Proper Introductions

remi I had a dream about a burning house. You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out I lay beside you and pulled you close. And the two of us went up in smoke Remi had left things for a few days. Partially that was due to the fact that it was hard to know where everyone had settled, but also because of the trauma that the young woman had suffered. Though Remi was the opposite of whatever masculine stereotypes existed, he was still a man, and one that Phoebe had been forced to see naked, and be seen naked. Of course as Frey had pointed out, neither Pheebs nor Cel were particularly his type, and even if the blonde woman had caught that comment by the deity, it probably would have offered her little comfort. And so the alchemist had waited and considered. Eventually Remi had risen and gone out to pick flowers. Though it was perhaps a completely inadequate offering for what Phoebe had gone through, it was one of the few things the alchemist could think of that didn’t solely rely on some aspect of his personality. Not only did he pluck blossoms that were eye catching, he also grabbed a few herbs that he knew would make nice teas, if the woman was in to that sort of thing. And so, with the bundle clutched between his talons, the alchemist flew towards the house he’d seen Phoebe frequent. He’d done so as a man just in case word had gotten out about what had happened; better that an anonymous animal be seen, than the man who might have been forced to sleep with the young woman. Dropping the parcel of petals onto her stoop, the hawk leaned forward and tapped on the door with his beak before taking flight and landing in the tree that grew just aside the door.

Phoebe had been reclusive since the run in with Frey. She hadn't been sleeping well, nightmares of what could bave been keeping her awake at night. She did the bare minimum to function - which was very unlike her. She was usually so full of energy, ready to tackle the day. But she couldn't shake the terror, the mortification. The weight of just how alone she was had begun to sink in as well - yes she had Roana but she was always busy trying to make sure everything stayed afloat with everyone here.

So the knock on her door came as a surprise. Did she even want to answer? It took her awhile to muster the courage to do so...but then no one was there. Her brow furrowed until she noticed the bundle on her doorstep. Flowers? Phoebe picked them up, surprised to find something like this there. But...who? The blonde looked around in confusion. Where had these come from and who had knocked?

remi I had a dream about a burning house. You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out I lay beside you and pulled you close. And the two of us went up in smoke It took a few minutes such that the hawk didn’t think the young woman was going to answer. Perhaps she wasn’t home, or he had the wrong residence all together? Though as he silently contemplated what he ought to do, the door did eventually open and Phoebe stepped out to accept the meager offering that he had left. Extending his wings gently to get her attention, the bird tilted his head slightly. He no longer bore the golden shape hanger cuff that he once did, and so other than the fact that he was quietly submitting himself to being in the vicinity of a human, there was nothing to distinguish him from being anything other than a normal hawk. With solemn golden eyes the former shape-changer watched the young woman in earnest. She didn’t look particularly well, as if she hadn’t been sleeping. Perhaps that shouldn’t have been surprising. As a man Remi with the upbringing that he had, Remi had no idea what being in that room might have been like for Phoebe. While Remi had been unsettled, Frey’s magic and what felt like a complete lack of danger for him, was no more than a bizarre occurrence. That it wasn’t the same for Phoebe was what chilled his bones and made his heart sink for her.

Indeed, Phoebe’s run in with Frey had been more scarring than the other two. Certain morals she had been taught as a child, compounded with what was taught at finishing school, doubled down to make her subconscious powerfully averse to the events that transpired. Only when Frey took away her will had the fear stopped. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have memories. It didn’t mean she couldn’t look back on it and feel the urge to vomit over what almost was. Things could have been forcibly taken that she could never have regained, things she hoped to one day give someone who loved her.

If the gods here were this powerful, and if the other people here were so easily corrupted and willing to act in such a violent and heinous manner, how safe was she really?

The movement of the hawk caught her attention and she glanced up at it. What a pretty hawk, she thought. No one else was around…just this bird. How…odd. Then again, there were gods in this world, why not bird of free will and intelligent thought? “Did you bring me these, Mr. Hawk?” she asked quietly, the barest hint of a smile on her lips.

