Flashback Is that an eye in your beak or you just happy to see me?

[Lavira]

Vira certainly wasn't trying to make the vulture her pet; wild birds were hard to work with, for one, and were much more prone to their natural instincts than hand raised birds were. Of course, that didn't mean Vira wasn't going to continue trying to convince the bird completely away from the body.

However, the raptor appeared to have its own agenda as it waddle-hopped away from both corpse and inartan. The teen frowned after it, her arm lowering so that palm rested on the ground, then withdrew entirely, balancing on the balls of her feet as she stared at where the avian apparently opted to hide behind a bush. If that wasn't strange behavior, she didn't know what was. Maybe it was sick? Vira hadn't the money or skill enough yet to handle a really sick bird; Tulaj was a handful enough already.

Her misgivings on the birds health were transformed entirely a moment later when the shadows of the little shrub blossomed by some light being cast from behind it. It was brief but intense and made the girl narrow her eye in distrust. Rogue djed? Something worse? She had no weapons on her to defend again-

And that was when the man stood up, his handsome face disarming and the innocent smile contradicting all previous thoughts. It wasn't a real bird; well, he was, but he wasn't. He was a morphling. She wondered then if maybe the whole thing had been a farse; and with that, her first action that followed was to grab a stone from the beach beneath her and hurl it at the naked man standing at the bush and saying he wasn't going to eat the dead guy nearby.

"Jerk, you couldn't do that earlier? Made me look like an idiot!" She reached for another stone and stood, the rock a little smaller than her palm. She arched her arm back, ready to throw once more. "Did someone put you up to this? Tell me now or I swear..." She didn't know what she'd do except throw the stone again. "Gods, and you're naked too. I'm not giving you my katinu, you jerk. You can freeze for making me look like such a fool." Her spike of irritation blinded her for the moment from really assessing what he was and the sincerity in his voice.

[Fenris]

The comforting smile quickly dissolved as the girl responded in shock and anger, hurling a rock at him. Sharp vision made the stone hurtling toward him all the more threatening, the sharp edges sailing like a falcon, her aim disappointingly accurate at his person. Ducking to the side Fenris yelped as the projectile made contact with his left bicep, which was curled across his torso as he whipped to the side. It really didn't hurt as much as his cry suggested, but the surprise of her response left him both bemused and irritated. Straightening as he heard her speak, hands raised again, the Kelvic's expression was somewhere between pleading and urgent, eyebrows raised over golden rimmed eyes. He glanced down to make sure the foliage was covering the necessary region between his legs before meeting the girl's eye again.

"Whoa," he called out, thrusting his hands palms first toward her as he saw the second rock enveloped by her hand. His Nari was absolutely appalling but he tried nonetheless to soothe the girl in her own language. "Easy. I mean nothing harm. Apologies when I shock your being. It was not my meaning!" He struggled embarrassingly through the complex language he only had a mild grasp of. He knew he was butchering the sentences horribly but he hoped it would make her smile. Just for good measure he adopted a humble visage, a grin pulling the corner of his lips.

"Could not I speak as bird," he explained slowly, trying to draw on his fragmented knowledge of Nari. "I have a new," he paused, brows furrowed as he tried to remember the word, head tilted slightly, "existence" he knew it was the wrong word but he sallied forth anyway "in Wind Reach. Please to resist throwing that boulder at my nakedness!"

[Lavira]

The girl was genuinely shocked when the man was struck by the first stone, though more in disbelief that she'd been able to hit him at all. Her lacking sight on one side made measuring distances extremely difficult. The shock was softened by his own rough response and the teen lowered the hand holding stone number two slowly, trying again not to laugh.

It'd been a strange period, for sure, going from moping alone on the beach, to creepily talking to some wild bird, to anger and embarassment, and finally, back down to sympathetic amusement. She spoke slowly and carefully, repeating his words and the proper phrasing and enunciation in Nari before switching to Common. "Nice effort, mister, but you should concentrate on being less nasal and more vocal. Nari's meant for the Wind Eagles and other Inartans. I'm kind of surprised you're not able to reproduce it, being able to exist in a bird form and all...Are you a Kelvic or some djed morpher?"

This inquiry was more rhetorical as she stared at the man. Vira then found herself blushing and turning away, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry about the rock...and the whole..." she gestured to the body with bracered hand. "...thing. Bet you think I'm crazy, huh. Creepy girl sitting on a beach talking to a sky-king." She rubbed at the back of her neck again, her light complexion darkened in the cheeks by an embarrassed blush.

