[PRP] Feathered Swimmers. (Pachua and Michael)

[iStoleYurVamps]

She had been just recently enrolled and hardly settled in when someone in the monster dorm had let slip that the school had a pool. No one had told her this, and upon hearing that gem of information? Michael put her unpacking aside in favor of going for a swim.

Her hair tied up in a giant bun, she spent a good deal of time trying to find her swim suit but once found? It was on and she was flying right for the pool. Of course she had to stop have her ID checked, told a bunch of rules by some gnome, and take a shower before- really she was a siren, she knew water safety- though she never really listened.

Once cleared however, she dove into the water, letting out a harmonic sigh of happiness as she fanned out her wings, splashing water all over a side of the pool.

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[endejester]

iStoleYurVamps

Pachua was very familiar with the pool, well all the bodies of water that could be found on or near to the campus. He loved water, some in his family would argue that he loved water more than he should, because he was all too happy to swim when he should be spending more time practicing flight, which was more complicated for his breed than for some species given the lengths of their natural bodies.

He was accustomed to seeing other students who loved the water as much as he did, most of them aquatic. This person though was a new face all together, he didn’t know her, and more unusual, her wings were feathered like his own. Beautiful, vibrant red wings that made him stumble slightly to see, suspicious for a moment that she might be a Quetzalcoatl, till he realized a moment later that she didn’t seem to be showing some of the other physical characteristics that would denote she was such.

“Ah… Hi!” He said blinking and moving cautiously forward, folding his own wings nervously closer to his sides. “Sorry, sorry I um… didn’t expect to see someone else down here just at the moment. It’s often dead quiet around now.”

“I’m ah…Pachua, who are you?” he asked as he skirted the edge of the pool, though he gazed with longing towards the water even as he glanced back to her with a cautious gaze like he thought she might have a particular fondness for eating scaled and feathered boils.  

[iStoleYurVamps]

Sound was muffled under the water, and she had always found it magical in how sound would change, even just under an inch of the fluid. However, when addressed, there wasn't anything magical about it, just muffled words. Shaking her head, and flicking her earwings quickly, Michael blinked at the boil who'd approached her. "Oh, hello!" She smiled before her sight fixated on his wings. An array of colors, vibrant and shimmering. Her own drab red and black nothing in compare.

"Oh my- um- Sorry. A little distracted. I'm Michael and I hope I've not disturbed you. I was told this is also used for sports but ah-" Her earwings flickered again as she blushed. "I was hoping to just have a nice swim. It feels like it's been ages since I soaked my wings." Wings and curled around her waist, making for a nice look- one that wouldn't take up much room.

His wings however, she remained fixated on them before she asked. "Pray tell, what manner of being are you to have such a coloration? None of my sisters or aunts have wings like your own."

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[endejester]

He blinked and opened his mouth slightly at the site of her ear-wings, surprised by their presence and awed as well. “Wow…” he said very softly, but it seemed to give him greater confidence to finally slip down and sit on the edge of the pool, carefully arranging his tail feathers so he could comfortably soak his legs, half tempted to dive into the pool outright but curious all the same.

“I’m, I’m a Quetzalcoatl.” He said with a small nod, and then illustrated the point, or seemed convinced that he was by tracing a thumb over the small scales that littered his cheeks and then over his shoulders as well, tattoos turning the primarily pearlescent white scales into deep charcoal colors.

“Feathered Serpent.” He added after a moment’s consideration. She, after all, may not know what he was any more than he knew what she was. “What are you?” He asked curious. “I thought you might be like me because you have such…such bright colorful wings, they’d do any Quetzalcoatl proud.” He sounded envious despite the variety of colors in his own.


“You should meet Aldira, she has almost black feathers mostly, but their they shine blues and purples in the light.”
“I haven’t seen you before either.” He added. “I mean, I’ve only returned recently myself, but I thought I was getting a good hang on who liked swimming here.” He said and then slipped into the pool with a contented sigh.

iStoleYurVamps

 

[iStoleYurVamps]

His tiny wow didn't go unnoticed, and she tilted her head, curious as to what had prompted it. She didn't notice anything particularly spectacular. Aside from the fact the school had a pool but that wasn't even THAT impressive.

