[[ ooc;; this is bevy's current 1-off, semi-read-only thread so i'll be posting a bunch in a row but anyone may join at any time if they like!
this thread is mostly for bevy to discover more about herself and her multi-system personality junk so if its weird or confusing hahaha im sorry oOPS feel free to ask me about stuff though. ]]
Pisces was one of the most spectacular chambers in all of the caves. Moss grew along the gentle rolling hills of the room, and fungi lit up everywhere with their multicolored lights reflecting in the misty air. The room was terribly loud, all thanks to the most spectacular sight in the room: the giant waterfall that crashed down and filled the pools and streams that gave the cavern life. Everything glistened and shined and grew here.
In the southern corner, a small tuft of feathers nestled into a tiny yet comfortable nook in the wall amongst the numerous handholds in the shall. This creature had come to be known as Bevy, her bright multi-streaked red eyes observing her world with awe. She sported a gem more impressive than her eyes, and her feathers were crimson and jet black, slick with the dampness of the room and with poison her body produced from eating beetles and the native fungi. Here, she was happy. She had a small collection of shinies, a beautiful icy blue gem with white flecks that she... She tried not to think about where it had come from, but her eyes felt locked on the gem whenever it caught her eyes.
"It's yours, Enna," the deeper voice of her thoughts spoke in soft, cautious tones. Bevy had never told anyone her name wasn't really Bevy, but it was quite confusing. She had multiple names all whirled up and tucked together in her mind. "Wanna practice flying? Wings are better now." For now Bevy had named the other voice Ratchet, or Ratchie, and they were like her best friend. Well, besides the Leopard of the Waterfall. Cancer was good company.
Bevy nodded to herself, encouraged by Ratchie's soft voice, and wiggled to the edge of her stone nest. Peering down, she could see the soft moss just bellow, safe and easy to land on. Today, however, she was going to fly. No more hopping from ledge to ledge. Spreading her wings, Bevy took a deep breath-- And then Enna had the distinct feeling she wasn't in control anymore.
Bevy had become Ratchie and they would have grinned if their beak would allow it. A light breeze ran through their flight feathers, recently grown, and after a light test flap, the bird backed up and then lunged off of the edge.
"Ratchie!" Her mind cried. Enna had definitely changed her mind, Bevy should not fly today. Oh no, this was terrifying. She was going to fall right to the bottom and die. "Stop! Go back! No!!" Enna had never felt so afraid, but Bevy was calm and cold as the falls. As if Ratchie knew just what Bevy was doing, as they understood. Enna had always been front and in control, but it was finally their turn.
Perhaps if Enna hadn't been such a timid creature-- who was now full-on panicking-- Ratchie would have tried to share the experience with her. For now they reveled in the freedom of flight and being in charge of Bevy. The bird immediately caught on, dropping only a few feet before catching the air under her wings and soaring up the misty currents of wind made by the crisp, cold waterfall. Nothing could stop Bevy now, as she careened through the air, lost in the moment.
The cold fog blew through her feathers as she swept around, dipping down to the pool and spiralling around the edge of the crashing water. Ratchie flew up and away when their wings started to collect water, flapping furiously to get rid of the weight, and drove Bevy back to the moss where they dropped into a playful roll, tumbling around in the soft moss. Laughter came loudly from Bevy's beak, her wings flapping uselessly around her fiery red body as she fumbled around in the mossy earth.
"Wasn't that a blast?!" Ratchie yelped betweem laughter, shaking with the gigglefit they had fallen into. A soft, gentle and sweet voice whimpered a reply in Bevy's mind, "No, that was horrible! I could have died!"
With that, the bird picked herself off the ground and preened her feathers back in place, huffing. "Well, we didn't, so hush," Ratchie snapped allowed, fixing some of their tail feathers, picking out moss. They wanted to fly more, but for now they had to catch their breath. Bevy wasn't used to flying, much less so close to the waterfall. "What kinda bird doesn't want to fly, anyway, Enna?"
Enna was filled with the sense that she wished she was Bevy. She had always been Bevy before this moment. Sure, the name felt weird and didn't quite fit her, but it was who her body was at least and she was fine with that tag. It felt so strange, watching while someone different took control of Bevy. Sure, she had no reason not to trust Ratchie. They had always backed her up and reassured her when she was scared, like they were all of her confidence in one strong bundle. Yet, having to take a backseat for a while unnerved Enna.
