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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Mar 31, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -5
Rena chuckles softly as she sees Ezra’s eyes unfocus in the manner of one lost in memory, the feathers of her cheeks and around her beak ruffling in a distinctly avian smile as she occasionally sniffs at the steeping tea…the crow trills softly, quietly humming to herself as she counts the seconds in her mind until the tea is ready…at which point she gently takes up her own mug and takes a careful, probing sip of the hot fluid. Finding the tea to be an acceptable temperature, she takes another, longer sip.
Whistle chirps excitedly, pattering over to grab her own mug, savoring the first sip of her tea as she retreats back to her seat. She still glances at the stranger every now and then, but...he seems nice at least, and mom isn't doing the usual routine for unwanted visitors - lots of knives and cackling for that one - so...Ezra is...probably fine...
Bell hums softly, moving through the room to pick up his current knitting project - a little knitted nest for each of the yet unhatched chicks, to keep them warm and cushioned from harm while still in their shells - before finding a seat near the crackling fireplace and resuming his work. He glances up every now and then, an avian smile in the ruffling of the feathers around his beak as he watches his wife interact positively with a stranger! if he couldn't feel the bond pointing right where it should, he'd be worried someone had replaced her with a doppelganger or something...
Loci…continues reading. he’s just reached one of the good bits, with the necromancer having just used her magic to save the prince’s life, and the prince is thoroughly divided on whether that’s a good thing. In other news, the necromancer has started getting better at making her minions sapient, which is another step towards her goal of bringing her siblings back...
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Post by Ezra Windward on Apr 7, 2024 22:58:55 GMT -5
Ezra shook his head to refocus himself and took note of Rena’s avian smile back at him. He quickly lowered his gaze toward the ground and cleared his throat. “Uh…” He started, before shaking his head again as if to shake the next words out of him mind. He slowly lifted his head to look at Rena again, and gestured toward the hot, freshly brewed tea. “Thank you for the tea.” He said simply as he reached for the mug that he had seen his citrus shavings be placed into.
Grabbing the mug, Ezra could feel the warmth of the liquid through the ceramic container into his hands. It was nice; not too hot, but warm enough to soothe his palms. As he lifted the drink up to his nose, he could smell the mixture of citrus and honey. The steam from the tea rose up and tickled the tip of his nose, leaving a feeling moist condensation. He brought the edge of the cup to his lips and took a long sip. The flavors were perfect. A little on the sweeter side, just as he liked it, but enough citrus to really have the flavors come through. The temperature was perfect, just as he had suspected from his feeling through the mug. As he swallowed the liquid, his chest felt warm. He closed his eyes as he took in the experience.
Having removed the mug from his lips after his drink, Ezra wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “That tea is delicious. It’s perfectly made.” He said happily to Rena with a grin.
Ezra glanced around the home for a moment. He could see each member of this undead, avian family appeared to become more and more relaxed and fall back into, what he believed, to be normalcy for them. It put him even more at ease and his shoulders relaxed a bit more the longer he stood in the home.
“So, uh…” Ezra began to speak while looking at Rena, but as he continued he grinned and turned toward Distant Whistle, “What do you all do for fun around here?”
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Apr 8, 2024 0:47:40 GMT -5
The little crow tilts her head, ruby eyes glinting in the light - or is that a soft glow? It’s hard to tell in the dim light…either way, Whistle lets off a soft, thoughtful trill, then shrugs, “...my little brother-” “by a week!” comes the indignant cry from Loci. “-it’s an important week! Anyhoo, my little brother likes to spend his free time reading or sketching. Personally, I’m more fond of whittling and training. Which…” she winces, then, “...bit of an odd answer, but Bab’sk’s made it into a bunch of games, so it's actually rather fun!”
