(no subject)

[gone_byebye]

The door opens onto an alley in New York City. It nearly always does.

"We go around the front and into the Firehouse," Ray says. "The door tends to lock behind me when I head to Milliways. Don't worry, the guys are all used to me bringing home strangers."

Comments

[creator_raven]

"I have heard stories, I think."

He wrinkles his nose, head tilting to look at the taller boy.

"Mostly I am thinking no, yes?"

That last is a bit directed at Ray.

Raven is still grinning.

"I am not so good at rational, perhaps."

[gone_byebye]

"I'm not even going to ask, Ray," says Catherine wearily. "Just remember the rule, okay?"

"No blood, no fire?"

"I'll settle for 'no lingering evidence of blood or fire by the time I get back'," says Catherine, "but yes. You boys be good for your uncle, okay?"

"Okay," the boys chorus. Their mother hugs them, then opens the aforementioned little door and gets out of there.

The boys look back at Raven. "Okay," says Alex. "If you're not another scientist, are you one of the Jedi? Uncle Ray brought Master Qui-Gon back from Milliways once."

"He was blue," Joey volunteers. "I could see right through him. It was cool."

[creator_raven]

Raven attempts not to look shifty when Catherine mentions the rule.

It is almost successful.

Then he props himself up against the wall, head tilted, black eyes wide and bright.

"Mostly I am Raven, who sets things right. There are stories. And feathers."

He's a helpful creature, really.

Er.

[gone_byebye]

The look on Raven's face is pretty much one Catherine's seen every single time she's ever talked to Peter Venkman, so that's just... well, that.

Alex frowns a little at Raven's answer. "What kinds of things?" he asks.

"Alex," Ray says, "do you remember the story about how Raven stole the sun from the people who had it in a box?"

"Yeah?"

"This is that Raven."

"..... cool!"

[creator_raven]

Raven leans forward, flashing a bright grin.

"It is surprisingly easy to fit in a pocket, I am thinking."

[gone_byebye]

The boys are both grinning now. "We can't do that," Alex reports.

"We tried," Joey confirms. "We can't get small, though."

"You boys are a little young to be experimenting with magic anyway," Ray says firmly. "Let's stick with the other training for now, okay? When you're older, you can study anything you want."

"Can you fly?" Alex asks Raven, largely ignoring his uncle. "I mean, like Superman flies?"

[creator_raven]

Raven looks at Ray as if he is insane.

Obviously Raven is perfectly capable of making a reasoned judgement on this point.

"Some things are better started young, perhaps."

Then he shakes his head.

"He is the one in underwear, yes? Also labeled?"

Blink.

"It is better to fly with feathers."

[gone_byebye]

"They're not supposed to be studying magic yet because I'm teaching them Jedi things and I'd like them to concentrate," Ray says. "The two conceptions of universal-"

"Uncle Ray?" Joey interrupts.

Ray blinks down at him. "What is it, Joey?"

Alex is busy looking thoughtful at Raven's statement- and maybe experimentally flapping his arms. Joey, for his part, just says, "Can I have a paper clip, please?"

[creator_raven]

Raven fishes one out of his pocket and hands it over.

"They are very bendy. It is useful, I think."

Then he blinks down at Alex.

"You are missing the feathers. It is an important part of things, perhaps."

[gone_byebye]

"Yeah, but I don't know how to grow feathers," Alex says.

Joey solemnly accepts the paperclip and turns to Ray. "I gotta show you," he says. "Over here."

As Ray follows his nephew to one side, Alex looks back to Raven. "Am I at least moving my arms right?"

[creator_raven]

Raven studies him critically.

"It is less like flapping, I think, and more like swimming. Here. I will demonstrate, perhaps."

And then there is a bird hopping across the floor toward Alex.

"Possibly it is better if you are crouching, yes?"

[gone_byebye]

Alex nods, brow furrowing in concentration as he lowers himself to get a better look at how the bird is doing this, exactly. "More like this?" he asks, swinging both arms in an excessively wide butterfly-stroke sort of swimming motion.

[creator_raven]

Raven squawks and leaps out of the way.

"Something like, yes. But it is not so--"

He breaks off, shifting again and reaching out to correct Alex's motion.

"It is less like flailing, yes?"

[gone_byebye]

Alex thinks for a bit, then makes a significantly more cautious motion. "I think I get it," he says. "It's like when Uncle Ray started with the swords. If you swing too much you get too tired and don't get anything done anyway."

[creator_raven]

Raven nods solemnly.

"Also in the air there is the problem of falling."

[gone_byebye]

"That'd be bad," Alex agrees. "Uncle Ray's fallen off a building twice."

"Alex, I'm a little busy right now," says Ray's voice, sounding somewhat strained.

"It's okay, Uncle Ray, I'm just talking to Raven..."

[creator_raven]

Raven ruffles his hair.

"Wings are very helpful in those cases, I think."

He frowns.

"Though it does not work particularly well for human shapes."

[gone_byebye]

"People're too heavy," Alex agrees sourly. "Big solid bones."

He glances over at his uncle for a moment, and his expression goes as calculating as a six-year-old's ever gets.

"Mom just said 'no blood no fire'," he says to Raven, very quietly. "She didn't say 'no magic'."

[creator_raven]

Raven grins, black eyes bright with mischief.

"This, I think, is very true. You are not minding feathers, then?"

[gone_byebye]

"Am I gonna be able to change back afterwards?" says Alex. "Because I don't wanna be a bird forever. Just for a little bit."

Feathers ROCK, says his expression.

[creator_raven]

"I will make certain of it, yes."

Raven nods firmly.

"It is not meant to be unpleasant."

[gone_byebye]

Alex really looks like his uncle when he makes the squee! face.

[creator_raven]

Raven laughs, handing over a black feather.

"It is very simple, mostly. Think bird to grow feathers, and think your name to change back."

Here's hoping a six year old can master this.

[gone_byebye]

Alex nods solemnly, taking the feather and concentrating.

Possibly it was a bad idea for Ray to look up and go, "Alex?" just at that moment, because it broke his nephew's concentration mid-feathering.

This... could be interesting.

[creator_raven]

Raven studies the feathered boy very carefully.

"This, I think, is very interesting."

For interesting, read 'has never happened before'.

Oops?