|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:27 pm
~* Home Again *~ The journey from the continent to the small smattering of islands was a bit more difficult on Nathaniel than he would have liked to admit. The sea had never been a friend of his, and although he stubbornly maintained his hold on the contents of his stomach while the ferry rocked in the azure fluidity of the waves, his skin was still a bit pallid and there was a fine layer of perspiration shining on his face.
The waves were mild this far out his guide informed him, a preppy man who could have been stumbling out of adolescence or into his early thirties for all the old soldier could tell. He’d been on the ocean for most of his life, either building his own ships or sailing someone else's. His job now would last just until the winter ended, although he also had a scuba-diving scheme that would be open in the late summer if Nathaniel was still around and interested. Reassembly
He listened to the incessant chatter for what seemed like days, the thick layering of his parka becoming nearly unbearable despite the fact that he had refused to shed it previously, a sort of good-luck charm that would keep his body above the waters, a place where it was more accustomed to remaining. It was far warmer in this island vicinity than it had been in his hometown where frost had plummeted the temperature to marrow-freezing depths. It seemed as though his change of homestead was going to result in taking a pair of scissors to many of his long-sleeved shirts.
"They don't get many people out this far," The chatty captain informed him breezily, seemingly more intent on discovering this withdrawn man's purpose for removing himself to a location so far from his last home. "The islands are pretty sparsely inhabited, and anyone who wants to become a tenant has to go through some sort of application process, or so I've heard."
A thoughtful pause entered the strongly one-sided conversation, obviously a hopeful break that was intended to allow the only other occupant to answer in the affirmative or otherwise. But Nathaniel neglected to even make an animal noise of dislike at the younger man, instead opting to thumb away the droplets of saltwater that had found their way onto the silver handle of his cane, his thoughts more intent upon the possibility of rust than any potential hoops he’d been forced to jump through in order to obtain permission to go to the islands.
"... Anyway," It was the chat that would not die, no matter how many times the older man attempted to silence it through neglect. "If you look out to the front and slightly to the left, you’ll see the island beginning to come into view. It's that little strip of green and brown, just there, do you see?"
This time, Nathaniel granted the boy a grunt of acknowledgement, though all he could see with his time-weakened eyes was the unyielding blue of the ocean. Regardless, he knew that the guide was unlikely to have decided to offer such information up without a measure of truth behind it, and so he took mental stock of everything he would have to do upon reaching his new house.
All of his possessions had been taken ahead of time, years of his life squashed into cardboard boxes that he'd neglected to label with anything besides fragile. His wife had been of the entirely different sort, having thrown stickers denoting contents or validating purpose onto anything and everything, as though anything left unmarked and therefore unnamed was denied all meaning. He'd liked a degree of order and organization, but she had been a machine. She might have labeled every article of clothing, furniture, and miscellanea they owned if he hadn't set at least some boundaries.
He missed her labels sometimes.
For what seemed like the hundredth time, he reached into his pocket to pull out the oilskin that protected the note from the harsh waves, knowing that it was foolish to draw it out upon the high seas and risk losing it. Still, he carefully unfolded it, the stub from his ticket nearly fluttering out before he put a restrictive thumb on it.Letter Welcome, You have been invited to join the Aerandir programme, congratulations! Within this note you'll find some useful things to get you to started with your new charge. First of all you'll need to make your way to the Island. To that end we have included a ticket for yourself with this letter. Your boat should take you right to Cetalu which is the site of your new lodgings. Your allocated home is number 5. The house will be open when you arrive there, keys inside the door should you feel the need to lock up. There is plenty of information about the Aerandir in the Lodge - the main community centre of the Island. You will be able to get most supplies there - there is plenty of food and provisions, a small library, Aerandir information and suchlike. If there is anything you need but can't find then please contact myself at the Cetalu Centre. Thank you for helping in our endeavour to bring back the Aerandir Alyosha Project Administrator p.s. I included a picture of your new objects before they were put into the seedpod.
They touched down on the shore just before the sun reached its highest point in the sky, giving Nathaniel ample time to make it to the house before the heat grew overwhelming. Perhaps the most difficult part of moving would be the climate change, or so he mused to himself as he gingerly stepped out of the bobbing ferry while the tour guide tied them to the dock and waited.
"Do you know where you're heading?"
The ex-soldier gestured in the general direction, knowing that it would be enough evidence for the other fellow to leave off asking any more questions. He collected the small knapsack that was all he’d taken into the boat, boots crunching as he stepped off the wooden planks and onto the sandy shores, glad to be on solid ground again.
