[PRP] Checkup (Pax/Rabbit/Kids)

[Smerdle]

There had been a lot going on lately, and like many people, Rabbit didn't usually think of the doctor if someone wasn't sick. At least until he did.

One night, just after the new year, he awoke from a sound sleep, his mind full of dreadful questions. What if one of the sirens broke a bone trying to fly? What if someone saw them who shouldn't? What if they didn't need him anymore? Pax had told him to call, and he tried to push the deer creature out of his head once he realized he was thinking about it, afraid that he'd already dialed some mystic otherphone when it was after midnight and he had work in the morning and it really wasn't a good time. But several nights later, surrounded by excited children who had been told they could stay up past their bedtime, he sat in the living room and thought about Pax very hard, hoping that it heard.

Please come.  

[shibrogane]

It heard. Maybe. It showed up, anyway, a gaunt and wasted-looking thing. It knocked politely on the door and when allowed in, settled on the floor among the sirens. "You have grown so large," it said, "I am so proud of you."

Then it turned all six eyes on Rabbit.

"Hello, Lord," it said.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

The children settled down as soon as Pax did, watching it in curious silence. They enjoyed bombarding the humans that Rabbit introduced them to with immediate questions, but othercreatures were treated with a certain reverence. It was why they took the fetch's stories so seriously when all they amounted to was idle gossip.

As the eldest, Neverain nodded with youthful oversincerity and replied, "Thank you," like he was meeting a real life ninja turtle.

Rabbit was caught between apprehension and amusement, but when he spoke he was respectful as well. "Hello, Pax. How've you been?" It had worn a smoky form the last time he had seen it and had been a giant deer the first, and he couldn't tell if it was thinner because it wanted to be or because something was wrong.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I am well," it said, which was rather obviously a lie: it wasn't just gaunt, it looked unhealthy, like it'd bled weight off that it hadn't had to lose.

Pax held out a hand to Neverain, and another to Sywyly, and it said, "I am Pax. May I know your names, little ones?"

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Sy took Pax's hand in both of hers, not as awestruck as her brother or oblivious as her father. She scooted closer, tail feathers splaying awkwardly across the carpet behind her.

"I'm Sywyly. Aunt Liv put way too many Ys in it. I like my nickname best. Sy. And he's Nev. Neverain."

There was something off about the way she was acting, his troublemaker. Like someone had died. That werewolf kid and Adoelle, definitely. Heliodora, maybe? Rabbit thought someone might have mentioned that in the void. Three tears. Well, if she wasn't gone, then she was certainly out of a job, which meant that Pax had nowhere to hang out. No one to protect with its ice and its insistent voice. So the way it looked probably wasn't on purpose then.

"That's good." The small talk was weird, but he was suddenly a bit more concerned about it than he was with the reason he'd called. "Do you know what we did?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"That is many Ys," agreed Pax, "But it is a lovely name. You should be honored."

It bundled itself up, fluffing up oddly as if it had grown a ruff of feathers. "You should ask the sirens," it said. "Young ones, do you know?--" It seemed to expect that they would, looking to them expectantly.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

"I... I did," he said, the look he turned on the sirens unintentionally wounded. But he supposed he hadn't, not directly. He had just assumed that since they clearly lived in this timeline, that it was all they knew. But he could tackle what they may or may not be hiding later. He hadn't been fishing for clarification, just a reassurance that Pax wasn't... dying or something because of the new seal. He hadn't wanted to ask directly, but it seemed he might have to. Autumn would probably literally kill him if he didn't make sure Pax was okay.

"Look, don't." He held out his hand toward Nev, who had drawn breath to speak. "I don't want to know that, I want to know how you are... really. Whose... demain... you live in now, without Heliodora. You look... thin, is all." He was pretty sure that one word was way Frenchier than he'd said it. He was pretty sure mentioning Heliodora was a mistake. He was pretty sure speaking of someone's weight was rude, no matter how inhuman they were. Rabbit drew one foot up onto the couch with him, retreating from his own words. "Sorry."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I don't know what has happened," said Pax. Its eyes watered. "She was gone. Then I was gone. And now I am diminished."

It looked to the sirens.

"I am saddened. But I know that this will be for the best. It must be." It patted Nev on the hand.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

The sirens gathered closer, as if by encircling Pax they could make it stay. They each left one of their hands in one of its and linked their free ones together behind its back. When Sy looked up again, there was a flash of anger in her eyes that Rabbit had never seen before.

They were meant to prevent the otherworld's demise. But what could they do about this?

"I'm sorry," Rabbit said again, rather miserably. "I don't think it's for the best at all, but... I mean... Is there anyone else you could serve? We kind of made some new principals? Maybe you could stay with one of them?"

shibroganewoot

 

[shibrogane]

Pax said, "If your sirens died, could they be replaced? Would their part in your life ever be filled?"

It shook its head.

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

Rabbit looked down. "No. Yeah. That was stupid to say." And then he was quiet.

It was Nev who spoke next, swallowing once before he asked, "Are you in any pain?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Pax shook its head. "It is the natural way of things. Perhaps. I had not considered that I might die. Heliodora was... Eternal."

It ducked its head. "Or I thought so, once."

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

"Okay. That's good, at least." The siren sat back and let go of his sister's hand. "Is there anything you'd like to tell us about you or Heliodora? Something nice or funny?"

Sy was still angry as she reclaimed her hand, though it was more of an undirected pout than anything specific. When she looked up at Pax, her expression gained an edge of determination. "You will not be forgotten."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Thank you," said Pax.

It paused...

"Heliodora and I were friends for a very long time," it said. "A long time ago, I learned a friend of mine was doing something dangerous... and I told her, and she said, we'll fix it." Another pause. "We did fix it."

Smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

"That is very nice," Nev said, his feathers poofing slightly with satisfaction. Even Sy seemed appeased by Pax's reply, though Rabbit was having trouble grasping why. He had looked up again at the promise of a story from the other side, and though he was briefly amused by what had come of it, he couldn't help feeling frustrated too. They really couldn't prevent this. Not when the ancient being they wanted to save was sure the end was inevitable.

"Well, I'll remember you taking pictures with Autumn. I'd never been weirded out and happy at the same time before."

"And I'll remember how tall you are."

"Yeah, you are very tall."

Rabbit's lips stretched with the hint of a smile. Okay, fine. "And I'm glad you and Heliodora fixed the dangerous thing too."

shibrogane