Air Born | Generation Icarus #1

Toroa - Interruption

"Hi, guys. It's me, the author." I grin as confusion descends on your face. "That's right, I'm talking to you from -"

A gust of wind interrupts me, tumbling through the open door. Loud beats are followed by a soft thud, and Hawk saunters in a moment later, flicking his brown wings.

"Sorry I'm late."

I snort. "Sorry, my ass. You forget that I invented your love of dramatic entrances."

Hawk tries to look innocent but fails terribly, a smirk curling one side of his mouth. "Busted." He stretches for a moment before looking around for a place to sit.

"Over there. You can have the whole couch to yourself."

"It's a sofa, Jess."

"You're in my house, in my country, and we call it a couch. Most of the time. And keep your flight boots off my coffee table."

"Yes, Mom."

I turn back to you. "Sorry about that. I'm talking to you from the story, because it seems many people skip the author's notes, and there are some important -"

"Who are you talking to?"

I wave my hand at the screen-shaped window in the fourth wall. "Them."

Hawk tilts his head sideways to get a better look. "Oh, them. Hi!" He waves at you, laughing. "I didn't think you'd get it to work, Jess."

"Well, if they're still reading this far, then I guess I've got them hooked. However, if you'd stop interrupting, we could get on with this and then back to the proper story."

Hawk folds his hands in his lap and his wings behind him, and puts on a very careful expression of perfect attention.

"Okay, let's try this again." I sit back in my chair, stretching my legs out and crossing my boots at the ankle. "Try not to get distracted by Hawkie Mc Hawkface over there."

"Who, me?"

"Shh, just look pretty. You're the bribe, remember?"

Hawk groans and slumps on the couch, already giving up. "Why am I the one having to shoulder all the responsibility for this?"

"You poor thing," I say, dryly. "I'll bring in some backup for you, then."

Hawk brightens as he hears the approaching sound of two more Icari. Moments later, Kestrel and Condor peer in the door.

"Jess? Hawk?" Condor says, his eyebrows drawing together.

Kestrel pushes her flight goggles up onto her head. "We're here too early, I think." She glances around. "But I'm getting the worst attack of déjà vu right now."

I wave them in. "Don't worry, I just need your help with something quickly. You won't remember this by the next chapter."

"Well, that's disturbing," Con says, but he's grinning.

Kestrel leans on a chair. "What can we do to help?"

"Back me up," Hawk says from his sprawl on the couch. "Jess has something important to tell the readers and this is the only way she can guarantee all of them will actually listen. Or something."

She laughs. "Nice remodeling of the fourth wall you've got going on here."

"It worked really well the first time," I say, "so I had to try it again before my nerve failed me."

Con blinks. "We've already done this?"

"We did this a few years ago."

"But this is the first ..."