The Blackbirders {Reposted RP}

[Miranda_]

Rian waved a careless hand in the direction of the marketplace. "Down there, somewhere."

Maris looked hard at Gigi, turning herself into a cat. "Just what are you doing down here, anyway?" she asked. "You wouldn't last five seconds out here on your own."

[spirit_queen]

Gigi giggled nervously and swallowed. "You speak as thought I'd want to live out here. Yeah, no thanks. I- I'm happy where I came from."

"Not when daddy's around, though. He hurt you once, remember?" Kiki said, shivering at the memory.

[Miranda_]

"My dad's in prison," Rian said. "I don't live with my parents, I live with Gwen. She hardly ever even notices I'm around."

[spirit_queen]

"My daddy should be in prison, too, he hurts me and mama all the time, and he steals things, and he's a very very mean man." Kiki said. "My mama loves me, but when daddy is home she has to serve him and only him and ignore me or I get smacked." She showed Rian a nasty, large bruise on her arm.

[Miranda_]

"You should run away from him then, you and your mother," Rian said. "He could end up killing you."

[spirit_queen]

"But where would we go?" Kiki said. She sounded very frightened; she was, after all, just barely five years of age.

[Miranda_]

Rian shrugged. "Beats me." He settled Maris more comfortably in his lap.

"Besides, you shouldn't hang around here on your own," Maris said. "The Blackbirders might get you."

[spirit_queen]

"What if they get you, too?" Gigi said, crawling out of Kiki's dress. Kiki shivered. "Why do they steal away kids?"

[Miranda_]

"They won't get us," said Rian. "I know all the places to go to get away from them."

[spirit_queen]

"I wish I did; I don't want to be stolen away from mama." Kiki said.