2020-10-28 - The Fridge is Evil

All told Kailey is gone around half an hour. Everett had surged through the house in search of her. Ignoring the mess in the kitchen and chicken thieving dog in his search for Kailey. This was Gray Harbor playing it's old tricks again.

In the kitchen Flerken has happily helped herself to the broken eggs on the floor. Cinder remains outside chewing on a chicken carcass. Flerken perches on the kitchen island grooming her soft and multi_colored fur. A soft hum has one ear flick to the fridge before her bright eyes turn to the appliance. The door swings open of its own accord and light spills bright from within making the cat blink.

When Flerken opens her eyes Kailey is standing there. The yowl of surprise is paired with a frantic keap of some four feet up and back. Which means her fluffy head grazes the ceiling. There is a loud crash that follows as both cat and Kailey hit the floor hard. A second later the yowling cat is drowned out by a scream of frustration and pain. The kind you worry neighbors will call the cops about.

Kailey found herself suddenly standing where she had been floating before. And standing in slippery egg yolk and whites no less. Her sense of balance fried in the transition she falls with a scream, clutching the bottle of A1 she had gone to the fridge to find.

The small silence after the slip extends for a moment, a short space before the ceiling announces a creek and then foot falls. A silence. Then more feet while they head from Bean's room towards the top of the stairs and down. He doesn't call, using both hands on either railing while travelling down the stairs two at a time on long legs that make it seem duo-step taking was made comfortable for a tall frame like his. Blue jeans come into view first, then his tight, army green t-shirt. The new one, as evident with fewer baby stains. Six letters in two lines: D A D and B O D across the pecs like they were painted on. Or more likely, the shirt was bought too small.

His expression is curious first. But spying who it is, Everett closes his eyes with elation and releases a heavy, delighted sigh from his paused position before he continues taking the stairs down to the bottom and shoves his hands into his back pockets while he saunters towards the kitchen, his head canted inquisitively, brows raised. His inquisitive expression begins to allow an alluring smirk to slowly creep in. First judging her condition from what he can see before he offers, "Ssh, or you'll wake the babies."

As Everett saunters in he can see one thing with epic clarity. Fury. The young woman's face is red and her lips are curled back from clenched teeth when her head snaps up when he enters. Dull green eyes narrow dangerously at his smirk. The hand gripping the A1 bottle lifts and there is a real second when she seems to be lifting to throw it at him. And not lightly or playfully either.

He would be truly taken off-guard if she had. "Careful, Kitten," Everett starts after a short pause when she doesn't reply. Continuing his path towards her, his focus turns to Flerken for a second while her movement calls his attention, cat spying on the goings on in the kitchen. When he draws his attention back, Everett's approach doesn't halt until he gets close. Close enough to touch.
Close enough to club with Kraft Foods produced steak sauce bottles.

The same thing he bends at the waist a little and reaches down without taking his half-closed eyes from Kailey. Slowly, like he's disarming something with the potential to be explosive. And she does. And he's been made aware of that; on more than one occasion. "You ok?" his deep voice asks quietly, tainted with a hint of worry, his thick brows knotting with that his voice suggests. "You need a tea, see Mew, neck rub?"

The arm arrests and her breathing quickens. Like someone waking up from a bad dream. The angry expression slowly softens into a scowl and her arm drops. Leaving the bottle on the floor lest she find the impulse to club him with the bottle. Shaking her head she lets him help her up.

"No. No I'm very not okay," She says in a tight whisper, her chin beginning to tremble. Egg mess covers her pants and she looks down with a grimace. "That was...that wasn't okay..." She says as her arms wrap around herself. Flerken eyes Everett and Kailey with her own narrowed eyes. Why do the humans insist in this vanishing act. Flicking her tail she leaps down and goes trotting off. "I was...was back...when my head was real bad..."

With the bottle released to the eggy floor, Everett takes it gently and slides it across the yoke behind him while he joins Kailey on the floor, seemingly without mind of the state of pants or socks will get into. If he wanted to stay clean, he wouldn't have had kids. He gets close, the previous look he was giving her shifts into concern again and with the tremble of her chin, his attempt to hide it lessens. "Aww, baby," sitting akimbo, he puts a paw on her knee and squeezes while offering her a pout. The hand on her knee slides up her thigh while he brings the other up to wrap her into a warm embrace, leaning forward.

"If it wasn't awful, Kitten, they wouldn't get what they wanted," he offers unhelpfully as he begins to stroke her back through the hug. "I'm sorry it happened at all. But if you feel bad, you give them what they want." A tightening of his arms to squeeze her before releasing just a little so he can look at her when he asks, "Will it help to talk about it, hon?"

Kailey squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. That anger continuing to come and go in waves across her face. But her frown remains. "I can't help how I feel," She says in a tight, quiet, and angry voice that is muffled by his shoulder. "I don't...I can't...that me is-is-" She cuts off with a sharp shake of her head.

As tears fall there is a wave of palpable emotion from her. Words can't describe the chaotic mix of varying emotion that seemed a roller coaster. At one moment elated and then crashing disappointment and self hate the next with a chaser of anger and fear for good measure. In a blink she realizes what she has done and is pulling away, emotional wave retreating like a snail i to it's shell. "Sorry! Fuck..I'm sorry. I need...need..." She doesn't know what needs and starts pushing up to her feet. Lips pressed in a thin line. There's a slight slip but the counter, and Everett, keep her from crashing down again. She's gone from fight to flight mode.

