• Closed • [M] Bye-Bye Birdie

[Mal]

Vhalar 10th, 716

Send-off. It was hush-hush, they were Scouts. Ten men and women, each told to grab the supplies prepared for them and head out south. Mal had just left the briefing, in the form of a boy with cropped brown hair, youth and vigor upon his face though his step spoke of a more serious undertone. Leaving Eld. The thought made him uncomfortable. In such a short while, the two had grown somewhat close. They’d been through so much together. It wasn’t fair, to Mal. He wanted to stay, but he had no choice. The Etzori needed scouts, and he had his orders.

He looked for her in the hospital at first, but she wasn’t there. A face like that carried whispers everywhere it went. The winged girl was at a bar, they told him. A bar, of all places? Why a bar? His thoughts betrayed him. Oh, right. That. He had a feeling Eld wasn’t taking what happened as well as he was. A bar made a lot of sense, at this point. Taking directions, he found the locale he was snooping around for and strolled through the front doors.

He spotted that half-blood on a seat nearby, walking up to her before realizing that he’d never shown the face of his human form. He’d been a Hyx for so long, he sort of expected people to look at him as if he were one. Instead, warm inebriated smiles greeted him. “Etzori!” one man cheered. He frowned when Mal tapped Eld on the shoulder. “It’s Mal,” he said. “The big fox you fought with? That’s me. Good to see you, Eld.”

[Nightshade Eld]

Nightshade nearly jumped out of her skin upon being greeted. Most people avoided her within the bar, and a couple people even sized her up with a look of disdain when she had entered, seeming like they might try their hand at a fight. There was no drink in her hand so if such a thing did happen she was in no way letting the situation escalate. There was only one day of the year that she allowed herself to drink. Instead she had simply come here to sulk and be surrounded by the happy drunks. After she had been forgotten the place held a warm aura that had been of some comfort in a time she considered to be greatly dark.

"Mal?" She asked in disbelief, her eyes narrowing. At first she was skeptical, but then she noticed something that the eyes of most wouldn't be able to see. She wasn't the best but she was good at judging the character of someone. A way of moving or speaking was a good enough indicator to the nature of a person you were face to face with, though she tried not to judge solely on that knowing there were a good amount of exceptions in the world. The way he moved, the way he acted, thought it was harder to tell now that she was looking at a man instead of a massive Hyx she still saw a couple distinct traits that she had been able to pick up on in her fighting companion. "It really is you," she said quietly. She stood up almost instantly wrapping her arms around him. It was strange to say the least, she wasn't trying to fit her arms around a massive fox creature, she was hugging a man.

She was quiet for a couple of minutes. "Do you really have to go," she asked a note of pain causing her voice to raise in pitch slightly. She obviously knew the answer to the question but she needed to heart it one more time. She pulled away and the look of hurt and sadness on her face almost made it seem like she was about to start to cry. If she started to cry this conversation was going to go down hill fast. So she swallowed hard blinking a couple of times to keep the tears at bay. She was determined to stay strong, if not for herself then for Mal. She was certain he didn't want to leave anymore than she wanted him to leave. So she would stay strong. She wasn't going to make him feel worse.

So instead she put on a bright smile even though her eyes still had a watery shine to them as if she was just a couple words away from crying. "Be safe, okay? My favorite fox..." Her words trailed off as her smile became more and more bitter sweet, the sweet being something forced. She blinked a couple of times as the water tried to escape. She closed her eyes once more for a couple of heart beats taking the chance to recompose herself. "Be safe," she said once more shivering slightly as she looked at him with all the worry and kindness neither of them had been offered in their younger days.

[Mal]

The questioning glance in Eld’s eyes swayed Mal’s conviction. She needs to have me transform in this bar and show her? His chin raised, slightly aghast at the idea. Becoming a Hyx here would be met with sheer terror from the crowd. A dog, however . . . maybe.