"The village is a bit of a hike from here." The captain revealed, remaining on the dock, as though unwilling to touch down on the soil for fear of being cursed. "Take your time and ask any passersby for help if you need it."
Another grunt was issued as he settled the pack onto one shoulder and reaffirmed his grip on the cane. Once finished, he began to hobble away without another word, ignoring the vaguely amused expression on the face of the sailor as he trekked towards his new residence.
--
At the very least, he was glad that he'd managed to get everything sent to the cabin before arriving there himself; even with the boxes tottering and the duct tape gleaming in the setting sun, there was definitely an air of desolation that had settled into the very floorboards of the place. It had been recently cleaned, the wood scrubbed and the windows clear enough for bird fatalities to take place, but the smell of dust was ever-present, even with the chemical smell of cleaning products that served as a distraction. The beds, he found, were unloaded and assembled for the most part, and many of the heavier items such as the sprawling couch and the empty shelving. All that was left was for him to arrange it into some semblance of a home.
He quickly unpacked the only thing he held decided affection for – an old rocking chair that his grandfather had made back when furniture had been a luxury rather than a requirement – and set it down in the middle of the unadorned floor to sit and close his eyes for a moment's rest.
The dark beneath his eyelids was soothing to his high-held agitation, and he relaxed for what felt like the first time in years. The boat ride hadn't been his favorite part of the journey, and he held no doubts that his trips back and forth to the mainland would be significantly less than Tahlia would approve of. Regardless, he still had a bit of time before unpacking would become a priority, but he fully intended to get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible even as he breathing patterns began to even out and grow deeper.
He woke hours later, annoyed that he had fallen asleep at all, and hyper-aware of the fact that someone was waiting impatiently at the door. Another knock sounded and he sat straight up, eyes narrowed against the darkness while he fumbled blindly for the cane he had dropped. Will-o-wisp lights flickered wildly against the windows near the porch, and it was with a hefty sigh that he rose to a stand and hobbled to the door, throwing it open and molding a stern look onto his expression.
"Tahlia..."
"Nate!" She grinned, and he could see even in the half-light of the lantern that she was trying out yet another look, this one dealing with blonde hair woven into two separate braids and overalls that were so covered in old paint they must have been stiff to wear. "Sorry I'm so late, the damn pilot kept trying to instruct me even though I was flying just fine. He so was frickin' a**l, it was ridiculous, argued with me the whole way here. You know the type of course, a little like you. So what's first?"
He blinked a bit owlishly, trying to keep up with her racing speech and the thoughts that accompanied it. "First?" He repeated, wondering what time it really was.
She rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at one corner of her mouth. "Come, Nathaniel, keep up, honey. I'm here to help you unpack and set stuff up. You didn't think I'd let you do it all on your lonesome, now didya?"
"I was hoping," He muttered, eliciting a delighted giggle from the young woman as she brushed past him and into the house, unmindful that she had yet to be invited inside.
"Aw, it's cute. Quaint, almost... I think that's the right word, anyway. A little paint here, a little decoration there, it'll feel like home in no time." She was opening the fridge, sticking a hand inside to make certain it was cold and grinning from ear to ear as she continued to examine her surroundings. "I see you already got the chair out: Bad day on the sea?"
He struggled valiantly to find something else to comment on, feeling like he'd been browbeaten into verbal action. But every time he felt as though he'd come upon something worthwhile to slip in edgewise, she was already on another subject.
"You're going to need more light in this place, isn't there an electrical switch somewhere?"
"It's-"
"Oh! That's right, this is all run on a generator, isn't it? Ah, okay, I get it. Do you have any candles or something? Although I doubt we'd need them to read the boxes since you never label the damn things."
Even after being interrupted, Nathaniel couldn't help but smile slightly at her enthusiasm and the painless slap of her admonition. She was already delving into the boxes, most of her torso immersed in whatever it was she was sifting through. With a sigh to wipe the expression from his features, he shuffled closer to help her, grumbling with perfect cantankerous appeal, "Stop going through my things... damn woman."
--
Once the majority of items had been put into their proper places, the duo sat outside on the patio, drinking some concoction of orange juice and liquor that Tahlia refused to divulge. Never much of one for alcohol, the old soldier sipped politely at his glass, watching with slow admiration as his companion tossed them back as though they contained only water.
