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The Feeding - Part 2

Nikki. Huh, typical human name, though Jojo would always put the name with a more eccentric being. The Nikki he knew was full of transgendered grace, with violet hair and emerald eyes and fair skin. A bit of a chatter box, a bit of a narcissist, but he still loved him anyway.

"These guys have been around much longer than the we have," he commented, casually shifting his hands into his pockets as he strolled. "They tend to congregate at the petstore down yonder," he flicked his chin in the direction of the shop, which caused a few of his Birds to squabble in protest. "Must like the ambience of the place."

It wasn't entirely true, but Jojo didn't feel like going into specifics. It was easier to tell it like it was. The Birds liked the shop, and it was their local perch. There wasn't much more to it than that.

-

His first sentence left her puzzled, "What do you mean they've been here longer than they have?" After all.. birds don't even live nearly as long as people, unless its like a parrot or something. This fellow made absolutely no sense to her... but then maybe he had a few screws loose. It certainly
seemed that way.

Following his gesture toward the pet shop, she lifts a brow again. A shop? Why would the birds choose such a place? How ironic, "Perhaps they're looking for a home?" she replied in a somewhat joking manner.

-

Jojo allowed a lazy smile to cross his features. At least this Nikki woman was catching on to the concept! Sort of. . . in a silly twist of events. Did she realize she summed up the Bird's mission statement?

Nope.

But that was all right. She'd figure it out soon enough. The concieited peregrin falcon, still sitting properly on Jojo's shoulder, turned to give Nikki a glower. Was she really that stupid?

Bah. She'd never do for him, that was for sure! And heaven help the Bird that chose her.

"Oh," Jojo drawled, giving his blonde companion a sidelong look, "I meant what I said. My counterparts and I set up the shop a few years ago, but these Birds have been present in this life much longer." Exactly how long, that was Nikel's department. He was the history buff between the four of them. He was the one who kept the records.

A little hummingbird, green and white, buzzed first around Nikki's head (disturbing the lazy quail) and then around Jojo's. Circling once, twice, three times the little bird eventually took a perch on the blue-haired man's sunglasses.

Jojo gave another grin. "Well, Nikki, you've just about hit the nail on the head. Companions are what these guys seek, though it tends to be a drawn out process. Who knows? Maybe one will find you a suitable match."

He wasn't teasing her, he was being serious despite the light in his voice. Maybe she was companion material, maybe she wasn't. It wasn't up to Jojo, or Shanuh, or the lot of them.

It was up to the Bird's. Thus far, Jojo was getting the feeling a few of them liked the blonde, but the majority had no time for her. But that was all right - it only took one. She surely didn't need a whole flock.

-

At first thinking the hummingbird an insect, Nikki lazily swatted at the air until she realized her error. Followed by a soft, somewhat apologizing 'Oh'. Listening quietly to the man's words, her expression showed her disbelief... and thoughts that this man might have been dropped as a baby.

However, she suddenly looked surprised at the notion of a bird choosing her as a companion. "Wha-?" the woman pausing before allowing herself to utter the ridiculous phrase she had intended. Instead, her gaze traveled back to the quail on her shoulder. The woman looking decidedly puzzled. She was only joking after all... whoever said she wanted to take home a bird? But then.. could she rightly refuse?

Thus, she just continued to dumbly follow. A glower being sent back at the falcon.

-

Jojo said nothing in response to the woman's starteled surprise, his sunglassed gaze staring blankly out at the road before them. The city enveloped the pair, lifeless cars occassionally passing by, fellow pedestrians caught up in their own little worlds.

At the door to the Birdcage, of course, he stopped. "Well, kiddies, that's it for the tour today," he drawled, reaching up slowly to poke at one of the many avians that covered him.

THe flock seemed to sigh, a few chittering in complaint and sounding thoroughly displeased.

"Hey, you got here late! What can I say? I'm not walking a marathon here. I'll come back tomorrow or something, all right? Besides, you guys have wings and can fly! Why the hell do you need me to be a chauffer?"

Despite his lazy exasperation, Jojo's pale lips curved in to a grin. He wasn't really upset. He was too laid back to truly care. "Now go on, the lot of you. Food's up on the roof."