Mal’s odd plan was foiled when Eld suddenly confirmed his identity. “Yup, it’s me,” he said in response, feeling more than awkward. It was easy to be brave, even authoritative whilst a large beast. As a human, he felt vulnerable. Even socially, it would seem. His form wrenched against her when she suddenly hugged him, palms opening wide as his fingers curled in surprise, taking a step back to balance himself as that form hugged him. This time, she was heavier, and her hug carried a wallop.

It was odd, as she stood there quiet. Mal was quiet, too. It took a few thoughtful moments before he decided to place an arm upon her warm back, hand running up to the back of her neck, the other at her spine. “Eld,” he said, unsure what to say. “I’m leaving for war . . . Rhakros.” Mal admitted. Sunken eyes were feeling heavy, tired and weary. They started to tear up, eyelids falling shut and trembling briefly as he turned a cheek to disguise his emotions.

She asked him a question, the tone of her voice grating against his stricken mind. “I do . . . I don’t want to, more than anything in the world, but I do.” As Eld pulled away, a single tear rolled down his cheek, cascading down into his mouth and dripping on his tongue, salting it. He could tell that she was worse for wear too despite the smile she wore, as he knew she would be. I shouldn’t bring up what happened in the Underground, with the Mist Men, should I?

“I plan to be safe, but I can’t guarantee what will happen . . . I’m a survivor though.” His voice faltered with those last three words. He watched her close her eyes, raising a hand and placing it upon her shoulder, unsure how to console someone. He wasn’t that type of person, after all. Someone who could comfort, someone of the city. Someone social.

He nodded at her reaffirmation. “What do you plan to do while I’m gone?” he asked. They were in dire need of another step through this difficult conversation.

[Nightshade Eld]

"I don't know yet," she admitted. "I'm sure I'll find something to do. I have a somewhat magical way of finding myself trouble. It's practically drawn to me as much as I am to it! I'll keep working and sharpening my skills as I always have. Hopefully not die to a bout of bad luck," the quip was one made in a light tone but her eyes had a kind of serious glint that kept it from being a joke but didn't kill the humor of the comment. Nightshade's luck seemed to swing almost like a pendulum. It was almost perfect at some points in time, her taking some bad hits during their time in the underground but avoiding the more serious wounds Mal and some of the rest of the group obtained being the perfect example. And then her luck would go to complete trash. She would stop paying attention to her surroundings for five trills and find herself crashing down a well. She remembered that day maybe a little to vividly. She had to quite literally be fished out by her father since he was to big to get down such a small well and get back out again, even she at such a young age and small body could only just spread her wings fully. She was only five when it happened and it hadn't been a fun event. She nearly broke a wing, it would have been much easier if she could fly out but the water made that a bit of a problem. Tangents aside the point was her luck tended to swing on the side of one extreme or the other.

"Maybe if I'm lucky enough something good'll happen. Like I get a raise or I get a nice group to scout for the next time I have to deal with cartographers," she said with a slightly bitter laugh that wasn't all to humorous. Though the bitterness of it in and of itself was suppose to be the joke. She was trying to make Mal feel better the only way she knew how, poking fun at her own misfortunes. It had gotten her far in life in regards to being able to bounce back from most things bad. She hadn't broken down yet, so she took that as a sign it was at least vaguely working.

She feel silent as she didn't know what else to say. She glanced around noticing a couple strange glances. "Why are they looking at us like that?" She asked completely oblivious to the reasoning behind the strange looks. Honestly most people were looking at the strange pair in both confusion and disbelief. Mal was an Etzori soldier- praised in a human form- but to most who couldn't tell the difference between Night and a pure blooded Avriel (which was a disgustingly, shockingly, larger amount of people than it should be) she looked like a disgusting vicious creature even with her legs and wings and talons covered by her cloak. She had nearly forgotten about it, but luckily one of the members of the group had noticed it near the entrance of the underground and realized it was hers. She had it wrapped tightly around herself ever since it was returned. The cloak made her seem a lot less threatening to the average person. None the less whether they knew she was mixed breed or not Night was considered to be an enemy and a monster to the average person.