"You know, I kind of missed the stars, you never see them in the city anymore. Pollution and all that bullocks... stupid people."
He glanced up on that cue, catching sight of the yawning maw of night before returning his gaze to the manicured status of his lawn. "Hmph."
"Grouchy old man," Tahlia said fondly, moving around in her chair so that her bare feet spilled out over the armrest while she nursed her drink. "Just like my old man, except, you know, way better looking. Hey, when the kid gets here, do you think I could be his godmommy?"
Nathaniel shook his head a bit, determining that the spirits had affected her more than he had supposed. "You're going to have to spend the night, I take it."
"Uh, yeah, lookin' that way, ain't it?" She fell into a fit of giggles that raced off into the night at break neck speed before stopping just as suddenly as they'd started, her inebriated mind already on other things. "Hey, Nate?"
"Nathaniel..."
"No, I'm Tahlia, ‘member?"
He rubbed his forehead, crushing back the sharp responses that had arisen. "...What?" He asked instead.
"I hope you'll be happy out here, with the kid and everything. If you ever need anything, you know how to get a hold of me, okay?"
The older gentleman dropped his palm back into his lap, the draw to his mouth and the lines around his eyes filled with equal parts suspicion and curiosity. Was there a punch line to this joke? Or were those drinks mixing with whatever else made a woman tick and creating this odd moment between them.
"Tahlia."
"Yes, Nathaniel?"
"Go to bed."
"Gotcha."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:35 pm
~* Meeting the Neighbors *~ Lady_Ourania He'd never liked waiting. It was something reserved for those of little imagination and utilized so that they could later claim that was why nothing had managed to be done. Taking a leaf from the less masculine of his bloodline, Nathaniel had cleaned the floorboards, scoured the beams along the ceiling to decimate the spider population's dwellings, and gone over the furniture with metallic pads, rags, and any cleaning solution he could get his hands on. The upside of the matter was that the house was completely spotless and that any surface could have been eaten off of. But ultimately, an upside meant a less than pleasant cause was working to make him uncomfortable behind the scenes.
The Aerandir had not yet arrived. And so much cleaning had exhausted him to the point of needing a quick sit down or an equally fast collapse.
He seated himself in the hardwood of the rocking chair, though the comfortable padding of the couch would have given his aching joints a better chance at recovery. His cane tapped an unsteady tattoo against the curling base of the chair, as though mimicking the chaotic pulsing of his heartbeat.
Had there been a decision made when he'd been paying less than suitable attention? Did the committee suddenly decide that, because he wasn't in perfect physical condition and because he was recently single, he didn't deserve a child any longer?
Nathaniel rubbed the space between his eyes, calloused hands making a sound vaguely like sandpaper as they tried to alleviate the headache working purposefully through his skull. Surely if they had changed their minds, he at least would have been notified. He'd moved the entirety of his admittedly small life to an island that no one had heard of to care for the child of a race that hardly anyone could recall.
It occurred to him belatedly that there could have been a simple mix up. That perhaps he'd misunderstood when he was to be given the child or that he was in fact under the obligation to retrieve it himself. Regardless, he'd grown unable to wait any longer, and so he latched on to the final ideal and rose with a rickety grace to hobble towards the door. It felt better to come to a conclusion, and even if he was in the wrong, it gave him something to do.
He nearly grabbed his fur-lined jacket off the coat hanger before remembering where he was and why it wasn't necessary. Shrugging off the eerie feeling of going out into warm sunshine, the older gentleman opened the door up just as the first knock fell upon its surface, grey-blue eyes widening with mild surprise when he found a full-grown Aerandir on the other side.
For a moment, he searched the sharp contours of his memory, trying to decide whether or not he had been instructed to care for a child or an older representative of the nearly extinct species. His mind informed him that it was, indeed, a child, and that this intruder on his doorstep was in no way connected to what it was he was in the process of accomplishing. His old life collided abruptly with his new one, and before he could stop himself, he had already gruffly spoken.
"I'm not interested in buying anything." ~Swan_Nehanda~ OhGoddessOhGoddessOhGoddess
Nehanda's embarressment overcame her completely, and she stood for several seconds, hand upraised, jaw open and cheeks bright red, staring at the older human standing in the open doorway.
"Oh, no. I'm um, I'm not selling anything. I mean, I'm Nehanda, and I need to give, um, but I'm not selling, I mean I don't want money, um . . ."
