[PRP] Bird Watching (Temperance/Squeeps)

[The Semblance of Unity]

"You can pet him." She thought Per might like it. He was a ghost of his former self, sure - a burden, a reminder. But lately, he'd been more lively than a sort of construct would be. He twisted his head to look at her, clearly waiting for the next order; much more obedient here than he was in Ashdown proper. Temperance guessed it was the magic concentration.

Sy got a look. "You don't think because you don't know yet. Sy, think what Rabbit would do if you ever got hurt." Temperance tapped her fingers against her lips. "Do you have cell phones? Once I'm, well, um, not here anymore, I can come with you when you want to wander. I know - I hate being bored too, but..."

smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Nev reached out with as little movement as he could, brushing tentative fingers across Per's head and trying to remain unnoticed. He really was not getting involved.

Having found temporary success with suppressing her guilt, it bloomed again when Temp mentioned her getting hurt. Not because she was worried about herself, but because she immediately imagined how she would feel were her father or brother the ones in trouble. She frowned and folded her arms, or at least she tried to. It was a little difficult with the feathers.

"We don't have phones, but... I can wait. I don't want to make anyone worry."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Per immediately darted forward, squirreling his way around Nev's arm. He chirped as he went, small, soft noises of curiosity. The arm had been taken as an invitation.

"You don't have phones? I wonder if Rabbit would..." Temperance paused. Maybe phones for the squeeps would be good; that way they could go out and about. But Rabbit didn't want that. "Well, if you want to ever schedule some wandering, then have Rabbit text me, or sneak on his computer and email me." She smiled, a little slyly. Sy clearly longed for adventure in the great, wide somewhere and keeping her coddled up would possibly lead to utter rebellion. Temperance didn't deal often with children, though she remembered how it felt to be stifled. And her home life had been excellent.

"I would be very sad if you got hurt, Sy."

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[Smerdle]

Her arms were still crossed, but that didn't stop her smirk.

"Would you be? Really?" Vanity was her brother's weakness first, though this wasn't quite the same thing anyway. Hearing that someone who hadn't raised her cared whether or not she remained in one piece was nice. Sy dropped her arms to her sides, glancing at Nev as he let out a pleased trill.

"We could probably get phones if we asked. He's not against it, I don't think, it's just reminding him that we could use stuff like that. I think deep down he still things we're those weird chicken blobs." She hated her chicken blob phase, but she knew Temperance had seen it already so there was no harm in mentioning it.

Judging things relatively safe again, Neverain stopped hunching and began petting Per in earnest. "Where did you get him?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Of course I would!" Temperance smiled and glanced at Nev, too. "I think you should ask - if you're able to text rabbit where you are, he might be more willing to let you go out on your own or with people who aren't him. You're getting older and need the responsibility associated with that." Though she couldn't really fault Rabbit for keeping them home for safety. The world still wasn't completely fond of obviously magical beings.

When Nev asked about Per, she stilled for a second. "A reminder," she said and let the silence drag on a bit, trying to decide how to phrase it. "Per is all that's left of someone I tried to help and failed. His skull, his... ghost, I guess." Per swung around to look at her, cocking his head. He let Nev pet him, though. He liked the attention, or, at least Temperance thought he did.

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[Smerdle]

Sy nodded. More freedom would be good. Playing games on a phone whenever they liked sounded fun too.

Following Temp's pauses and melancholy reply, Nev didn't press her, even though he was still curious. Had Per not been the product of sadness and death, he would have been the coolest ghost ever. But without death, would he have been a ghost at all? Probably not. It was a circle of lame.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure it's sad to remember, no matter how cool he is now. We'll definitely bring you some stuff to do." The last bit was mostly to himself, a vow to keep Temperance entertained by better things than a dead friend.

After a little more Per petting and admiration, Nev began to whistle almost absentmindedly, a quiet sound that seemed impossible considering how shrill most whistles were. It grew into a song when Sy joined in, though there were still no words. It was true birdsong, the one thing the sirens were innately good at besides looking funny.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"It's okay - we all need reminders so we don't make the same mistakes." Temperance smiled, and was about to speak again when Nev began to whistle. Sy joined him, and the music grew, pleasant and swelling over everything. Temperance wondered if Oroh was listening, too.

There was a particularly intricate bit and Temperance clasped her hands together, the loud clap by accident, but it was enthralling, even for someone who didn't care one way or the other about music.She couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.

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