A blush started to cross her features as the stares became more intense. "Maybe we should go outside," she said feeling her cheeks, ears, and the back of her neck start to burn. It was making the feathers on her back begin to bristle like a cats fur and if that got to a noticeable degree it could become a problem to some of the more drunken and feisty patrons of the bar. And honestly given the current situation with Mal she wanted to avoid something like that and focus on the fact her best friend as of a literal three days was going off to war.

[Mal]

“I’m the same way, trouble brims with every step I take. The situation I’ve gotten myself into now.” He bit his lip, face starting to dry up. His voice lowered to a whisper, audible only to her through the racket of the bar. Many were staring at the two of them, so it seemed prudent to hide their words. “It’s not like I have a choice. It’s pushed me to new heights, but I still feel like I’ve got shackles, y’know?”

He’d always sort of known she had trouble for what she was. He did too, but he was the peculiar type to want to be so many different things. When she told him of her luck, that she hoped for the better, her laugh made him start to think. She could be more, he could do that much for her. “You know, what I am . . . it’s pretty easy to change a face for me. Just as easy to lose one.”

“I’m used to it.” His voice rose, in response to the question about the looks. “They think jus’ cause I look like them, I share their prejudice. Like a wolf, humans are pack creatures. Crowd mentality, I see it everywhere. One guy stamps on the strange, the poor, the ill, and the rest follow by example. Leaders are a vile thing, Eld.”

“Dunno how to stop ‘em, guess you need to have a leader who wants to be inclusive.” Her request to step outside was met with a stoic nod. He wanted to tell her something important. It nipped him pretty fiercely. It was the only way he could really make a difference for her. The two went out front, Mal leaning against a wooden beam.

“When I get back, if you hang in there . . . and it’s not easy, there’s a lot of pain, and the cost is one of your fingers or a big toe.” A pause, Mal finding it difficult to make such an offer. He tugged on her shoulder, the two of them walking over to one side of the street where nobody loitered. “I could, you know, make you into what I am. You wouldn’t be able to live in Etzos, but anywhere else you could have any face you want. Chance you could lose your wings, and it’s dangerous to try, but you seem strong. I think you could do it.”

“I mean,” it was a hard thing to offer. It came with so many risks. “The freedom. It’s been worth it for me so far. You could be anyone or anything you get the right pieces of.” He didn’t tell her about the awful man who did this to him, how he was anything but ‘free’ when that villain was around.

[Nightshade Eld]

Nightshade paused at the offer becoming completely silent. It was a lot to think about in the span of a couple trills at most. That's all she would give herself to ponder the idea. It crossed her mind pleasantly enough at first, but she already knew the answer. She knew it damn well, enough that the answer resonate at the core of her being before it came out as a powerful answer.

"No," she said with a shake of her hand. The idea might have been fun to think about. But it was something she could never do. "I appreciate the offer Mal, but I couldn't do something like that. My entire life I've been called a monster for what I was born as, and there have been times I've been tempted to believe that. But when all is said and done there's no way I would trade who and what I am. I've held my burden high above my head long enough that it's one I can hold with pride. Because I am Nightshade Eld, daughter of Karmin Eld and Evaryin Kervoth. Half breed by nature and hated by both halves of what I am. Hated because they think I'm a monster. But this is who I am and even if I hate myself sometimes and dream that I could be someone else, to have been born as something else, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world," she said with a set kind of look.

There was strength and pride in that look. Even though there was a faint wisp of misery and longing to agree with his idea. She wouldn't, she couldn't. It wasn't who she was. There was no way she could just let go of who she was. "Again, I thank you Mal. But I would never change who I am," she said with a smile. It was actually a sweet, warm, genuine smile.

Of course something just had to ruin the moment. A drunken man stumbled outside of the bar and started to yell at Mal. "Hey! What are you doing with this disgusting think," he spat out the word. Suddenly a look crossed his face and he attempted to grab at her. "Ooooh, I get it! She is pretty if you can ignore those legs! Gotta show these monsters who's dominant," he slurred with a vicious kind of sneer and a wink. He smiled like a wolf.