[Fenris]

Thank Eywaat the girl appeared more amused than threatened as she lowered the rock-bearing hand and responded with mirth. Normally he'd be terribly dejected to embarrass himself before a lady, especially one whom he'd horrified but in this case he was more than happy to be humiliated in her presence if it meant not being assaulted by stones. He offered her a smile when she switched to Common, a warm gaze despite his nudity. Shrugging one shoulder loosely when she speculated his inability to speak Nari Fenris watched her carefully for signs of hostility.

"Kelvic," he replied at length. Folk could either be wildly displeased with this fact or decidedly indifferent. Fenris decided not to belabor the point by smiling and speaking once more.

"Nah," he brushed the thought aside with a grin and a wave of his hand. "Not crazy. I don't make a habit of changing form on a whim like this. It's just," he chuckled nervously, dropping his gaze from her. "I didn't want you to think I was going to eat him. I don't eat Inartans. People. I don't eat people." Golden eyes flicked to her face to judge her reaction. Shifting slightly on his feet he glanced down to make sure he was still modest (at least somewhat).

"Heh. I'm sorry for this. I'm a ripe ol' idiot."

[Lavira]

Lavira listened to the mans short yammering with a mixture of bemusement and sympathy now. "Well, yes, you are an idiot in some respects." Vira wasn't naive enough to trust the man right off the bat, but his eyes spoke his sincerity enough to disarm some of her current caution. "I've never seen a Kelvic shift before." Not that she had now, either, but you get the idea. "Were those lights associated with your change? Of course it was, there's no Roxa' around here that we know of." The word was spoken poorly, as though remembered from a book with no education on how to pronounce it. That wasn't uncommon when it came to the Ancient Tongue, of course, and it was simply a shortened version of one of the extremely few relic-monsters that still existed in Mizahar, a name which Lavira had read in passing when she was still a young Yasi.

"I do appreciate that you're not going to eat whoever that is, but I don't think I'd judge too harshly a carrion-bird doing his duty to the world. A human, though? That's kinda strange." She said this last with the hints of a grin. It made the teenagers pretty features light up even more, her cheeks rising as white teeth were bared and that single eye gleamed with youthful intensity.

"I'm Lavira, by the way. You're a great deal more reserved than the few Kelvics that live about Wind Reach. Most of them I've heard about aren't that shy." She nodded her chin in his direction this time and the way he kept hiding himself. This, the girl realized a heartbeat later, probably sounded strange to him and she quickly rushed on. "Not that I particularly enjoy old men exposing themselves to me. I'm not a dek desperate for pinions or whose lost their pride so much to sink to THAT level." Though her laughter was nervous, it was more akin to an apology, as though wanting him to understand that not all Inartans were like that.

[Fenris]

She was speaking awfully fast and he was still awfully naked. It bothered him only because it bothered others. He'd nearly been stoned to death for shifting and losing his clothes once. Folk just didn't take well to bare bottomed men stalking around in the grasses - though it was a silly thing to raise arms about as far as he was concerned. But Fenris didn't particularly enjoy the nakedness that came with shifting. Yes, it was all well and good to be nude. But this skin was so... soft. And the body so unprotected. No feathers to warm the flesh, no color save for hair on questionable regions of his body. It simply felt odd.

"Yes," he answered somewhat distractedly. "The lights and such are a part of the shift. And I'm not shy," he informed her with a frown. "Just cautious. Folk don't take too kindly to pantsless foreign men creepin' about. I'm just protecting your eyes."

He quirked a grin then, his affable nature showing through despite previous wariness. Running a hand through his hair he took a moment to look at her without trying to appear lustful. She was a pretty thing, lost eye or no. And he was a male who enjoyed lovely women. It was a tenuous line they walked presently and he had no intention of incurring her wrath again.

"If y'aren't willing to part with an item of clothing so's to bedeck myself, I ought to just shift again," he stated gently. "Besides, I'm lookin' to work in yonder Wind Reach," a wave of a hand in the general direction, "and it probably wouldn't look quite right if your people were to find me all naked an' hoverin' around a dead man and a girl. Doesn't tend to sit well with t'public."

He looked at her with a careful gaze. As much as he wanted to continue this conversation him being unclothed and her being pretty and the dead Inartan being dead was really putting a damper on his moves. Not that he was trying to flirt with the girl, but he did enjoy the banter. And he was rather moved by her spirit. Though if he wasn't careful he might be moved in other physiological ways that might have unfortunate repercussions to his attempts at undertaking for the Inartans.

