Chilton had been curled up, 'just dozing', very deeply buried into his bed despite it being late afternoon, intent on waking up to make dinner but instead woken up very harshly way before that. The cause? Neighbors deciding now was the time to set off fireworks for some god awful reason, putting Frederick on a razor edge as he sat up, frazzled and nerve-wracked before he got himself under control. It took longer than he would have liked to admit, but who needed to know that. After that though, and some wrangling of sheets, he realized two things. 1, there were fireworks because it was a holiday, and 2, Casey hadn't heard anything more than a firecracker before as far as he was aware. Oh. Oh! Fuck, where was he?? How did one even calm down a shark person? Guess he was gonna find out.... "Casey-? Casey, are you alright?" Chilton called, the click of his cane against the smooth marble floors the only other sound of his coming. [ @wannabepsychiatrist ]
“Freddie…?” Frederick hears a small whimper from Casey’s current room. If he catches it, there is another whimper from the room as another firework goes off. Frederick comes in to see Casey curled up on his bed, almost defensively, his eyes focused on the windows more than anything. Casey is shaking, thinking to himself wondering what all these big noises are. His hands ball up a bit, and his first question to you is simply
“Are you ok?” Hes so scared, yet you’re his first major concern.
"Hey- Hey.... It's alright, there's no danger, it's just loud-" Frederick said soothingly, padding in and going over to his bed immediately. He reached out, pausing and asking, "Can I touch you? Or would that be too much right now?" He.... didn't know how to feel about that, both very endeared and a little guilty at the question. "I'm okay, just a little startled, I promise. It's just fireworks, they can't hurt us, it's a.... celebratory thing for some people. We're safe, I swear Casey."
He hesitates and nods at the question, he doesnt know how he wants to be held, but he knows he needs it. He needs to feel Frederick there, needs to know he’s there even in the dark quiet of the sparking residuum.
“Why do people celebrate with anger..?” He asks meekly, jumping at the next loud noise, and turning to hide in your arms a little. He closes his eyes reminds himself of what you just said, no danger.. safe.
Frederick leaned his cane against the dresser and sat on the bed, tugging the poor thing close and petting him as he learned previously was a good soothing tactic. Gentle fingers combed through his hair, his brows knitting in worry at the slight tremble he felt running through him. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, wondering why that was himself. "I.... don't know. It's just how they are, how they're taught I suppose," He said softly, wincing badly at the next boom of gunpowder and unneeded flame.
He presses his face into your stomach, as if that’ll muffle the explosions. You feel him biting a little in the way that his jaw is moving yet you feel no pain. He is biting his lip to stifle a whimper and to calm down, which obviously doesn’t work when he jumps at another firework. The fingers combing through his hair helps just enough that he recovers slightly faster.
“Why would someone teach something so mean…” he asks, his voice shaking a little. “We cant be the only people who think its bad… right..?” The question lingers in the air for a moment before a softer firework crackles in and out of existence. This one doesn’t cause him to flinch, but instead to look out at the window curiously. Then a big pop happens and he hides again, face to your upper abdomen, whimpering softly.
Frederick couldn't help the way his mouth pulled into a taut line, body matching as he held him close, a tightly strung bow string that twanged with each disruption, as if they were a pluck of the fingers. He did try to negate it as much as he could in Casey though, cupping his jaw gently and urging him away from biting himself, worried he'd start bleeding. "Because it's not seen as mean," He said quietly, a little sadly, wishing he could smooth that tremble like he could a wrinkle in a tablecloth. He couldn't, but he still tried, long fingers running through his hair and over his back, where a fin would be if he were where he actually belonged. "We're not, but the ones who do aren't heard. It's taught and ingrained so deeply that stopping such things would cause... outrage, to say it lightly. Nobody would listen." They never do.
He doesn’t stop biting his lips, as it’s his way of soothing himself, or at least trying to. He does at least press his face into your hand, rubbing his rough cheek against your palm. This seems to calm him a bit, but not before he winces and licks his lip a bit, tasting the blood from his mouth.
His back straightens a bit as you rub where his fin would be, clearly enjoying the feeling a bit, distracting him from his bitten lip. “People should have an area meant just for loud noises..” he murmurs as he rubs his lip a bit, smearing some of the blood. As yes got his hand on his lip a big firework pops, and crackles out of existence, which causes him to hide in your chest, shaking again.
Chilton continued petting him with a soft sigh, brows furrowing even farther at the wince. "Casey?" He questioned quietly, tone so gentle despite the pops and crackles outside. So he did have the ability to be nice, he just didn't use it, huh. "Be careful.... I know you're anxious...." "That would be a really nice solution," He agreed, shivering at the next firework, this whole thing neverending it seemed. Frederick hugged him close, running a hand through his hair distractingly. He knew he had sound proof headphones in his home office, but he wasn't all that certain he could detangle long enough to grab them and get him settled enough to use them. Still.... worth a shot? "Hey..... I need to grab something really quickly, it'll help you a lot, will you let me up for just a second? Just a minute, and then I'll be back, I promise-"
He whimpers, hugging you tightly as his teeth gnaw at his cheeks, ignoring the blood he’s drawn. “I’m sorry.. i dunno why…” he doesn’t even finish his sentence, instead pressing his face into your palm.
“Please don’t go… it’s better with you here..” he looks up at you with this scared, somewhat clingy look in his eyes.
