[Savintar Warrens] The End of the World [Tiki, Ethan]

[Hadrian]

1st Spring, 512 A.V. Hadrian always kept odd hours, but today -- at least he thought it was day by now, which was often difficult to tell when the overcast got so thick that all the strange effects (aurora borealis, ever such long nights, and the lights of Avanthal) made the exact time of day, or even approximate time of day, difficult to determine -- today was the beginning of Spring, and Queen Morwen would return to her throne city to reign until her season of ascendance came again as it did every year. With her return, he could display the coldtorch he had crafted to light the paths of Svanhildur for her servants, to see if she liked it and if she would pay him for his service. He planned to keep building bigger and better things, which would give him more base capital with which to build even greater things, and eventually a laboratory of his own. He puttered around, putting things away while Kendall was babysitting the Kelvic bear cubs that would one day swell the ranks of the Icewatch. They really needed to get Kendall's body back, because he -- she -- wanted to be able to have babies. Even Hadrian could recognize that, but then he went from his general disconnect with his feelings and those of others to frightening flashes of empathic insight, probably to do with his auristic mastery and long practice at observation; it was just he didn't often choose to observe a person's emotional life -- unless he was manipulating it, of course. "Um," he said at a pile of garbage. He didn't want to go out in the cold. It may be the first morning of Spring, but it was still cold as balls and he didn't want his to freeze off. He put his hands together, closing his eyes to concentrate while muttering an invocation of the great Void. He concentrated on a speck of nothingness hidden among all the creation, the being, even in the space between his palms. As he pulled his hands slowly apart, he managed to pull matter apart, fighting the vacuum, the entropy, that kept everything at a relatively uniform consistency. He knew there were cracks between reality, and they could be manipulated to call forth "Ah!" he murmured with delight. His little spot of nothingness had finally grown to a size where it reached a critical anti-mass, and a small portal to the Void opened up. His will pulled at it, stretching it wider until he could actually fit some things through it. Then, while nobody was looking, he put the garbage into the portal, careful to keep his hands from crossing the event horizon, where the pull would begin to affect him more; one of the last things he wanted to experience was being sucked into the Void, mostly because he didn't know how to get back out, and he was fairly sure he could not survive in there for long. It took will to maintain the portal, and so once he was done with it, he eased it closed until there wasn't even the trace of pull, the nothingness no more than an iota between all the abundance of creation. Safe. He sat down at the desk and began to draw what he had sensed of the energies as his will began to pull the fabric of the world apart to bore that temporary hole into another realm. He was not the best artist, but he was careful, and his eye was exacting. He used a bit of rubber to erase a few of his more glaring errors, and corrected them. Then he started taking notes, writing out musical dictation of the melody he had used with his incantation. He had a sheaf of papers here somewhere with the effects of various variations on the theme, and his attempts at articulating how the djed managed to taste different for lack of better vocabulary. Ah, to speak the celestial language... but that was Caelum's particular obsession. Humming softly, he fixed the melody in his head, then glanced at Ethan as he reached for his ashwood flute in its case. The lammergeier was on his perch near the fire, head tucked under his wing, feathers groused up to let the heat of the fire in. Well, he would play quietly, but it was morning, or would be soon. Ethan often napped during the day, so it wasn't like he wouldn't get his sleep somewhere. Nodding to himself, Hadrian brought the flute up to his lips and blew carefully across the mouthpiece, aiming for the softest tone, and precision of finger work at the very least. He knew he was not much of an artist, but for him the flute was a tool to express certain mathematical equations in the form of tone, timbre, and harmony, and a bunch of other words he had learned from books on music theory. "A bard I am not," he said in careful Vani. He was trying to learn while he was here. Then he went back to his tentative playing, trying not to wake Ethan, but see if it was possible to coax a Void-portal out of thin air with mere music, as if he were some pied piper.

