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 Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:51 am
Happy Homecoming
The apartment was nothing much to talk about - a small thing with the basic two rooms, one bathroom and adjacent shower thing. While Patrick wasn't much for working or working for a lot of money. His job at the fast food resteraunt kept him in groceries and in clothing while his parents paid the bills and the rent.
They wanted their son to be happy, as bejeweled and jaded as he was.
Those ugly brown shoes shifting inside of the door, pushing the worn quasi-plastic open. The hinges groaned in effort but gave way to his insistance, leaving a little brush mark on the carpet nearby.
His apartment had worn down carpet the color of an ocean when it was clogged with pollution and death and floating things, a large, comfortable green couch in the middle of the living room. A 24 inch television was placed atop of a shiny and new smaller table, it's clicker tossed somewhere else in the house.
Through the entereance, where he was standing, patrick could see a small slice of his kitchen, the dishes piled down with grime and an unused sponge lying right next to them with unused dishsoap. It almost made him wish he could talk his parents into a maid but...alas. They would have none of that. It was HIS apartment, they said, he should have to clean it.
Patrick ignored all of the grime and the unwashedness that came about when a youngman roomed alone, without gaurdianship. "Here we are, birdie."
His voice was soft, like chocolate over gravel in it's tune, and teh woodpecker responded with a soft chirrup of understanding. The bird was still nesting on his shoulder, the full nine inches of it, cuddled up against the dark boy like a chocolate addict with a brand new bar of Willie Wonkas finest.
Chirrup? the little-big thing cooed, hopping to the edge of Patricks shoulder, away from his hair and the pierced skin. Looks rather cramped to me, shiny-boy.
Of course, Patrick couldn't hear these things and simply watched as his new friend fluttered from place to place before landing on the edge of the couch. Multi-colored wings fluffed up self-importantly, another soft chirrup as the bird curveyed the surroundings.
A sigh from the pierced boy, shutting his door with his foot and padding to the couch as well. There, nestled between a couch cushion and yesterdays clothing, was a very expensive, very good laptop computer. It was plugged into the wall, a thin snake of plastic and metal stapled from equipment to board, leaving a few lights flashing.
What's this, shiniee?
"Shh. I'm going to find out what you woodie boys like to eat." His voice is a quiet murmur, not even partially aware that he just hushed a bird, however gently. Slim fingers push the laptop open and even before the little screen clicked on, he was moving his finger on the touch pad to his browser.
Click. Click clikclackclikclik.
The bird was eyeing this new contraption with interest. Another hop and a chirrup before the medium sized bird was perched on the top of the computer, dark eyes boring into Patricks forehead. A glance of those bi-colored eyes and a faint quirk of the multi-colored lips and he simply continued to type.
Tick tick clickkityclack.
"...so you like fruits and veggies? I can do fruits and veggies. I can even buy you crickets. Would you like some crickets?" The questions were aimed at the bird who merely chirruped and shifting his scant weight from one claw to the other, fluffed wings flatting a bit.
"Maybe you're hungry, then?" His fingers rose, stroking gently, gently against the birds fluff, making it chuuuuurrr happily in response. "...I'll go get you some crickets then, right away."
((OOC: And tomorrow! The adventures of the pet store, to buy food for le chirrup~))
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:28 am
Grasshoppers for Dinner!
"I need some grasshoppers."
His words were muttered and made the salesgirl stare. Here was a man, dressed up in tight leather pants, chains attatched to the hip and the pockets of aforementioned pants, big clunky black boots and a button up, red silken shirt with the emblem of the dragon snaking up the back. He wore makeup, facial piercings and he didn't look too happy at her gawking.
But he had a woodpecker on his head.
On his head!
The little bird was settled quite cheerfully atop of Patricks dark hair, oblivious to the world. Flying was one thing...Flying was great! But to just be moving idly around and still be bigger then a goor portion of people? Well...he was enjoying it, so fluffed up and occasionally chirruping (almost sleepily) like he was prone to doing.
"....sir, you realize you have a woodpecker on your head?"
"Who do you think I need the grasshoppers for?" A soft growl came from the man, arms folding tightly over his chest. "Do you have beetles that he might ear? Or ants? I live near a park but.."
"Only grasshoppers," She assured him, apologetically. The girl bustled off, returning a second later with a clear b ox full of jumping, lively grasshoppers. Woodie, as Patrick fondly called him, instantly woke his happy little birdie a** up.
Black, beady eyes latched onto that little box, frame fluffing up more. Mineminemine I'll eat them aaaaall~ Mine mine mine... His little 'in-house' chant was something Patrick was only vaguely aware of - what he mostly heard was a little chirp, a pleased noise. C'mon, shiniee boy! Giiive me some fooood...
"How many do you want, sir?" She couldn't help the nervous glance she sent the bird - it was unnerving to have a wild (or wild looking) animal unrestrained...on such a scary looking man.
"Five bucks worth? I dunno how much he'll eat.." His hand, less sparkly today, rose up to pet quietly at the fluff.
Woodie churred happily, eyes still latched onto the box of bugs as she scooped them out, putting them into a little bag - or bags - just for him. Him him him. There was much satisfaction in his noises and nesting as Patrick paid and they left.
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:16 am
.the beginning of the end. Alive one minute, dead the next, the last thing Patrick saw of his shiney woodpecker was the creature falling off his shoulder and flat on the floor. It's eyes were open, the last of life fading quickly from them, and its black-and-white featheres were spread as if to catch it.
Dead.
There would be no saving this feathered beasts. None at all. But what had he done? What had happened?
There was no rhyme or reason for the birds sudden loss of life. It just was its time. Natural age, perhaps? But it had seemed so full of life just minutes before. Woodie hadn't appeared sick, or old, or weak. So what had happened?
It didn't matter, really. The body was ont he floor, and it wasn't going to breathe ever again. It had eaten its last grasshopper, it had sung its last song. The gold-fronted woodpecker was Patricks no more.
In this form.
There were others to come.
A grubby hand reached forward to poke at the dead body. "I've wings like it," he stated, picking one of the woodpeckers wings up and giving it a little shake. Sure enough, the boy with the gold, red, and yellow hair had a set of wings just like Woodies.
Looking up at Patrick, the boy seemed to puff out with pride. "Aren't you glad I'm finally here?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ((Congratulations to you as well. Your boy just grew.))
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:36 am
Patrick Screams Like A Girl
Patrick had just been sitting there at his computer, typing away on the internet as he usually did when at home. Woodie had been situated on his shoulder, as he had been the last few days, puffed up and trilling comfortably under his little woodpecker breath.
His mind had been a million miles away - more on the website before him and what was going on - when he felt Woodies body grow heavy and then leave his shoulder. Twisting around with a frown, the dark eyes under the glasses widened as if he was in shock - or pain - at seeing the fallen avain, struck to death by a merciless god.
"W-Woodie?" His voice is soft, body twisting more in the chair to let his frame free, falling to his knees. "Wake up, you weird thing..Wha--"
then that hand shot out, invading his eyesight. Lashes blinked a few times, not quite understanding even as the child spoke, head shooting up. "What..." A pause.
And then Patrick screamed. A long, shrill scream of a little girl, slim body stumbling back. His body hit desk, crouched frame tripping over his chair to fall back, into the hole ofo his desk. Still, he continued to scream, the whites of his eyes showing, face an ashen gray under the pigment.
Iamel just sat there, his own eyes wide as he stared at his Companion. When Patrick finally stopped shrieking like a little pansy a**, the boy tried to talk again, big eyes finally blinking. "...well? Aren't you glad I'm finally here?"
There was expectance in that voice, small wings spreading out, fluttering a little bit in anticipation. Of course Patrick was glad he was here! He was Iamel!
"Wh-Who are you?" The chattering voice of his companion sputtered out after a long moment, hand shaking as he pointed at the small, crouching Gaurdian of death.
"Me? I'm Iamel! I'm this." Small fingers held up the woodpecker, it's tiny head rolling on it's 'shoulders'. "I just grew up." Nodnod.
Another pause, his body almost quaking in his shock and...well, mostly shock. "We're g-going to go talk to Shanuh?"
"The sparkling one~? Okay~~"
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 12:52 am
Random Shopping Trip.
Patrick, somehow, found himself dragged through town by his child. Patrick himself was wearing tight, form fitting jeans and a fitted, bright purple sweater with "POSER f**" scrawled across it in green letters. His hair was spiked up high on his head, all piercings glinting in the new days sunlight.
And, of course, the boots.
"Why are we out at NINE ******** AM, Iamel?" His breath was a huff, narrowed bi-colored eyes glancing around the crowded strip mall like it was the surrounding peoples fault for being out here.
And yes. NINE. ********. AM. The little bird had wriggled from his brightly colored nest to push at Patrick at seven in the morning, demanding to go out, to shop. To find things - shiny things, pretty things. Patrick had gone to bed at three AM after being online all night - this is not where he wanted to be, six hours later.
So why was he?
"I wanted to," Iamel reminded him, as if that alone was reason enough for them to be prancing around. Where Patrick had gone to sleep at three am, the birdie had fallen asleep almost as soon as the sun went down - instinct, if you will.
He was decked out in some loose jeans and a shirt that said "Broken Condom" with a kid-sized leather jacket to hide his wings. Luckily, they were smaller then his other Gaurdian 'friends' - the wings fit easily under the leather contraption.
Iamel didn't ask what those words meant, nor did he want to. Instead, he just wriggled his toes in those favorite purple plaid socks of his, and those hiking boots (just like his SHINIEE HAD! ^_^). Brand new.
And there he was, alone with his Shiniee, his Patrick. His. No one elses. The little bird enjoyed knowing he was the only one in Patricks attention span right now. he liked to bask in the others attention, in the words aimed just at him, all his actions JUST for HIM. A little smile on his lips and Iamel shifted, one small hand slips into Patricks own, a tiny body leaning into the darker man...
...Until the antique shop caught his eye.
"Ooooh..." Those red eyes lit up when he saw all the dangly shiny pieces in the window, hopping towards teh small, crowded shop. His fingers were tight on patricks, dragging the man with him.
Iamel let himself wander about, oo'ing and ahh'ing at everything and anything he liked, small frame hopping from one foot to the other like an excited little bird.
Patrick sighed quietly, letting himself be dragged around like a dog on a leash, his little...death thing lookin like an actual kid in a candy store, his face bright with excitement.
So..he learned something new. Iamel liked old things. The child was pawing through the antiques with glee - the darker man grinned a little bit, despite his grumpyness, at seeing the boy so excited.
He had found he actually enjoyed the little brat being around. Iamel had made a little nest in his empty bedroom and spent a lot of his time there, after bugging Patrick to teach him to read. He had - the kid was a quick learner and very proud of his acheivements. The little b*****d was even learning Latin!
Don't ask how Patrick knew latin. he had been a smart little brat too and even he was proud about how Iamel could seperate the different tenses of the Latin verbs.
Broken from his thoughts, patrick was distracted by the glint of something shiny and silver, just a little above his reign of vision. He glanced up, pausing...and his eyebrows arch. "A dreamcatcher on a horseshoe?" Voice soft, painted fingernails brushing against the silver thing, a smile curving on his lips. "Well, don't see that every day.."
"What's that?" His voice chirruped as he realized something had caught Paricks attention. Eyed widen, hopping up and down, arms reaching up to try and grab at the shiny horseshoe that his own Shiniee was eyeing.