A few Bird's, with a fluttering of feathers, launched off Jojo's back and shoulders. Loose feathers and down sprinkled the surrounding area like a dusting of snow. With resignation, the peregrin falcon took his leave, along with the plethora of chickadee's, thrushes and sparrows.

Nikki's own Quail ran up and down her shoulders, back and forth, back and forth before giving a happy little cheep and scurrying off and away. Within moments, the entire flock was gone.

Except, of course, for one.

Jojo stared up at the sky, watching the flock of Bird's scatter. His expression didn't change, his position didn't budge, but he spoke to the remaining bird.

"Aren't you leaving too?" A black bird, feathers pure as ebony clung tightly to Jojo's pant leg. The crow gave a little churr, staring up first a Jojo, then looking over a Nikki.

Blue hair, blonde hair, blue hair, blonde hair.

Quite randomly, with an obnoxious screech, the bird flung himself dramatically over to to Nikki, clinging on to her pant leg.

Jojo smirked, finally turning his attention to Bird and woman. "Well you needn't be so dramatic about it. If you like her, then stay. You needn't have to let her go."

The black bird looked expectantly up at Nikki, feathers poofing out, showing off for the woman. That was right. She was now his~! Oh glorious, joyous day.

And yes, Nikki had absolutely no say in the matter.

-

Nikki chuckled quietly as the quail skittered back and forth across her shoulders. The woman having grown to like the little pudgey fowl. Her gaze inclining as she watched it take off with the others.

Having thought they all left, she sighed quietly, wondering. Although she heard Jojo speaking, she wasn't paying much attention. However, when she felt something grab her pantlet, she immediately looked down. To see a pair of dark eyes looking back up at her.

Again she was surprised, but a faint smile came to her lips, amused at the black bird. "Well now, aren't you a handsome fellow." Despite her somewhat rude demeanor, Nikki truely did have a heart for animals.

She blinked again as Jojo continued to speak to the bird. What did this mean? Was he implying that this crow was to stay with her? Not that she was going to refuse, but... it was still all confusing.

-

Jojo watched the Crow and the woman introduce themselves. The Bird was clung tightly to her leg, and the blonde was at least talking to it. A good sign, a good beginning. She'd have to get used to the Bird, regardless of her first impression of him.

Idly brushing a few loose feathers off himself, the man gave a small smile. Well, one Bird down, and who knew how many more to go? At least one had found their chosen amid the chaos of the town. And wasn't the Bird a lucky one.

"Well, Nikki," Jojo casually drawled, reaching his hands up, fingers interlocking, to rest them behind his head. "Looks like you've made a life-long friend. If you have any further questions or need any supplies, feel free to stop in at the shop. They'll know what's going on.

"As it is, I should probably get back to my job, clean myself up." His outfit was littered with bird down and feathers, as well as a few . . . leftovers from those who couldn't wait. That was just as well. Jojo was used to it - Birds were birds, nonetheless, and weren't that trained.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again," he mused, lazy smile crossing his features. "Take it easy." And more directed at the Crow, he added, "Be gentle with her. She seems skeptical."

Without further adieu, the man casually continued past the Birdcage door, and down the the street. Shadyside Aparmtnet Complex - his home sweet home.


-


And that is how Nikki came to acquire the disruptive little Alala.

Jojo played by Disinclined

RP #1 with the Old Squaw
Started Nov 22 - Somewhat unfinished.


Sunlight seeped out of the edges of the earth. Luis, as she had come to know the young human, had left the house in which they resided. In the night, he spoke of an old friend and turned to deep thought. The wind rapped against the window. It wasn't that she was poorly treated. Luis treated her with a strange ginger negligence where she was often left to roam on her own. The window was always cracked open enough for her to slip through, in her own heavy flapping manner. Sea ducks were built tough to withstand the sea, but beautiful, to mimic it. This clangula hyemalis however, sought refuge in the elegance of the city during winter.

She hadn't seen the other Birds in a while, or the store she used to frequent. She wouldn't say she wanted to return. She liked Luis in his human complexities, his strange sense of beauty and meaning. The odd serenity his embrace offered gave her a comfort piqued with curiosity. Slowly, she would learn more of this boy.