Remi

remi I had a dream about a burning house. You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out I lay beside you and pulled you close. And the two of us went up in smoke Gliding forward to land on the railing so that he could be almost eye-level with the young woman (staring up front he ground would have been incredibly awkward for Remi in this shift), Remi hoped that she wouldn't be frightened. She'd acknowledged his presence and though perhaps she seemed a bit wary, surely he was much less intimidating in this form (predator or not), compared to his other. At least, given what they'd been through together. Bobbing his head and spreading his wings slightly, Remi opened his beak and trilled a soft note in her direction. His amber eyes were unfortunately quite hostile to showing emotion, but even for a hawk, he did look quite gentle. Phoebe

Phoebe wasn’t scared of birds, big or small, though she was a bit surprised at this one’s behavior. Once you see a chicken skeletonize a mouse, you just develop a healthy respect for those of the avian species. “Well…thank you, Mr. Hawk.” She said, holding the flowers a bit closer to her chest. The people here were apparently unkind at the core, and the gods were terrifying…but it seemed the animals were oddly compassionate. It was odd to think of an animal in that manner but it seemed to be the case.

Slowly, she reached out and ran her fingertips over the feathers on his head – ready to pull her hand back at any second if it tried to bite her. “I…needed a hint that there was still some goodness in this world. Thank you for giving that to me.” She said, then laughed a little. “Look at me, talking to a bird like a crazy person.” Anyone who saw her would definitely think she was nuts, though lately she felt a little like that.

Remi

remi I had a dream about a burning house. You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out I lay beside you and pulled you close. And the two of us went up in smoke He couldn't smile of course, but internally Remi was beaming at the image of Phoebe holding the flowers so close to her chest. The alchemist was well aware that flowers were a cliche offering, but in this place with so few resources, he was at an absolute loss as to what else he might produce. As her finger extended, Remi held out a wing and tilted his head forward so make it easier for her hands to follow the lines of his feathers. There was nothing more uncomfortable that being 'pet' the 'wrong direction'; though with Phoebe it seemed there was no worry of that at all. Remi's beak parted slightly in a silent avian laugh as she mentioned seemingly like a crazy person. Fanning his wings slightly the hawk shook his head a distinctive no, before trilling brightly again. Desperately Remi wanted to shift back if only so that he could tell her that no, she was not crazy at all. To debrief about what had happened, and promise her that in his right state of mind he'd have never hurt her. He didn't think Celosia would have either, but it was as Phoebe had said. Something about the former-elementalism had seemed changed, and perhaps not simply by Frey's magic.

This really was a funny bird, wasn’t it? Phoebe smiled as it almost seemed to laugh and respond to her. Could all animals in this new place understand like this? Were they actually people trapped in animal bodies? The inquisitive, learner part of her nature took hold as her mind whirred with questions. It was a lovely distraction from the worry that had wracked her brain since the incident at the shrine. She could almost – almost – see herself feeling normal again. Not quite, but close. For a moment as she absentmindedly ran her fingers over his feathers, careful to not shove them the wrong way, her mind wandered back to the incident. All that had been said and done, and by whom.

“Since I have already hopped onto the crazy wagon, may I talk to you a bit to get my own thoughts in order?” she said to the bird, then smiled. “I suppose if you get irritated you can just fly away can’t you?” she said. Phoebe then delved into the tale of what had happened with Frey, recounting the factual details, as well as glimpses of the fear she felt – and why it had shook her so badly, to a point. Then she paused, stroking his feathers as she thought. “I am being a little selfish aren’t I, wallowing like this?” she asked quietly. “That man didn’t seem bad. He didn’t do anything wrong. We were both stuck…and what the god said…that he prefers men…” Well he hadn’t said that exactly but she was smart enough to put two and two together. “That must be so hard. That sort of thing is frowned upon you know but…it must be so lonely. I feel badly for him.” She said and sighed. “He must be mortified to have his secret told like that…” She paused again, a sad smile curving her lips.

“He probably doesn’t ever want to see me again after that…but he seemed genuinely nice. Maybe we could have been friends and complained about how cute boys never notice us.” She said, laughing a little. “That’s a stupid notion I suppose though.”