When patrick handed him the little thing, Iamel studied the horseshoe, a contemplative look on that usually serious expression. Pursed lips, eyebrows pressing together and then, promptly, "I want it."
"What?"
"I WANT it," The death Gaurdian insisted, as if Patrick was stupid for not realizing it earlier. "Buy it for me, Shiniee." Voice a little pout, pushing the token at Patrick.
"It's Shiny and weird. Like you. Shiniiieeeeee~ Please?" Pout huff, giving the other a pitiful look.
Another look at Iamel and Patrick sighed, giving in to teh other. "Fine, fine.."Grumbling, he tightened his fingers around the token, moving to pay for it the counter. Iamel grinned - Patrick could SEE IT, damnit - but didn't gloat over his easy victory.
When they got home, Patrick just tossed the token onto the couch, moving to his computer. Iamel retreated to his books and his 'nest'.
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Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 12:41 am
Iamel Has Bad Fashion sense.
"I like wearing this, Shiniee!"
Patrick winced at hearing the boy screech across his small apartment. Eyes, dark behind his glasses, squeezed closed, painted nails rubbing softly at his temples. He heard some shuffling in the other room and he started counting silently in his head.
One...
More shuffling and the flutterings of wings and the soft, childish snicker of what he now called his 'son'.
His son. Oh sweet JESUS, he was twenty two! He was too freaking young to have a son who could run and talk and pick out his own clothing and demand things.
...He was GAY. There was no son supposed to be period!
And yet the little red-eyed minx managed to wriggle his way into patricks life, which was now filled with shiny things, mismatched clothing and a lot more afternoon naps than Patrick would've been comfortable with otherwise.
Two...
Now he could hear Iamels feet - covered in orange socks today - running from the boys room to the kitchen (where Patrick was making a nutritious and good for you snack, thanks). He skidded once or twice from the sounds of things but managed to scramble himself up.
It sounded like an angry, pregnant housecat, rowrling for scraps.
Three...
More scrambling and those feet thudding on the hard wood floor on the hallway leading up to the kitchen --
Ah ha--
The little gaurdian of death burst through the livingroom entryway and into the kitchen. Patrick twisted around, the sigh on his lips dying as he saw the others get up.
He couldnt help it! He started to laugh.
A few days beforehand, they'd gone shopping... Iamel had demanded that stupid horseshoe dreamcatcher bullshit thing and Patrick had ordered that the little brat get some clothes. The shirts had all been 'altered' of course, taken to a tailor. Now they had cuts down to the end of the shoulderblades and a button near the top to keep the shirt latched on.
Everything else was basically easy - a light coat or something for when they went out and Iamel had taken the liberty of matching (or not so much) his entire new wardrobe.
Right now the little brat was dressed in a checkered purple overall outfit - the hems of the legs went to his knees. On his feet were a pair of green and white striped socks. The child wore no real shirt - he had on 'sleeves' though, which consisted of Patricks orange mesh arm wraps. They went to Iamels shoulder and were, needless to say, very baggy on the cute kid.
Iamels hair was tied up, as usual, just barely long enough to lash up, but he'd taken some of Patricks makeup and made his lips JUST LIKE PATRICK - Shiny!
"Look!" He grinned, arms rising triumphantly. "Look, Shiniee! I look like you now!" Those small wings were fluttering excitedly, a dark feather or two floating themselves to the ground, fingers and palms wide open. That cheerful, wide smile on his face was infectious; Patrick, despite his tiredness and intial irritation, found himself grinning in response to the other things amazing happiness at being compared to this wriggling little thing who wanted to be so much like him.
"Kid, wipe off the neon green lipstick." The darker man snickered, grabbing a nearby napkin and crouching down to be at the bird boys level. Slim fingers scrubbed gently at Iamels mouth (which was now pouting - he LIKED the ******** orange lipstick, thank you) until the skin was flesh colored and no longer looked as if he had just made out with the loch ness monster.
"You look better without this, kid. And what the hell kind of fashion sense IS that?"
More pouting from the kid, those orange-meshed arms folding stubbornly across his chest. "Well, you wear stuff like this." His defense was truly ingenious - turning Patricks own personal style into a case to wear whatever he wanted.
There was much blinking on the darker mans side and then he just shook his head, sighing and running his fingers through that feathery multi-colored hair. "Wear what you wanna wear, kiddie...But you're too young for makeup, ok? I'm older - I'm outta school! So you wait a little while, ok?"
Iamel paused, small lips pursing into a frown as he pondered this. So...some things he COULD do..others he couldn't...because f his age? What did size have to do with anythings. And so he continued to frown, despite the shiny face of his Shiniee in front of him.
"..so when I'm older I can? 'Cause I want to be shiny too, Shiniee." There was a noticable difference to how Iamel pronounced the two words, Patrick had found.
'Shiny' was said in the regular way - 'shy-nee'. Shiniee was pronounced as being said as 'shy-neeeeee'. He carried on the ending vowel, slanting his word so Patrick now considered this word a title, no longer just a random thing this silly little brat kis liked to call him.
There was something almost affectionate in it now. Same with how he called Iamel 'Kid', 'kiddie' and 'sproglet'. All in affection, really.
"I promise. When you're older, like my age older, my size, you can be as shiny as you want to be." Another ruffle at the pretty hair and a smile from Patrick. "Now, c'mon, brat. What do you want for dinner?"
Iamel pauses, dark red eyes watching as Patrick rises up to his full (still rather small) height. Once more a stoic little boy, no longer in the excitable, happy mood he was a few minutes earlier. A hesitation and his arms rise up, both holding one of his Shiniees arms close to his chest, those intense, adorable eyes staring up at him.
"...well, kid?" Patrick blinked right back, letting Iamel hug his arm close.
"Crickets." Patrick just shuddered at that.
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Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:52 pm
Another Kid?! ********!" Patricks voice was panicked, ringing from the living room.
Iamel looked up from the small teddy bear he was concentrating on, a frown quirking on the boys lips. What was his Shinee freaking out over now?
A sigh and the little Gaurdian stood up, using his arms as little levers to stand. One foot kicked out to the teddy bear, knocking the plush over. The little toy toppled as planned, those soulless eyes shimmering up at the Gaurdian accusingly.
Iamel ignored the blame.
"IAMEL!" His shriek had grown louder, almost frantic now and Iamel could hear his Shiniees body scrambling on the floor. Odd...there was a different noise. Something hard.
"Coming!" He finally called back, frowning and padding out to the living room. What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks, eyes wide in shock.
Patrick as standing on the couch, legs slightly spread. Under his dark skin, one could almost see the gray hue - the boy was obviously terrorfied of something. In his hand, he held the channel changer like a club, wide dark eyes staring down at the frightened creature in teh corner.
The girl?
A little girl with sea green hair and wide blue eyes, wearing a plain yellow sundress was crouched there, in the corner of the living room. What really drew ones eye wasn't the scared look on her eyes, but her lower boy. It was shaped like a horse, like a satyr. Even a long, thin tail was whipping back and forth behind her, a dreamcatcher somehow managing to keep a hold of the appendage.
"What is THAT?!" Iamel couldn't stop his squeaky voice, red eyes widening. Unconciously his black and white wings flapped against his back, shock decorating his very being. There was... it was another child? Other then HIM?!
"I-" That was teh little girls voice, squeaking as well with something akin to terror. She ducked behind the table, her small frame trembling.
"I don't know what she is!" Patrick yowled back, hands shaking on the remote control. "She - she just..that ******** HORSESHOE you wanted! She just!" Another squeak and his legs began to quake so hard that the poor man fell onto the couch, his eyes still wide.
He was in shock. There couldn't be another kid in his life - a girl. A little girl with HORSE LEGS. Why were all tehse kids popping into his life like this?! Patrick wasn't meant to have ANY kids! He was GAY! A twenty-two year old gay black man who worked at a fast food resteraunt! He wasnt even a manager - he was a drive through cashier!
"Uh.." He HAD to break the ice. Iamel was just standing there, staring at the girl his jaw slack and that little girl was still trembling. "What...what's your name?"
The dark man didn't see the dark glare cast hsi way from iamel - an accusing glare. He continued to talk to the girl, slowly sliding off the couch, crawling over to her on hands and knees, staring at the girl.
Iamel had had ENOUGH. Patrick was HIS Shiniee! Not the hummingbirds, not SHANUHS and DEFINATELY not hers! His face flushed a little bit and there was a little scowl to his lips. One more flutter of his wings and he stormed off, out of the apartment, uncaring that his back was uncovered and that he could probably get in BIG a** trouble.
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Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:44 am
.NEW SHINIEE.
The door of the petshop swings open, only to be slammed almost violently shut. "I want a new Shiniee!" The little voice rang out, clear and angry, slightly nasal...but that was all just how he talked.
"Give me a NEW on, Shanuh!" Iamel stormed further into the pet store. His appearance just made one laugh, despite the angry tone and expression on the childs face.
The little Gaurdian was dressed in jeans - jeans someone had obviously altered. Stitches were holding place pieces of gold and red fabric, purple smattered every so often. His shirt was a green one with the words 'Broken Condom' scrawled on it with black magic marker and his shoes were untied with unmatching socks - bunnies and cows, to be precise. You could see them since the hem of his pants were rolled up almost to his knees.
He picked his own wardrobe, obviously.
"Give me a new one!" His face was darkening by now, small clenched hands shoving themselve into his jeans. "He got a stupid horse thing! I don't like him anymore!"
Shanuh looked over, the anger obvious within the little woodpeckers voice and attitude. He spent but a moment studying the t-shirt: Broken Condom? Bunny and Cow socks? Typical for a child, and even more typical for the little fiesty woodpecker. Leaning up against the cash/wrap counter, Shanuh raised a delicate, questioning brow. "Is he replacing you already? Tsktsk." The man shook his head, though there was little sympathy in his voice. He could humor the boy - humor was something Shanuh did best, in his own, freaky sort of way.
"You know I can't give you a new one, Iamel." A lace of tenderness, paternal fondness, in a way, could almost be recognized throughout his voice. Pushing himself away from the counter, Shanuh walked around in all his leather glor, and crouched before the Guardian. He rached a long-nailed hand out, gently petting the little one's hair, oddly reassuring. "You'll have to deal with the horse as another in the family. But, if you'd like, you can stay here for as long as you please."
The woodpecker would go back, eventually, Shanuh was sure. Patrick and Iamel held a unique understanding, a strange and deadly bond. Whether either realized it now, they would - someday. Eventually. "I think," he purred, "you're going to have to learn about a thing called 'sharing'. Patrick may be your shiniee, but you're not the only one in his life, remember."
He wasn't going to lie to the kid. Heaven's no! Iamel could be as selfish as he wanted, that was fine, but that didn't mean Shanuh couldn't hint at an easier path through life. Here was a world full of give and take - the more you gave, the more you could take - but there had to be a balance between the two.
Shanuh understood this.
Life was easier with balance, which is why humans tried so hard to control their life. To get everything within a comfortable, easy, boring sort of balance. Sharing was only one facet to achieve a more balanced life. It would make things easier the more he realized that, as number one he believed himself to be, that wasn't necessarily the case.
"...I don't want to share." His voice is small and petulent, leaning into Shanuhs touch like an enchanted snake, dark eyes closing with a huffingsigh. "I don't see why I should have to share. No one else does.."
Unlike when he was demanding things from Patrick or trying to wheedle out toys or books or more 'inapproprite' clothing, this time Iamels pouting was geniune. Patrick was his Shiniee...he shouldn't have to share with some girl. With some other thing.