[Ethan]

His dreams as a Lammergeier were always physical. No strange concepts entered his mind. The "Grimm" nightmares that plagued his Human form, were absent. As if feathers created a shield from his suppressed guilt. Thats why he took to sleeping as a bird when the dreams became unbearable. But always sleeping in his animal form had its consequences. For one, the more he did it the harder it was to sleep as a human. And he hated spending too much time in either forms. Hadrian was a great teacher but he was hell on Ethan's balance. There had been a sharp decline in his behavior when he started traveling with the Mage. Too much time in one form and too many rash decisions. Skills and interests long cultivated and maintained went awry. He lost an interest in the academia, much to Hadrian's disappointment. Writing turned to slop and simple arithmetic began to escape him. It wasn't until Ethan faced the prospect of a life without Hadrian. That he realized how far from grace he had fallen. And had been working hard ever since, to straighten himself back up. Ethan's life had shaped and formed him into being the prefect example of a Kelvic's potential to be a creature of pure balance. Two sides of the same coin. Man and beast as one. Neither side giving way to the other. He would not squander that responsibility by giving into free will or temptations. So for every night sleeping as a human, there had to be another as a bird. Nightmares or not there had to be balance. Thankfully the turn had fallen on his animal form. Giving him a peaceful break from the horrors of sleep. So when he woke up to the pretty (but annoying) sound of a flute. He could of ripped Hadrian's throat out with his talons. Ethan looked at his teacher, stirring nothing but dull red his eyes. And went back to sleep. No crisis, no intruder, No point in being awake.

[Tiki]

Life among the Frostfaun always began early, especially today. There had been murmurs of the rebirth that came with the season. Though there was no offence meant toward Morwen, it helps to have the ground thaw a bit, and to allow for the awakening of greater prey. The hunt was soon to be on again, greater than before. In due time the animals, taken back from their finite slumber, would breed and the world would be ripe for the harvest as Caiyha intended. To Tiki, this meant the return of a goddess he had yet to meet, more sun light to keep him warm, and plenty of competition to keep a hold of what land he claimed as his own. The young spawns of the northern wastes were always feisty and aggressive. Of course, how else would one of them survive?! But before that time, before Mizahar would be teeming with new life that would face the struggles the world before it had, to fight to survive, there would be peace and humble celebration as to the return of a queen and the welcoming of a new year. With such said, the hunting done prior had left Avanthal prepared for a feast of sorts, and today Tiki was spared from his trade. It was a relief that his body would be spared from the usual troubles that came with hunting so close to the prey, but that was still a very familiar and comfortable part of him. He’d had to find another way to burn off all that feral energy… And what a better way than to bug Hadrian?! He had to admit to himself, Hadrian was a strange fellow, surely, and all of that magical abra-kadabra…stuff was quite foreboding, but there was still a friendly allure to the lad. It was a bit much just yet to say he cared for Tiki as a kelvic (not many think well of kelvics running around), but he was still fun t be around, in an explorative sort of way. For all the strangeness that Hadrian gave off, and the crazy magic, it was still interesting. With Tiki being…Tiki, how could he resist but to explore that new plane along Hadrian’s side? He could just walk away of course! But, there’s not fun in that. Tiki had crossed the city the while thinking of what he would do today. Hadrian didn’t seem to get out much, as far as Tiki was aware, and that bothered him. He knew well what magic was capable of, and he still clung to some faint out-of-place hope that Hadrian wouldn’t fall down that path, insanity. Then there was that bird he smelled, heard of, what have you. Ebert sounded more like a platter than company. Ebert…Edward…Elizabeth? E was a bird, and that’s what there was to it. He walked across the street with a firm nod and grin as he thought that over. Tiki was quite snug in his fur coat. He didn’t run around clad in the stuff, and he wanted to keep a few coins on hand if they would be exploring the frozen realm more. The city of ice had yet been exhausted of its attractions for this kelvic. He had some twenty gold mizas safe in his pocket he jingled around as he came even closer. The Warrens were in sight. It seemed a waste of time, now that he thought about it, that he checked in with Kayin at all, but there was no harm there. Tiki knew what room to go to, and that was what he’d do! He smiled a bit more as he came closer to the door, and his steps were quiet. Kendall might even be in, but he didn’t seem too happy with Tiki, ever, at all. It made him sad. He still knew her “secret” all the same though, and it wasn’t like he had any intent of betraying her, him...Kendall for crying out loud! Now that he had his prey in sight, well in hearing distance as Hadrian played the flute. As quiet as he meant to play it, all kelvics seemed to have some advanced hearing, especially Tiki’s kind. The next step was always the most important, the lunge, the pounce, the attack, what-have-you. His trap was set, his mind made, and so he rata-tat-tat’d on the door nice and loud. Then off to the side, opposite the hinge he hid against the wall, trying his best to stay out of sight, and preparing to hop on top of Hadrian. he would have loved to sneak in past his legs, but even for Hadrian’s height, Tiki was too tall even on all fours and would surely be seen. A lesson in stealth, perspective matters! He dwelled on this thought sometimes. But for the moment he’d wait…and then!

