[ There is a young woman in a school uniform sitting on an empty seat bench in third class. Her bookbag is squarely in her lap, both hands covering it as the train jostles a bit over some older stretches of track. She looks out the window thoughtfully and watches some of the scenery go by. Every so often, she fiddles with her tie distractedly. ]
[ Perry returns from his expedition to the dining cart with two buns, one in either hand. He's stashed a little packet of butter in his pocket too, but it's only when he arrives at their car that he realizes that he didn't bother to snatch a knife so that butter won't do a lot of good.
When he reaches where Pasi is sitting, he holds out one of the buns and nudges her gently in the shoulder with it. ]
[ Pasi is busy thinking about things that are decidedly not school, not her parents, and not the possible end of the world. She doesn't like traveling (she blames her parents for that, having kept her cooped up for most of her life) and even having Perry with her isn't doing much to keep the edge off. So many strangers in such a small space. The family reunion their traveling to doesn't make arriving at their destination any more appealing.
When she's nudged she turns in his direction, her expression absent. ]
Eh?
[ It takes her a moment to snap back to attention, reaching up to brush the shoulder of her blazer. ]
Oi, mind the crumbs, Perry. Mom and dad said we're s'posed to look presentable, whatever that means.
[ Perry shakes the bun at her again, undaunted, and waits a few moments for her to take it. Eventually, he wanders over and sits down on the bench across from her and starts tearing his own bun into pieces, popping each piece individually into his mouth. ]
Does it matter? Everyone's gonna look at us funny anyway when we get there. They always do. It's a fact of life.
[ The shaking does get Pasi to take it from him, though she doesn't make a move to eat it. Just drops it back into her lap with her hands, looking down on it like it's somehow offended her sensibilities with its presence. ]
I don't get why we've even got to go this year. I mean, after last year wasn't it kind of a given that we were going to boycott these things from now on? Uncle Pyrrhon practically called me hellspawn over dinner.
[ She kicks out her legs to nudge at one of his feet with hers. ]
Kind of makes with the epic awkward. Family or not.
[ Perry grimaces at the thought of Uncle Pyrrhon who is, pretty literally, his least favourite relative ever. And had always been, even before he started in on the thinly veiled insults aimed at Pasi. He smells like spearmint all the time; that's always been enough for Perry to feel justified in hating him.
He nudges back at her foot, poking at her heel with his toe. ]
I'm figuring if we can get there and last through the hellos then we can just get lost somewhere in the house after that and hope no one finds us. It's a pretty big place.
[ Pasi knows there's nothing that either of them can do really when it comes to the family visits. It's part of the agreement their mother has with her side of the family -- the magically inclined ones. They don't tell about what Pasi can do just as long as they get to monitor her progress. Which means 'family reunions'.
She knows when she gets there, awkward dinners are the least of her troubles. There'll be tests. There are always tests. Pulling a piece from her bun she sticks it in her mouth and chews it, morosely. ]
Just as long as I don't get stuck in a closet for twelve hours again. I didn't even have my iPod with me. Totally blew.
[ Perry presses his lips together. He doesn't like how his relatives treat him, but he really hates how they treat Pasi. When he was young, it was depressing but not quite so frustrating. Now it's frustrating because it feels like he should be able to do something to protect her. He rips his piece of bun in two. ]
You won't. I'll be stuck to you twenty-four/seven, no matter what they try to do to drag me away. Promise.
[ Even though his face doesn't completely show it, Pasi can feel her brother's frustration. To her it's almost a tangible thing that tugs on a string anchored somewhere beneath her collarbones (always has been). She ducks her head to look at him, trying to give him an easy, reassuring smile. ]
Creeper, [ she says fondly and gives his foot another kick. Going quiet, she picks at her bun some more, plucking bits off of it with her fingertips. ] You shouldn't tell them about the umbrella. They might stick you in a closet too.
[ Perry looks even more uneasy at that. The umbrella has been easy to avoid explaining to their parents, who know nothing about magic, but Perry worries that once they're surrounded by magical relatives, they'll be able to take one look at him and just know. ]
Seriously, no one is getting stuck in a closet this time. If they try, I will turn their living room into a jungle, and we can run away to the west coast or something.
[ She laughs, a little lightly at that -- an attempt to keep things from getting too serious. Perry's got that look again on his face. His worried, big brother look. But there's something about it she can see that seems to be worried about himself for once, not only just her. Her laugh peters off eventually and when Pasi speaks, her voice is low. Almost dangerous.