"I -want- to be the only one in his life!" Another pout and Iamel growing more distressed, small wings fluttering in such a manner that a feather or two actually wafted down. Suddenly his eyes lit up, diminutive frame skirting a little closer. Unlike Patrick, he felt no unease around Shanuh - Shanuh was like him. Shanuh liked him. Shanuh accepted him where his Shiniee had freaked out, hurting his feelings and the Pet Shop was just as much as his home as anyother place out there that his Shiniee could make.
"You could be my shiniee!" There was hope in those eyes, thin fingers moving to grasp at some of Shanuhs leather-clad front. "I like you an' you're sparkly and and...YOU could be my shiniee." Nodnodnod. "I'm sure he'd be happier with the stupid girl."
Sulk.
Shanuh's expression was patient, and his bi-coloured eyes sparkled with amusement. A mischievious little one he was, and very demanding at that. But he could hear that this time, the little woodpecker was hurt. Iamel was plainly distraught by this new development and part of Shanuh did hurt for him. It wasn't fair, he could understand how Iamel wanted to be the only one, but that was life. Life wasn't fair, plain and simple. The sooner this one learned it, the easie changes of plans became.
"It's a delightful idea, Iamel," Shanuh carefully started, his gaze catching the bright red eyes of the boy before him. "But it's not meant to be. Patrick is, and will always be your Guardian. I couldn't ever take his place as your Shiniee. I don't think I'd make a very good one anyway - because I have to watch over all the other Guardians like you. You'd have to share me more than you would Patrick!"
It was the truth. As fond as he was over Iamel, it was instinctive. He felt the same way for Xaxis, Calytae, and all the Birds in his shop. That was why he was made - to guard their existance and help mold them into the people they'd need to become.
Iamel didn't hold any special place in his heart, not compared to the to the other Birds in the shop and that was that. He cared for all of them in exactly the same way with the exact amount of affection. Never more, and never less.
Shanuh didn't have favorite, and couldn't bring himself to favoring one over another. They were all the same, and his "love" (if it could be called that) was equal and unchanging.
"..I...but.." He deflated at that. Shanuhs word? Shanuhs word was law. If Shanuh said no (which he had...in a roundabout, akward sort of way) then..it meant no. Patrick was the only Shiniee he coul dever have...and Iamel didn't mind. He was just jealous and wanted all of Patricks attention.
"..you said I could stay?" Iamels voice is softer now, leaning into Shanuh and his warm frame. To humans..Shanuh was freezing cold. Iamel wasn't even sure if he knew what cold was. People who felt affection for him - even mechanical, groundless affection - made him feel warm inside, and therefore...they were warm. Patrick was like his own personal furnace. He knew the darker boy cared about him but...
The stupid girl.
"Cause I don't want to go back until he's good and worried and..and.." It was his pathetic, childish idea of revenge. Run away to get back at someone you were thrust upon?
Right.
He doubted that Patrick would even remember his name, with that girl--
"Iamel!"
Lo and behold - Patrick! In his arms he was holding a small girl, her hair and eyes the color of the sea, wearing a long sundress-like yellow shirt an dloose jeans...her shoes were...hard? And shape dlike a hoof.
A little horse girl. Lookit that.
the twenty-two year old was panting heavily, sweat formed on his temples as he puts the little girl down. "Iamel..jesus CHRIST, you little hellion, I've been looking everywhere for you! This is a long ******** way from my apartment, you little brat!"
There was true worry in his voice, relief to have found the little boy before something bad had happened to him. Tired brown eyes stare at the bird, a hand moving to try and get his heart under control by patting it a bit.
"...Shiniee?" Voice small as the door flew open and he hear dhis voice, turning a little in Shanuhs arms. he was shocked, needless to say, to feel the absolute panic and relief radiating off of the human man.
...he was worried...he hadn't just...waited until after dinner to come find Iamel. He had came running after him.
Patrick cared.
Shanuh was all but forgotten as the little bird almost flew out of his arms, running to hug Patrick as tightly as his skinny arms could manage, wings presse dagainst his back as if to try and cling as well. "You came to find me?"
His question was small and awed. Patrick met it with a breathless little laugh. Iamel felt himself being lifted high into the air, horse-girl forgotten on the floor, and hugged tightly against Patrick. The man was even kissing his ear, still laughing breathlessly.
His Shiniees heart was beating so fast..out of happines, adreniline...and it was all for him. All for him.
"Course I did you ******** little hellspawn.." The words were soft, almost whispered, fingers rubbing at the kids back. "C'mon...you were the first weird-a** kid to grow and scare the s**t out of me. Tht isn't replaced easily."
Shanuh hardly flinched as Iamel tore himself away from him. He studied the scene, a equine-thing, Patrick, and Iamel - all involved in some sort of gushy display of human affection and love? Was that love? Was that a true sense of caring, a true sense of need?
Odd, really.
Is that what Nikel found pleasure in? The intimate company of strangers, shadows dancing to foreign feelings upon the wall. Was that what Nikel's addiction was? A sense of being? A sense of belonging?
The pieces didn't fit, the pieces were all wrong. What did it matter? Iamel was obviously in love with Patrick, on some sort of level. That emotion which caused him to sulk and pout because of the way another thought or reacted. How powerful. For such a feeling (and a human created one at that!) could dictate anothers action and response by doing nothing but showing face and presence! It was - strange.
And Shanuh couldn't help but inwardly scoff.
Blind, all of them.
Rising slowly from his crouched position, the man with the violet locks smiled ever so gently at the scene. If this love thing lasted between them, what sort of tangles in the future would they find themselves in?
It would entertaining to find out. And Shanuh knew there'd be no escape for either. Certain that things were now quite settled, the storekeep decided to give them space. Offering both a second look, he steered himself back to the animals of the shop.
Now that Iamel was feeling better, Shanuh could get back to work.
"Sorry about this, Shanuhl." Patricks voice was l ight, sighing as he patted the winged boys back gently. "The kid can run fast and there were a lot of places to check that were closer to the apartment and.." A sigh, bumping his own skull gently against Iamels, "If it happens again, I'll be here sooner."
One arm holding Iamel securely, the other dark and dipped down, offering it to the equine girlie thing (Her name shoul've been Acorna, really..). There was a hesitation and Patrick wrapped those slim fingers around her timid little pale digits before he turned, moving slowly out of the pet store.
Peeking from behind Patriks dark hair and bright piercings, Shanuh got a wave and a bashful smile. "You'd still be a cool Shiniee, Shanuh~" he called out from Patricks shoulder as the door opened.
"See you later~" And they were gone.
Iamel was obviously pleased to have Patrick come racing after him. He was happy that the other cared so much - and he was glad Shanuh didn't yell at his Shiniee. Shiniees can be stupid sometimes, after all...had to train them.
But..he was sad. Shanuh looked so lonely...It made him feeling..something. Not pity.. Or anger...something a bit... different..
Guilt?
Why would he feel guilt? .FIN.
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Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:49 am
The Tango Maureen.
"The taaaango Mauuureeen~" Iamel sang out, small body prancing around the living room. He was decked out in plastic bracelets half-way to his elbow and there were some around his ankles too, of varying colors. His pants were a simple pair of boxers, colored with markers and that multicolored hair was loose, floating around his head as the small, thin boy twisted around the living room.
The Rent OST was pounding from Patricks DVD player/television - Iamel had insisted to buying it after they saw the movie and Patrick had happily given in. Now, Akuti and Patrick were out buying her more clothes and Iamel distracted himself by dancing around the room, singing to the "Tango Maureen" and "Today 4 U".
He was pretty good at it, too. Small frame twisting and jumping from couch to chair to table and back, spinning until he was dizzy, wings outstretched as he moved in some form of bastardized contemporary dancing,
"Why do we love when she's meaaaan? She can be so obsceeeeeneee~"
His butt wriggled, causing his small frame to hop once, twice before falling onto the couch, giggling madly. He was always more carefree when patrick wasn't getting his attention stolen from the bird and seeing as how Patrick wasn't there right then, all was right in the world.
As the song switched, Iamel fell limp on the couch, eyes sliding shut and trying to catch his breath. The small gaurdian of death was acutely aware of how his small, powerful heart pounded against his mortal ribcage - what did it mean?
He had felt his Shiniees heart breat like that whenever he had seen Shanuh, or when Akuti had first appeared (or when he appeared)...so...if Iamels heart went that fast over dancing - he liked dancing! - and Patricks heart went that fast when he saw Shanuh and Akuti and him..
Hearts beat faster when something they like was happening?
....odd humans...
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:29 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:37 am
New Friend (Part 2 of 2)
"COld?" Patrick sounded amused and his fingers were to nimbly unbutton his soft shirt, shrugging his thin shoulders to slide the gentle fabric off his back. The boy was almost emancipated, so thin you could see his ribs, skin shockingly dark under the shirt. Two small hoops ran through his nipples and goosebumps rose on that skin at feeling the cold.
"Here." Fwump. She got the shirt draped over her shoulders. While it was a thin fabric and gauze-esque, the clothing was supremely warm and could hold in heat well. No wonder Patrick wasn't wearing a jacket. "C'mon, Akuti."
To keep himself warm, the dark man scooped up the small girl. She squealed and clung onto him, giggling and cuddling against him, face pressed into his neck. "Good girl." Painted nails pat her back lightly as Patrick led them the short five minute walk to his apartment, "It's not far. Small, but not far from the school or anything. Which is nifty. Where do you live?"
Iamel squealed good naturedly, unable to bat at the bird with his fingers taken up by the plastic bag in his hands. "Nope. Never tried lemmings! But I've had duck in human form anyways... Patrick didn't like it but it's not like I needed it cooked." The owl got a grin, dark red eyes peeking up at him.
Good thing the owl was distracting him. Otherwise Iamel would be throwing a fit about Akuti being lifted up and cuddled. "Grasshoppers are good too. The big ones? Yeah." Nod nod, small feet bouncing on the hard ground.
Taylor bristled at the sudden act of kindness. I don't need your help. I'm fine. She didn't like people trying to do things for her. She wasn't some damsel in distress, wating for people to make everything perfect for her. For a minute she felt like tossing the shirt back at him.
But what she said was, "Uh... thanks," and adjusted the fabric so it didn't slide off her thin shoulders. The soft fabric made her feel warm despite the harsh wind. "It's pretty," she said randomly, inspecting the dragon design before turning to face Patrick.
There was a shock. Behind the colorful fabric of Akuti's dress and her wiggling limbs, she could see that the boy probably hadn't had a decent meal in a long time. Why was he so thin? Had the little devils cleaned out his refrigerator?
She opened her mouth to say something, decided against it, and answered Patrick's question instead. "I live at the school. I've got a dorm room. Pets aren't allowed, but somehow nobody's managed to notice this guy because I don't have to share." She decided not to go into that story. "It's pretty small, but it's nice. Do you go to school there? I don't think I've seen you before...."
Duck sounds good. But not cooked. Raw stuff is always better. He tried to perch on Taylor's shoulder again but she shrugged him off before his talons could tear the thin fabric of Patrick's shirt. Fine. Be that way. He didn't understand why she was wearing the thing in the first place. Did she think it was cold? Honestly. It was practically tropical.
I don't know about grasshoppers. Maybe if they're really big ones... He pictured trying to catch a grasshopper as large as himself and laughed. Those would be fun to chase.