[Mal]

Nightshade paused at the offer becoming completely silent. It was a lot to think about in the span of a couple trills at most. That's all she would give herself to ponder the idea. It crossed her mind pleasantly enough at first, but she already knew the answer. She knew it damn well, enough that the answer resonate at the core of her being before it came out as a powerful answer. "No," she said with a shake of her hand. The idea might have been fun to think about. But it was something she could never do

Mal smiled, her consideration pleasant. “I wouldn’t force you to change. Not for this world. What you are shapes you in a way, after all.” He wasn’t sure what else he could add to the subject. It wasn’t something he always talked about, and it made him uncomfortable. To break the brief pause, the awkwardness, he winked slyly.

“I never knew my folks, don’t even know what sort of blood I was born with. Don’t even have my original being. Tossed it away to hide from a villain. People usually like their parents, like their family. I don’t know how I’d feel if they hated me, I’d probably run away. That sounds awful, Eld.” He wasn’t sure how she’d feel, him trying to empathize with her sob story.

“At least you’ve got your wings,” he joked, a slight chuckle trying to steer the mood.

He nodded with glee when she thanked him again, returning her smile. It was then that the drunkard happened.

Ugh.

Go away. Go away, go away, go away.

The odious man was enchanted by the spirits he imbibed. Such a fekking bastard. Mal bit his lip, and then turned to the side to steer at him. “A thing like you ain’t done squat for this town compared to her. She’s saved lives. Don’t believe me? I’m Etzori. I’ve fought alongside her. She’s saved children, for crying out loud. Kids barely able to hold a blade. Those fekking shadows, she’s cleaved them, sacrificed. She’s got scars!” He chewed the man out.

The man smacked his lips, grumbling. Mal had a fierce gaze, staring the man down, villainizing the sot. “Ye, well, she’s still a fekking beast. Etzori’s pet, an’ all that. Harrr!” He stumbled. Mal stewed, anger brewing. Thankfully the man walked past. When the two were alone, he turned to Eld. “Hurts to see such fekking bigots abound. At least the human half of you was revered back in Ne’haer. Here, they don’t seem to care.”

And what the man insinuated, that he was interested in her in that way. It made him feel disgusted. He didn’t have feelings like that for anyone. Eld was the closest thing, but he didn’t allow himself to entertain the thought. Didn’t even try to dissuade it with words. Hopefully Eld wouldn’t bring it up. “I’m sorry about that.”

[Nightshade Eld]

A look of disgusted caused her face to contort as the man almost touched her. She jumped out of the way slightly ducking behind a Mal while he went off on the man. A rush of happiness made her feel warm. That was the first time someone actually defended her, it made her feel like she was worth something. Though the dark part of her brain just had to whisper to her that it was all lies, she was worth nothing.

That thought was reinforced at being called a beast. Ironic, she often thought of the Avriel as beasts or overly vulgar humans like this one. They all just made her sick. And now here one was, calling her the beast. Part of her twisted and confusing mind once again tried to whisper hate, but it was drowned out by a much louder and larger part of her that swelled with pride and determination to prove him wrong. She clung to that feeling and a sneer crossed her face as she watched the man go. She curled her lips and gave a growl out of sheer disgust. Often she tried to avoid such actions because it only got her into trouble, but she was at a point in the night where she could give fewer feks what some shambling drunk did or thought. If he came back she would kick his arse herself.

"He'll never know what it's like to risk your life fighting for someone else only to lose them at the last minute. He's just a fool. A drunk fool emboldened by drink who thinks he's doing something good. In his mind he's finding someone to blame. And if you have someone to blame it means that your lot in life isn't your fault. It's out of your hands if you have someone to blame, you don't have to take any responsibility for how much you screwed up. You just heap it all onto someone else and trick yourself into think you're doing it for the greater good. Racist asshole," she said the last comment so quickly just brushing over it and yet with such a conviction that it left a sort of humor in the tone of the words.