[Lavira]

The teen laughed good naturedly. He had a sociable attitude, with which Vira appreciated considering the state she'd been in upon discovering him on the body. She did not often get a chance to socialize since her job took up so much time during the day and her nights were spent in study, either reading up on avian species and falconry, or talking to the birds in the aeries. Hanging out with other people was odd. She was definitely not one for the flock mind.

Her laughter, however, stemmed from his misinterpreted thoughts on the city not far from Thunder Bay. "Mister, you've never been to Wind Reach, have you. The Bay is frozen for a good part of the year, so most remain in the city up there." She turned and pointed towards the big mountain well within sight on the horizon. "It's a rough ride up, but the scenery's beautiful. Even better from the sky." Lavira spoke wistfully, glancing up where the shadow of a Wind Eagle was passing, a dead walrus in its enormous claws. It looked to be heading back to the city to deliver its hunt for dispersal, the shadowy silouhette of its rider visible on the back.

"I've seen naked people before. We have communal bathing areas, though some of the wealthier Avora or Endal may have a pool installed in their residences. I've never seen one, though."

She tapered off as he stood in silence, brushing a hand through his hair. Vira felt a wave of embarrassment as she stood there, cheeks flushing with color and eyes averted again. Why was he looking at her like that? The Chiet cleared her throat and reached to undo the cloak, walking to the brush and offering it to him with a shy smile and still averted gaze.

She spoke quickly once more, rushing over his words as she offered the overcoat. "It'd look a little bit odd, though, if you were to go strutting through the city in your birthday suit. You can borrow this for now, if you'd like. But I'll need it back; it's the only one I have. Are you going to give me your name or do I have to keep calling you mister?"

[Fenris]

Fenris followed her gaze upward as the pair fell into shadow from a giant eagle. Unlike Lavira who expressed clear respect and awe for the enormous creature the Kelvic grimaced. Petchin' thieves. But he wiped his expression clean for the Inartan loved their eagles and besmirching them was no way to endear his lovely companion. He chuckled softly at her assurance that naked folk were not uncommon, golden eyes watching her with mirth.

"Alright then," he replied congenially, though he had yet to move from his modesty foliage. He accepted the cloak with an appreciate cant of the head. Holding it in one hand he laughed again extending the other hand to her.

"Forgive me," he laughed with an embarrassed quirk of his lips. "Kelvics aren't know for their phenomenal manners. I'm Fenris. And thank you kindly for the cloak. What brings you down here, Miss Lavira? Certainly not the rotting of flesh."

OOCSorry for the wait and tiny post. Bad day

[Lavira]

The lass laughed, shaking her head and his hand in turn. "No, not the rotting flesh, that's for sure." But she was struck by how to answer without coming off...girlish to him. She must already seem silly to the roguish man! Vira couldn't help the hand that rose to push a stray band of hair back behind one ear and then tried to answer his question.

"Well, I..." She began. "I was just reflecting on today's work." It was a half truth, the lie not that far off. She had been reflecting on it, just not in the light he likely imagined. It was too embarrassing to admit she'd really come out here to mope and cry like a child might who couldn't get their ice cream. Of course her 'ice cream' related to her social predicament and nothing else.

OOCOh no worries! I've been kinda lame with inspiration on some of my threads recently too. Glad you're back =)

[Fenris]

Well the cloak was a bit small for him. But he certainly appreciated the intent. He'd likely have to wear it like a towel, wrapped around his waist to preserve some expression of modesty. Fumbling for a moment with the proper way to tie the material, Fenris settled on an awkward loin cloth of sorts, securing the fabric in a knot. It was certainly more akin to a flouncy skirt - the type the strumpets at the local tavern might wear. But he didn't mind.

Now properly covered he relinquished his post at the fern, stepping to the side so he could better converse with Lavira. The cloak didn't do much to hide tanned legs or flat abdomen, which was disappointingly lacking certain muscle definition. In fact it sat on his narrow hips and barely kept those which are not suitable for young girl's eyes from view. Ah well. Modesty was a plague of weaker minds as far as he was concerned.

"Today's work, eh?" he ran a hand through thick hair at the crown of his head, ruffling it like he might ruffle is feathers. A grin quirked the side of his mouth as he looked down at the lovely Inartan. "Pray tell, what does a pretty thing like you do to make a Miza? Wouldn't be surprised if they paid for beauty, with a face like yours."

Such a flirt. But Fenris meant nothing but kindness by it. Though his words were suggestive his tone and demeanor were disarming, not wishing to put Lavira on edge. But, just for good measure he added:

"You don't suppose your Eagles will come 'round and pluck out my delicates for flatterin' you, right? I hear they're fiercely protective of their folk."