Iamel grinned as the bird was shrugged off of his human, tucking the large books under one small arm and holding out the other for the big white thing to perch on. He liked the bigger bird and he wasn't a weak child, although small and thin.
Being a Gaurdian had SOME advantages. "It tastes good when cooked, once you have tastebuds. I just like it raw. Chasing grasshoppers? But they jump!" A grin, nose crinkling lightly. "It'd be hard to run with talons like yours."
Poor Taylor. Patrick was just raised to be an utterly polite child, despite how he looked or acted. "No... I used to go to school there. I graduated last year." Thin shoulders rose into a shrug, hand still rubbing Akutis gently. The little girl seemed blissfully unaware to the cold, snuggled so close to a human heater and with furr on her lower legs to protect the more prone aspects from the chill.
"Thanks. An ex of mine designed it... he was feckin' weird, but I got a kick a** wardrobe out of the deal." A crooked grin, hopping back to the subject of clothing, eyebrows having quirked in interest when her expression had turned to one of indignancy at being helped in such a way.
He couldn't feel his own back right now but it showed off the black tribal tattoos etched up his spine to the people behind them. So it's all okay. "What year are you in? You don't look like a Freshman."
Why would I need to run when I've got wings? The owl landed on Iamel's head, digging his talons into the mess of hair before fluttering to the boy's outstretched arms. Thanks. She's wierd, he added, with a jerk of his snowy head towards Taylor. First she coos over me like I'm the 'conclusive proof of string theory,' whatever the hell that is, and then she won't let me near her. Humans are messed up. I like yours, though. He's colorful.
"Junior year. I got out of high school a bit early, so I'm a little younger then the rest... but that doesn't matter. What did you study?" She fumbled with her bag of books, pulling one out to show Patrick the title: Evolution and Animal Behavior. "I'm working on biology, zoology, that sort of thing. He-" a glance at the owl, followed by a wide grin at his antics- "was supposed to by my research project. Intelligence in North American Birds. He doesn't seem to want to cooperate."
She studied Akuti and Iamel curiously. "If he turns into a little kid, I think I'm going to have to start this paper over. Hmm." She considered the situation and started taking mental notes. Monitor temperature at time of manifestation? Get a video camera to monitor. Where do they come from? Do they just appear? The rest of the mental notebook got filled up with sketches of Iamel and his new 'friend.' Her bird was doing something odd- hopping? Was he jumping up and down on the kid's shoulder?
They jump like this? That would be fun!
"Zoology? No kidding? I was into Mycology.. y'know, mold and s**t?" He grinned a bit in rememberance, not even pausing as he felt Akutis body still and become heavy - the girl had fallen asleep. How cute.
Another pause, his eyes shooting up as the dark boy shifted his 'daughter' onto one arm, the other fishing out his keys from teh skin tight pants. "You graduated early too? Maybe we're twins. I graduated college when I was...twenty? Almost twenty. Something like that."
A dismissive shrug and Patrick pushed the door open. The apartment wasn't much to talk about - a feather or two was decorating the wrap around couch in the living room and dead grasshoppers littered the counter in the kitchen, along with an opened box of cheerios.
Despite that, the place was clean. Books were piled high in the living room, but they were arranged neatly. A dictionary was open to the Q's and there was some high lighter scribbles there on the page.
"Home sweet home. I work at a fast food place,so it's nothing fancy but the kids at least don't have to sleep in my room with me." There was tenderness in his voice, something you wouldn't expect from an anorexic pierced boy and he disappeared into one of the bedrooms to put Akuti down in her bedroom.
"They jump like that," He affirms, laughing and craning his head to see the bird, a grin on his face. "You look silly when you jump. Sillier then my Shiniee." Nod nod, dark eyes glancing to where Patrick and Taylor disappeared inside.
"That's where we live. I have a bed an' everything." Another nod, iamel skirting into the house and closing the door behind him. A sigh and he urged the owl gently onto the back of the couch so he could shrug out of his jacket.
The noise Iamel made was akin to a cats purr - deep and in his chest, a soft rumble of contentment as those small, almost childish, black and white wings spread out. They were happy to be freed.
"Mold? That's awesome! You could come to my place... you could have a great time studying all the junk there. Mostly growing in old ramen cups... I think it's reached the point where it's going to demand the right to vote soon." Taylor grinned, removing Patrick's shirt (a little reluctantly, though she didn't want to admit that) and draping it over a chair. Spotting a zebra-striped feather on the floor, she bent down and picked it up. It looked like a normal bird's feather, maybe a little larger then normal but nothing extrordinary. She felt a hair disapointed. Somehow she'd expected it to be made out of fairy dust or solid gold or something.
"You've got a nice place," she called to the departed Patrick. "Cleaner then mine. Looks like the kids like it."
One of the "kids" chose that moment to remove his jacket and free the source of the scattered feathers.
Taylor almost went into another fit of hyperventilating at the sight of what she'd only caught glimpses of before. Wow. She stared open-mouthed at Iamel for several seconds before realizing the boy was probably sick of her investigation, and quickly busied herself with a grasshopper she'd found.
He eats those, you know. The owl soared across the small room, disturbing the lightweight insects with powerful wingbeats. Hmmm. Delicately, he opened his beak and bit off the head of the insect clutched between Taylor's fingers.
Yuk!
As Taylor broke into fits of laughter, he returned to the couch and Iamel. Okay, I ate one. You have to eat a rabbit now, you silly woodpecker. I like your wings, by the way. He spread his own for comparison and fluttered them gently. Stripier.
Taylor watched the two of them from the corner of her eye, doing her best to watch Iamel without making the boy upset again. You'd almost think they were talking.
"I've already studied ramen induced mold." He grins slightly from where he was calling out, in the bedroom, "It grows a cousin to penicillian - it doesn't cure so many things but for the people who are allergic to penicillian, it still works for them."
Patrick was rather proud of his discovery of the ramen mold. It didn't make him millions but...he was actuall still studying it. So maybe it would - some day.
"Oh, Iamel eats the crickets. Be careful, 'kay?" This was said as he meandered from teh bedroom, closing the door gently behind him. Still shirtless, but that was easily remieded by grabbing a shirt from the door handle of his own bedroom. Tugging the half mesh/ half cloth contraption on, he was greeted to teh sight of the girl gawking at Iamel.
"They're small and he can't fly yet...but we're hoping. Right Iamel?"
Iamel was giggling at the owl and his discovery of the yucky tasting bug, fingers moving to pet at the birds chest and head lightly. "Yes, you did eat one. That was nice of you."
Nodding more, his wings stretched out, fluttering a bit. This time, no feathers fell but...he was a growing boy. He molted sometimes. "Thank you. I like yours too - we kinda match! Black and white, 'cept you're more white, I think."
The bird-boy paused at Patricks voice, glancing over to him curiously. "...hm? Oh...yeah. Right." He shrugs, "I didn't fly much anyway. I nested."
"Ramen induced mold?" Taylor chuckled. "That's... wow. I never would have guessed. I'd like to see that paper." She dropped the decapitated grasshopper to the table, wondering what in the world her bird had been trying to accomplish. "Listen, I've got to get back to the school- I've got a paper due tomorrow and I haven't started yet. This guy's been taking up most of my time."
What? You're the one who insists at gawking at me all the time. It's your own fault. I'm having fun here, the bird huffed, but he reluctantly left the couch to fly to Taylor's arm. Bye, woodpecker.
"E-mail me, okay?" Taylor scribbled an address on the back of her bookstore receipt. "I'll let you know when he- um, manifests? "
She waved cautiously as they left the room where Taylor had, for a minute, been able to talk to someone without stammering or trying to think about the proper thing to say. Where she'd been able to talk to a friend.
.FIN.
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:40 am
((OOC note: This takes place after Iamel meets the snowy owl, but BEFORE Diacyn turns into the grumpy kid we all know and love))
Journa Post - 001
Uhm... dear thing,
Shiniee told me to practice writing in English in here. So... I am. He bought this for me too, I liked the glitter on the front and the gold-rimmed edges of the paper! The pen is sparkly and fluffy too.
So. I like it.
Mm.
I made a new friend! At least, I'm pretty sure I did. He's a bird like me, except he's still a BIRD Bird. I'm a BOY bird. He'll change though, soon enough. I can't wait until he does! It'll be so much fun.
He's a snowy owl and he likes to eat rabbits. He thinks my Shiniee's rude...but Shiniee DID call him a rooster. I guess that's kinda allowed if someone calls you a rooster and you're an OWL. A pretty owl - his wings are black and white like me!
We kinda match. ^_^
Shiniee told me I could get shinies in my head when I get older. I wonder if that means tomorrow, or when I get taller?
Eh.
I want my wings to get bigger. I wanna fly.
I wanna see the owl again, too! [insert a badly drawn happy face here] He's fun and not stupid like the STUPID HUMMINGBIRD.
....crickets! Bye, thing!
-IAMEL
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:42 am
Diacyn and Iamel 'meet' properly - as BOY Birds!
Fingers covered in thick mittens pushed a doorbell. Taylor shivered (though she was wearing a newly purchased winter coat) and scuffed her heavy boots on the hallway carpet. Next to her, Diacyn was hardly dressed for the occasion. She'd managed to get him to change into something a little more normal then a robe, though he insisted on wearing his string of beads around his neck. He wore sandals beneath a pair of loose jeans and a thin green T-shirt under a baggy plaid flannel shirt to cover his wings (though they were large and showed a little bit at the bottom) He was also wearing Taylor's black hat, which she had attempted to use to cover his scalp tattoos. There wasn't anything she could to about the one across his eye though. He certainly didn't seem to care.
"Patrick?" she said, knocking on the door again. "Are you home? I've got something I need to show you."
"What? You're showing me off like a trophy now?" Diacyn growled irritably. It was mean of her to make him dress like this and stand here when he could be outside in the snow.
"No, no," Taylor amended. "I just wanted to talk to Patrick. And you can see your friend Iamel! He'll be surprised at how much you've, ah... grown."
Indeed, Iamel would be much pleased to see the other and how he'd grown. When the doorbell rang, there were a few yells and a giggle from Akuti in the background. The door flew open, revealing a breathless, halfway laughing Iamel.
He was dressed in kid-sized sweatpants and a plain white shirt that he had scrawled Latin on with sharpie marker, hair loose around his face. Pause...blinkblink. Diacyn was bigger then he was... Granted, he was a c arnivore and they were typically bigger but still.
"You grew!" He chirruped cheerfully. Iamel was only this cheerful when he was at ease - otherwise he was a grouchy little thing. "I like your face marking - come in." A small hand darted out, tugging gently at the boys shirt and trying to drag him inside.
Taylor, however, got something that was almost a glare, "Shiniee is inside."
"Iamel? Who is it?" Patrick peeked from the kitchen, pausing when he saw Lupe. "Hey, girl. What's--" Another pause. Blinking and looking down at Diacyn. Unbidden, he grinned slowly.
"Are carnivores bigger then the little insect eaters? The hummingbird is smaller then your owl too." This is to Taylor. Patrick never spoke to kids other then his own.
Diacyn snarled momentarily, tugging his shirt away from Iamel. "Yeah." One long finger traced the thick black swirl down his face. "I've got more, but she-" a quick, significant glance in Taylor's direction- "made me wear this hat. Look!" He tugged the hat off his head, revealing the rest of the markings. "There. And I've got my wings too." Though he seemed slightly put out by the other boy's infectious glee, he stepped past Patrick into the room, shrugging off the offensive plaid shirt as he did so and flapping his large wings. They were still as silent as when he was a bird.
