As Destiny City is a bustling metropolis, it’s not unexpected that there should be some strange animals running the streets. Sometimes it’s a tiger, sometimes a monkey, sometimes a chicken. Sometimes it’s something worse. Strange egg clusters have appeared in Destiny City’s parks and officials aren’t really sure what they are; these eggs have nothing inside of them. Though it’s an anomaly, they are chalking it up to teenaged pranks. However, they have advised to just leave the eggs as they are. Nobody wants to say why, but if you’re out late at night, you’ll find out. In the darkness, whispered between the sounds of the city: a guttural, rasping cluck. The creature stands on stilt-like legs, rooted to the ground with razor-sharp talons. It wears a cloak of long, oily feathers that drag on the ground with a sinister scraping. If you stare into the darkness, piercing red eyes stare back at you. That’s all it takes for a confrontation: a mangled bird, maybe a chicken in another life, comes barreling out at you. It stands easily as tall as a person, but the proportions are all wrong. The smell of sulfur follows it as it lunges, pecking and screaming and scratching as it attempts to chase you away. Maybe, from the nests full of empty eggs. The battles are fierce, but fleeting; it will viciously try to chase you away but the effects are always the same: at some point, the eggs are crushed. As always, there’s nothing inside of them, but with one final wail, the bird will vanish into a plume of foul smoke.
Achird liked patrolling with a partner. He hadn't liked doing it like that until he met Lianhua, who had changed his entire life in a single night. Three months ago he'd been wallowing in a sad imitation of life, and he hadn't even truly realized it. Now he was having semi regular dates with Lianhua and patrolling with her as Karakorum, too. It felt so silly, like something out of a storybook, but having her in his life made everything... better. He wouldn't go as far as to say he'd been depressed* before or something stupid like that, but he just felt... lighter. More like he could take on the world. Enjoyed showering again, actually felt itchy from how idle his life was Winston was—he wanted to do something again.
He'd even been trying to figure out how the education and job system worked here so he could look into accounting jobs and the like. As much as he hated those jobs, he knew he could do them well, but he would definitely need faked education documents from a Mauvian if he wanted to go through with it.
Strangely enough, he did.
"Kara!" he called out to her when he felt her approaching their meetup spot. "Good to see you. Ready?"
Noir Songbirdx
*editor's note: he was definitely depressed
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2025 12:59 am
Kara still liked to think that she was not a girl for attachment. She had a partner of the moment, a flavor of the month, an accessory or a hookup or something light. She was also working very, very hard to convince herself that whatever was going on with Winston-Achird was still firmly in that zone.
They hung out sometimes. Slept together. Had dates. Did things, as Karakorum and Achird, but that was totally just...smartly sticking together. Nothing too special. All reasonable and fine and not a big thing at all.
That she felt her heart jump a little when she saw him, when she heard him call for her? That was just...girlish silliness. Or whatever.
"Hey, Achird," she said, sauntering over like she wasn't absolutely delighted to see him. "Spotted any nastiness yet? Or are we quiet so far?"
Achird smiled at her, shrugging in answer. "For where I've been, it's been quiet," he answered, "though I can't speak for the rest of the city. Shall we go find trouble? I think the two of us could handle quite a bit."
Of course, trouble decided to find them just a few moments later. Achird had turned, ready to walk with Kara into the night and disrupt a Negaverse operator, only to tromp right into a nest of eggs that he was sure hadn't been there before.
"Huh?" he said, flummoxed. "These... Uh... are empty?"
A haunting bawk echoed from nearby and Achird froze.
Noir Songbird
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 10:21 pm
Karakorum hummed acknowledgement, falling in next to Achird with a smile.
This felt nice. It felt…fun. Better than trying so hard to be good enough to meet Belle’s exacting standards, or just kinda hoping she stayed out of trouble when she was on her own. Or got into it, depending on her mood.
A good time with someone she liked, and if she was lucky, he’d come home with her after and they’d have an even better one.
Except the little good time bubble shattered when there was that strange crunching noise under Achird’s foot.
“What the—“
The thing came barreling out of the darkness, letting out a shrieky cry that had her blinking in surprise.
Because it was recognizably the bgawk of a chicken. And the thing she was staring at was very definitely a large, angry looking chicken.
”A ******** evil chicken? What is this s**t?”
Realistically, she knew she was not getting an answer.
Still, she drew back her bow, and fired, aiming at the thing’s chest. She was starting to get something of a fighter’s instinct now, and honestly, it felt cool. Like she wa growing into something…better than what she had been.
“Move! Move, I bet that’s its nest, and empty or not it’s gonna defend its eggs!”
Achird stayed frozen like a deer in the headlights for several moments, longer than he would have liked, even after Karakorum's shout. Thankfully, only a moment or two after she did, his legs finally unlocked and he dove to the side in a roll across the ground.
The thing screamed something awful as the arrow struck its chest and charged for Karakorum. Achird froze again, breathing hard, then something deeper than the prey instinct in him woke up and he lurched upwards again, screaming as he ran forward and kicked it in its side.
The thing screeched again as it tumbled over itself, right into its already destroyed nest.
"Holy s**t," he said, glancing at Karakorum quickly. "That's not a youma—I don't think it's going to die easily!"
Noir Songbird
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2025 7:46 pm
Kara felt a moment of horror when Achird didn't move instantly, but he got out of the way quickly enough and she let out a little breath of relief.
She drew her bow again, shooting at the tumbled-over monster, and it made a horrific screech, rolling back onto its feet--
And there was a crunching, cracking noise, as the last few eggs shattered. The strange rooster turned towards its nest, and there was a moment of frozen silence, and Karakorum held her breath, keeping her bow raised and her eyes fixed on the creature.
It seemed as if it finally noticed its eggs were gone. The sound the bird made felt...pained, almost, and part of Karakorum felt sorry for it, right up until it vanished in a poof of foul smoke.
"Ew, gross," she gasped, and she started coughing hard, shaking her head. "We sohuld get out of here, in case it comes back."
Achird sneezed as the foul scent invaded his senses, waving at the air as his eyes burned. "Yeah," he gasped, pulling his shirt over his face. "Let's head back to your place. I think we could both use a nice bath in that big tub of yours. Bubble bath. With the nice jets on."
And, of course, both of them in it together at the same time, but he had a feeling he didn't need to voice that part.
