The Birdcage

Sweet Company

"... So my Grandmother runs an occult shop." Ronnie explained. "Its all very... aesthetic and touristy."

The four of them were lounging on Nyx's bed; top and tail, the girls at one end snuggled against the pillow, Perry and Jayson at the other. They'd all hung around to ensure Nyx was okay and fully recovered from her strange episode, but had naturally sunk into enjoyable, blissfully-mindless chatter and getting drunk off of each others company. Jayson had produced a packet of colourfully-wrapped candies from somewhere and was tossing sweets at people at intervals.

"So anyway." Ronnie continued as Jayson took a pot-shot at her. "I played around with the stuff in her shop and some of it actually worked- some of it didn't and some not in a way anyone expected, but... yeah, that's how I taught myself magic."

"Like ouija board?" Nyx teased in a whisper, only to get shushed by a giggling Ronnie with a finger on her lips.

"My grandmother kind of has a strange perspective on it all though." Ronnie sighed. "Her belief system doesn't really... have 'demons'." She said, making air-quotes. "So to her, my father's some kind of spirit or even deity."

"...Huh." Nyx mused thoughtfully, before scrabbling to catch a sweet that Jayson lobbed dead at her. Scowling playfully at him, she composed herself before turning back to her friend. "That's weirdly interesting. I've never thought of it that way before."

"Romanticism." Perry said dryly.

"When she says it, my father laughs." Ronnie grinned. "Right down to his belly."

"Now that's weird. The fact you're on good terms with your father- ow! Dude, I am right next to you, you don't have to throw it, you can just pass it!" Perry glared at Jayson, who smiled cheekily, unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it in his mouth. "Grow up."

"No."

Perry sighed in exasperation, giving up and turning back to the girls. "Well, I suppose it's a better story than 'your mother got snatched from a fishing boat and when she returned had a baby with webbed fingers and gills.' - they're not on my neck, Jayson!" Perry snapped suddenly, noticing he was looking.

"What about you?" Jayson asked Nyx, snapping his head pointedly away from Perry.

"Me?"

"Yeah, where do you come from?"

Nyx shrugged. "Don't know." A purple-wrappered candy suddenly landed on her lap.

"You don't know?"

"Evidently, they did not want me." Nyx said stonily; pulling the wrapper off the sweet. "I'm adopted. There's my mum, Rachel- she wanted me. And my adopted siblings-"

"-Wait, wait, wait!" Perry interrupted. "Rachel? Short red-head, fingernails like marble, Parisian accent?"

"... Shorter than you, yes, yes... no, it's American."

Perry clapped their hands together, laughing gleefully. "I knew I recognised your surname! Tell me she braided your hair and bought you penny-licks in the park."

"Penny-licks?"

"Ice cream." Jayson answered, shooting Perry a look.

"Well, we do ice cream sundaes if that's what you mean...?" Nyx questioned.

"I knew it!" Perry cheered. "She always said if she had a little girl, she'd braid her hair and buy her penny-licks. She used to buy them for me when I was an apprentice in Paris."

"You know my mum?" Nyx exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Perry nodded. "Oh, I'm so glad- Rachel always wanted a kid. Honestly, I couldn't think of a better person to be a parent."

"She's a pretty cool mum." Nyx agreed with a soft, near-wistful smile. "I love her."

Ronnie laughed. "What a small world!"

"I'll tell you about when I knew her in France if you like." Perry offered Nyx.

"I think," Ronnie giggled. "Jayson should tell us where he comes from."

"Uh... No." Jayson said, pulling a face as he saw the three pairs of eyes looking expectantly at him. He offered the open bag of sweets. "Candy?"