"What are you doing?"
"Uh, yeah. He got a lot bigger," Taylor affirmed. " Maybe it's got something to do with being a carnivore, or just a larger bird. I hadn't thought of that." Truthfully, she hadn't thought of anything for a while except Oh my god, what the hell am I going to do now?
As Diacyn left them, she lowered her voice to make sure the he wouldn't overhear. "Frankly, he's an angry little b*****d. I think I made him mad somehow when he was an owl. He's nice enough to Iamel, though... says his name's Diacyn, by the way. Don't ask me how to spell it. Do they ever get normal names?"
She peered past Patrick to where the two children were talking. "Or normal anything, for that matter? He's still trying to eat rabbits, and he wears sandals. In the snow. Guess it's because he's an arctic bird, or something... this is messed up."
Iamel wasn't put off in the slightest by Diacyns glowering and his snarl, despite being smaller and thinner like most prey was prone to.
"And you have a shiny too." HIs voice was quieter, less psycho and happy as it was a minute ago. While he was prone to momentary bursts of childishness, it faded once he got used to the situation. Fingers fluttered up to the others each, but not brushing his skin, or touching hte markerings and his wings.
Iamel knew how rude it was to touch a birds markings or their wings, even though Diacyns human didn't.
"You shouldn't wear it. Youlook better without it." A firm nod, eyes tossing back to the two humans as they talked. "We weren't doing anything..Shiniee gets boring at night. He sits down and he types at his computer, or makes dinner for akuti. She likes salads." He blinked and grinned, winking gently at the snarling man. "Actually, we have a defrosting rabbit. I was gonna try it tonight. Wanna eat it with me?"
"I'm glad you didn't scream like a schoolgirl, Taylor." He smiled faintly, glancing down tot he large salad he was making - both he and Akuti were vegetarians. "He doesn't seem like he was the nicest kid in the world, sweetheart."
His voice softens a little bit, head twisting to glance at Iamel and Diacyn, grinning a little bit. "No offense, Taylor, but as long as Iamel isn't glaring death at everyone , I'm happy. He's a bitchy little s**t too! Diacyn is the ONLY person other then Shanuh that he doesn't want to die!"
A sigh, head shaking, rubbing his eyelids quietly. Frowning a little. ""No. They dont get normal. Iamel eats crickets and beetles and he sleeps in a little 'nest' in the corner of the second bedroom."
"I couldn't have screamed like a schoolgirl even if I'd wanted to. My brain was pretty much shut down for repairs," Taylor grinned. "And then he started telling me off about how he was going to bite my fingers if I tried to go all scientific on him. And then he made a nest too, out of my blankets. So yeah. Definitely not the nicest kid. " She watched the two Guardians for a minute, smiling slightly. "Diacyn does seem to like Iamel. That's nice, I guess. He's just kind of snarly and grumpy with me..."
Wait. Something prodded the back of her mind with a cattle prod. Did he just call me sweetheart? She wasn't offended or anything, just a little wierded out. Oh well. Turning away from Diacyn and his friend, she looked down at Patrick's salad-in-progress. "That looks good. I like salads... Diacyn wouldn't, though."
"Your human has a computer too? Mine's got one. She types on it all damn day and night." Diacyn fanned his wings too, brushing air across Iamel's fingers without touching them. There was this silent code of conduct that they were just born knowing. "Don't know what those computers are good for... they glow, though. I'd think you would like them. They're kind of shiny." Bending, he retrieved the hat from the floor and threw it at Taylor. "Yeah, I don't like wearing that thing." A pause. "You've got a rabbit? Where?"
Diacyn, on the other hand, had become slightly more childish than usual once he relaxed. Iamel was the one person he didn't want to growl or snap at. He was fun, if a bit hyper. And he didn't bother with stupid things like computers.
Yes. Yes he DID call her sweetheart. Patrick was as queer as the holidays were long and about as fruity as someone could get. You couldn't tell from just looking at him, of course, and he didn't speak with a lisp or wriggle his hips, nor did he wear backless pants.
He was just...gay. A dorky science geek who happened to be gay. Taylor should even feel -lucky-. Patrick doesn't usually even deem to speak with women but it seems the other Companions from the pet shops may not have been annoying as regular women he'd been subjected to previously.
The girl got a quick grin, Patrick nodding to the second bedroom. "My brat took every colorful piece of cloth he could find and made himself a little cocoon thing out of them. It's like a psuedo-womb. Round with a small hollow inside he curls up into and sleeps. Akuti is the NORMAL one. She sleeps in a bed." Another grin, white teeth flashing, "We're both vegetarian too, so that helps with food costs. Iamel eats like twenty bucks of crickets a week and any beetles he finds."
There was a pause, his eyes going to the two boys in the hallway. His eyebrows hitch up once more, never having seen Iamel quite that cheerful and in control with anyone else before. Even with Shanuh, he pouted and manipulated to get his way. "...he said your kid - Diacyn, yes? Just makin' sure - told him to eat rabbit, so I bought a frozen one. I feel kinda squicked to have meat in the house but.." A shrug, "Iamel is stubborn."
"Shiniee used it to figure out what I ate when I was a bird," He explained, lips quirking into a wider grin at the feel of the air. It was so SILENT! When the hummingbird moved, his wings kept making that irritating noise and Iamels wings were smaller then the other two so they didn't make much at all...but it was odd to hear SILENT wings! "He says he does papers and stuff on it, but I never see anythin' come out. So he could be lying."
Once more, iamel took Diacyns sleeve - he didn't consider that rude. While it was taking something of the others in hand, it wasn't touching him and it was a way for Iamel to show the other Bird without saying the needed words.
"Shiniee can't catch one on his own an' neither can I," Iamels voice was sheepish, shoulders rising in a shrug. "I can get beetles and bugs and stuff, but not big things like rabbits or anything. So he bought a frozen one and it's becoming not-ice now."
Nod nod, but his nose wrinkled, "I don't think I'll like it too much, though, and it's a big meal so that means if you're hungry you should eat it with me."
Big meal for the kid who just ate handfuls of insects and considered it a meal...
Taylor had no idea that Patrick was gay- she possessed none of the fabled “gay-dar,” and she didn’t much care either way so she never thought about that. She was straight, and (though she wouldn’t admit it to anyone) highly subject to schoolgirl crushes on random people who she would never, ever talk to in a million years. Not on Patrick, though. She could talk to the guy, after all, instead of gibbering like a baboon and then making excuses to get the hell out of the room.
“Diacyn told him to eat a rabbit? Were they talking when he was a bird?” Taylor thought about that possibility for a minute, decided it was downright logical compared to everything else, and continued. “Well, just be glad he didn’t try to convince Iamel to start gnawing on a kitten or a puppy or something. He likes to eat cute things. In a very bloody fashion. And I’m a vegetarian too… basically I buy him steaks and chicken and things because I can’t figure out where to get rabbits. Though he has caught a few himself…” She recalled the time that Diacyn, flushed, covered in snow, and grinning like a madman, had come leaping through her door dangling a still-living squirrel by its tail. She’d let it go outside and he’d yelled at her for ten minutes before going to sulk.
“He’s got a weird nest too… not very tidy, just a couple of blankets and little bones all over the place. He puts them on the bookshelf in weird little patterns and won’t let me get near them. Owls are pretty territorial, I guess.”
”Mine types about me. Well, she used to. I said I’d pull her fingers off if she kept it up, so she doesn’t anymore.” At least, he didn’t think she did. He couldn’t read very well, so she could be writing about him behind his back… he decided to learn to read immediately.
But first there was the matter of the food. Frozen rabbit? Diacyn liked that idea. The creature would be dead, so he wouldn’t have the fun of pulling off its ears while it twitched and made silent little rabbit screams. But ice and snow were his territory.
“I can catch ‘em,” he bragged. “Not as good as when I was an owl though. She won’t get me anything good, so I’m pretty hungry. Let’s eat.”
"But..it's still frozen." Iamel blinked a little at that, head tilting quizzically to the side as his kind were prone to do when puzzled. At the comment of Taylor not letting him eat anything good, the female got a harsh glare from the woodpecker - starvation is a BAD THING, stupid human.
Sulk.
"I can't run fast enough to catch them. Or fly. My wings are too small." He pouts slightly, grabbing the top of the counter near the sink where the rabbit was defrosting. One swift movement and the strong little b***h had dragged himself onto the counter, legs swinging gently from where he sat. "I can catch grasshoppers, though."
A proud little smile at that and he reached for the frozen rabbit, picking it up with his thumb and index finger, by the ears. "This is it."
Patrick shuddered slightly at the sight of the dead rabbit, turning his back to the two children and finishing up with the salad - it was a large salad. Enough for three people, especially with Akuti munching down on some veggies in the living room.
"Yeah, they were talking." Taylor got a curious look at that, Patrick grinning crookedly as he scooped up the bowl and moved out to the living room - it's where they ate. There wasn't enough room otherwise. "He eats cute things? Ugh. Keep him away from my goldfish. I LIKE my goldfish." Setting the bowl down, Patrick shifted to the side to let the little horse girl dart out to get the bowls and silverware, snickering quietly.
"Sit? Akuti likes setting tables. I REALLY don't know why." He snook his head slightly, sighing and glancing back tot eh kitchen. "Okay. Those two are keeping each other from killing my daughter, or us...so it's okay."
“He’s not too big on fish. Says they’re too small. I’ve got a tank full of guppies and he hasn’t touched them, thank goodness.” Taylor smiled kindly at Akuti. “She’s the nice one here… and she’s awfully cute, so I do think it’s a good thing the boys are busy with their rabbit or whatever. Thanks,” she added, sitting down on the edge of the couch and accepting a bowl from Akuti. “You’re helpful around here. How do you survive with Iamel going ballistic all the time?”
As she spoke, she caught Iamel giving her a very angry look. “He’s still mad at me, isn’t he? Diayn, tell him I’m sorry already! He'll listen to you."
Diacyn ignored Taylor. He had better things to think about.
”Yum!” He leapt agilely to grab the icy lagomorph from Iamel’s fingers. Cold water splattered across the kitchen floor as he flapped his wings twice, completely failed to fly, and landed in an undignified heap on the linoleum. “Can’t fly either,” he grunted angrily, picking himself off the floor, rabbit still clutched in one hand. “You’ve got to be quiet and surprise them.”
Without bothering to offer any to Iamel, he crouched and bit into the rabbit’s back, tearing away a large hunk of raw meat and fur. Happily, he chewed and swallowed before wiping cool blood off his lips. “Good. Want some?”
"Good...I only have one goldfish, but I like him." He grinned crookedly, settling down in one of the chairs (that Iamel LOVES to dance on) and takes the bowl from Akuti. "Thank you, hun."
She smiled brightly, wriggling up to settle next to Taylor. "He ignores her for the most part and thank goodness, she doesn't go out of her way to harass him. Although they fight over covers." His eyes roll a little, spooning some salad into his daughters bowl before offering the clappity things to Taylor.
"If you just ignore him, he shuts up." She shrugged slightly, taking bit of lettuce between two fingers and chomping down. She's not one for utensils.
the woodpecker had to giggle a little, fingers moving to pat Diacyns back lightly. "Sok. When we get bigger we'll be able to fly. Or yell at Shanuh about it - wings are only usefull if you fly."