OOCFeel free to emote Tiki jumping Hadrian, if not just into the room, followed by whatever will happen. He’s joyous to greet you both, for his own reasons, for sure! Let the end of the world begin!

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was certainly an odd duck. Sometimes he was so aware of his surroundings that a shadow would have a hard time trying to sneak behind him, but at other times he could be so intensely focused on one thing that this single-pointed focus made him blind to whatever else was going on around him; from three hundred sixty degree awareness (he knew his geometry, of course) to one thing alone. So it was he attempted to coax a portal out of the air merely by vibrating it with the correct sequence of notes, trying to match what he understood of the harmonics with his admittedly poor skills as a flautist. He was lucky none of the extremely talented Vantha were rude enough to comment, but he did keep it indoors where things were less hectic. He could have moved the three of them to the Iceglaze Hold, but he preferred they only know of his triumphs and his work for the Queen. If they were his distant relatives, then he craved their approval all the more. Of course, he never let on... Those three notes rounded the sound, playing the octave brought the major chord to a new completion, a new level. In his mind, he saw graphs, plotted lines, curves, and the computation of energies, but his lips merely blew across the mouthpiece, his fingers moving carefully from one formation to another. Mathematics and music; they were linked, but he was the only person in the city who seemed to care about musical theory. The rest were such artists that they might learn such, but it was vulgar to speak of. Hadrian was not an artist, though, so there was that. So he didn't notice Ethan's glares as he overanalyzed his music, nor did he notice-- "Blood and ashes!" he yelped, flute flying to land on the bed, which was good because the wood seemed more brittle in Avanthal, even though their rooms were relatively warm thanks to the fire. Djed flushed into his muscles, Fluxed from hidden reserves. It was a good reaction, one that might save his life, but Tiki was lucky that Hadrian's agile mind recognized him before hands suddenly too strong attempted some graceless rending in his own defense. Some of his magics, no longer new toys to him, had become much quicker. Certainly in times such as this, he simply reacted, and that tended to be more efficient. He didn't remember willing it to happen, but some of that Fluxed djed had been instinctively used to Morph his hands into Vizyous' hands, long-fingered and pale, ending in tapering, sharp black claws. For an instant he wondered at the absent Symenestra, whether they were still bound in blood. But Tiki was here and his claws were an instant from shredding through his clothes and into the spaces between his ribs. Hadrian's entire body began to shake from adrenaline and Fluxed djed. "S-s-sorry," he stuttered. Let the Kelvic think Hadrian had weak nerves. Ethan might sense the flood of energy that Hadrian had brought to the fore, now attempting to let it dissipate without hurting anyone, some of it back into his reserves, but a lot of it flaring through his aura, wasted, or given back to the world, in any case. Ticking time bomb, Hadrian Aelius. "Y-you s-s-startled me." Tiki was also straddling him on the bed. Thankfully Kenny was at work. Even if this was innocent, the Azenth had a fiery temper. So too did Ethan.