"Quet- Q et- Er." She licked her lips before taking a deep breath. "Quet zal coa tl-" She smiled, thinking she had it right. "A bit of a mouthful there! But its sounds lovely. A perfect match for your apperance." She eyed his wings before her gaze shifted to his scales, hand lifting as if she would touch before pulling back, hair strands tucked behind an ear.

"I am a humble siren. And.. thank you." She blushed. "They are not colorful like some of my sisters or cousins in the south- but they are mine, and they will one day strike fear into the hearts of men." She stopped, giggling. "At least that is what I tell myself."

Fanning out her wings, she used them to float, casually gliding in the water. "I will have to meet this Aldira though, and it's not surprising. I have only recently enrolled."

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[endejester]

“Aldira is a Harpy, she’s a big fan of colors, so with as vibrant as yours are, I’m sure she’d love it if you saved a molted feather for her!” He grinned and listened as she carefully pronounced the name of his species.

He was blushing though at her compliments though, he was never going to get used to the idea of people finding his more muted rainbow of colors beautiful as though they ran closer to something rich and primary.

“If you like water, you’ll have to meet Llyr too, he’s a water demon, he’s got scales too and always wears chains, but he can become water, it’s amazing really!”

He hesitated and then offered her his arm, turning it outward so that she could, if she wanted, actually touch the scales there.

“We aren’t slimy, there are other breeds that are I’m sure, but we aren’t. It’s just normal scales. My tribe um… we value bright primary colors best for wings, so believe me, you’d get a lot of respect for yours. Natural patterns for bodies are just as good, better if you have both, best if you have a really solid bright body AND wings. I’m kind of…washed out.” He laughed but there was a bitter edge of humor to it.

“White mostly…”

iStoleYurVamps

 

[iStoleYurVamps]

Letting out a tiny chirp, Michael kept twitching her head as she looked Pachua up and down. To her, there was nothing wrong with his wings. They were colorful, inhuman, something unnatural that would alarm humans and draw them in before they would realize it was too late.

"I am not due for another three Octobers... But I am sure one will fall out sooner or later. The moving is stressful enough, so one or two will slide out..as normal." Sighing she looked at her wings, noting that one feather was already missing. She bet it was in her temporary nest. "It's not uncommon to gift feathers to those we care for, or trade feathers to one another. It would be fun to exchange a few with other avian types here." Lifting herself from the water, her wings hook, droplets flying everywhere.

"My people value the wings of birds in the human world." She said, running a hand along her earwing. "Many of us can shift to birds, so a bird of the human world helps us go unnoticed. But for unnatural ones..." Michael grinned. "We lure them in, make them curious. And when they do not expect it, we strike. Perhaps that might be a way to use what others see poorly as your greatest skill." A foot kicked the water. "We believe our wings to be our greatest asset. You should be proud of your own."

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[endejester]

“I suppose… we have a, purpose in my family, but I thought, I thought it’d be nice to find my own.” He said and then sank for a long moment beneath the water, cutting off any hope for clarity of sound. He stayed down for a long moment and then rose again with a small movement of his wings and a contented sigh.

“I wish we molted on a more exact schedule, I don’t mind the feathers…so much as I loathe shedding old scales.” He made a face and shuddered.

“Well, I am here to learn to be more scary, I’m not very good at it, I’m not very scary looking at all, not unless I just startle someone.” He sighed thoughtful.

“I don’t always mind that mind you, I’m used to being like THAT…and it has led to me meeting some uh…interesting people.” He made a thoughtful face.

“I met hunters…their –real” He said adding the last part with wide eyes, confirming the existence of the horrible childhood threats.

iStoleYurVamps

 

[iStoleYurVamps]

Michael watched him slide under the water before joining him, watching him briefly there was well. "Do your molts not come with seasons?" She asked, reaching out with her wing to brush his own. "I cannot say for scales. Do they fall like our feathers or just pop off at once? My sister does that. All her feathers in a day- poor girl is land bound for a few more days but then she's right as rain." She tried to cheer him up about it. Molting was never fun for anyone.

"I would not dismiss yourself- we exist to strike fear, even my sister who came here before was frighting in her own way- though if she had the stomach for it was another matter entirely." She waved her hand in the air.