Rena trills in gentle amusement as she sips at her tea, “...jus’ teachin’ ye the way my bab’sk taught me. I do the same with Loci, but he hasn’t taken to it the same way ye’ve,” the crow sighs, cracking her neck and taking another sip of her tea as she considers, silver eyes softly shining in the dim light as she glances to her skeletal son, “...personally, I think the magic I used t’craft yer shell left some flavor o’ mental block, since ye cannae put the lessons inta practice without me doin’ a specfic little cantrip…”
Loci winces a little, glancing up at his mother from over his book, “...y-yeah…th-that’s…n-not ple-pleasant…’s l-like the-there’s this…hu-hungry thing i-in the ba-back of my-my mind…”
Rena nods a little, trilling mournfully as she stares into her mug, “...ach, I remember what that feels like…constant gnawing behind yer eyes, a little voice that sounds far too like yer own for ye t’be comfortable ignoring it, demanding blood and meat and warmth...” the crow shakes her head as though trying to clear it, silver eyes briefly flashing a cold, bone white as she glances back up with what can only be a wan smile, “...I beat my Hunger…I just hope ye’ll be able to conquer yours, Loci…”
Bell, apparently unruffled by the somber change of topic, continues knitting…though he does flinch when his wife references what the ‘Hunger’ wants…his smoky form briefly flickering to one that, while still recognizable as Bell, is much worse off…patches of feathers missing, chunks of flesh torn out, what looks like frost covering his eyes…and as quick as it came, the vision is gone, and he’s back to knitting, utterly unperturbed.
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Post by Ezra Windward on Apr 8, 2024 21:15:13 GMT -5
Still grinning, Ezra followed the conversation with his eyes as Whistle answered him and Rena chimed in. Again, he felt as though this was a typical; albeit, undead family. He did not have a sibling, and yet he could imagine a younger brother or sister interrupting his telling of a story as Loci had with Whistle. He even let out a little chuckle as he thought about the scene.
That grin slowly faded from his face as Loci began to speak of a “hungry thing.”
The expression on Ezra’s face slowly morphed from playful and happy to that of fearful concern as the conversation continued and Rena began to describe what this “hunger” was. As the conversation began to take this dark turn, Ezra could feel his nerves elevating again. He could feel a knot growing in his stomach and a chill ran up his spine. He glanced over to where Bell was sitting and he swore he saw a zombie of an avian sitting there instead, but just as soon as he thought he had seen it the visage was gone in a blink.
Shaking his head, Ezra took a deep breath in to calm his nerves. He looked back to Rena. She was ruffling the feathers around her beak to make a smile, but it lacked the warmth of her previous smiles. It looked practiced, lifeless… As he continued to look at her, he noticed her silver eyes. Or were they white? A chilling, bone white; he had seen them before and they sent the same chill into his bones. The eyes felt cold and it made the hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand up on end.
Ezra took another deep breath in, but by this time the look on his face had betrayed him and revealed the emotions and nerves he was feeling. With wide eyes he began to look from Rena and then to Loci and back to Bell. Nervously, he managed to shakily ask, “What- Uh… What’s the hunger?” Ezra gulped as he finished asking the question burning in his mind.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Apr 8, 2024 22:24:23 GMT -5
The crow, the necromancer tilts her head, letting out a soft trill as she considers the question for a moment, “...it is the same that drives you, simply more…pronounced. More active, more malignant...it is the need to live, regardless of cost,” those bone white eyes glitter like ice, flicking down to gaze into her tea as she delves into old, ragged memories, “...mine came when I made that bargain with the Hag, back in the Valley…asked her for ‘the will and the power to keep food on the table,’ and…well, cravings for the flesh of those around me were among the least of my problems…” her eyes flit up toward her spectral husband, “...I made some pretty nasty mistakes after that…let the hunger control me when I shouldn’t have…the necromancy’s just…me tryin’ t’make amends…”
Loci nods along with his mother’s explanation, emerald eye lights flashing a toxic, acidic green as he considers his own Hunger, “...I…I’m not alive. I’m as close to it as I can be - I’ve got a body, I can think and feel and interact...which is one more than Dad has, but…I was awake, y’know?” the little skeleton reaches into his tunic and pulls out a blue, brown spotted, frost-coated egg, “...the entire time, between this freezing in the snow and Mom binding me to these bones…I was awake and aware, and so, so unbearably cold...’s better now, but…I’m till cold…some nights I have to wrap my individual bones to keep from rattling as I shiver, because without a living touch the chill gets so, so much worse in the dark…”
Whistle lets out a mournful chirp, stepping over to pull her brother into a tight hug that the skeleton practically melts into.
