Jamie lowered his book and looked around, confused–before finally looking up. He’d been walking with his nose in a book, which was his usual method of avoiding eye contact with strangers, but shouting had pulled him out of the text. Especially when he realized the shouting was directed at him. Finally seeking out the noise, he was more than a little surprised to find someone perched on the side of a building.
“O..o-oh!” He almost dropped his book, but hardly noticed–he was too busy trying to figure out what he was actually looking at. After a few seconds of staring, Jamie decided that his eyes really weren’t playing tricks on him; someone was standing along the side of a building. And were stuck, by the looks of it. Stuck and looking for help.
Tucking his book into his shoulder bag, Jamie took a few step closer, looking around him and back up to the ledge.
“Um…u-um, okay….I-I might be able to get something….” A ladder would be the best, but where would he find a spare ladder, one of the really tall ones, just lying around? Maybe he could ask someone–but then again, who? Jamie hardly knew anyone in the city, least of all someone who would happen to be nearby.
“Sh…should I call th…th-the fire department o-or something? Jeez, ‘ow…’ow did you even get up there?” It wasn’t like there were any windows near that ledge–and even if there were, Jamie couldn’t fathom a good reason to have climbed out of one.
It was as Jamie was fumbling his phone out of his backpack that he glanced up–and noticed the wide, white wings fluttering behind the boy. His phone slid from his hand and clattered on the concrete.
“D…do you have w…w-wings?”
⊰ ‘♙’ ⊱ ╾ At first, Crane only stared– or rather, squinted –down in confusion. The fire department? What could they possibly do about this? ‘OH. Wait. That’s right. Ladders. They’ve got ladders. Wow, I sound stupid; who else carries ladders around with them?’
Then, prompted by the other’s exclamation, he turned his head to gawk over his own shoulder, vermillion eyes widening and flashing with surprise as if he’d somehow forgotten of the extra appendages adding even more weight to balance. For a moment, he only blinked slowly as his mind went utterly blank. He supposed he had a good explanation for this; really, he should. Albany was always able to explain why he had wings so well even though people tended to swallow it with a grain of salt. He’d never much tried, mainly because not even he could make sense of it.
“Err… yes, yes I do! Incidentally, they’re why I’m up here… uh, actually, no they’re not, because they didn’t work!” he shouted back down a little too brightly for his predicament. At least for now, that growing fear of heights was forgotten. Now it was being eaten up by a most unwelcome anxiety at having his wings out to begin with.
it wasn’t as if they belonged there, after all.
A thought occurred to him then, and Crane edged a bit closer to the brick precipice to peek down at who he’d already decided to consider his saving grace from this dire issue. He chewed on the inside of his lip, wincing at how the blunt edge of his fangs cut a bit too deeply, then exhaled slowly. Well, here went nothing. Bending forward as much as he dared, he meekly ( as meek as shouting could be ) offered his only solution.
“D-do you think I should try it again? I could try to glide down, or something!”
