Blindsided

Eet

Song is Eet (Cityboy Remix) By Regina Spektor. Many thanks to Dotemms and the Discord crew! Had a good night last night and got this finished up this morning. :)

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  The morning had dawned overcast, the wind whistling through the eaves and moaning through the streets. Ruv shut the last of the windows in the greenhouse, having peeled off his coat from the oppressive heat that precluded a summer storm, and wiped his brow.

  It had been roughly three days since Sel had figured out the schema, and he was due to start practicing jumps. While Sarv tried to assure him that it was all perfectly safe and that he couldn't really mess up too terribly he still was skeptical. He sat on the peeling white bench and exhaled, trying to ease the tension in his body.

  The truth was he was worried about his son. It seemed like lately his somewhat chaotic energy had gone fanatical, hyper-focused on the idea of getting the portals to work and leaving. He hated to admit it to himself, but he almost didn't want them to leave; the month or so they'd been there had grown on him. He wasn't sure how to go back to a life without them.

  He knew the idea was weighing on Sarv as well. He'd more than once found her staring into the middle distance wistfully, he sometimes even caught her crying. She loved those kids; he'd have to be there for her when they left to keep her going. He wasn't sure if he would be able to keep going.

  "Daddy?"

  He looked up, snapping out of his thoughts. Rasazy stood there in a black turtleneck and black skirt, Lord of the Flies in hand. She was looking at him quizzically, her head cocked and eyes studying him.

  "You look troubled. Is it Sel? He's supposed to try the first jump today, Mama's been skittish all day."

  He sighed and stood. "You're both sure this is safe?"

  She nodded and they walked to the kitchen. "Positive. He's only jumping a few seconds forward, which isn't anything he hasn't done before." She scratched her nose. "He already knows how to focus his energy for such a small jump, it used to make you swear a blue streak when he'd pop up out of nowhere for a laugh."

  He huffed. "That tracks. Is he always such a little shit?"

  She rolled her eyes. "When is he ever not a jerk?"

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  "Okay Sel, remember," Sarv said as Sel was jumping up and down, shaking out his hands and loosening up, "Only jump about five seconds. No more and no less. We don't want you to overshoot it."

  He nodded, and Ruv pulled Sarv back with him and Rasazy as Selever closed his eyes and began relaxing his body, limbs loose and hands steady. His brow furrowed in concentration, and his wings spread on his back as he slowly rotated his arms in a clockwise circle and summoned the ticking fractal of the portal, glowing pink in the dim light of the library. The glow grew as he gathered his energy, pulsing like a heartbeat, until his eyes flew open, he spread his arms, and he fucking disappeared in a flash of light.

  Ruv uncrossed his arms. "Was that supposed to happen?"

  Sarv bit her thumbnail. "I'm...not sure."

  Rasazy had a stopwatch in her hand, the faint ticking being the only other noise in the room. For five or six agonizing beats, Ruv felt the panic rising in his body. Where the hell was he?

  A pink flash, and Ruv felt something tap his shoulder.

  In just a fraction of a second he had his knife in hand and he whirled on his heel, the tip under Sel's chin. He swore.