Better to laugh than to wallow in sorrows. So that's exactly what she did. The woman howled into laughter, loud, boisterous, and semi-awkward laughter the rose up into the sky and forced away everything bad that would be happening in the next couple of days. She stopped for a trill or two glancing at Mal before breaking into another bout. Except the second wave of laughter was certainly a lot more relaxed, less forced, her eyes actually reflected a small touch of humor. Something they didn't do during the first wave of forced giggles.

[Mal]

The mid-morning sun cast its rays down on the alley, a mirage of flitting colors as they bounced across the gemmary of varied stained glass windows. It left the alley comfortably majestic, though few seemed to cross these parts at this hour. The bar had a number of patrons. Everywhere else, it was deathly quiet. The news of husbands and wives of the Etzori forced an eerie silence that inundated the beauty of Etzori handiwork.

And absent any attention to the scene, he watched Eld speak. “No, he won’t,” he answered. “Yeah, I can get that philosophy. Don’t really blame anyone, ‘cept . . . not really true.” He brought a hand up, scratching the back of his head and ruffling his hair. “I really don’t like the Vuda character. Or the guy who Initiated me into what I am.”

“Yeah, asshole,” he parroted.

Her laugh surprised him, and he couldn’t help it any longer. A weary grin cracked, steadily growing into a wide, goofy smile. Eventually, his chest rose with delighted snorts as he listened and watched her little performance. She’s quite the character, this one! Even after he’d had his fill, she kept going, though she brought herself down. Mal took it as a chance to pull her in, pull her close. “One last hug,” he said, embracing her tightly. “Never liked hugs before, weirdo. Can’t believe I’m offerin’ one.”

And then shit-face’s hand stretched out beyond the threshold, his fegly face rampant with gross inebriation and disgust. A loud, waspish whorl of sharp sound left his lips. A whistling cat-call, causing Mal’s glaring eyes over Eld’s shoulders to narrow into murderous slits. His face turned three shades of red darker, and he trembled with pent up aggression. “One moment, Eld.”

His fists tightened as he set his best friend aside, and he let out a low, bestial growl as his insides tensed. Mal felt a certain kinship with the materials he wore, their familiarity helping to incorporate their identity with his internal understanding of a totem. In that instant he knew he wouldn’t be butt-naked on the streets if he did what he wanted to this man.

In one fluid motion, Mal gripped the totem of his mind with his will, tearing down the barrier of his Hyx form with violent intent. His body cracked sickeningly, popping noises echoing in his wake. There wasn’t a soul around to witness save for the man who smiled smugly in his unknowing stupor. “Gonna tap tha-”

The man held his words, face going white with sheer, uncontrolled terror. Mal’s face contorted, shifting outward as his clothes seemed to dissolve into his body, folding beneath the skin and steadily growing fur in places. He dipped down, eyes morphing to a shade of striking citrine adorning a muzzle of pure, unhinged malcontent. With the most foul, malevolent growl, Mal shuddered out his hatred in a low, reverberating rumble that shook the glass of a nearby window.

Mal witnessed that cretin turn his head slightly, the human’s eyes wide as the intoxicated ‘gent shifted his legs. His ears could pick up on the sudden spray of fetid urine against obscured drawers, and the man’s clenched innards started to churn. In seconds, Mal had Become a Hyx, every ounce of his fur standing on end as he bore the whitest, most soul-scouring ivories one could ever witness, his nose expunging a warm breath.

The man’s eyes rolled up into his head. The glass he was holding dropped, shattering against the floor as flatulence consumed. On his way down, the man started to soil himself, a rotting scent filling the air. His head clunked against the ground. For a moment, Mal’s head sunk lower to follow him in his fury, desiring to ‘put the man in his place’, but he realized the body was as limp as a corpse. He could hear that furious pounding of a heart underneath pounds of flesh, but it dimmed as the bastard found a place to hide, another world to shield himself from the reality Mal presented.

