[SIRENS] Jump, Jump (Alexis)

[Smerdle]

Daekie

Alexis. Alexiiiiiiiiiissss. Nev and Sy wanna hang out with you and I told them they could for a little while as long as I'm there and they practice their wing things so will you come Alexiiiiii—

Rabbit might have been a little out of sorts when he left his message for the displaced noble, but when he texted them the next morning, there were no lingering signs. He made plans to meet them at a park that afternoon, not a park of the woodsy, tree-filled variety, but one that was nestled between two buildings and made more of concrete than anything else. There were swings and see-saws and sprinklers like you would expect, in addition to a fairly complex area for skateboard and rollerblade tricks. The city insisted the cement waves and arcs were 'urban landscaping', but everyone knew they were for ollies and s**t.

It was surprisingly empty for the middle of the day, but that might have been due to its lack of proximity to any schools or other places kids hung out. That was fine with Rabbit. Even though he had perfected the light summer squeep cloak, nothing but holding still could truly hide Neverain's tail.

The children were on the swings, urging them higher and higher with their own leg power, and their whoops and screeches were only slightly more musical than those of any other kid.  

[Daekie]

It wasn't hard in the first place to make plans with Alexis, as long as they were made ahead of time; half the trouble was just making sure they could make their way across town at a reasonable speed, because haha, it wasn't like they drove. (Well. They could drive, but not in this state, anyways. Not legally. And that was half the battle.)

They just texted back a simple kk, left at that, and made no mention of Rabbit's out-of-sorts message even if it'd made them laugh. He was a nice guy, really.

"Hey!" Alexis greeted the squeeps with an upraised hand, eyes bright, smile small. They were good kids. "How've you two been, huh?"

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

"We're going to get killed," Neverain announced with a wide grin, a grin that was countered by Rabbit's equal but opposite frown. Though there had been tears when he'd initially told them of their role in the creation and destruction of the sigil, and there were still occasional bouts of tears in the weeks since, sometimes the children displayed a joyous recklessness instead, which was startling in its contrast. He usually pulled them into tight hugs when they got too morbid, but he didn't want to do that in front of other people. Regular hugs: yes. Hugs to stop your kids from mulling over their own deaths: no. It was an odd line to draw, but Rabbit had drawn it.

"No one is going to kill you," he said. "I won't let them." He swallowed, shrugging a little at Alexis. "It seems that their ancestors were a part of the sigil everyone wants to break, and you know, magic loves to screw with people who had nothing to do with anything just because someone with the same blood did. I'm looking for an alternative."

Sy, seemingly unaffected by her brother's lack of chill, held up a brown and cream feather, presumably one of her own. "Want a feather, Alexis?"

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"If anyone kills you I'm gonna kill them," Alexis countered back at Neverain, equally confident but with a much smaller smile. "I know, Vaughn. Everything's terrible, nothing matters, but I punched ******** in the face and the scars look cool." They crouched down a little for level eye-to-eye contact with Sywyly, taking her feather carefully. "Thanks, kiddo. Wish I had feathers."

Their pout was a little affected, but to be fair, the genuine desire to have their magic bodymods was not. Feathers sounded like they'd be interesting to have. "So, Vaughn, y'want me t'teach the babies free running...or d'ya want me t'throw them off the roof n'see what sticks?"

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

"The first one. Roof tossing is for later. And they do. Look cool, I mean." Rabbit might not have been able to participate in the pummeling of Lord Ezra, but he appreciated those who had. Changes needed to be made, even if he was not the one to make them.

The sirens gathered closer, placated by Alexis's promise of protection and acceptance of Sy's gift.

"What's free running?" Nev asked. Their father had mentioned learning something about someone named Parker, but he didn't know what running had to do with that.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

Alexis grinned, even if it was a little halfhearted; they still had to make sure to do exercises every morning, for the scar tissue, just to make sure full range of motion was retained and would be for a while longer. Being held down was problem enough - this was nothing they would let anyone take away from them, no matter what was done in return.

But that was a problem for some other time. They had children to level with.

"Free runnin' is - it's basically being able to use buildings and stuff like another pathway. People call it 'going past obstacles for fun', but that sounds dumb, so we're not gonna say that. It's stuff like people running up a wall and doing a flip, jumping between rooftops; it's gymnastics but it has a purpose."

Smerdle