He nodded, sliding off the counter to sit on the linolium, eyes wide as he watched the other chomp down. He'd never seen something eat flesh before, certianly not in this household. While the woodpecker wasn't grossed out, he wasn't enthused either. It was a -rabbit-.
"Just a little.. I don't htink I'll like rabbit anymore then you like crickets." Blinking at the open ribcage of the rabbit, head tilting once more to the side. "Crickets are small and hard and crunchy...they really don't have any brains. What's it like to kill something with a brain?"
Crimson eyes glance up to the grouchy owl curiously, not taking the rabbit yet. He was curious what it felt like to take a life of something that could feel slight emotions, pain and the like. He wanted to -know-.
"Well, it'd probably be impossible for them to go without fighting over something.." Taylor accepted the salad bowl, scooped herself a politely small portion, then realized her mother wasn't going to be here to tell her off and took a bit more before jabbing a tomato with her fork. "Good stuff. Too bad Diacyn won't want any..." She looked at the child again, saw what he was doing, and had to close her eyes for a minute while a feeling of nausea overtook her. It was already dead. He's just... getting some dinner. And he's a carnivore. There's no way I can keep feeding him on tofu.
"Don't look, Akuti," she said quietly, before realizing that was the one thing that would guarentee the girl would look. Stupid reverse psychology.
Diacyn slid his fingers deep into the slick, bloody cavern of the rabbit's chest. "Here, this bit's good," he said, pulling out something that might have been a liver for Iamel to eat. "If you kill something with a brain... it's like something goes missing. They squirm and shout and then their eyes look funny and you can tell they aren't thinking anymore. I don't know where their thoughts go." He thought for a moment, fiddling with a bit of fur and skin pulled from the rabbit's leg. "Maybe Shanuh knows. We can ask him about after we yell at him about our wings."
He hadn't been to the Birdcage since he'd been 'born.' Maybe he could convince Taylor to take them. She wanted to yell at Shanuh too. He could tell, though he didn't exactly know why.
Shockingly..Akuti did as told. She just blinked up at Taylor and flashed a big, 100-watt smile at her, wide green eyes innocent and trusting. "Okay~" She churred out, hopping slightly as she continued to eat her salad.
Silly girl.
"I'm just scared to buy anything else..what if it turns into another ten year old? I mean, I adore them but...two is a lot to begin with, you know?" He shrugs, looking down at his salad before shoving in a mouth full.
"Thanks. I don't grow it myself, but I'd love to get into the hydro system I read about once. Supposedly it makes bigger, better tasting veggies. I just need an actual house first, a place to grow it. Akuti said she'd help with it too." He grinned around his fork, swallowing his vegtables smoothly. "At least Diacyn is keeping Iamel quiet. The kid loves noise."
"So...the brain stops working?" He blinks a little bit, fingers rising up to wind both his hands around Diacyns wrist. The woodpecker wasn't opposed to EATING the bloody thing, but he was opposed to touching it and getting bloody himself.
Woodpeckers don't do bloody.
So, holding the owls hand in place, Iamel studied the wannabe liver, nose wrinkling a bit. "It looks like an organ," Voice light, "Those are the good parts?" He shrugged, leaning over and taking the piece into his mouth.
Chew chew chew, hands dropping as he chewed on the dead lump of flesh, eyebrows knitted up in concentration. "It doesn't taste like yuck," He finally came out with, head tilting to the side, "And it has a weird texture. Chewy, but tough." Blinking. "You can have the rest. I'll have my crickets."
He grinned. It HADN'T tasted yucky but he knew the owl would appreciate it loads more then he would. Iamel would stick to his crickets.
Diacyn was completely, totally oblivious to the little woodpecker's kindness and went on stuffing his face. "Yup. Organs are good. The human says they've got vitamins in 'em." His voice was a little muffled by mouthfuls of other organs and assorted body parts. "She said crickets have vitamins too, so I guess they're pretty good." Chew, chew, tear, chew. "I guess it's the brain," he mused. "Yeah. When you kill it you break their brain and they can't think anymore. But they get scared first. Fun." There was an fierce sort of gleam in the owl-boy's eyes as he said this. He wasn't entirely sure why, but there was something fascinating about the way a creature's wide, panicked eyes flashed and bulged and then suddenly went very, very still.
This rabbit hadn't done that, it had been dead first, but it was still a damn good rabbit.
"Do bugs scream? I don't think you could hear them. But maybe they do."
"Gaah. Two is more then enough. Just the one is driving me absolutely bonkers." Taylor giggled a little and bit into another tomato. "I knew I could never have kids because... well, I'd go nuts. At least we managed to skip the diaper stage."
Part of her was completely amazed at just how wierd this was. Here she was at the house of a guy she'd only meant once, eating the best salad she'd ever had and casually discussing the antics of two bird-children from another dimension (or something). This was not what she expected college was going to be like.
"Hydro system? That sounds fun. I know nothing about it, but... it should be really cool." She could just picture little Akuti watering tomatoes and lettuce with infinite care and compassion... and Iamel promptly tearing the little things out and, she didn't know, putting them on his head or something.
Man, she was glad she only had one.
"The best thing I ever grew was a giant bacterial colony... Mom threw it out. It was cool though... but I wouldn't have wanted to eat it."
Iamel didn't mind. He fetched his little bag full of crickets and beetles and half eaten fruits before settling back down by the owl boy. "They scream. It's soft and high pitched but...they scream."
His lips quirked into a slow smile, casually eating the crickets and beetles and the fruit, eyes sliding back to the owl with an arched eyebrow. "No trying to see if I get scared and can't think," He muffled out, crunching down on his crickets. "Cause I wouldn't be fun and I might kick you." A soft giggle, going happily back to his meal.
"Have you met the hummingbird yet?"
"I forgot the exact detail but..." He trailed off, shrugging and shoving some salad into his mouth with a quiet laugh. Patrick wasn't too surprised by anything anymore - not with the children he had and the things he'd been through.
The dark boy would be more creeped out if Shanuh smiled a real smile then anything magical happening.
"Giant colony of bacteria? ******** SWEET. How big? What kind? Why the hell did your mother throw it out?" He looked affronted by the very image, frowning a little."Hummingbird? Nope." Diacyn licked his fingers clean while inspecting the woodpecker's bag of foods. "Is it another one? Like us, I mean? That would be cool." He finished cleaning his fingers (but neglected to clean off the blood smears that decorated his forearms all the way to the elbow) and picked up the remnants of his meal, mostly the hindquarters and a string of vertebrae with the head still attatched. He was full, but he would store this for later. No sense in letting it go to waste if Iamel wasn't going to eat it.
"I'm not going to make you scream. You'd be too loud. Besides, you're more fun when your brain works." A happy grin and a wave of the rabbit skeleton. "If you kick me, I'll kick back... I'm learning karate."
"I forget, it was a while ago." Taylor remenisced about the bacteria colony. "A bunch of stuff... mostly found it around the house. Then I tried to isolate them all, ran out of petri dishes and started using the good bowls for holding agar. That's when Mom threw them out." She shook her head in mock irritation. "Honestly. What else would she want me to use the bowls for. Cereal? Jeez."
Iamel wouldn't eat it. He asked (ordered) Patrick to buy him the frozen rabbit so he could try it. He preferred his crickets and his fruit and occasional waffle. With fruit on top. And smashed crickets sprinkled on top. Diacyn, in his eyes, was more then welcome to the dangly rabbit. "He's annoying."
The hummingbird just..pissed Iamel off. At the very thought of the purple haired brat, he grumbled quietly, sinking into himself at the mention. Very few things made Iamel loathe someone on sight but that damned BIRD had tried to steal his Shiniee from him. Trying to take Patrick from iamel or hurting Patrick was a sure way to make Iamel hate you almost immediately.
Thus, nothing more was said on the bird, eyes flickering back up to Diacyn. It was weird, to have someone who didn't do anything but be growly and snarky and just..themselves and for him to not dislike them. Even to like them and want to TALK and do stuff like pull off crickets legs and things! It was weird..not in a bad way. Then again, Iamel figured he was thinking too much and a lot of other people didn't think like he did..Diacyn probably figured he was just some wonky kid who he could put up with.
The grin and the teasing helped, though.
"I'll only kick if you try to kill me." He snickered softly, breaking himself from his thoughts and poking at the dangling, waving rabbit skeleton. "Or - what's karate?"" Pause, blinkblink, head tilting to the side. "I've never heard of it."
"My mother once tossed out some equations I did to finish pi." He frowned a little, "She was 'cleaning' my room back when I was like...fifteen and saw all these papers on my desk and just...tossed them. I had almost gotten another one too, damnit. I could've been famous."
A quiet grumble left him, glancing at Taylor and grinning, "Cereal is best eaten out of a box. That's what I think anyway."Diacyn's eyes brightened. This was something he'd been wanting to show off for ages. Taylor wouldn't let him do it in the dinky, cluttered little dorm room they shared, but there was plenty of room here. And he figured Iamel would like it.
"Karate is this." Dropping the rabbit carcass, Diacyn leapt into a complicated series of jumps and twirls interspersed with punches and kicks that flew far over his bald head. Another spin, a backfist that almost took out the refrigerator, and then he vaulted into the air for an incredible spinning roundhouse that was unfortunately spoiled by a slippery floor and loose sandals.
"Grr." Diacyn picked himself off the floor for the second time that day (he'd fallen off Taylor's bookcase earlier- damn this clumsy human form) and proceeded to spend several seconds glaring at the offensive linolium until it (presumably) was scared half to death.
"Anyhow. That's karate. I learned from a movie. Taylor doesn't like it." Taylor didn't like much of anything he did. Not that he cared. "You should learn. You could smear the hummingbird across three walls if you wanted."
He'd picked up that phrase from a movie too, and tried to use it every time he could. It was a pretty good mental image in his mind.
"You were trying to finish pi? That's awesome! Parents don't know anything. I bet you could have been all famous and they would have been jealous. Ha." A quick shake of the head at Diacyn's antics. "My parents gave up on trying to clean my room a long time ago. I think they were afraid the stuff would have become alive and attacked. Add some electricity and you could have gotten life, I swear. Maybe that's where he came from." She supressed a snigger as Diacyn landed in an unusually ungraceful heap, mainly because he would have threatened to mutilate her fingers somehow if he heard her.
"Who needs bowls? Or spoons. If we were meant to use spoons we would have evolved spoonfingers. Actually, that wouldn't work very well..." Taylor spent a few seconds wiggling her fingers in an effort to figure out the logistics of having spoons on the ends. "Maybe some kind of swiss army finger.... This is what scared my parents more then my room," she added with a smile. "Me going off on tangents about spoonfingers and things." Those several seconds where Diacyn was glaring at teh floor, Iamel was gawking at him. Sure, the woodpecker could read and write in latin and...stuff, but he couldnt jump around like THAT!
He really, really wanted to.
"...holy. Crap." His voice was a croak - he had heard THAT phrase come from Patrick enough times to know it was something to say with awe. "How...how do you do that? I mean..." Blinking a little, head tilting up a bit to peer at him before Iamel picked himself up off the ground. "I can't do that. How do you? I think I'd fall on my face before even lifting a foot."
"Yeah..I was trying...but they threw everything out." His eyes rolled dramatically before snaking to the two in the kitchen. He DID snicker and he didn't care if Diacyn heard him. Iamel would protect him!
He hoped.
"I don't really want to know where those sproglets came from, actually. I think it would scare the s**t out of me to know." He shuddered, head shaking once more, forking the rest of the salad into his mouth. And yet, Patrick listened to her tanget about spoonfingers, a critical, pierced eyebrow arching.