"No. No, you can't, pretty babe," he says, agreeing with her, still stroking her back in what he hopes is a reassuring manner. Letting her stumble over her words, Everett leans a little further still to nearly brace his forehead against her shoulder but pauses short. His right hand swiftly pulls back from comforting, sweeps his hair behind his ear and then his hand resumes the soft reassurances before he rests his forehead on her. Enjoying the huddle on the dirty floor until the moment is called. On account of realization.

He's a little slow. Er. At rising, joining her as a biped, his lips pursing to form a tight o while he feels the yoke beginning to absorb through denim, but not yet saying anything about it, while his mind considers the interesting feeling of the slime and floor filth and running calculations as to when he ought to mention it.
Or even if.

Naturally, he reaches out to provide a place to balance from and then he offers, "Maybe? Go see Mew? She's been asking for you," in her way. Or in the way he characterizes that she does. "Or..." he lingers on the offering, his brows once more uplifted.

At the mention of their daughter Kailey's eyes flick up and unerringly to where the baby plays. Currently in her crib with toys dangling for her to pull and play on. Burbling and kicking her legs as she fights sleep. Worry having been picked up from her father keeping her tense. The coos and gurgles almost on the verge of crying. Until a wave of sleepiness comes to lull her. Beside the bed is mommy and she's singing. All is well now and Morganna begins to doze.

Kailey's eyes flick back to Everett now. Tears are in her dulled green eyes. Unshed but just waiting for the anger to fade. "No. She doesn't see me like this. Not -ever-," She doesn't quite yell it, but her words are forceful and sharp as she leans against the counter. Head down her hair, which should suddenly be noted is it's natural mousey brown, hangs limply in their pigtails. Eyes closed she begins to take deep, if shakey, breaths. A hand angrily swipes across her lids to dash away those unshed tears with a sniff.

"A shower. Mew's going to sleep..." She really shouldn't be using her abilities like this. She knows that. But right now? Right now the lullabies illusion is keeping baby happy while Kailey works herself out. Recovering from having been reminded just how bad her brain is without her medication and proper therapy isn't easy. "Can you get my purse?" She asks him quietly. "I need my emergency pill case."

Watching as her focus turns to their infant, Everett's gaze lingers on her soft face for a second or two longer before he reaches between them with his forefinger extended and strokes her facing cheek ever so softly, once.
It's at the end of the affectionate gesture that he stiffens and sharply inhales, nostrils flaring. "Don't," the word is softly spoken. "Whatever it is you're doing. Don't. It's too easy, yeah? To just use them, your..." the hand used to stroke her cheek makes a vague gesture in the air. "Whatever you want to call them to fix your every little problem. Using them attracts their attention."

When she leans against the counter, he leans on her, pinning her to the counter lightly, he feels, with his weight while reaching up with his left hand to twirl her right ponytail tip between his index and forefingers casually as he sometimes is want to do. "But this," he continues, his deep voice soft just above a whisper, "this is a part of you. She's your daughter, she should know. It will affect her some time and she needs to know that the people in your head aren't you and Mommy still loves her. Don't make me have that conversation with her by myself."

The assertion that their daughter is going to sleep brings the temporary return of his frown. Asked for her purse, though, Everett nods twice, slight bobs of his head, but he lingers. Long enough to twirl brown hair around his forefinger and give two, playful tugs. "I love you. I don't know what you went through, but I'm glad you're home." Leaning down he frees his digit from its follicle prison, planting a quick peck on her forehead as a distraction before he pulls away, and starts heading back upstairs before he thinks to ask, "Where is it?" his voice is no longer soft.

"I'm sorry, "Kailey says as she avoids Everett's gaze. Looking down and away as he plays with her hair. It briefly makes one corner of her lips lift, albeit briefly, in a smile. "I...I'm trying," She whispers before her turns to get her purse. As he asks where it is she opts to just get it herself. "Coat rack," She tells him as she begins fishing inside.

From it she pulls out her pink pill case and pops open a chamber. Pulling out the two small white pills she takes them dry. "I'm sorry. You're right about the glimmering. I'll do my best." She looks up at him with a sad smile. "I'm gonna go proper put Mew to bed...did I miss dinner?" And she turns to slowly head up the stairs.

Done as he's asked, Everett first turns to get the purse, but when she leaves to get it herself, he stops shy, waiting where he is for her to return.
Only she doesn't.

He watches the first few of her steps before he takes quick, long strides to intercept, reaching out to take her elbow and pull, softly. Regardless, she'll always be fragile cargo to him. It buys him the time to catch-up, and when he does his arms wrap around her abdomen, hugging her back to him gently.
A firm, caring thing.
His lips press against the back of her head, his speech muffled as he speaks into her skull, "You don't have to do this alone. You've got a family to help you. I want to help you. We'll put her to bed together, you'll shower and, yes, there's dinner in the fridge for you. That's what having a home means, Kitten. There's always dinner waiting for you. And always some big oaf who knows how to use a microwave to reheat it."

With that, he pauses for a tick, then kisses the back of her head before releasing her to her own devices.
And just to be safe, adds a firm swat on her rump to let her know he still cares, on his way up the stairs with Kailey.