shit can happen. so just keep an eye on it. glad you're ok too.

"There weren't...people. They were shadows. Puppets. Acting like people but not," Kailey says. A closer look can see she is pale and her eyes are not as bright. "No...ummm...I showed up with a bunch of people on this stage. We were all dressed fancy. One of them was a fireman. He got hurt bad. I could tell just from the amount of blood and how beat up her looked. But I was just trying to get the crown. To get away," And shr hugs herself. A ghost of a smile answering the poke. "Oh, hey, your hands are gross! Don't touch me," And she suddenly seems to realize and jumps back. Looking down at the smudge that mostly blends with the dark blue. She might be able to get it out.

"'Don't touch me,'" Everett replies with a playful smirk albeit it concealing something else. "I think that's maybe the first time YOU'VE ever said that to me." He looks down at his hands as he rolls his fingertips together with his thumb, to judge just how greasy he is.
Very.

Lifting his head, concern has returned, "It sounds like you had a rough time. But." There's the once over again, his head tilting which hangs his long hair, "I mean, maybe I should give you a thorough once over, just to check. How about everybody else?" he asks, then up nods his head, "Is that who you were asking. If not, I'm not exactly sure how to go back in and get them aid. I mean. ..." he ponders for a second, looking up to the ceiling, "I guess you'd go back in voluntarily, and then search for them?"

Kailey flashes Everett an apologetic smile as she picks up her phone. Reading the texts and then nodding. "Yeah. Looks like they all got out," She says with a soft sigh. It almost seems like she misses his offer for a once over. "And I am -not- going back!" Firm. Very firm.

Turning to the door to the garage she pauses and looks back at Everett. "I...am going to go take a shower I think. I'm sweaty and chilly and..." She shudders and wraps her arms around herself. "Can you close up the garage and join me? I think...I think I just...something soothing. That's what I need," She's babbling a bit again as she rubs her shoulders. "Ugh...I had -two- things happen today Ev. -TWO-!"

Frowning gently at hearing of the frequency causes crease lines to appear between his flat eyebrows. Then he purses his lips to the side before turning his head to scratch his left cheek with his right hand. "Mmm-maybe you're having them more frequent because..." and then he points his scratching hand down, fore finger extended to her tum-tum. "Maybe you're having hers too? Gives you something to think about, but yeah. You go ahead and go up. I'll bring the bike in and I'll be up in a second." He lingers for a second, then leans in, raising his hands above his head, and puckering his lips, making her have to lean up to finish the kiss. "Mmmmm..."

Kailey returns the kiss fully this time. Giving him a little smile as she goes up slightly on tiptoe. For those long seconds her eyes close and she lets it linger. Sweet and simple. When she rocks back down onto her heels she is looking faintly troubled. Her hands have fallen to rest on the growing swell of her belly. "I...lately I have been wondering about that. Mom ran with me for as long as I can remember. Because They were chasing us." She lets out a slow breath and represses another shiver. But the goosebumps are easy to see on her arms. "Okay...shower. Love you," And she turns to head inside. And upstairs. To his shower.