"Actually, since the ancient human created spoon, it nixed any need we would have for cupped fingers. It's probably why our fingers are so versitle now, instead of being cupped and arthritic like it probably was back in the day." A soft snicker, "And our brains adapted to the need for tools - once a tool was made, the idea for more and more came, leading up to s**t like the refrigerator.""It's hard. You've got to have balance... I guess you use your wings. Since they're not that good for flying, they've got to be good for something." Diacyn flapped them angrily, still upset about his momentary loss of dignity. "Here, you go like this..." he settled into a sturdy front stance- "and then this, and this-" three or four punches, a bit too fast for anyone to really follow.
"You hit 'em in the stomach. Or the neck, that makes them choke. Or the eyes." He made a grabbing, clawing movement towards Iamel's head but stopped an inch or so short of his eyeballs. "And then you do kicks. That's the hard part. I could give you my movie if you want."
It was a strangely nice thing for him to say. He was Diacyn, the kid who guarded his stuff tooth and nail (and sometimes stole other people's stuff and then guarded that). But he wanted Iamel to be happy. Somehow that would make him happy too.
"And the toaster oven. And about a zillion more things that do tasks no other creature would ever need done, and break half the time when doing them! Or they work just fine, but then the 'sproglets' break them."
Wow. Somebody actually had listened. That was a first.
"That makes a lot of sense, actually. We've shaped our own evolution. Makes you wonder what would have come out if we were complete idiots and decided we all needed to hit each other on the head with rocks every day. We'd have thick skulls and big rock-throwing forearms... come to think of it, I think we've got that already." Iamel just..watched. There was no way he could learn off of what the other was doing - he was fast and quick and well...there was nothing he could do to second it. "We'll learn to fly one day," He responded lightly, shoulders risin in a shrug, "You were able to fly more then anyone -I've- seen."
His eyes widen and he stares, cross-eyed, at the fingers wriggling a few centimeters from his face, grinning a little, head tilting to the side at the offer. "Okay." Nodnod, hopping from one foot to the other slightly, "I won't loose it or anything."
Like he would. Iamels shiniees were his prize possesions - no one touched them, not even Patrick.
"Thank you~" Iamel was grinning a little bit, running his hand through the multi-colored, feathery hair on his head. "I don't think I'll be able to punch as fast as you, though.." More blinking and then he hopped again, grinning wider. "Wanna go outside? You can show me more there and it's not slippery if you take off your shoes."
"That's what football players are for." He grinned a little, winking once as he finished his salad, ruffling Akutis hair fondly. "They're the genetic throw back of human society. And girls are the more evolved parts - they seem to be more stratigically made then us guys."
Patrick laughed, glancing at Taylor with that crooked grin. "So, if we shaped our own evolution, does that make us a type of god?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:46 am
"Gods?" Taylor snorted. "More like a bunch of two-year-olds with a box of computer parts and no instruction book. We don't know what the hell we're doing. If we did, we'd all have wings and laser cannons for arms and, I don't know, super-strengh or something. But honestly, we don't know a thing. Look at dogs. We tried to shape their evolution, and now we've got bulldogs that can't breathe and collies with sharp little noses and skulls that squeeze their brains out of shape. It's just too complicated." She glowered at a snow pea for a moment. "Well, until somebody gets it figured out. We've mapped the genome, but we can't read the road signs."
"Outside? Yeah!" Diacyn was thrilled. He could go out in the snow! Snow was the best thing ever. Especially for throwing at people. "I'll get the movie later. It's at home now."
"Let's go!" Sandals flapping, he ran out of the kitchen and dashed up to Taylor. "Hold this," he snapped, forcing the dismembered rabbit on her before dashing to the door. "Hurry up!"
Taylor wrinkled her nose, holding the corpse at arm's length. For the girl who'd dissected innumberable small dead rodents, she was unusually squeamish when faced with this.
"Akuti, you want my salad?"
"Maybe that makes us gods." He shrugged a little, shoveling more salad into his mouth as he listened to her go on about how the human race sucked when it came to trying to force people (or animals in this case) into being something they weren't.
"We can't control life but they've found out the gene that makes someone queer, so it's only a few more hundred years until -" he cut himself off, blinking over to Diacyn and Iamel emerging from the kitchen. The sight of the torn apart rabbit made him pale under the pigment as well, body lurching just slightly. One jewelry encrusted hand rose to cover his mouth as the smell of dead animal, although scarce from the previously frozen rabbit, invaded his nostrils anyway.
"Iamel, what are you..."
"Going outside." Iamel shrugged a little bit, grabbing his coat and slinging it on. He was the gaurdian of explosions - NOT hypothermia. Snow didn't make him concent and happy like it did for the other bird but it was better then listening to the two humans pratter on and on about 'genomes'.
Geez. Gnomes lived in Holland. Didn't t hose idiots know ANYTHING?
"I need shoes!" He winged back at Diacyn, huffing and kicking his sneakers on quickly before skirting out. Luckily, they were the thick soled shoes made for snow, so he didn't find himself falling on his face or anything equally embarssing (poor Diacyn). "Okay! I'm out!"
Akutis face was pale as well, tinging green around her eyes and her mouth. "..n...no thank you." Her voice had dropped to a squeaking whisper before she scrambled from the couch.
Her hard footsteps could be heard as he threw herself into the bathroom and vomited, noisily, into the toilet.
"I don't think so, because if I was a god then this would not be happening! DIACYN!" Taylor leapt up, knocking her salad bowl onto the floor. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
The girl could really bellow if she got angry enough.
"Don't you dare go outside!" Diacyn jumped a little, his hand inches from the doorknob. "You get your a** right back here and apologize to Patrick and Akuti, you little b*****d!" Taylor had also missed the memo that you weren't supposed to swear around children, but Diacyn could swear worse then her if he wanted so it didn't really matter. "And then you are going to throw this thing away. I've had it with you tossing ******** dead things all over my room, and you certainly won't do the same at someone else's house. Learn some goddamn manners."
Diacyn calmly flipped her off, opened the door, and left.
"...oh, ******** it." Taylor flopped back onto the couch and buried her face in her rabbit-free hand. "I'm sorry. He's an idiot."
Most human children would have been scarred for life, but Diacyn was as calm as ever (calm meaning snarky and grumpy but generally okay). He bounced on his heels, waiting for Iamel.
Humans were damn wierd. First they were happy, then they were as angry as hell, and all he'd done was give her some food that anyone should be happy to get. Oh well.
He'd whap her with a snowball if she cam after him.
"...let's throw the rabbit out anyway." His eyebrows arch, "It'll piss him off." He felt bad for Akuti (being part horse, seeing anything torn to shreds would get to her) but..he couldn't do anything to her. He wasn't about to try and smack Diacyn or drag Iamel away from him.
Patrick did, however, hope that Iamel wouldn't pick up his habits. "He seems more predatorial then an idiot, though...by yelling at him, you challenged him in front of another one of the Birds, an adult and his claim to do what he wants, whenever he wants. Predators respond to challenges by fighting right back." The dark man slid from the couch to the floor, easily plucking the vegtables up. Once in his hands, Patrick just put them right back onto the plate, lifting the mostly-empty plates anyway.
"D'ya want anymore?" He blinked over at Taylor, taking the rabbit between thumb and forefinger delicately, nose wrinkling up as he carried it to the transcan. "Anyway, about the kid..He's a predator. An amazingly territorial and agressive one at that. A deadly one - or he will be when he gets older. I saw those karate moves. The only way to tame a wild beast is with a beauty. You just need to have someone manipulate him into behaving."
Patrick paused, glaring at the dead rabbit in his trashcan. "Or behead the little ********. Y'know. Whatever works."
Iamel had frozen during the yelling - he wasn't used to people screaming around and at him. Sure, he could throw a fit sometimes but Patrick (or any adult for that matter) had never screamed at HIM or at another kid in his general area... it was really freaking creepy.
Diacyn didn't mind though. The woodpecker wasn't sure what that finger gesture was, but he followed him anyway, blinking a little. "She sounded mad.." His voice was doubtful, nose crinkling up, "Why would she be mad? It's a bunny."
His nose was wrinkled and already a little pink from the cold once he caught up with his owl friend, breath making a
"....I know," Taylor sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "He's a predator. I don't know why I can't get over it. It's like... if I see a hawk tear up a rabbit, or a wolf attack a deer... it doesn't bug me. They're doing what they're supposed to do. But Diacyn... I keep thinking like he's human." Numbly, she shook some invisible dust of a lettuce leaf and nibbled it. "Like he should know better. I don't know what goes on in that little mind of his, but it's not like any of ours. I just keep forgetting it."
Another sigh, and she dropped the nibbled lettuce back into the bowl. She wasn't really hungry anymore- being angry made her feel sick afterwards. "How much of it's bird and how much is human? I'm not so sure there's anything human in there... except the talking, walking, and flipping-people-off bits. And the kung-fu movie loving bits. I NEVER should have rented Rush Hour for him."
"She freaks out about anything," Diacyn said calmly. "Well, anything that dies. When I was an owl she threw a kitten off a building for me. That was fun, but she didn't think so." He jumped happily as they walked through the snow- one might be compelled to call it frolicking, though one would get a karate kick in the face shortly after. "She's not a carn- a carnivore, and she's got problems with people who are. Sucks to be her." Grinning brightly, he kicked at a snowdrift with one sandaled foot. "Veggies and that "tofoo" junk she likes aren't any fun."
"Maybe they're a mix?" He shrugs slightly, lips quirking into a faint smile, one makeup hand giving Taylors back an affectionate pat. "When I see Iamel shoving handfuls of crickets down my throat, I just remind myself that they would've died anyway - it's the circle of life. I mean... what WOULD Diacyn eat? It's instinct for him to eat small animals, after all."
Another faint shrug, taking the salad to the kitchen and setting it down gently. "You can't stop instinct, not really. Diacyn is only going to react to screaming with equal agression. And he IS jsut a kid. Boys can be evil little shits."
He just laughed, scooping up some snow as Diacyn pranced own. Cold fingers wrapped and shaped the snow into a firmly packed ball between his hands, lips quirking into a grin.
"Humans are weird and veggies are good! Only sometimes though." He laughed once more, reeled back and FUMPH!
Diacyn just got a snowball in the back.
"Circle of life? You sound like a Lion King movie," Taylor snorted. "But I suppose you're right. We're so used to sitting up at the top of the food chain and picking whatever we want to eat that we don't remember some animals don't have choices. Or don't care. They all just evolved to do whatever they're meant to. It's hard to remember that it works that way. And it's hard to remember they're little." She laughed harshly. "Sometimes they seem all old and wise and the next minute they're acting like two-year-olds. Jeez."
"Akuti?" she called, suddenly gentle. The horse-girl was still in the bathroom. "You all right? Diacyn left and we threw the rabbit out, okay?"
The recently snowballed Diacyn staggered a bit and flapped his wings to shake the snow off. He got snowballed! HIM!
Oh, Iamel was in for it now.
"You're going down, woodpecker!" he shouted, bending and scooping a double handful of snow. "Eat this!"
The first one missed completely and splattered into a tree. Diacyn fumed and grabbed a larger handful, taking the time to shape it into a perfect aerodynamic missile that soon found itself en route to Iamel's stomach.
"Hey, Mufasa was the ******** king of the jun...Savanah? Whatever. He was king of whatever the light touches." His eyes rolled a little bit, shuddering slightly. "What if those little savages are the next generation of humans? ALL kids are gonna end up like them?"