But Birds needed there time to flock together, too! "ow, owdle ow!" she cried as she vaulted herself into the sky, flapping and calling as she went. It was true she was a lone duck, as far as ducks went, but she enjoyed the company of other birds just as well. Today her flight plan was an ambiguous blur of movement across the city. First to the park, or maybe the school where Luis attended on and off.

Spotting a comfortable looking pond, the duck glided down, her long twin tails flicking back and forth in the air. Flapping and quacking she made her landing in a nearly deserted park, the few mallards and canada geese who called the green pond their winter home squawking shortly in protest before unruffling their feathers and returning to their swimming.

She moved her webbed feet through the murky water, swimming in a circle as she looked about with curiosity.


*tap tap tap* The thick ebon spear of a beak pounded against the trunk of a tree. An avian of what most would assume a common crow or raven, was sitting on a branch overlooking the pond. The neurotic corvid simply pounding, chipping away bark.

However, the ruffling feathers and squawking of geese caught the bird's attention. He was infact more than a common crow, although only the trained eye would notice.

Dipping his head, the corvid puffed his beard and paced the branch. Looking upon the waterfowl below from an upside down view.

In his mischeviousness, the crow let out a rather convincing feline sound, "Meeeeow." Soon followed by a "Hello"... although if one wasn't paying attention to the gravely mimicry, it might sound more like "Ho ho."

Certainly a strange bird.


A odd noise reached the long tailed duck's ears, making her turn in the still water. She spotted a sleek black bird, hopping back and forth on a barren tree limb with his feathers puffed up like a clown. There had been a knocking noise that sounded vaguely like the beak of a wood pecker. A loose piece of bark fell from the tree, drifting down to the dry grass below. That bird certainly wasn't a wood pecker. A small pile of wood shavings had formed at the base of the tree.

"Meeeeow," purred the bird, quickly introducing a wide reperatoire of sounds with a "Ho ho" that almost sounded like a human "hello". The birds glided on the top of the water, unperturbed by the racket the crow was making. Was this a regular occurance, or was she just the only one to notice?

Intrigued, the young duck swam towards the tree and the verbose bird who inhabited it. Drawing back her neck she cooed (as best a loud duck could) a soft "gut, gut" noise, mimmicking her feeding call.

As she reached the edge of the pond, she raised her head to stare up at her fellow avian. Were all city crows like him?



Were all city crows like him? Certainly not. Were all Hawaiian crows like him? Definitely not. He was a rather unique sort of bird, both in species and in individuality.

The raven's head tilted, his dark eye following the interesting duck as she swam closer. In return to her greeting, the crow started to make a garbling sound once more. It sounded like people talking, but made absolutely no sense in the least. Its what people sounded like to him!

Lifting his head, the crow then hopped across the branch and descended to a lower one, and then another... eventually coming down to the ground.

Waddling through the grass, he paused only to pick up a small stick, eventually coming up to the duck and presenting it to her. Aw... a gift!



The duck peered at the stick, then at the black raven who had eargerly hopped down from his perch to greet her. Ow-owdling, she popped out of the pool of murky liquid, dipping up and down as she stepped toward the strange Bird. She lowered her head to inspect the stick, sniffing at it. It reminded her of french fries.

The old squaw cocked her head, mimmicking the other bird's spastic movement. Bending her neck to pick up the bare stick, her voice formed the soft "gut, gut" sound.

She was intrigued by the raven. The dry grass quaked back and forth in a light wind that carried the murmur of the city past in waves of cold air. Other animals and machines moved past. In constant motion, the other bird always seemed like he had one thing or the other to attend to. This way, long tailed duck regarded him with interest. She felt time slowly, the way it feels immersed in water. The light filters down through a curtain of green seawater like the aurora borealis. Or maybe it was that time seemed to pass her by.

She let the gentle rocking motion of the world bare her where it would.


The raven peered curiously at the duck.. leaning forward a bit in his hunch-back like posture. He was equally intrigued by her... the duck's long tail feathers catching particular notice by him. After peering at each other for some time, the Alala returned vocalizations with a loud "AHH! AHH! Aroooo!" Throat feathers puffing out again at the last bit.