Remi

remi I had a dream about a burning house. You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out I lay beside you and pulled you close. And the two of us went up in smoke Bobbing his head, Remi fluttered his wings emphatically in agreement before tilting his head to the side in a very obvious gesture to indicate that he was listening. As she spoke, the part of Remi that was still decidedly a man grew more and more frustrated within the small avian body. He wanted nothing more than to offer soothing words of encouragement and to describe the situation from his point of view. It would do little to assuage her of the lingering feelings she was experiencing, but perhaps it would help to know that while in the moment he'd certainly enjoyed the sensations Frey had imposed upon him, that in hindsight the experience had left him cold and violated. Though birds couldn't shiver, as Phoebe tugged at the string that Frey had revealed about his orientation, nonetheless Remi could feel a chill race through his body. Shifting awkwardly from one foot to another, Remi's wings drooped slightly as he waited for the condemnation which was sure to come. Surprisingly though, there was only sympathy from the young woman. Raising his amber eyes, the hawk tilted his head slightly as Phoebe wondered whether or not things must have been lonely for him. Swallowing hard–though for a bird it was almost impossible to tell–Remi's mind immediately turned to Loren. He hadn't seen the Duke in what must have been a week now, and given how the two of them had left things, Remi felt impossibly isolated. Trilling in agreement, Remi bobbed his head. It hadn't been mortifying per say, but it certainly hadn't been welcome either. Wishing he could smile at the thought, Remi instead fanned his wings again so that one of his longer flight feathers brushed gently against Phoebe's arm. Gossiping about boys was not something the alchemist had ever really done–it had all been a secret after all–and while he was unsure how something like that would be taken in this place, he was sure he could find something else to speak about with the young woman.

Phoebe glanced at her arm as his flight feathers brushed across her arm. It was almost like a comforting gesture. An assurance of some sort. She smiled a little and looked at the hawk again. “You really are a funny bird, you know that?” she said, not as an insult but an observation. What birds did thinks like this anyways? It was definitely unusual. “But I am thankful to you. I…don’t really have any friends here. Thank you for letting me talk at you and bringing me flowers.” She said with a soft smile at him. “If only you were a person.” Phoebe sighed. Yeah, she wasn’t that lucky.

She glanced at the flowers then back at the bird. “I wish I had something to give you in exchange but I don’t have anything a hawk could use, I am afraid.”

Remi

remi I had a dream about a burning house. You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out I lay beside you and pulled you close. And the two of us went up in smoke Fanning his wings again–the only real gesture he could make–Remi dipped his head in acknowledgement. Reaching towards one of his wings with his beak, Remi gently pulled out one of his feathers. Unlike most species of hawk, Remi was actually a fair amount more blonde than dark shades of brown. If he had been a wild creature that likely would not have been in his best interest; but given who he was, perhaps it was not so surprising that he'd turned out a little differently than the rest. Offering Phoebe the feather to place with her flowers, Remi tucked his wings against his body. He would have sighed if he could, at the mention that she might have liked him to be a person. She might well have wanted that, but if she knew who he truly was, she might have rethought that. Clicking his beak as she mentioned that she had nothing to offer, Remi shuffled his wings slightly. That the young woman appeared to be in one piece, even if that piece was going to take quite a bit of time to repair, was all that he needed.

Phoebe was surprised when the hawk suddenly pulled one of his feathers out of his wing and held it out to her. On reflex alone she took it from him. He really did have quite pretty plumage for a hawk – though she briefly wondered if the paler color caused problems. It would certainly make him more obvious in the sky to potential prey. Carefully she tucked the feather into her bouquet of flowers that this bird had somehow gotten and brought to her. This was turning out to be quite the odd day.

“You are quite the generous hawk, aren’t you?” she said with a small smile. “Truly, I appreciate it.” She said.

remi I had a dream about a burning house. You were stuck inside, I couldn't get you out I lay beside you and pulled you close. And the two of us went up in smoke Not wanting to betray whatever confidence the young woman was currently building for him, Remi let his wings spread slightly from his body. Given the telepathy he had once possessed with other shape changers, Remi was rarely in a position where he didn't know if a creature before him was sentient in the way that he was or not. Others of course didn't have such a luxury, and the last thing Remi wanted to do was make the young woman feel as though he had somehow tricked or betrayed her by hiding who he was. Trilling brightly, Remi pressed his wings downwards and gently lifted off into the air. Perhaps next time he would stop by with some tea for the young woman; though he'd make sure to hand deliver them. Literally.