[Ethan]

Ethan was just slipping into the limbo of dreams and reality. When a hard rap on the door woke him. He wasn't as annoyed this time as he was worried. As Hadrian's Paramour. Kendall never needed to knock. And his/her's was more feminine, a completely different sound. He doubted any agent of Ravok could or would of followed them into Avanthal. But one could never be too sure. He opened his Auristic senses and let the spirit tell the intentions. All he needed was one good feel, to realize the man meant them no harm. He reeked of excitement. Ethan could feel the frantic heartbeat lapping against the door. What was he so excited for? Ethan could not say. But he could tell that he was a Kelvic. His Kin were always easy to spot. Their animal spirit displayed right besides their human one. Ethan kept a close eye on the boy as he entered the room. He was tall and spry, a little younger than Ethan by the looks of it. And carried no weapons. He must be a new friend of Hadrian's. He was always bringing in stray things. Nonetheless he kept checking his Aura for any telltale signs of violent intentions. But when he pounced on Hadrian, he couldn't help himself any longer. He hopped down from his perch and landed on two feet, changing mid air. "Get the fuck off of Hadrian!" He wanted to grab the Kelvic and shove him through the door, but he showed a bit of restraint, fighting the urges of territorial instinct. "Who are you? What right do you have to intrude here?!"

[Tiki]

Tiki didn’t know Ethan…or even of Ethan. He did know, so very well, that signature scent those tasty little birds wondered around with. Unfortunately that scent was something of a stale waste product clinging to their backsides. Not to say Ethan was unsanitary, some things just cannot be helped! Hostilities provoke further hostilities. Thankfully for Ethan, if Hadrian were here, signs were also in favor in the fact that Ethan was friendly too. Still, first impressions go a long way. Tiki did not, and would not like Ethan for a long time to come. His otherwise rounded eyes became a bit more narrowed, and that feline ferocity beamed at Ethan. It said dinner time in the mannerisms of most cats, Tiki would bet. Tiki took the moment to look back at Hadrian for his input. Surely it surpassed any command bird-brain had. Something clicked in Tiki’s mind though. He hadn’t heard that word before… His head fell off balance as much as his means of reasoning through what that word meant, despite any and all context clues. It was usually easy to guess, but he really couldn’t comprehend it. He looked at Hadrian with that transparent curiosity that knew no bounds, and asked, “Hadrian, what’s ‘fuh-K?’” Tiki had managed to break the word into two syllables, emphasizing the latter out of sheer ease of making it louder and harsher sounding, as Ethan had used it. Tiki had this terrible problem of getting himself stuck in these social world situations. He was more of prey in the academic world, as if that word had much educational value… This did mean that Ethan’s request went unnoticed though, and he stayed right on Hadrian waiting for an answer.

[Hadrian]

Oh, perfect, he thought. Two unbonded Kelvics having a pissing contest. He did appreciate Ethan's protectiveness; it had kept Kendall safe when he himself was separated from them. Still, it seemed strange that there was no bond between them for all their affection, the shared magic, the secrets. "It's all right, Ethan," he said, still pinned under Tiki's exuberant weight. He let his claws Morph back into their natural, human state, but there remained all that djed Fluxed into his muscles, making him shiver beneath Tiki as if he had let all the cold of Morwen's cunny into the room. He channeled a good deal of it into a serpent of pale yellow res that coiled out quickly toward the door and around it, then blasting into a sharp gust of wind to knock it closed. He didn't want the two Kelvics bringing in any sort of security. Hadrian liked his privacy even though he never got it anymore, not with Kendall and Ethan living there with him, and now Tiki barging in, but he supposed it wasn't a bad thing. Another unbonded Kelvic seeking him out. What a strange world. Shivering less for having shunted off some of the excess energy, he could speak more calmly. "Ethan, this is Tiki, the one who, hm, accosted me out in the woods, but we spoke and all was well. Tiki, this is Ethan, a friend and student of mine. Ah, that's a swear word for procreation, frequently used to add emphasis. Well, it's not a nice word, but I think you ruffled Ethan's feathers. Wizards tend to be rather fragile and he likes to protect me. Please assure him you mean no harm, and then tell us what brings you here." And maybe get off of me, he thought, but he would settle for no fights breaking out.

