xp_logs | Kyle & Alani | Tuesday Morning Chat

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(backdated) After the previous day's excitement, Alani meets with Kyle. It does not go how she planned, but that's probably for the better.

The morning almost seemed quieter than usual as Alani made her way to the coop, hands deep in the pockets of the Detroit Tigers hoodie as she turned over her thoughts. At the realization that someone else was already in the enclosure, she slowed, but of course it was just Kyle, and her tired smile quickly returned, hand raising to wave. Except- her brows furrowed as worry took over. "Kyle?"

"No." Kyle voice definitely came from the back of the coop, where a pair of ripped jeans, bare clawed feet and a chicken were visible. The chicken was sitting, petulantly on Kyle's butt, making unhappy noises and occasionally pecking at the back of his thigh. "Not here." Despite the denial, he pulled himself up, and the chicken did her best to stay upright until he was on all fours, and then it flapped down, making indignant squawks. "Don't know any Kyle's."

"Ah," Alani nodded along, watching the girl strut around to proclaim the indignity of it all before cocking her head at him. "Well, I was gonna return his sweater to him, but if there's no Kyle's around I guess I get to keep it and all the snacks held within." The needling had her lips tilt up, though the laugh bordered on stilted. She was trying to gauge his state before bringing up what she'd wanted to discuss.

"Wait, I had snacks in there?" Kyle got himself up out of the coop bedding and shook himself, before sitting on his haunches. "Real snacks or just like, a ziploc of venison jerky, because those don't count, I leave those everywhere." He had straw in his hair, and dirt on his face, typical for doing work around the chickens, though atypically, his cheeks and eyes were suspiciously clean.

"Well, I did eat the snacks, and the jerky." She added after a beat, still piecing things together. "But I did replace them, and both are currently in the pockets." Again her brows knit together, eyes widening for a moment to take in everything, though only briefly before she dropped her the straight line of her shoulders and slightly removed expression. "Are you, were you, crying? Are you okay? Did Audrey claw your mouth open too?"

"What?" Kyle's voice cracked, asking. "What do you mean too? Who did she claw up?" He pulled himself all the way up, shook off all the rest of the straw and bedding, and looked at Audrey suspiciously. "Lady, what you doing to people's mouths?" Then he remembered himself. "Uh. See, if I lie, I'm a liar, and if I tell the truth, I'm gonna look like a self-centered dick and like a dumbass who forgot that other people spend time with the chicken birds."

"Haller," Alani offered distantly as a reminder while Audrey had begun to peck past, clucking her disapproval at the topic of discussion as she moved to join Yolko in a more dirt central spot. "Well," she started again, though her stance remained lax as she made eye contact. "I don't think there's anything wrong with being a liar if it's better for you, or self-centered and a dumbass if it's the truth and what you want to tell. I'd take either, I respect you regardless. I just would want to make sure you're okay, either way."

"I just don't..' Kyle exhaled through his mouth, and then scrubbed at his face. "Not crying-crying, just sometimes you know, you fuck up and realize you're just dead tired and then the emotion cement truck hits you." He picked Audrey up, tucking her little chicken feet under her and supporting her so she wasn't dangling uncomfortably and met her beady little chicken eyes. "Audrey. If you bite people, they don't feel safe. This is a safe coop. No bite." He said, very dryly. "I'm probably gonna go on, like, a sabbatical for a few weeks. Had a couple people point out that I have been extra spicy lately."

"Yeah," Alani's voice dropped as she agreed. It was... rough to see Kyle like this, but she understood the feeling more than she wanted to share and this was about him. Crossing the coop she reached out a hand to pet Audrey's pretty feathers. "It is a safe coop, she's just a little gremlin sometimes, and who isn't? Sometimes a little gremlin." Slowly, carefully, so that she could continue to read him, Alani placed the hand on his arm and gave a reassuring squeeze, wanting to pull him into a hug and promise him that everything would be alright but knowing that would probably ring somewhat hollow from her.

"Sometimes we gotta face demons, and they make us weird messed up chicken gremlins." Kyle agreed. He patted Alani's hand with his free one, claws very carefully tucked in so the fingers were stiff and awkward, but safe. "This metaphor is about to break down real fast because, like, is Haller okay? Man, I know he's like, awkward around pets but I didn't think the birds could actually sense that as much as dogs or cats. Shamu got out and hairballed right in front of him once. Which I am not gonna do. No hairballs for me, just emotions."

"That too," Alani sighed, though she forced herself to keep her smile, hope that he was actually... as alright as he could be remaining. "Oh, yeah, David was fine, I think it was just startling, and, like, he has those little talons. It wasn't bad, we got it cleaned up and bandaged right away, so it shouldn't even scar." Humming softly in thought, she cocked her head before nodding. "Alright, I can deal with emotions. I mean, you can throw up on my boots if you really want, but I don't think you want to. Offer'll remain open for any of the above for as long as you need, dear."