And all of this went unseen. Mal’s nose retreated out of the doorway just in time for heads to turn, rising as he inhaled and ceased his noise. His body quivered in spots as he ripped away his humanity and brought it to life, fur retracting, body shaping itself to something fully human in mere moments. His clothing seemed to be melded with his skin, but that too separated and pushed out.

He turned to Eld, staring darkly with a disappointed look. “We should go.” He flexed his fists, veins bulging over those tightened muscles. He started down the street, taking frustrated strides. Fekking can’t believe I lost it on the guy. Fekking need to cool it. Can’t do this shit, every fekking time I’m pissed at someone-or-other. His body was livid with rage-inspired adrenaline, and he looked visibly intense. “Just, those ones . . . they get on my nerves so much. Just want to rip out their necks, sometimes.”

And then the humor finally managed to crawl up his spine and into that one-track mind of his. It started with a rolling heave, and then a chuckle. “I made ‘im shit his pants, ‘e pissed ‘em too, you see that Eld? Fekker got what was coming to ‘im!” His foot stumbled, and Mal clutched his forehead. Piercing pain rang through his skull. "Ergh, gave too much shifting so fast."

Rubbing his temples in a forceful massage, he turned his head. "Almost didn't notice, but I think I just managed to absorb clothing back there," he glanced down, absent the draft that accompanied transforming into a human form. "Normally this crap rips off."

[Nightshade Eld]

Night smiled happily at the hug as she returned it. People could make of their relationship what she pleased. Mal was a friend to her though, through and through. She was just a little more affectionate towards close friends because the life she'd led. The groundwork of that friendship had been set when she met him out in the forest, but she honestly didn't think that the friendship itself had started until that little mess in the underground. That's when she realized Mal could be relied on, Mal wouldn't unjustly hate her, Mal would be there for her if she needed help, Mal could be trusted. The fact they had survived that fight together was enough to prove that. No, for now and possibly forever all they were was really close friends. And she was happy like that.

Her look of happiness fell away like water as her face twisted into a look of pure horror and disgust. A cat call? Seriously? Was this man a horny teenager or something? She moved away from Mal without any prompting, her own eyes turning into vicious slits as they bore into the man. As much as she could forgive his antics once for being drunk out of his mind, the second time really made her want to punch his lights out. Apparently Mal agreed with her sentiments, as one glance at him spoke of murder. As much as she wasn't keen on going that far should would knock this vulgar idiot's ass to the floor just as earlier promised if he didn't walk away quickly and stop harassing them!

Nightshade's eyes widened slightly in amazement. She knew very little about Becomers. What she did know was basically what she had observed of Mal. So it was interesting to watch him transform.

She cringed her face wrinkling up with disgust at the putrid act as she noticed the fact the mans trousers got soaked. "Oh Mal, why?" She whimpered quietly trying to hold back a giggle and a groan at the same time. She kept herself quiet enough for the time being. She watched the Hyx continue its approach towards the man. What was he doing? That was enough. She opened and closed her mouth once or twice trying to decide just what to say. She was about to step in and try to get Mal to cease his approach when he finally did on his own. She couldn't help a sigh of relief that left her throat.

She watched him transform once again with rapt interest before the dark look crossed his features. Her own twisted into a sorrowful frown. She tried her best to keep up with his long strides but it was kind of hard since she got everywhere by flying. Not to mention running and walking were both harder for her thanks to the oddity that was her feet. She was huffing slightly long before Mal seemed to break a sweat. But she keep the noise quiet by forcing her breath to come out normal in spite of the burn in her lungs. She really needed to get better at that whole running thing.

"You gonna be okay? If you did something you don't normal do that must mean your getting better," she said worried for her friend. She had to strain her voice for it to come out normal instead of breathy. She must look like such a wimp getting tired from a couple strides that seemed like nothing to Mal. Some 'strong brave warrior' she was!