[Ethan]

Hadrian's casual dismissal of the situation cut deep. Was it truly alright? What if he couldn't read Tiki's Aura in time. He would of had no choice but attack. What was he supposed to think of a random man sneaking into their room? He didn't want to disrespect his teacher in front of others so he backed down. The sudden burst of emotion embarrassed Ethan. He had worked so long to gain control over such things and he snapped because someone was touching Hadrian... "I don't care who he is. He could of gotten himself killed." Ethan said, calmly staring at the two. It was an improvement but not much. "Word of advice Tiki. Knock. Because if I didn't sense your intentions before you entered the room. I would of sucked your lungs out of your throat." He might of added some coy remark about him not knowing what a Lung was. But he hated to go there with Kin. Kelvics weren't made to be Academics. Ignorance was not their fault. Lack of common sense, was. And with that he left to go put some clothes on. If it came to blows, his wings would be at a severe disadvantage in close quarters. As he changed, he kept his Auristic senses alert. Just in case something started to go wrong.

[Tiki]

Even in a human form he could pull off a growl or purr of astonishing similarity. It wasn’t much a wonder why Hadrian was so impressed with the kelvic anatomy. As far as the reason behind the growl was concerned, it was fairly obvious. It was for Ethan, that and more. Well, not in front of Hadrian at least. Tiki was still a big cat, and Ethan was still a tiny bird. Taking the moment to reflect more on what was being said; he tried to reason through it all. He understood…roughly about half of what Hadrian is saying at any time, like the profanity meaning something about ruffling feathers and emphasis? That lost its interest as quickly as it was spouted from Ethan’s beak. Tiki liked the concrete present much more. Speaking of which… “I can take care of myself, and I was just playing, he said, the final phrase showing just how arrogant Tiki could be. He was still a kitten inside, and even when he was riled up his attitude stayed positive. Positivity got him far in life so far. He didn’t have any gesture to return to Ethan, he was…above such mannerisms. Perhaps not intentionally, but he knew that a rebuttal wouldn’t get him far. Besides he liked to direct his energy towards more proactive causes, like his being here at this very moment. He looked back at Hadrian with that naïve and benign smile, taking the moment to look at him. The awkward position he had put Hadrian in was soon realized and he got off, still smiling of course. “I have work off today, with the queen returning. I have my things because I went to check though.” Tiki’s aura had calmed almost entirely. There was a sort of noise to it the closer to Ethan an auristics user observed. Being around birds seemed to make him a little jumpy, Tiki that is. “Would you like to go do something today,” he asked Hadrian directly, with no acknowledgement to Ethan what-so-ever. Tiki was prepared to take Hadrian around the city one way or another, or rather to let Hadrian guide him. He certainly knew more than Tiki did. He was also a good influence on him. If not for Hadrian, who knows where Ethan might be…or in what condition? I can’t help it if it’s Caiyha’s will. He thought of this briefly, and truly out of place from his usual sense of beliefs. His trip to the temple served him more than he realized. The important part was that Tiki had food on his mind. “Ooh! Let’s go eat?!” Tiki’s stream of consciousness led to a worthwhile idea. It was still morning, surely they were hungry; it’d be just what they all needed, or at least what Tiki needed. Kelvics, you can never predict them!

[Hadrian]

He might have said more, but sometimes speaking to Kelvics was just a waste of breath. They were, deep down, animals that could take human form and learn human speech. They could develop toward humanity, but their essential nature was inhuman. He wondered if they would get along better if their root animals were the same, but perhaps not. So many male animals displayed aggression just because. But he began to wonder if it was odd that he had grown nonplussed by Kelvic nudity and affection, even in combination. Perhaps his intellect had finally overpowered the socialization of his parent culture; there was his anthropology degree shining through. Anyway, it was early and his stomach began to growl. He frequently didn't remember to eat, and would only feel the pangs of hunger when the hunger that should be there was mentioned. "Oh, sure," he said, reaching for his coat. It was probably best to eat before the fanfare for Morwen's return began, and he didn't know if she would want to see the coldtorch today or if it would take some time for her to settle in. He still wasn't sure how many details she took care of personally and how many she left to her administrative staff. "Ethan, are you hungry?" If he could get them sharing a meal, perhaps they would start to get along. Or the fresh air and sunlight might put everyone in a better mood like Tiki's.