Another shudder as Patrick began cleaning up the kitchen and living room area. Damnit. Yuckiness and rabbit guts...blood over the linolium. "She's probably brushing her teeth or something equally as angelic."
Sure enough, she appeared a minute later, eyes wide and her mouth all white and foamed. A toothbrush was sticking out of one corner of her mouth. "Mmph?"
Iamel just grinned, his own wings hidden under his jacket. The blood got cold easily in ones wings...so he had to hide them when he was cold or bad things would happen. That's what Patrick told him anyway.
"Lovely aim, Diacy--OOF!" The ball smacked him straight in the stomach, knocking the little woodpecker off his balance and sending him to his butt. Red eyes were widened comically as his hands grappled for some more snow, kicking a little tuft at Diacyn.
"No fair!" Huff pout, but he was grinning, forming more snowballs with his hands before lugging them at Diacyn. Diacyn was a bigger target then the smaller redheaded boy but...Iamel was also on his back and trying to get up.
Totally didn't work.
"What, a whole generation of sadistic little birdthings? That would be messed up. Here, let me help you with that." She stepped into the kitchen and grabbed a random sponge from the sink, then bent to finish cleaning the floor. "It's my kid's fault... I should take care of it. Sorry again."
From angry to apologetic in 60. Odd, but normal for Taylor. The outburst had sucked most of the energy out of her and she just felt... bad. Like she had to make it up to people.
"Oh, hi, Akuti." A wave, being careful to use the hand not holding the bloodstained sponge. Why couldn't she have gotten one like her?
"Direct hit!" As Iamel tumbled into the snow, Diacyn launched into what could only be called a victory dance, complete with "raise da roof" gestures and what looked like the moonwalk. He'd picked up a lot from watching people. "Gaah!"
Three or four badly aimed but still "deadly" snowballs zipped past his ears. He dodged them like an action hero would dodge bullets, with unnecessary flair and wing flapping. His didn't get cold, and he didn't feel like covering them up the way he usually had to. "Can't get me!" He lobbed a couple more missiles at Iamel, laughing happily.
FWUMP. A ground-to-air snowball clipped the side of his head and left a sizeable amount of snow lodged in his left hear. Dangit!
Well, there was nothing for it but to grab an armful of snow and drop it onto Iamel's head.
"It's not like you have control over him, hun! I can hardly keep Iamel under control, y'know? And he's a lot more even tempered, even though he's possesive beyond hell." His nose wrinkled slightly, glancing up as the sweet little horse girl pranced back into the bathroom to keep brushing her teeth.
"She's cute, but those two can fight when they're into it.." Patrick snorts quietly, head shakin as the kitchen became clean once more and he flicked on the garbage disposal momentarily. "Diacyn will calm down in time."
The dark man paused, frowning a bit. "...I hope, anyway. I'd hate to see what damage he'd do when he's bigger."
"a*****e!" The woodpecker continued to laugh, continuing to try and smack Diacyn with his crudly made snowballs. For not being an arctic animal, he was faring rather well against the snow owl.
Smirking when he managed to hit the other boy, Iamels red eyes went wide when he saw the armful of snow in Diacyns...well, arms! What could a boy do but twist and tackle the larger thing, snow or no snow, in order to save his honor?
FOR HONOR!
FOR SNOW!
"Angsty teenage Diacyn? I don't even WANT to go there. And I hope to God he never learns to drive." The mental picture of Diacyn in a red muscle car made her grin. "Yeah, Iamel seems nicer... he's not angry all the time. That's definetely a good thing." She rinsed her fingers off in the sink.
"Diacyn's posessive... but more territorial. Touch his nest and die."
"Yaaah!" Diacyn found himself on his back in a snowdrift with Iamel holding a deathgrip on his torso. His armful of snow flew into the air and covered both of them in a light ice shower. Now THAT was not honorable snow fighting!
Well, he would just have to retailate. Trying to squirm of of Iamel's grip, he flung a few loosely packed snowballs at the woodpecker before hitting on a brilliant idea.
Shoving himself up to a sitting position, he fanned his wings wide before flapping them as quick and hard as possible. The resulting silent wind blew the snow into the air and covered Iamel (and Diacyn's legs, too). Instant snowstorm.
Patrick snickered softly, head shaking and rubbing his temples delicately. "You should see Iamel when I give stuff to people... He's not protective over his nest. He's possesive over PEOPLE. I gave the hummingbird kid - whenhe was still a hummingbird - a ring and was like, 'for when he gets bigger!' Y'know..hahaha, right?"
He sighed, eyes rolling as he scrubbed at the counters one last time, "Iamel HATES him. He goes into a cold, snarky rage if anyone even MENTIONS the kid to him. This was back whe he was still a bird." A soft shudder nose wrinkling, "That's why if he gets attatched to Diacyn...I'm not protesting. I can't have a little kid snarky over me getting attatched to other spawn, y'know? He wanted to KILL Akuti."
"WHOO!" Iamels shout was triumphant once he found himself around Diacyns waist. He had successfully tackled and gotten down someone bigger and stronger then him! "I am your GOD--GAH!"
THis time he got snow in the face, fingers releasing Diacyn and try and propell the snow away, laughing the entire time. His eyes had been closed, so no blinding there.
Sputtering and giggling the same, Iamel writhed away from the little snowstorm. If he was a human and unknowing, he could've grabbed Diacyns wings and pinned him to the ground, causing pain and probably an unceasing hatred from the snowy owl.
Being a GOOD Gaurdian, the woodpecker simply grabbed a handful of Snow, cupped it firmly in his hands and reached up. The little hand of snow was plopped onto Diacyns head to the best of Iamels ability and he grinned, one eye squinting open. "...I declare you IAMELVILLE! GAHA!"
Hes king of the mountian!
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:33 pm
.Rascir and Iamel.
Well...here he was. Back at the BirdCage. Happily, this time it wasn't about him being mad at his Shiniee; Iamel was actually in a good mood, having met the snowy owl and making a friend, eating his crickets and trying to scrounge together a few presents for the people in his life.
So when his Shiniee went to work he decided to go to the Birdcage instead of staying home - so there he was! Dressed in a pair of pants made out of an old sheet, having been hemmed and decorated with glitter and spangles. No, the boy wasn't being FORCED to wear this stuff...he forced Patrick to make it. His shirt was loose and green, squigglz and smiley faces all over it - cute! Cute cute cute. Iamel even had his hair up, in two pigtails at either side. He was rockin', y0!
His Shiniee. His clothing. Now he had a friend! Yay! Pleased with life, he pushed the door open to the Pet Shop, blinking as the light dimmed and his eyes adjusted. "Shanuh?"
The woodpeckers voice was quiet, carrying through the air. "Shiniee Shanuh, are you here? I came to say hi an' help out while Shiniee was at work..." Shuffling into the store (were those sarong sandles?), he slide the door shut, wide red eyes blinking about. "Shanuh?"
"Shanuh," said Rascir softly, parroting Iamel. He was wearing what he was "born" with, but had a pair of oversized sweatpants to cover his skinny little legs. He was a beanpole of a boy and the sweatpants' drawstring had to be pulled at great length so as to not slip off the boy's (lack of) hips. He wore his own hair as he always did, wild and free save for the little yellow bow around a single front lock of hair.
Rascir looked at the new boy, cocking his head. He almost recognised him, but memories in his mind were very cloudy right now. He paid them no mind as he let things just... happen. Either way, he was happy, Jenys had been a very sweet and gentle friend. A little like a very large puppy, Rascir mused in his thoughts.
He held out his little stuffed cat to the newcomer, making its stuffed paw wave merrily at him - Donni was always more cheery.
Iamel paused when he saw the brightly colored little thing. He was colorful and shiny and NEW...with a stuffie. Iamel knew his name but...psh. Why bother? He was no Diacyn and the woodpecker had a sinking feeling the snowy owl would try to eat this cute thing.
"Hi, kitty." Blinking at teh stuffie, his small fingers wrap around that waving hand and gave it a little shake, lips quirking into a faint smile. "Is Shanuh not here, stuffie?"
The newcomer was taller than he was, but he smiled up at him warmly. With his one hand he made Donni shake his head "no". At least, neither of them had come across Shanuh today.
Content that he'd said enough "hello", he wandered back to his little corner near the bunny hutch, trudging around in a pair of Jenys' old sneakers. He thought it was too amusing, wandering around in shoes that were entirely too big for his feet. Sometimes he had to take them off to get to where he was going faster, but Jenys insisted that when they went outside he keep them on to avoid stepping on anything sharp.
How had Jenys come about with so much clothing? When he had found his own apartment and employment he called his mother, his step-father was somehow convinced of bringing over all that he had owned in the house over in two large boxes. Rascir had spent most of that morning picking out clothes to claim as his own and a single baseball cap.
Iamel just looked at this strange little boy, dark eyes narrowed in...confusion. What the hell was this kid...What...? He frowned slightly, red eyes trailing after this quiet little thing, shuffling further inside.
Sniff. Sniffsniff. Iamels eyes widened, nostrils flaring as he caught scent of..crickets? Grasshoppers? Eee! Food! "D'ya know where he was?" Came that low, slightly nasal voice as the woodpecker ran to the cricket cage, lifting the top curiously.
Rascir shook his head passively, sitting down at his little corner. He had been building a fort with boxes of rabbit food and the underpart of the hutch. He was still small enough to fit under it and it made a quiet little safe spot.
He watched the other boy looking rather wolfishly at the crickets and looked to Donni. Donni stared back in equal curiosity.
"Who d'ya live with?"
if the kid wasn't going to talk, Iamel might as well. He was curious and nosy and DAMNIT..he wanted to know! Besides, this kid was a Gaurdian like him...it was his job - kinda - to know about him. He had to find out stuff.
"What's your kittys name?"
Rascir looked up at Iamel with large eyes looking at him with his usual serenity. He was positively laid back, despite his age and smaller build. Rascir pointed towards the backroom and said,"Jenys."
He pointed to himself and then to Donni,"Rascir and Donni."
Giving the other one all he wanted to know, he started singing to himself and building up his fort once more.
He just...blinked at the boy and edged the bit of the the cricket cage open. For once, the insects weren't hopping about, causing a riot in their cage... Instead, they were huddled together in a corner, some cowering under the dead log in there.
"Heeeello there, tastees.." He chirruped, reaching down into the cage to grab a handful. He was HUNGRY. Shanuh wouldn't begrudge him a handful of crickets, would he? Of course not! Shanuh wanted him fed and happy...
...right?
Right.
Hoppinng down, away from the cage and sliding the top back into place, Iamel studdied the little handful of the squirming insects, giggling softly. "Hello there," He hummed, plucking a leg that was peeking from his fingers, off of the insect it was connected to.
The little thing screamed inside his head.
One more giggle and Iamel shoved the whole handful in his mouth, crunching down and chewing happily, licking his fingers clean.
Rascir watched him and laughed softly, hugging Donni close to him as he watched the other boy eat bugs. "Funny," he commented, smiling. The bunnies had taken to watching Rascir with their food boxes, from time to time he would share the wealth and give them a pellet or two.
Singing to himself once more, he stopped and looked to the backroom door somewhat sadly. Jenys always made him feel happier, even just by remaining in sight. All this while he'd been left to find his own form of amusement and his little fort could only keep him occupied for so long until he ran out of boxes to make walls with.
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