She cut herself off, and wished for the ground to open up and swallow her, right there and then. She was never going to live this one down. The swan maid took a deep breath, and shook herself, right down to the tips of her feathers. She'd actually put together a little speech before dropping the seedpod off for the first time, and had been a little disappointed that she'd had to leave a note instead. Well, this was probably a very good time for that speech.
"My name's Nehanda, and I'm one of the Aerandir living here on Cetalu. I'm currently responsible for preparing the Aerandir artifacts before handing them off to their chosen guardians. I'm assuming that you're Nathaniel."
Reaching back into her carrysak, she pulled out the seedpod and quickly removed it from the protective wrappings. "Inside of this pod are a feather and a piece of fur Eventually, they'll unite to become an Aerandir child." She broke off, and colored even more darkly. "I owe you a really big apology. I misread the note I was sent, and I brought the seedpod over to the other island, Ar'Idil. As soon as I realized my mistake, I flew over as quickly as I could to bring it back here."
She took a deep breath, and hoped this man wouldn't be too furious with her. "I'm really, really sorry." Lady_Ourania He waited for the Aerandir to regain her mental footing, his only display of impatience the occasional rap of his cane on the threshold of the door. The grizzled soldier's mind was already racing ahead of this encounter, trying to pinpoint what he would do next and how he would go about it. The note he'd been gifted with previously had informed him that there was a community center, possibly one where he could demand an explanation regarding the current happenings.
But as she stumbled through her oration, the speedy considerations gradually slowed and eventually halted all together, his brows drawing together beneath silver-shot hair. They lifted higher still when she removed the seedpod from her pack, though the rest of his features remained in their ambiguous settings as he eyed the package critically. Nathaniel could recall the letter that had addressed what he would be gifted with upon arriving on the islands, but he could still hardly believe that two such innocuous-seeming objects would eventually bond to form a whole, hopefully healthy, child.
"I am." He replied to the unvoiced question of his identity, holding out one hand to take the valuable bundle while the other steadied his balance on the cane. "I was just about to go out and request information regarding it from the island administration." There was a measure of disapproval in his tone, but it was heavily blunted by relief that he wouldn't have to rove the entirety of Cetalu and its sister island to find his charge. Her apologies rolled off without much effect, but somewhere he digested them and any potential anger waned and vanished.
"It wasn't exposed to anything?" He asked after a moment, the question clipped and cautious. "When it was left alone, outside, did anything come into contact with it?" How was he supposed to keep a bit of fur and feather from contracting something? The seedpod looked unblemished, but what if some little creature or bacterium had crept inside and done irreparable damage to the two items? It was a ridiculous thing to worry after, but being new to the idea of parenting appeared to be making him both short-tempered and anxious. ~Swan_Nehanda~ Nehanda shook her head. This man was unlike any she had ever met before. "The seedpod was untouched, still wrapped up safely, just like I left it." She frowned for a moment. "We're still discovering a lot about the transormation and maturation process that had been lost over time. In fact, this is only the third Aerandir child of the current generation to use the seedpod method."
Feeling considerably more secure not that she was on familiar ground, the swan maiden grinned and fanner her wings a bit. "I actually "hatched" out of a regular old glass jar!"
Returning to the more serious nature of the discussion, she looked down at the seedpod. "There's magic involved, you see. Magic and the protection of the Aerandir goddesses. I believe that some innate power within the pod keeps the artifacts safe. Please don't drop it, break it, open it, or expose it to extreme temperatures. Other then that, you shouldn't worry much about the pod's fragility. They're very strong."
Reaching out to touch the pod softly, she looked shyly up at Nathaniel. "I don't know if you've met anyone else yet, but there aren't many Aerandir yet who are as old or older then I am. And the adults are really busy, so we don't see much of them. Um, if you ever have any questions about anything, I hope you'll feel free to come ask me. I live with my guardian, Foenixfyre, in House #9. And my little sister, Cerise, is one of the other gryphons who came from a seedpod."
She flushed again, but only a tiny bit this time. "She's not very nice, but I'm hoping that interacting with more people will make her behave better." Lady_Ourania Nathaniel didn't know why his blood felt too hot and his mood was dashing from spot to spot on the emotional map, he only knew that with the continued chat and the seedpod clutched in the safe grip of his arms that he was beginning to calm. The woman speaking to him seemed honestly embarrassed for the mix up, and he couldn't fault her too seriously once she had already apologized with such feeling.