Ratchie hopped among the moss, snapping up some tasty beetles. As they enjoyed the crunchy, gushy taste of the insects almost oblivious to Enna's feelings, they took another look around the cool, damp room. It was huge! Bevy could fly around for hours and probably miss everything. Eating their fill, the bright feathered bird made their way around the hills back to the cliff where their treasures and bed were. "Ready?" Ratchie asked out loud, their eyes glistening as they spread their nightshade wings. Bevy needed a rest, and they were distantly aware that Enna was going to have a fit if she had to hop back up all by herself.
Bevy began to flap her wings, but for most birds taking off from a height was much easier than taking off from the ground. While Enna protested in her mind, at least if they failed this time they would only stumble in the moss instead of plummet down really, really far. It wasn't very reassuring, however. She just wanted to be back in control, to be Bevy again. It was uncomfortably strange having Ratchie in control of her body.
In fact, it was quite hard to take off. Little Bevy, even with Ratchie being an "expert" flier, only managed to get a foot off the ground before the wind caught her and threw her back, tumbling among the mossy rocks. With a sad squawk, the bird rolled and eventually stopped, gasping for a breath as her red-rainbow eyes flashed at the cliff.
The powerstruggle began. With a push of mental force, Enna shoved her way to the front. "Enough! Now look what you've done, Ratchie, I can't get back up!" She wailed, feathers ruffled in all sorts of wrong directions yet she couldn't seem to care. She just wanted to sit and cry, one of her talons felt bruised and her wings were sore. Now, Ratchie had liked being in control and they didn't like being shoved out of the way, so with a grumble they began to really fight for control. One second, Bevy was babbling and sobbing in the moss, the next she was squawking loudly and trying to brush her feathers into place and take off.
After a bit, Ratchie managed to get hold long enough to take flight, but Enna wrestled control back to find there was no ground under her talons. "N-no! No! Help!!" She screeched, flailing her wings in a pathetic attempt to stay airborn and not crash into the ground again.
(OOC: I'm jumping in here cause Can wouldn't let his pretty bird fall down <3 I'll back out again later, if you want, so you can continue working her out solo. :>)
He'd been down amongst the ponds fishing when his little bird friend's cries suddenly, and rather finally, reached his ears. Her distressed voice couldn't - and wouldn't- be ignored, so the cub shot off like a dart, dropping his in favor of helping a friend. His only friend, or so he felt. Those paws carried him swiftly until he found her, by the lagoon, seemingly trying to stretch those wings of hers.. and fly. He'd never seen flight before, so when he saw her struggling to right herself, and falling, he rushed over to break her fall.
(Post Roll Edit)
He leapt at just the right moment to try and bounce her onto his head and back- in a way, hoping to roll her down to the ground safely by means of his soft fur and carefully strong tail. If this went as planned, he'd wait until she was settled to turn back to face her and, panting, frown.
"What happened? What were you doing so high up?"
Bevy managed, somehow, to stay in the air long enough for a friend to come racing to her rescue. She hadn't even noticed he was there until her body flopped down on the dark fur, and with an awkward squawk she rolled down the length of the cat's body and plopped uselessly into the moss. Dumbfounded, it took the mess in her brain a moment to understand what had happened, staring up at the golden eyes of her friend.
"I, uh... Um." The little bird mumbled, at least until a more confident voice came out of her pointy black beak. "I flew! Did you see? I can totally fly now," Bevy told her friend. Thrilled to meet Cancer, Ratchie's excitement bubbled up inside of the bird. Hopping up on to their feet once more, their rainbow eyes glistened with excitement. "Just got a bit scared, and all, but it's all good."
Ruffling the black wing feathers as they spread out to show Cancer their new pinfeathers of their beautiful, fantastic flying wings. Puffing out their vibrant crimson chest, pride shining through the lingering adrenaline and fear that made Bevy's legs tremble slightly... Though, something seemed to be pricking at the small bird's mind, making them think something was off or wrong with the situation.
"Oh no, Ratchie, we touched Cancer... That's not good. That's really not good! Is he okay?" Enna's tiny voice spoke up in their mind, and Bevy's eyes went wide as she realized. The bird's feathers were coated in a toxin, hopefully it wasn't too harmful to the leopard, but it would make his back tingly and numb not unlike a limb falling asleep.
But frankly, how did one explain something like that? "Um, are you alright, Cancer?" The bird tweeted, a bit timidly, concerned that they might have hurt their friend by accident.
