life itself

Jay returns just as light-footed as he left, and if it weren’t for a creaky floorboard he wasn’t familiar with, likely wouldn’t have gone announced at all. He smells vaguely like floral soap, and his hair rests in dark curls against his forehead, heavy with moisture. The pajamas Alana picked out for him fit, for the most part, as long as he doesn’t bring his arms up over his head. He looks a lot less intimidating than he had in the forest, in any case.

Being polite, he doesn’t interrupt Phil’s singing, but he does stop in the hallway entrance for a few seconds to observe. When he moves again, it’s to come to rest near the couch, leaning a hip against its side.

”Quite the talent.”

“Phil loves to sing- he just likes feeling included in people things generally, but especially likes it when he gets to watch his favourite movies. Tangled’s probably at the top of that list,” Alana says. She’s in the middle of setting the table, though it does take her awhile to rummage around for enough utensils. 

“Note to self- we need to grab some more forks and stuff at the shops, while we’re getting clothes,” she announces out loud. “Do you guys wanna sit with Phil while we eat? Or should we have dinner at the table?” she asks.

Alana’s phone buzzes, shaking around on the table. It draws Phil’s eye briefly, though he ignores it to continue meowing along to the musical chorus on TV. Alana hurries over to pick it up, swiping to see the name- and frowns, before wandering back into the kitchen to take the call. She’s speaking a little more loudly than she’s aware of, pacing around as she moves things from the stove to the counter top.

“Tomorrow? Oh, no- I can’t. Can we reschedule? I know you wanted to discuss- yes, I’m aware, and I know- no, I know- you still have the copy of? Right, right. But something big happened- I’ll give you the details later- over an e-mail, now’s just not a great time- mhmm. Yes, I know. I’ll speak to- no, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. You don’t need to- I can do it myself. You want to? Well- no, really, I should, since- I mean, if you’re already going out to dinner with him… Right, okay, Tuesday works. Tuesday, then- ciao!” 

It was difficult to dwell on sad things with Phil singing his heart out, though, and Jay wasn’t disturbed by these thoughts, nor did they last. He adjusted a crooked butter knife without a word, only glancing in Alana’s direction when she left to answer her phone. He’d always been insistent on allowing her her privacy, and when she had been a teenager given her as much space as he thought was appropriate - he trusted her to tell him things she thought were important for him to know, after all - and so almost automatically turned his head away to try and tune into whatever musical number her joint-custody cat had invested himself in. He placed the last fork at Raleigh’s spot at the table before he did his own. All water under the bridge, it seemed.

Raleigh takes off his shoes and leaves them by the door, carefully stepping around Phil as he does so. He walks over to the couch and shrugs off his bag, which the cat immediately starts to attack. Raleigh sighs, gently nudging Phil away with his leg. “Can you stop that, little man?” Phil gives an indignant meow and hops up on the couch. “Such attitude..” Raleigh rolls his eyes, but obliges the cat with a quick scratch under his chin before going to set up the movie. 

The opening scene of Tangled starts, and Phil meows in excitement. Raleigh grabs his laptop. “Alana,” he says, just loud enough to be heard from the kitchen. “I’m gonna email you the all bureaucratic shit the library makes us send out to newcomers– the stipend signup and employment stuff should be in there, for when your dad’s ready.” 

…

“Do you want me to send the library card signup form, too?”  

“That sounds great!” Alana chimes from the kitchen. There’s a strange assortment of noises- clunks, clatters, the hiss of flame, but it seems like the situation is mostly under control. “Dad was a professor back when- well, in Aurora. Human anatomy and physiology. He’s a real smart cookie- and why I’m a med student to begin with,” she laughed, the sound of a wooden spoon clattering against the side of a pot audible. Soft thunks of a knife rocking into wood resound. 

“I think it’d be nice. He’s probably going to want to hunt down all of the books and field guides on local wildlife- he’s an outdoorsman, I already told you about that. I can let him borrow my card until it processes through the system though, I know it can take a little while.” There’s a soft sound of metal being unfolded, the steamer basket propped up on thin legs. 

Yeah, no. 

Now that he was dead and wasn’t limited by a lethal aversion to sunlight, Raleigh fucking hated the dark. His house had nightlights for a reason, and it wasn’t because of Phil like he always says. Speaking of–

Phil meows. Rhythmically. 

Being polite, he doesn’t interrupt Phil’s singing, but he does stop in the hallway entrance for a few seconds to observe. When he moves again, it’s to come to rest near the couch, leaning a hip against its side.