As the discussion went on, however, the man found himself squirming uncomfortably once more; notification of higher powers at work, not to mention the presence of a feminine-based religion, served to cause a measure of undue distress to course with dark strokes throughout the veins of his form. It wasn't that he had something against the idea, it was simply that he had been raised with severe Catholic principles enforced by equally strict, but long since dead parents. The idea of a completely unrelated religion riled age-old feelings that stemmed from their ideology instead of his own, but he remained decidedly quiet on the matter, instead preferring to listen and watch as she extended a hand to gingerly place it on the hard casing that housed what was soon to be a child.
He hesitated, trying to work his thick tongue around a suitable response to her kindness. The lengthy silence that stretched out between them seemed a live thing, invading his nostrils and ears until the roar of the quiet was deafening. He could have dealt more easily with rudeness or sullenness, tricks of the trade he'd learned early on in his military career, but genuine amicability was something he still had not entirely grown used to. It'd been one of many things that his wife had criticized him for, and a point that Tahlia had often poked at in jest.
"Well..." Nathaniel glanced back towards his home, immediately wishing that he could simply shut the door and be done with the conversation. His bad leg was beginning to throb faintly, and the veteran was having troubles recalling proper etiquette through the ache. "Thank you. I might end up doing that."
He didn't touch down on the subject of a less than friendly sibling, feeling as though he could share her sentiment to a degree. It was difficult to be breezy and caring at all times, especially among strangers. ~Swan_Nehanda~ Nehanda shifted from one foot to the other, and her wings fluttered a bit. She could definitely sense that this man wanted privacy now. Maybe she shouldn't have dumped all of that information on him right now?
"Well, um, I know it's a lot to take in. Thanks for your understanding, and I really am sorry about the mix-up. I'll let you go, um, now. And, um, oh, I almost forgot. Halloween's coming up. This year, I'm going to be taking the younger kids around the villages for trick-or-treating. Um, if you'd like to take part, it'd be great. And you'll get to meet more of us without having to track everyone down!" It was easy to see that this idea really excited the Aerandir, as her ears stood up and her long ivory tail swished quickly from side to side.
"Well, I'll go now. If there's anything you need, let us know, or post a note in the Community Centre. Welcome to Cetalu!" Raising a hand close to her chest, she gave a little wave before stepping backward off of the porch. Lady_Ourania Forehead wrinkling ever so slightly, Nathaniel considered what the elder Aerandir was requesting of him. He didn't mind children, in fact, he rather enjoyed youthful company to a degree, but it seemed as though an entire cohort of kids demanding sweets at his doorstep might have been a little more than he could conceivably handle.
"I will... take that into consideration and get back to you before the week runs out." He said finally, fingers absently tracing the case as he watched her step back, apparently just as eager to terminate the conversation as he was. "And I'll drop by at some point, after I've arranged the house. Good day to you."
He carefully made his way back into the house, closing the door and nearly collapsing in front of it. Nathaniel placed the egg-shaped vessel in the crook of one elbow, allowing the other hand free reign to alleviate the growing cramp in his lamed leg, a standard, scowling frown overaking his features. It seemed as though raising a child was going to be a more social venture than he had thought.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
~o[Aerandir]o~ Vice Captain
|
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:58 am
The pod glowed. It had been glowing some time really, but that had only been a dull, soft, background sheen - nothing like this. Currently the seedpod looked as though it was some sort of new-fangled eco-lamp, lighting up the room with a soft, blue-white sheen. Unlike the sharp clattering crashes of the jars which the humans had used up until now, this birth was soft. A light pop, the 'lid' came off. A swirl, a flash and there was a new gryphon standing, looking up at the world. It seemed soft, gentle. Right. Photo: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/Aerandir/Aerandir/Vincent/photo_gryphon_vincent.jpgYour new tag is in the first post of thise journal =)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:31 pm
~* Assembly of Two *~ The pod sat for a great length of time on the center of the dining table, looking like a bizarre centerpiece while he set up the various rooms and prepared for whatever was within to hatch and greet the new order he'd arranged. It was nerve-wracking when he remembered to worry over its glowing exterior, a bit like the time he had waited for his wife to bear their one and only son, no nuance of military training helpful in preparing him for the period just before the contractions. This time there would be no labor, no grinding knuckles from when he'd taken the soon-to-be-mother's hand and allowed her to infuse an ounce of the pain she felt into his person instead; there would be no sweat, no blood, no shrieking pain. This time there would be only a brief, soft sound, and then an utterance both like and unlike the gentle purr of a kitten before the din started up in earnest.
