Chapter Text
"Erl?"
Warm arms wrapped around him, careful not to squeeze his wings, too small to be that of either of his parents. The person moved him out of his bed, and he was jostled up and down. Stairs. they were going down the stairs, downstairs. Words were funny.
"Erl? That you?"
Someone slipped socks onto his feet, but didn't bother with the shoes. He was too small to walk reliably anyway, but he still had socks on. That meant he was going somewhere because even if he didn't wear shoes all the time, it was cold and he shouldn't freeze his feet.
"I'm right here." So it was her, but his sister's voice sounded a bit raspy and was whispering, not like the normal. This detail was the one that snapped his brain awake fully, to try and find the other wrongnessess and whatever was making her sound voice sound like that. He opened his eyes to see her bangs falling into her face. He reached out a hand to try and brush them away because his sister never let her hair fall into her face. She was neat and orderly and didn't let anything stop her or scare her. His hand was met with a light grasp around the wrist, gentle hold keeping his attention firmly focused on her. "Jimmy? Do you understand me? Are you really awake?"
This definitely wasn't her usual voice. It wasn't the happy voice she used when Jimmy finally put their favorite their piece puzzle with the little moon on it together without help. This also wasn't the hurt voice or cries she had let out when she tried to ride her bicycle without help. Or training wheels. So if this wasn't the happy voice or the hurt voice, although it held some similarity to the latter. Where even were they?
Jimmy squirmed around a bit, turning his head to get a broader view. A closet? Why were they in a closet?
His avian senses said it was past the time he went to bed, but before he was supposed to wake up. Nighttime. That meant the moon was out! His sister liked the moon. She had a sticker of the moon on her water bottle, so he'd tried to draw one on her birthday card (with Grian's help) because she had helped him make one for Grian, and whatever the twins got had to be fair. That was just how the world worked for one and a half year old Jimmy "Timmy" Xelqua. He hadn't been able to find any blue crayons though, so the moon had turned out hot pink and lopsided. She loved it though, and had cut it out of the paper and put it between two pieces of tape. A makeshift sticker was then placed onto his water bottle. There, she had said, now we match. The water bottle was by his arm, half empty from where he had used it the day before.
"Erl, why I wake?' She set him down and looked at him with sad, serious eyes. That's the right emotion, or close, he thinks. Even though she was only six, his sister looked as serious as a grownup. "There's bad things outside. Whisper, okay?" Jimmy chirped his understanding and was swiftly hushed. "Shh! Gee Gee's not awake yet so I'm going to go get him. He'll come and get you then we'll go, okay? Stay quiet and still unless you smell something bad and smokey. If you do, run to the clockers house. You remember where that is, right?" She rustled one of her blue and silver backwings as she stood, and it was a soothing and familiar sound.
"Wait." He reached his hand back up to her face, pulling the bangs away from her eyes. "Now you ready." The tears fell harder as she opened the door and stepped out.
"I love you forever and ever, okay? Never forget that." The door closed, leaving him in murky darkness.