(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]

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?

[gone_byebye]

Ray is making the face in the icon.

Joey is trying not to snigger too loudly, and failing miserably.

Alex is looking over the feathers on his arms and going, "COOL!"

"Oh, man," says Ray mournfully.

[creator_raven]

Blink.

"You are still wanting to try to fly?"

Birdman rides again, apparently.

Well. Bird-boy.

It is likely close enough.

[gone_byebye]

"Can I?" asks Alex, and then says "pfeh," because when you haven't really got a beak you can't really deal with feathers in your face all that well. "Is it still gonna work?"

"You know," Ray says to Joey, "if you thought your mom was gonna be upset because you can psychokinetically lift paperclips..."

[creator_raven]

Raven pokes the boy in the arm.

"Possibly not. It is the problem of density, perhaps."

Blink.

"Though that, too, is easily changed."

[gone_byebye]

"Oooh, how do I do that?" says Alex immediately. He ignores Ray pinching the bridge of his nose. If his uncle is having visions of a density-altered Alex bobbing up against the ceiling he wants nothing to do with it.

[creator_raven]

"You do not. I do."

Raven grins, ruffling Alex's hair.

He might also be fiddling with his coatsleeve.

"That will do, perhaps. Best to watch for windows."

[gone_byebye]

"Okay!" Alex announces brightly. Ray just shakes his head and wanders over to one of the lockers; he returns a moment later with a blue nylon rope and a very large carabiner on one end, which he looks like he wants to hook through Alex's belt.

[creator_raven]

Raven makes an eloquent face at the sight of that.

"That, I think, will only make things very awkward. Also there is the problem of strangling."

He is so helpful, isn't he?

[gone_byebye]

"Okay, okay," Ray says, putting the rope back. "Just a thought. You know, I almost want to get my camera for this."

"OOoooohPICTURES!" The boys start shouting at the same time. "Take my picture, Uncle Ray!"

[creator_raven]

"Possibly he will explode if you do not."

Metaphorically, of course.

Right?

[gone_byebye]

Does it matter?

Don't answer that.

It's a good thing Ray has a darkroom on the premises, though. This would be a hard shot to explain to the Fotomat guy.

[creator_raven]

Maybe if it were closer to Halloween . . .

Nevermind.

Raven makes a face at Alex.

"Now, I think, it is mostly a matter of jumping and flapping."

And cheating.

Always cheating. Raven is good at it.

[gone_byebye]

Alex beams with a huge, shiny smile, and starts flapping his arms exactly the way Raven told him to. "Get a picture of this too, Uncle Ray!" he cries, and then jumps.

[creator_raven]

And it isn't quite that he can fly, half-feathered as he is.

Not on his own.

But Raven has his fingers tangled in a small snarl of thread, and maybe that will span the gap well enough.

Regardless, Alex goes up and . . .


Stays up.

[gone_byebye]

Joey's eyes are the size of pancakes at the sight. Ray's aren't far behind. At least he's got his wits about him enough to start furiously snapping photographs of his gleefully (if somewhat awkwardly) flying nephew.

Even if Catherine's gonna go ballistic over this.

[creator_raven]

As if Raven cannot undo what he's already . . .

Hush.

He's grinning up at Alex, black eyes bright with barely-hidden laughter.

Time passes.





"You are, perhaps, ready to come down?"

[gone_byebye]

"Yeah," says Alex. "I gotta pee."

Joey snortgiggles.

[creator_raven]

"Better to wait for that, yes."

And very carefully Alex begins to drift toward the ground.

Raven frowns a little, concentrating.