Bevy managed, somehow, to stay in the air long enough for a friend to come racing to her rescue. She hadn't even noticed he was there until her body flopped down on the dark fur, and with an awkward squawk she rolled down the length of the cat's body and plopped uselessly into the moss. Dumbfounded, it took the mess in her brain a moment to understand what had happened, staring up at the golden eyes of her friend.
"I, uh... Um." The little bird mumbled, at least until a more confident voice came out of her pointy black beak. "I flew! Did you see? I can totally fly now," Bevy told her friend. Thrilled to meet Cancer, Ratchie's excitement bubbled up inside of the bird. Hopping up on to their feet once more, their rainbow eyes glistened with excitement. "Just got a bit scared, and all, but it's all good."
Ruffling the black wing feathers as they spread out to show Cancer their new pinfeathers of their beautiful, fantastic flying wings. Puffing out their vibrant crimson chest, pride shining through the lingering adrenaline and fear that made Bevy's legs tremble slightly... Though, something seemed to be pricking at the small bird's mind, making them think something was off or wrong with the situation.
"Oh no, Ratchie, we touched Cancer... That's not good. That's really not good! Is he okay?" Enna's tiny voice spoke up in their mind, and Bevy's eyes went wide as she realized. The bird's feathers were coated in a toxin, hopefully it wasn't too harmful to the leopard, but it would make his back tingly and numb not unlike a limb falling asleep.
But frankly, how did one explain something like that? "Um, are you alright, Cancer?" The bird tweeted, a bit timidly, concerned that they might have hurt their friend by accident.
Oh, but the joys of living near the falls. His fur was damp and slicked flat, so as the bird had rubbed her way down his back, barely any toxin at all actually made it to his skin- and the bird's worry was unfounded- a cat his size would need more than a diluted dose to feel too bad over it. Fact was, he barey noticed the odd sensation in his lower spine and between his shoulders- the skin there was loose and numb anyways- kitten scruff.
"Fly?" He grinned, her excitement contagious. Cancer wasn't sure if that flippity-flop could be considered flight, but if she thought it was, then who was he to break that spirit? Bevy's excitement died off, though, and that concern voiced itsef.
"Alright? Why wouldn't I be? I'm just glad you didn't break something, that's all." He turned his gaze back towards the lagoon. "Lucky you nest down here. Trying that near the falls, you might've fallen in. Just be more careful, okay?" He grinned down at her. "I don't want my best friend getting hurt." He'd learned that term from a certain lioness, some day or so ago, and now it seemed appropriate to use with Bevy- she was, after all, his first and closest companion. She'd been the first to join him in Pisces... and now 'Ky and Leon were staying close by too.
Speaking of which...
"Hey Bev, what would you say to forming a real group?" He sat down, a sign that he meant to have a proper discussion now. "I met a Bear and a Lioness yesterday. They said they'd stay near Pisces, live here, and it's awesome and all, but what's to stop someone else from butting in and shoving us out?" He pondered a moment, then smirked. "If we formed a band of friends, and all stuck together, I was thinking, we could protect this place. Keep trouble away, and keep it clean for the whole cave."
"What do you think? We'd need a name, and rules... and some way to know who's good at what."
Bevy seemed to relax when the leopard said he was fine. The pair of rivaling minds seemed to settle down as they listened to Cancer talk about a brand new idea. Bubbling with excitement, the pitohui bird nodded eagerly. "That's a great idea!" She replied with a wave of her wings. More friends like her, ah, best friend? Bevy was still tingly from hearing Cancer call her best friend. She just hadn't expected it, but it was true. They were close as two nestmates, really. It made her feel all fuzzy with joy.
"I think I know how to make sure the water stays clean," she offered, tucking her wings at her side. Bevy still didn't really know how her magick worked, but it seemed to be a... Cleansing sort. A healing sort. "And maybe we could have like... A test, or something. A couple of tests, and like, whatever we do best at will show?" That sounded reasonable, though she had no idea where to get started on other matters.
As Enna mulled over potential names and ranks and how the group could work, Ratchie felt a strong need to prove themselves. Determined to show they could fly, the bird looked up at the ceiling, judging the wind.
"A test of Bravery," the words escaped the bird's narrow, black beak, and with a forceful, powerful down beat the bird's talons lifted off the earth. "Come on, I'll show you what I mean!"