She gets like that, sometimes. But only about things like this. ]
I'm not gonna let them do anything to you, Pericles. That's why you can't tell.
[ Perry looks up from his thoroughly shredded bun. He knows that tone of voice. It's not that often that their positions get reversed and that Pasi needs to protect him, rather than the other way around. But when it does happen, he knows she's completely capable of coming to his rescue. Just usually in a way she'd rather avoid. He tries to smile reassuringly. ]
I'm not going to tell. Don't worry. Things are going to be fine. There's nothing they can really do to us if we stick together, okay?
[ His smile is echoed back to him, perhaps a bit more surely. Dumping her bookbag at their feet, she stands and quickly drops down on the bench beside her brother, leaning on him and tilting her head towards him so that it bumps lightly against the side of his. ]
Why don't we just run away? Like, go to join the circus or something. I'm pretty sure they've got traveling roadshows just made for kids like us, bro. I can see it now. [ She lifts her hands to form an invisible marquis in the air in front of them. ]
Behold! The amazing Destructo-girl and her twin brother, uh. Flowerboy.
[ Perry snorts and bump his shoulder against hers. He brushes a bunch of crumbs off his knee and then just holds the bun in both his hands for a moment or two while he looks at her. ]
If you want to be the Amazing Destructo-Girl that's fine, but I am not standing around in a circus ring and growing things for twenty minutes. We'd get booed off the stage and besides, I'd be better behind the scenes anyway.
[ She smiles at him and bumps back, this time with her knee against his. ]
How about fifteen minutes in a circus ring wowing everybody with your overwhelming mental math abilities? Nobody can do long division in their head quite like you can, champ.
Reply
When he reaches where Pasi is sitting, he holds out one of the buns and nudges her gently in the shoulder with it. ]
I come bearing gifts.
Reply
When she's nudged she turns in his direction, her expression absent. ]
Eh?
[ It takes her a moment to snap back to attention, reaching up to brush the shoulder of her blazer. ]
Oi, mind the crumbs, Perry. Mom and dad said we're s'posed to look presentable, whatever that means.
Reply
Does it matter? Everyone's gonna look at us funny anyway when we get there. They always do. It's a fact of life.
Reply
I don't get why we've even got to go this year. I mean, after last year wasn't it kind of a given that we were going to boycott these things from now on? Uncle Pyrrhon practically called me hellspawn over dinner.
[ She kicks out her legs to nudge at one of his feet with hers. ]
Kind of makes with the epic awkward. Family or not.
Reply
He nudges back at her foot, poking at her heel with his toe. ]
I'm figuring if we can get there and last through the hellos then we can just get lost somewhere in the house after that and hope no one finds us. It's a pretty big place.
Reply
She knows when she gets there, awkward dinners are the least of her troubles. There'll be tests. There are always tests. Pulling a piece from her bun she sticks it in her mouth and chews it, morosely. ]
Just as long as I don't get stuck in a closet for twelve hours again. I didn't even have my iPod with me. Totally blew.
Reply
You won't. I'll be stuck to you twenty-four/seven, no matter what they try to do to drag me away. Promise.
Reply
Creeper, [ she says fondly and gives his foot another kick. Going quiet, she picks at her bun some more, plucking bits off of it with her fingertips. ] You shouldn't tell them about the umbrella. They might stick you in a closet too.
Reply
Seriously, no one is getting stuck in a closet this time. If they try, I will turn their living room into a jungle, and we can run away to the west coast or something.
Reply
She gets like that, sometimes. But only about things like this. ]
I'm not gonna let them do anything to you, Pericles. That's why you can't tell.
Reply
I'm not going to tell. Don't worry. Things are going to be fine. There's nothing they can really do to us if we stick together, okay?
Reply
Why don't we just run away? Like, go to join the circus or something. I'm pretty sure they've got traveling roadshows just made for kids like us, bro. I can see it now. [ She lifts her hands to form an invisible marquis in the air in front of them. ]
Behold! The amazing Destructo-girl and her twin brother, uh. Flowerboy.
Reply
If you want to be the Amazing Destructo-Girl that's fine, but I am not standing around in a circus ring and growing things for twenty minutes. We'd get booed off the stage and besides, I'd be better behind the scenes anyway.
Reply
How about fifteen minutes in a circus ring wowing everybody with your overwhelming mental math abilities? Nobody can do long division in their head quite like you can, champ.
Reply
Because the general public has shown itself to be such a fan of math.
Reply
Leave a comment