Bell sighs softly, “...’s a bit different for me. ‘Ell, the details are unique to everyone! But I…my death was one o’ those ‘nasty mistakes,’ Rena mentioned…that’n ‘alf our clutch freezing over…’n any case, I made a deal with the ‘ag too, but my terms were different. I…I wanted t’be able t’protect my family no matter what. So imagine my surprise when one moment m’wife is maulin’ me in a feral, starvation fueled frenzy…an’ the next I’m floatin’ along beside ‘er, watchin’ every moment, unable t’do more’n guide the blades I forged my very soul into…’bout a year after that, an’ Rena’s figured out the trick t’get me t’manifest, ‘n suddenly the world’s opened back up. But there’s this…this seed, this well, this core of malice that I ‘ave t’keep under wraps outside o’ a fight, both ‘cause I go intangible when I let it out, and because my family doesnae need me like that…so I ‘ave t’shape it, cultivate and forge it int’ somethin’ useful, somethin’ I can use to protect rather’n destroy…”
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Post by Ezra Windward on Apr 16, 2024 21:53:47 GMT -5
The look of fear and nervousness remained on Ezra’s face as he listened to Rena explain what the hunger was. It was a drive; simple and primal. Ezra still felt a chill as he thought back to his first real life-or-death fight. It wasn’t training or skill that had gotten him through it. It wasn’t technique that caused him to drive his dagger into that man’s gut. It wasn’t a brilliantly thought-out strategy that won the day. No; it was a will to live, a drive, a… hunger. He did know what Rena meant, but perhaps not the extent by which she meant it.
His eyes shifted over to see Loci and his glowing green eyes. He listened intently as the little skeleton explained and as he heard the details of the frozen egg, it was as if the air around him had also frozen and he felt the sting of cold as he took a breath in.
Ezra again shifted his focus as Bell began to speak. As he listened he felt the weight of what this group had been through. What sort of tragedy had they all experienced? Each had a story and each more sad than the last. Yet, even through the pain and horror, here they were; together. This powerful hag had both saved them all, and destroyed them. Ezra couldn’t help but think that; whoever she is, she must be the true villain here.
Even though he had been comfortable in their home and had been speaking with them and sharing tea up to that point, Ezra couldn’t help but feel on edge after hearing each of them speak. The thought of the family of Aviankin’s hunger turning on him crept into his mind and he couldn’t shake it. What would he even do if that was the case? After hearing their story, could he even bring himself to do them harm?
Ezra tore his gaze away from the family and looked downward. He couldn’t find the right words to say, and he shook his head slowly. He felt sad for them, but also scared of them. Unsure of what to say or even how to act, Ezra managed to let out, “I… I’m sorry…” His eyes still were lowered toward the ground as he spoke softly, but he slowly lifted them to see Rena and her kin. “I’m sorry.” He repeated.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Apr 17, 2024 2:13:38 GMT -5
Rena chuckles softly, idly sipping at her tea, silver eyes glinting in the flickering light of the hearth, “...no need for that, lad…’tisnae your fault, one bit. I…will admit t’avin’ some plans for the Hag whose crooked bargains brought this on us…” the crow tilts her head, silver eyes gently shining as she lets out a quiet, tired trill, “...but I’ve no interest in bringing my pain to others…” she…doesn’t seem like much of a threat, much of a danger…she just seems…weary, silver eyes briefly flickering and dimming to a dull gray before she shakes her head as though trying to stave off the exhaustion, “...enjoy your tea, Ezra. y’can stay a bit, if’n ye want…or not, if’n ye don’t. Our door is always open t’those who mean us no harm…” despite her weariness, she glides on silent feet over to her husband, setting her mug down and wrapping a wing and an arm around the specter, silver eyes drifting shut as she takes a moment to just…hold him close…
Loci trills softly, setting his book down and moving to join in the hug, nestling against his mother’s side and tucking himself under her other wing…
Whistle just lets out an amused trill, mumbling something about ‘snuggly crows’...
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