Topic: Something's amiss in the Kitchen.

Second Chances

Date: 2012-07-03 23:07 EST
It was late morning when Nikia jogged up the steps that led to the main entrance of the St. Anges church. Sleep still seemed to cling to small parts of her. Her eyes, her posture, and the sleepy face she made when she yawned. Once she reached the top of the steps, she quickly stepped forward, and opened the door to let herself in. It took a moment, before the nagging feeling that something was wrong crept onto her face. She frowned, and shook her head, wishing to get rid of said feeling. It did nothing to help.

Several mutters followed her as she moved down the hallway. Maybe she should have slept in a little bit longer... It would probably improve her mood. After making her way through several halls, she made it to the kitchen. The door was nudged open, and she slipped inside, and stopped. Something was off. There was hardly anything cooking. Undelivered food was still piled up on one of the counters. The nagging feeling that she had when she first arrived? It was getting stronger. Amber green eyes searched the Kitchen quietly.

"Marlena?" she called out softly, frown returning.

The Church

Date: 2012-07-03 23:10 EST
The old woman sat at the farthest end of the long table dominating the kitchen's center. A wooden spoon rested in each meaty hand, her ruddy knuckles white around their handles, rounded ends poking into her temples. Her wiry gray hair sprouted from her head like an overused steel sponge and she rocked back and forth.

...Until she heard her name. The lonely sound of it made her jump and whirl around. The spoons clattered from her grip onto the table. She floundered from her feet, flung herself into a sprint and squawked, "Toby!!"

Ten steps later, her generous chest heaving, she skidded to a halt. Her wild eye were wet and dark, pupilless pits. She gaped at Nikia's face, her thin lower lip trembled.

"Oh, s'you. You're not him. You're not Toby."

She drew in a deep, scraping breath, and began to wail.

Second Chances

Date: 2012-07-03 23:17 EST
Toby. That's the name she heard in response. It sounded weak and desperate to her, like the woman was clinging to a shred of hope with his name. She blinked rapidly at Marlena when she appeared. She stared at her for the longest time.

And it was the wail that caused her to step forward quickly, her hands moving to rest gingerly on the woman's shoulders.

Something was wrong... she could gather that much... And considering her words, and the wail the older woman was emitting... it was something... She didn't want to hear.

"Marlena."

She murmured quietly, amber green eyes meeting and attempting to keep the attention of the woman's darker ones.

"What's wrong? Is Toby alright?"

He had to be... Right?

The Church

Date: 2012-07-03 23:19 EST
Fat tears oozed out of the corners of Marlena's eyes and they ran across her temples when she threw her head back, continuing to cry. The kitchen's high ceiling only made each sob echo, a sound made in the depths of her throat, rumbling, breaking and crashing like the pounding waves of an ocean. Her solid, fleshy body trembled under Nikia's hands.

"Nooo, nooo, he's not, he's dead and he'll never cook again and he left me with all these orders and deliveries and who's gonna do'em all and there's not enough time and why'd he have to leeeaaave!!" She grabbed for Nikia's elbows at the same time her knees gave out from beneath her, hitting the ground with a meaty thud. Each of her sausage fingers wrapped around the curve of Nikia's elbow and she shook the younger woman with surprising strength.

"That damn boy was s'posed to help me cook for Tilly's birthday now it's all ruined!! He ruins everything!! I'd tell him to go die if he wasn't already!!" Her sobs began anew with frightening intensity. She didn't seem to mind that the kitchen door was wide open and that the church was far from empty.

Second Chances

Date: 2012-07-03 23:21 EST
Every move and sound that the older woman made her more unsure of how stable she was. "Marlena.... Shhhh." she sounded softly, in an attempt to soothe her somehow.

When she latched onto her elbows, and sank towards the ground, Nikia shifted, and struggled to keep her up....until the woman's words sank into her brain. Once that happened, she sank down to her knees with her, her grip on Marlena's shoulders tightening slightly. The shaking didn't seem to faze her much.

"W-what do you mean?"

Her voice was soft, and barely a whisper. Toby....Dead? The thought seemed foreign, like it was something that hadn't ever crossed her mind. She thought she was safe from loosing people... Since she didn't have anyone over her anymore, threatening death to those she cared about, if she didn't listen. She apparently thought wrong. And the realization cut through her... Sharp and quick.

It brought on the prickly sensation in her eyes that signaled that she was going to cry. Rapidly she blinked it away, fighting against the urge to give in. She couldn't cry. Not right now. Marlena was crying enough for the both of them.

"I.. I'll help you. As best as I can." This followed her new outburst of sobs, along with the fact that Nikia was trying to draw her closer in a hug.