Leaving the duck with his gift, the black bird turned and galloped across the grass, eventually ascending to a tree branch once more. There, he peered again at the Old Squaw for a few moment... before taking flight once more. But not before grabbing another twig! He had a human to go pester.


A bird who went and left as he pleased. The sun was covered by fat grey clouds. Her eyes reflected their dark light dark coats in white-specked beady black holes. Twin tails swished back and forth in the winter wind.

In winter, the skies froze over. The duck watched the raven fly away as if he were free and she was bound. The water in the pond was clear.

She flapped her wings and was off the ground. Tilting side to side haphazardly, the duck got off the ground and the dull pond with its tiny white dancing birds and lifting into the crisp air.

She could just see the black bird's glint along the city street-at least, she thought. It was not a matter of attachment, but curiosity. This was something much more interesting than spending a dayat the park reducing brain matter.

She felt the wind in her wings and the smell of the city, stagnated in the park, opressive and violent once again. Fast food, car fumes, blood and grease worked their way into her nostrils. Back and forth her wings flapped frantically to keep her upright. Where had the other bird gone?


He was an easily distracted bird.. and often had a one track mind. The Hawaiian Crow didn't even notice though, as the duck tailed him in his flight through the city. It was cold out, and he knew where there was one place of warmth he could go to. And... sit under his nice heat lamp.

Eventually... the dark avian landed on the sil of an opened window. He hopped on it a couple times, grasping his stick proudly. His next leap took him into the room and onto the carpet.. where he proceeded to strut to the shut door. Dropping the stick at his feet, the crow brought his head back, then proceeded to pound on the door with his beak. And rather loudly at that, paint and wood having been chipped away from constant abuse by the bird.

A disgruntled human sound came from the other side. Hearing footsteps approach, the crow hopped back and forth in excitement. Only when the woman's shadow could be seen from under the door, did the Alala proceed to shove his stick under it. o_o;


A siren went off. The blue lighted streets were long twisting sand bars where flocks of people gathered en mass, grooming themselves for mites and eating and speaking and huddling together for warmth on cold days. She had quickly found the raven flying down the street, and followed him casually, daring another character to draw her interest. She almost didn't see him disappear into an open window.

Unlike the alala's graceful swoop, the old squaw had to work for a stop, missing the window and then having to flap labouriously to bring herself to the empty sil. She tumbled into the warm, carpeted room squawking loudly. Loose feathers fell about her, framing her dark light dark figure like phosphoressence on the water.

Arighting herself with a most unduck-like shaking, she dropped the stick she had claimed from her mouth. Yes, ungainly as she was, the duck had managed to keep the stick in her possession. Some how, she thought it fitting to use the stick as a trade for the comfort of the windless room. What a strange place she was in, indeed!


The stick disappeared under the door as the human took it... but then it reappeared. The crow quickly grabbing it and then pushing it back. This happened a few times until the sound of a tumbling, squawking duck was easily heard.

"What the hell?" came the human's voice, and the door proceeded to open. Just a crack at first, so that she didn't knock the crow silly. But the black bird had already flown away from said door. The bird screaming loudly as he had been startled by the Old Squaw suddenly showing up. He perched himself atop his cage, but soon recognized the duck.

He tilted his head, looking at the stick 'offering', just before moving to the floor. He walked forward, picked up the stick... then alighted himself on Nikki's shoulder. The woman staring dumbfoundedly at the duck on her floor. "Friend of yours?" she asked of the bird. Although she got a silent responce, merely a tilt of the head.


The long-tailed duck in quesiton stared up at the woman with wide, beady eyes. The raven was not a common bird, at all! He had a human companion, like her Luis, only much more female and with blonde hair. The black bird landed on her shoulder, after fluttering about the room in a short fit of surprise. She stood over the other bird, confused.

Her mouth moved, unintelligable sounds forming words rolling out of her pursed lips. The warmth of the room swallowed the bird. The walls were glowing with light from the outside. Click click click went the shot gun.

The raven took the offering and tilted his head. click click click. The Old Squaw waddled forward, inspecting the other bird's human. She smelled nice. Was she nice, then? She uttered a calm gut-gut-gut-gut, ducking up and down to get a better view.