"I really, really don't wanna hairball on anyone's boots. I just think I maybe need more than therapy." Kyle said, laughing a little wetly. He pulled his t-shirt up to wipe at his face, leaving cleaner streaks across his eyes and cheeks and nose. "Maybe the hairball's the metaphor for my little rage moment the other day, I could make a case for that. Very literary, little, uh, shit, the guy who wrote Fight Club. Body functions as metaphor for emotional pain and all. I'm a mess, and most of it, okay not most but a lot of it is just that I'm dumb and don't ask for help."

She'd nodded along, attention not wavering from him as he spoke and seemed to be connecting more dots than she'd even thought to bring up. Finally, after a pause, she asked, voice calm but firm. “Are you asking now?"

"I'm not... not asking?" Kyle said. "I've got like I dunno, six people ima reach out to because I really need to take like a bunch of things off my plate. Just, uh, fyi, you're one of them. Not for this.." He waved his arm at the entire chicken coop. "This is the best most relaxing chore I've ever added to my day. You should know I steal like two eggs and eat them raw though like twice a week. No, like, I need to offload some of the powers for the new kids. It was three of us before, with like two students. Now there's like five new people and one me, plus teaching, plus X-Men stuff, plus, you know, everything."

"It’s not stealing, cuz, they’re your girls too… and Dwayne," Alani flashed a smile, realer this time, happy he was talking and had plans. “I don’t… want to presume or say that medication is right, or right for everyone, because I don’t think that’s true, but, I will say, I have to take some, and I know a number of doctors in the city, if you want to try. But I want you to be okay first and foremost, because everything is a lot, and you have people who care about you and would gladly help. I’d help you no matter what.” And here she patted his hand again, definitely not blinking back tears.

"Adderal made me so sick as a kid." Kyle said. "Even before I manifested, like, it used to make me throw up. I'm not like. against the idea but." He gestured at his everything - ears, teeth, he even waved one hand at his own other hand. "I'll see what the therapist thinks. She's kind of hinted before I could maybe use something like, after a crisis. She's got a guy who knows Jean. Might be the same as one of your doctors." He laughed. "Stealing in the same way my hoodies get stolen. Chickens, hoodies, community property. "

A snort of laugh, as Alani nodded, but also made no move to return the rightfully stolen sweater. “Good and just. They might be the same, it’s entirely possible. Hmm, come on, dear, let’s see what we can do for help now and if you want, I will wrangle the teens to keep them outta your hair.”

"Well, right now ima go on like, a mental health break." Kyle said. "Like, I have so much PTO at work, and so little booked teaching time, and I already cleared it with Scott and Gar. But I will text you because I think you're good with the kids, and they need somebody gentle sometimes."

"Good." She chirped quickly, nodding happily. "You deserve PTO, and I am glad to try and be gentler?" That was a question as she peered at Kyle in an amused curiosity that showed no sign of leaving. "Which ringer are you running kids through, Kyle? And should I be worried? Okay, sorry, off track, yes, to anything you could possibly need and then whatever else I can help with."

Kyle barked a laugh. "Nah, it's more that I'm..." He waved his entire arm, indicating everything, hair to toes. "I'm me, and sometimes I get snappish and I'm not always the right person for somebody to come to and say they're having a hard time. Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes, no."

“Sometimes what kids need,” Alani added with a nod, understanding what he meant. “But sometimes we need a feather. I'm not too proud to admit I'm a soft-touch, bleeding heart." It was accompanied by a laugh as she shook her head. "Well, I'll be honest, this didn't go how I planned out in my mind palace, but, a lot better."

Kyle grinned wryly, and ran a hand through his hair, disloding some chicken bedding. "I mean it probably helps that Gar already told me I was a supreme dumbass with cheese. Glad I didn't wreck your mind palace though." He stood up and dusted off as best he could. He'd gotten most before, and it was a lost cause. "Uh, on that topic, well, on the topic of not wrecking things I guess, I asked Maya to handle some of the chicken chores while I'm away, but I told her you were in charge. Congrats, you're now the boss of Maya, Chicken Intern for a month.'

"Oh, nah, my mind palace is always intact, don't worry about that, Kyle, especially don't worry about that when you have your own stuff going on. Aw, Maya'll be a great Chicken Intern. No one's bad with chickens... except for David, that was-" She hummed awkwardly, trying to find an appropriate word for the man before giving up. "She'll be great! Everything's gonna be good, cuz, and building'll still be standing when you get back. Promise."