"But tell me of these Hunters. I know little chirps and tweets but nothing more. And granted who told me of them... she was off, so I have little idea just how these so called hunters are." Michael grinned. "Are they real humans then? Boat using, drownable humans?"

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[endejester]

“Scale are more like… “ he shrugged… “it gets old and dingy on the top like a skin, and it itches terribly, you have to rub and scratch them off and its just awful and frustrating and its hard to see, at least in our natural forms.” He made a face. “We’re pretty tropical though…so seasons don’t rule our molts quite so much as growth does.”

“Um… I don’t think I’ve seen any of the hunters in a boat, but. Yes I think their human.” He nodded. I wouldn’t underestimate them though, I mean, I’ve talked to some and they were amenable to that, but others, others aren’t.” He looked a little troubled when he trailed off but started again.

“A friend of mine, she warned me never to go home with them, so that’s advice I’ll pass on to you.”

iStoleYurVamps

 

[iStoleYurVamps]

Humming, Michael nodded. "Yes, that would be unpleasant. I like my skin where it is. They happen when we grow too but, even then it is usually seasonal. My sister was the exception though. She always was." Rolling her eyes, Micheal waved it off.

"I have never been to a tropical place before. My home is more..mild? It is warm but the air is cool. The ocean is nice and cold on hot days and warmer than the winds on cold evenings. I do not know if I would like the tropics as much." She might like the colors but not the weather. Alas.
"Tell me more of these hunters though- so they can talk like us?" She let out a small chirp. "I was told they speak in gibberish. And why not go with them? Where there is one human there is bound to be more- and more humans would mean more FEAR!" Her wings splashed as she giggled.
"My dream is to be queen you know. The most frightening one of my flock. I would be the best there ever was."

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[endejester]

He moved to the edge of the pool, watching her and thinking for a long while before he spoke.

“… I believe they turn us into their weapons, I don’t know how…but that seems to be the way of it. So if you want to be a Queen, I’d say be careful, don’t be too assured that you can scare them, because I think they must be used to scare –us- for a reason. Besides…”

He shrugged, a small roll of his shoulder.

“They talk very much like us, like an odd reflection that’s been stripped of its scales, feathers, and stitches. It’s not their fault…it’s just the way they are. But if they can turn us into weapons…”

He trailed off again with a small shiver.

iStoleYurVamps

 

[iStoleYurVamps]

Michael listened, earwings flicking back and forth as she took the information in. The idea, the notion of humans making halloweeners into weapons sounded odd, but- “That is queer.” She sank into the water, wondering if had to do with the letters her sister had sent her ages ago. Popping back up with a splash, she shooked her head to send small droplets around her. “I suppose I should mind myself then. My sister liked humans very much and wrote of them often. But I am sure she is dead so that might be why.” Michael shrugged. “I will find her though in time. Or evidence of her passing. But let us speak of better things!” She chirped.

“Would you like to trade feathers Pachua?”

quote="endejester"]  

[endejester]

“Oh!” he said in surprise. “If you wanted…” he said and spread his wings. “I’m sorry… my colors aren’t as vibrant as yours. Was there a shade you liked though? Also thank you for not asking for a scale…” He shuddered slightly.

“Not that many people do but…It’s not fun in the least, it’s pretty awful actually. If someone wants something ‘pearly’ I really think they should just find a real pearl.”


"…I don't think I could blame your sister for liking the idea of humans, the humans I have met so far are… interesting, for all that some of their behavior shocks me."

iStoleYurVamps

 

[iStoleYurVamps]

Michael didn't understand why someone would want scales over feathers. Feathers were soft and vibrant. Scales were hard and while pretty, just had nothing on the allure of a feather.

Michael might have just been a bit biased though.

"Why are you sorry! They are colorful and pretty and you should be proud of them." Reaching to her own wing, a long slender red and black feather was presented. "One for one. I don't want a scale. Scales are not symbols of flight and freedom and trust- feathers are!" She was grinning as her earwings flapped.

"And its all fine. She's probably dead so it doesn't matter. I'd rather focus on nicer things." Her feather was held out. "Like making friends."

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