Asleep in the rocking chair, Nathaniel had been exhausted from the tedious assembly of a bed frame that had refused to adjust properly to the mattress. He came awake with a start, the shadows from the trees outside momentarily tossing him back into a night spent in the thick of a jungle, his turn at watch and he'd fallen into a light doze only to hear someone not of his platoon shifting around in the vegetation. He came to a stand in that same state of mind, nearly losing his balance without his walking stick, the old shrapnel wounds flaring to return him to the present. Forcing oaths from his mouth as though they quick, slithering lizards, he fumbled for his crutch as he had for his weapon so many years before, and upon finding it, he limped towards where the sounds were still emanating from, now accompanied by suspicious scuffling. Flipping the tab for the light switch he'd installed earlier, the generator took the strain with a whir of energy and a portion of the kitchen was awash in light.
A sleek head rose from the box of cereal it had been dissecting, beak clicking in timid greeting as it tried to paw the evidence underneath the cabinet. Its eyes were intelligent, a brown-gold that ducked away from the man when he continued to stare in unreserved wonder, almost as though it was embarrassed. With the body of a large, spotted feline and the oversized grey-black wings that seemed to drag whenever he moved, the creature was indeed a strange union of feather and fur. The man did not appear angry, though there were lines of something occupying his face. Puzzlement, perhaps. The gryphon was unfamiliar with the emotion, but he could understand it to a degree. He was feeling a little bewildered himself. And hungry. The cardboard taste of dry cereal had not been at all appealing, but it had been better than nothing.
The amalgam stepped away from the scene of the crime, trying his best to appear repentant for the damage done to the box and the square, fiber-infused checkers that lay scattered like stars across the tile of the kitchen.
Snapping back to attention, Nathaniel hobbled forward and knelt with a dark mutter to clean the mess, watching the Aerandir even as his knobby fingers collected the individual grains. It was male, that much he was certain of, seemingly entranced by the systematic retrieval of the cereal, though it refrained from pouncing. The veteran hadn't known what he'd expected, but it definitely had not been the creature staring steadily back at him, sentient and sharp as the curving angle of its beak.
It was a time before he spoke.
"I haven't chosen a name for you yet." His voice was rough but not unkind, hoping that the little creature wouldn't blanch at the sound of it. "A friend said that I should see you before I decided. I'm not sure why."
Tahlia, ever shoving her nose into other people's business, and implementing her ideas right along with it. He truly didn't know why he listened to the woman who rightfully deserved 'eccentricity' as a middle name failing a first.
"I still haven't decided. If you've got a preference, you're welcome to voice it." Come to think of it, could he formulate words around that dignified snout? He would have to re-read the handbook again if he wanted to establish further rapports.
The creature's head tilted, perhaps hoping that one ear raised slightly above the other would increase its chances of comprehension. Some of the dialogue seemed familiar, and he remembered suddenly hearing that voice as he'd developed, binding feather and fluff together with quiet, unreciprocated conversation. It had been dark and warm on the inside, almost unbearably hot towards the end when the top of the container had finally popped open like a bottle of champagne. The coolness of the tile beneath his feet wasn't as comforting, but the new sights were welcome after the eternal night of the chamber in which he'd resided before. But the man seemed almost nervous, almost afraid of something, but surely not of him. He needed reassurance, just as it had been given to him while he'd still been trapped inside the womb of his pod.
Padding on soft paws, the gryphon drew closer, weaving a little to avoid upsetting the clutter on the floor. When he was mere centimeters from making contact, he paused and sat like any domestic house cat, wings folded up politely on his back.
Tentatively, he reached out with fingers that trembled to touch the top of the Aerandir's head, stroking doubtfully at the downy pelt in hopes that he was doing so correctly. The grateful purr emanating from beneath his palm assuaged the misgivings on that subject, and he sat back to allow the little creature a space in his lap, his bad leg protesting mildly as the gryphon slipped obligingly into the accomodations and laid a striped head on the knuckles unoccupied with caressing his fur.
"You aren't what I expected," He said bluntly, admiring the soft, fleecy feel of the underside of his housemate's wings. "And you shouldn't eat that stuff; if Tahlia brought it, it probably isn't edible."
He couldn't have agreed more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![~o[Aerandir]o~'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/3d/d8/69039f530d83d_flip.png?t=1301926893_6.00_01)
