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[loveasthouwilt]

In all the times I had taken myself to the trampoline to practice my tumbling, I had never once had someone stop to ask me for a lesson in the art. That it was one of Bill's brothers who ended up being the first to ask did not so much surprise as amuse me; I knew of the twins likely in far greater depth than they knew of me, and I knew from Bill's

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[aly_brighteyes]

Aly's first assumption had been to greet George before she noticed that his doppelganger was in possession of both ears and had a slightly blonder touch to his hair. That would be his brother, Fred, then.

A grin on her face, Aly climbed onto the trampoline, lingering at the edge in case someone was on the verge of a complicated move, not wanting to get in the way. "You might take care to be wary," she called brightly to the pretty woman. "I've had dealings with that one's brother and I've been warned he's not to be trusted."

[loveasthouwilt]

I turned with a laugh, instantly conspiratorial. "Just wait till you meet them all, you'll learn none of them can be," I teased, throwing Fred a grin back over my shoulder. "I believe it must be in their blood-- irrepressible charm and a liberal dose of troublemaking."

[drop_dead_fred]

"It's true!" Fred shouted as he began to jump, staying relatively close to one side but gaining height and momentum with each bounce. "And devilish good looks, naturally!"

[aly_brighteyes]

Aly pushed up on the edge of the trampoline, walking on her hands before kicking forward, hitting the trampoline with her feet and bouncing up. "Well I guess you never can trust a redhead," she said agreeably, the words punctuated by jumping up and down. Landing in a sitting sprawl, she looked up at her own red-blonde hair, "But I guess that means you can't trust me."

[loveasthouwilt]

"I shall endeavor to keep that in mind," I said with a laugh, impressed by her boldness and beginning to bounce myself in tandem to her leaps. "So then, untrustworthy redhead, have you trained at tumbling before, or does being adventurous come with the red hair as well?"

[drop_dead_fred]

"The latter," Fred said, a little breathless as he tried to keep up with the two girls. "Unless you're my brother Percy-- but I swear Mum bought him at the market and just didn't have the heart to tell anyone." He grinned and jerked his chin at the newcomer. "What's your name?"

[aly_brighteyes]

"My master always said the players missed out when I didn't train as a professional fool," Aly quipped, though Duke Mequen had been neither the first or the last to make such a comment. "And I'm Aly. She bounced up, to flourish a dramatic player's bow.

[loveasthouwilt]

"I'm Phedre," I chuckled, "and this is Fred. Not George-- I understand there's a difference in the number of ears?" I teased with a mock-quizzical look at Fred.

[drop_dead_fred]

"'Sright," Fred said with a nod. "Three between us-- and you wonder why they say I'm the handsome one." He winked at Aly, leaving no doubt as to who he meant by they.

[aly_brighteyes]

"Well nice to meet you properly, Phedre and the insidious twin of George. I'm very easy to tell from my twin because, well, I haven't got one." It was a lie of course, Alianne of Pirate's Swoop had a twin brother, Aly Homewood had made it known she had sisters. She said it with calm and good-tempered ease.

[loveasthouwilt]

"And you as well," I returned, giving an airy bow with a wave of my hand. "And you are welcome to trespass upon my tumbling lessons any time you wish."

[drop_dead_fred]

"Insidious!" Fred protested, "Hardly. Insightful and interesting and possibly insane, but never that." He shook his head and spoke to Phedre behind his hand, though he didn't bother to lower his voice. "Any time? Really?"

[aly_brighteyes]

"I think my original assessment of 'insidious' is the most correct, if you have the cruel nature to doubt my tumbling skills," Aly said primly, nose whisked into the air. "What do you think, Miss Phedre?"